LOS ANGELES -- Just as the Dodgers were wrapping up their most successful month since moving to Los Angeles in 1958, the NL West leaders acquired infielder Michael Young from Philadelphia to bolster a potential playoff run. Henry Ellenson Jersey . Adrian Gonzalez hit a tying single in the seventh inning and pinch-hitter Mark Ellis singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth for a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Saturday night. The Dodgers also received cash from the Phillies in exchange for minor league left-hander Rob Rasmussen. Young waived his no-trade clause in a deal that was completed 10-15 minutes before the 9 p.m. PDT deadline to make him eligible for the playoffs with the Dodgers, according to general manager Ned Colletti. "Someone that brings obviously World Series experience, one of the classier people in the game, a winner," Colletti said. "He can play first or third, can come off the bench. Someone we feel has a lot left." Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly said Young could spell Juan Uribe at third base or Gonzalez at first. "We like the guys that we have, but Michael just adds to it," he said. Mattingly spoke to Uribe about the deal. "I dont feel bad," he said. "I dont feel mad. Im good. Hes a good player. He can help the team, too." Young batted .276 with eight home runs and 42 RBIs in 126 games with the Phillies this season, including seven hits in his last 10 at-bats before the trade. He has made 101 starts at third base and 17 at first. The 36-year-old veteran is a .300 career hitter with 185 homers and 1,026 RBIs. "He makes us stronger," Mattingly said. Young was acquired by the Phillies last December from Texas. He is from nearby Covina. The Rangers paid a portion of Youngs salary to Philadelphia, which is passing it on to the Dodgers, Colletti said. The rest of Youngs new teammates were enthusiastic about his impending arrival. "One of the better human beings around, not just baseball players," said Skip Schumaker, who attended UC Santa Barbara after Young did and knows him from alumni games. "Hes going to fit right in. Anybody in the big leagues would love to have him." Gonzalez and Young were teammates in Texas. "Another guy who knows how to play the game, a great guy in the clubhouse," Gonzalez said. "He knows how to prepare and be ready for at-bats." The Dodgers ended August with a 23-6 record, their most wins in a month since 1958. The club record of 25 was set in July 1947 and equaled in August 1953, when the team played in Brooklyn. "Weve stayed healthy and our bullpen has done very well," Gonzalez said. "You cant win without pitching. Days like today, we won with our pitching and defence." Brian Wilson (1-0) came on in relief to earn the victory -- his first since joining the Dodgers last week. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 23rd save in 25 chances. Nick Vincent (3-2) took the loss, allowing two hits on nine pitches in the eighth after relieving starter Andrew Cashner. Dodgers starter Chris Capuano allowed one run and eight hits in seven innings, struck out seven and walked one. "There were a number of 3-2 and 2-0 changeups, and when a pitcher does that and throws it in the strike zone, its pretty tough," Padres manager Bud Black said. "And he had enough velocity to keep us honest. We got some hits off him, but we just couldnt string them together and get the big blow." Schumaker led off the eighth with a double and was sacrificed to third by Tim Federowicz. Schumaker scored on Ellis single to centre, one of the Dodgers 13 hits, equaling their amount in Fridays series-opening win. The Dodgers tied it at 1 on Gonzalezs RBI single with one out in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Jerry Hairston Jr. and Carl Crawford opened the inning with singles. Cashner intentionally walked Andre Ethier to load the bases before Uribe grounded out to end the inning. Ronny Cedeno homered with two outs in the fourth for the Padres. Cashner gave up one run and 10 hits while striking out seven and walking three. The Padres, who had 10 hits, have lost seven of nine. NOTES: The Dodgers transferred injured pitcher Josh Beckett to the 60-day DL to make room for Young. ... Dodgers OF Matt Kemp was set to be the DH again at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday and Sunday. Kemp has been on the DL since July 24 with a sprained left ankle. "His timing doesnt sound very good yet," Mattingly said. "Its hard to jump in at 94-95 (mph) when you havent seen it in a while. Matt wants to be swinging the ball good when he comes back." ... The Padres activated OF Kyle Blanks from the 15-day DL and optioned RHP Anthony Bass to Triple-A Tucson. Blanks was 1 for 11 with a run scored and a walk in four rehab games. ... Padres 3B Chase Headley, who left Fridays game in the fifth inning with back stiffness, didnt show much improvement overnight so he didnt play. Brooklyn Nets Gear . In five games last month, Billings led all scorers with 11 goals, 27 assists and 38 points as the Rock posted a 2-3 record. Kenny Anderson Jersey . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell.Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Myles Davis continued his strong play with 19 points and Xavier went into Verizon Center and stunned No. 21 Georgetown 66-53 on Tuesday. Davis shot 6-of-9 from the floor, finishing in double figures for the fifth straight game, and Matt Stainbrook scored 12 for Xavier (14-7, 5-4 Big East), which had lost its last five road games, including four straight to open conference play. We knew we could do this, Davis said of the win. We just prepped so hard and we knew the opportunity we had in front of us and we just took full advantage of it. Georgetown (14-6, 6-3) was coming off four straight wins and six of seven since losing to Xavier in the conference opener for both teams on Dec. 31. DVauntes Smith-Rivera paced the Hoyas with 13 points in the unlikely setback. Give them credit, they really defended well, Smith-Rivera admitted. Xavier broke the game open by scoring on six straight possessions over a 3:18 stretch just past the midpoint of the first half. Already leading 11-8, Trevon Bluietts layup openeed the flurry during which five different players scored. DAngelo Russell Jersey. Myles Davis capped the 12-0 run with a 3-pointer from Dee Davis, who also scored a layup during the spurt. Georgetown countered with four straight points on free throws, but Myles Davis connected on a pair of triples later in the half and Xavier led 29-16 at halftime. The margin was double figures until Joshua Smiths three-point play with 4 1/2 minutes to play. Smith-Rivera followed with a layup that had Georgetown within 54-47. The Hoyas could have cut it down even more on their next possession, but Tre Campbell missed a 3 and Smith, who grabbed the offensive rebound and got fouled, bricked the front end of a 1-and-1. Stainbrooks layup on a nifty inbounds feed from Dee Davis with 1:26 left made it an 11-point game, and Xavier held on. Game Notes Xavier improved to 3-1 against Georgetown since joining the Big East ... The home team had won the previous three meetings by 13-plus points ... Bluiett and Remy Abell scored 11 points apiece for Xavier. ' ' '

Frenchman Sebastien Ogier sealed his fourth consecutive World Rally Championship title in style by winning the Rally of Catalonia. Cheap Air Jordan Online . Ogier needed just a point to retain his crown, but the Volkswagen driver claimed his fifth win of the season by holding off home favourite Dani Sordo.Belgian Thierry Neuville took third place to move level with Andreas Mikkelsen in the battle for second in the championship. Its been a tough season but fantastic, said Ogier, who celebrated by leaping onto the roof of his car with co-driver Julien Ingrassia. Thank you so much to the team! We have had the perfect car all weekend.Its fantastic to take the championship two rallies before the end of the season, I couldnt do much more. I had so much fun behind the steering wheel this weekend. Joining the list of big names who are four-time title winners is just amazing.Ogiers latest title takes him level with Finnish duo Juha Kankkunen and Tommi Makkinen as the second most successful rally driver of all-time.But he remains some way off the nine consecutive titles won by compatriot Sebastien Loeb between 2004 and 2012. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. Ogier, 32, started the weekend in a commanding position with a podium finish almost certain to guarantee the title.However, his job was made even easier when team-mate and championship rival Mikkelsen crashed out on Saturday, meaning a solitary point was enough.After a difficult start in treacherous conditions on Thursday and Friday, Ogier reeled in Sordo by winning five of eight speed stages on Saturday to move in front.And he was faster than Sordo on all four of Sundays stages to emphatically seal the title by 15.6 seconds with Neuville a further minute back in third.Really disappointed but I need to offer Seb my congratulations, said Sordo. I did my best, and I want to thank my fans for their support. I did my maximum.    Cheap Retro Jordan . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings (3) - Early goal against was on the power play. Air Jordan 19 For Sale . However, after review it became clear Kadri kicked the puck in.LOS ANGELES, Calif. - A judge ruled against Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling on Monday in his attempt to block the $2 billion sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. In the tentative ruling, Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas sided with Sterlings estranged wife Shelly Sterling, who burst into tears when the ruling was announced. "I cant believe its over. I feel good," she said. Shelly Sterling negotiated the sale of the team after the 80-year-old billionaire was banned by the NBA for making offensive remarks about blacks. She sought approval from a probate judge for the deal she struck after removing her husband from the trust that owned the team when doctors found he had signs of Alzheimers disease and couldnt manage his affairs. Donald Sterling claimed his wife deceived him about the medical exams. He later revoked the trust after she negotiated the record-setting sales price and his lawyers argued that the move killed the deal. They said the case didnt belong in probate court because the trust had been dissolved. The ruling in Los Angeles County Superior Court is unlikely to put an end to the bizarre saga that began in April when a recording surfaced of Sterling scolding his young girlfriend for bringing black men to Clippers games. The NBA moved quickly to ban Sterling for life and fined him $2.5 million. Sterling was apologetic after the audio recording went viral, but his mea culpa backfired when he criticized Lakers great Magic Johnson, who had been photographed with Sterlings girlfriend, as a bad role model for kids because he had HIV. Sterling was roundly criticized from locker rooms to the Oval Office, where President Barack Obama called Sterlings remarks "incredibly offensive racist statements." With the NBA threatening to seize the team and auction it, Sterling initially gave his wife of 58 years permission to negotiate a sale but then refused to siign it. Air Jordan Sale. He said he would sue the league instead and then revoked the trust. The nonjury trial held over several weeks focused mainly on whether Shelly Sterling properly removed her husband as a trustee and whether her actions carried any weight after he revoked the trust. Donald Sterlings lawyers contended that his wife and her lawyers conspired to trick him and that the mental exams by two doctors were faulty. They said Sterling didnt know his competency as a trustee was being evaluated and that he showed no signs of incompetence on the witness stand. In combative testimony, Sterling said he would "never, ever sell" the team he bought in 1981 for about $12 million. He vowed to fight the NBA in court until the day he dies. Before taking the stand, he kissed his wife and then testified that he loved her. But the following day when she approached him in court he yelled, "get away from me, you pig!" Sterling, a lawyer who made a fortune as a landlord, has filed an antitrust lawsuit in federal court against the NBA and he sued his wife, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the league in state court. Lawyers for Shelly Sterling and Ballmer had urged the judge to let the sale go through because it was in the best interest of the family trust. They said an auction was less likely to bring such a high price and that coach Doc Rivers, key players and sponsors were likely to walk if Donald Sterlings ownership was prolonged. "The trust has a golden bird in the hand," Shelly Sterlings lawyers wrote in court papers. "A sale of the Clippers for $2 billion is indisputably a bonanza for the Sterling family. Donalds strident opposition is motivated by only selfish considerations." Donald Sterling said he could get more for the team by also selling TV rights and through his $9 billion suit against the league. ___ AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this story. ' ' '

Orchard Park, NY (SportsNetwork. Nike Air Max 90 Günstig Schweiz .com) - The Buffalo Bills released fullback Frank Summers on Tuesday. The Bills needed to open up a roster spot for running back C.J. Spiller, who could return for Sundays game against Oakland. Bills coach Doug Marrone announced Monday that Spiller will be added to the active roster this week after missing the last seven games with a broken collarbone. Spiller was injured on a 53-yard run in Buffalos Week 7 game against Minnesota. He was placed on injured reserve/designated to return, which allowed him to resume practicing earlier this month. Summers started six of the first seven games this season, but has been inactive for the past four weeks. Used mostly as a blocker, Summers had six carries for 17 yards and a touchdown. Nike Air Max 90 Kaufen Schweiz . Tensions rose in the first period when Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik hit Bruins forward Loui Eriksson with what appeared to be a clean hit. Schuhe Schweiz Bestellen . Pominville scored in all three of Minnesotas games last week to help the Wild (8-4-3, 19 points) earn four out of a possible six points. His best performance was in a 4-3 win over Montreal on Friday, where he posted a season-high three points (two goals, one assist), including the game-winning goal.SALT LAKE CITY - This is a much different Utah Jazz offence than the one that had pronounced scoring struggles throughout last season.Utah dominated around the basket Saturday night and pulled away for a 118-91 victory over the Phoenix Suns.The Jazz overwhelmed Phoenix in numerous offensive categories. Utah outscored the Suns 66-42 in the paint and enjoyed a 52-34 edge in rebounds.It paid off for the Jazz in transition. Utah outscored Phoenix 35-21 in fast-break points and had a 19-11 edge in second-chance points. The Jazz simply got easier and easier looks at the basket as the game progressed.Thats impressive for us, Jazz centre Derrick Favors said. We need that for the rest of the year. We got to be able to control the paint and get easy points in the paint.Favours set the tone early for Utahs inside domination. He scored a career-high 32 points and added nine rebounds, mostly before halftime. Favours had 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting and six rebounds in the first half.His effort helped the Jazz overcome a slow start. They rallied from a 9-2 deficit by scoring on six straight possessions and outscored Phoenix 31-13 over the final 8:59 of the first quarter.They were denying the wings real hard, Favors said. Gordon (Hayward) and Alec (Burks) couldnt get open or nothing. I just decided to take it upon myself to get something going.Hayward added 24 points and 10 boards, while Trevor Booker added 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench to help the Jazz (1-2) get their victory of the season.Its nice to win, but we won doing the things that I think we want to do, Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. We were rewarded for playing the right way.Gerald Green had 16 points off the bench for the Suns (2-1), who shot just 14 of 43 (32.6 per cent) from the field in the second half. Markieff Morris added 13 points and Marcus Morris chipped in 12.Phoenix never really found an offensive rhythm after halftime. The Suns had a 60-59 lead early in the third quarter but Haywarrd scored 14 points in the period, including some big baskets in a decisive 11-0 run that put the Jazz back ahead 70-60. Air Max Günstig Outlet. Phoenix never got closer than eight after that and Utah finished off the Suns when Dante Exum drained a 3-pointer to spark a 14-2 run that put the Jazz ahead 105-81 with 6:01 remaining.They did a good job tonight, Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. They pushed the ball. They had a lot more energy. They had a couple of days to think about some of their recent games and they got after it.Utah opened a 49-31 lead with 7:35 remaining before halftime after Exum and Hayward drilled 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions. Markieff Morris started and ended a 14-0 run that cut that advantage to 59-55 at halftime.Phoenix simply ran out of gas in the second half, however, and the Suns dropped their third straight regular-season game against Utah dating to last season.___TIP-INSSuns: Phoenix won its first two regular-season games for the 12th time in team history. The Suns have made the playoffs 10 of the previous 11 times that happened. The lone exception was in 2013-14. ... 16 is a magic number for the Phoenix backcourt. When Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe each scored 16 or more points last season, the Suns went 16-0 in those games.Jazz: Exum and Hayward combined to shoot 6 of 9 (66.7 per cent) from 3-point range. Their teammates, however, went 0 for 16. ... Booker is averaging a team-high 12.0 points off the bench, along with 6.3 rebounds. His output ranks among the top 25 in the NBA for bench players in both categories. He was energy - just energy off the bench, Snyder said. He played the right way.FAMILY AFFAIR: Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris started strong for Phoenix. The twin brothers went 6 of 8 from the field in the first quarter and combined for 13 of the Suns 22 points. They finished with a combined 25 points on 11-of-20 shooting.UP NEXTSuns: Visit the Lakers on Tuesday.Jazz: Visit the Clippers on Monday. ' ' '

New Orleans, Portland and Sacramento have agreed to a three-team trade sending guard Tyreke Evans to the Pelicans, centre Robin Lopez to the Trail Blazers and guard Greivis Vasquez to the Kings, people familiar with the deal said. Air Force 1 Cheap Wholesale . The people, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because NBA rules prevent confirmation of trades until July 10, say Portland is sending second-round draft pick Jeff Withey to New Orleans and a future draft pick to Sacramento as part of the deal, which was first reported by ESPN. The trade also sends guard Terrel Harris to Portland. Evans, a former Rookie of the Year and restricted free agent, averaged 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists with the Kings last season, his fourth. At 6-foot-6, he has demonstrated the versatility to play either guard position, or even small forward when matchups favour doing so. The 7-foot Lopez, who was New Orleans starting centre after arriving in a trade with Phoenix, averaged 11.3 points to go with 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks last season, all career highs in what was his fifth NBA season. The 6-6 Vasquez, who started at point guard, averaged career highs of 13.9 points and nine assists and was widely regarded as one of the most improved players in the NBA. For New Orleans, the trade comes on the heels of a draft-day deal that sent sixth overall pick Nerlens Noel to Philadelphia in exchange for All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday. Because of Evans versatility, he could potentially become a key sixth man, backing up both Holiday or high-scoring shooting guard Eric Gordon as needed and giving all three players the minutes they command. That is, if the Pelicans decide not to trade Gordon, who has played only 51 games in the past two seasons combined because of lingering knee problems. The Pelicans also now have a void to fill at centre. If New Orleans does not acquire another starting centre through a trade or free agency, it could potentially move reserve 7-foot power forward Jason Smith into that spot, which he has played periodically during the past few seasons. Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson, who are both 6-10 and generally play power forward, also could fill in at centre in stints if needed. Last season, Portland played J.J. Hickson, a true power forward, at centre alongside two-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum. The addition of Lopez will give the Blazers help at the position while developing 7-1 Meyers Leonard, the 11th overall pick in the 2012 draft out of Illinois. It is the second major move the Blazers have made since the NBA draft. On Sunday, Portland added frontcourt depth by acquiring 6-10 forward Thomas Robinson from the Houston Rockets in exchange for a pair of future draft picks and the draft rights to Kostas Papanikolau and Marko Todorovic. Robinson was the fifth overall pick in last years draft by the Sacramento Kings. He was dealt to the Rockets in a three-team trade in February. He played in 70 total games last season, averaging 4.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 15.1 minutes. The Blazers lost their last 13 games to finish 33-49 last season and out of the playoffs for the second straight season. The Hornets were 27-55, missing the playoffs for a second straight season. Sacramento also missed the playoffs last season, going 28-54. Fake Vans Shoes . Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris, city natives, handled the catering for teammates that begged them for the tasty postgame feast. Under Armour Wholesale China . Catch the action live on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Wild lead the Northwest Division and look to get back into the win column after having a season-high seven-game winning streak cut short with Tuesdays 2-1 loss at Winnipeg in the finale of a five-game road trip (4-1-0).GRENOBLE, France -- Doctors offered a grim assessment of Michael Schumachers head injuries Monday, providing no prognosis for the Formula One driving great after his skiing accident in the French Alps. Schumacher has been placed in a medically induced coma to relieve pressure on his brain, which suffered bruising and bleeding when the retired seven-time world champion fell and struck a rock Sunday while skiing during a family vacation. "We cannot predict the future for Michael Schumacher," Dr. Jean-Francois Payen, the doctor in charge of Grenoble University Hospitals intensive care unit, said at a news conference. "He is in a critical state in terms of cerebral resuscitation," said Payen, the chief anesthesiologist treating the 44-year-old German driver. "We are working hour by hour." Schumachers wife, Corinna, daughter Gina Maria and son Mick were at his bedside. "The family is not doing very well, obviously. They are shocked," his manager, Sabine Kehm, told reporters. Schumacher earned universal admiration for his uncommon driving talent, which led to a record 91 race wins. His single-minded dedication to victory sometimes meant he was denied the same affection during his career that he received Monday. Schumacher "gave the image of someone indestructible, powerful," Frances four-time F1 champion Alain Prost said on iTele TV channel. "Its a banal accident compared to what hes done in the past. Its just a dumb thing that ended badly." Schumacher and his 14-year-old son were skiing Sunday morning in the French Alpine resort of Meribel, where the family has a chalet. He fell and hit the right side of his head on a rock. By wearing a helmet, Schumacher had given himself a chance of survival, Payen said, though the protection was not enough to prevent serious injury. Gerard Saillant, a trauma surgeon who operated on Schumacher when he broke his leg in a 1999 race crash, was at the hospital as a visitor. He told reporters that Schumachers age and fitness should work in his favour. Schumacher, who turns 45 on Friday, retired from the track for the second time only last year, after a three-season comeback. Still, the hospitals neurology team, which is recognized as among the best in France, was cautious about Schumachers prospects. Doctors lowered his body temperature to between 34 and 35 degrees Celsius (93.2 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit) as part of the coma, which essentially rests the brain, slowing its metabolism to help reduce inflammation after an injury. The hospital, in a city that is the gateway to the French Alps, sees a large number of skiing accidents every year. Schumacher has been seriously hurt before. In addition to the broken leg in a crash at the 1999 British Grand Prix, he also suffered neck and spine injuries after a motorcycle accident in 2009 in Spain. An expert skier, Schumacher fell in a section of trails that slice down tthrough a vast and, in parts, very steep snowfield. Under Armour Outlet Clearance. Although challenging, the snowfield is not extreme skiing. The runs are broad and neatly tended, and the ungroomed area in between -- where the resort said Schumacher was found -- is free of trees. "He was in the deep snow. But it was not an off-piste track," Kehm said, suggesting Schumacher had not taken undue risks. "They were skiing on pistes, but in the moment that it (the accident) happened, it was not on the piste." Meribel resort officials said Schumacher was conscious when first responders arrived, although agitated and in shock. After the fall, Payen said Monday, Schumacher was not in a "normal state of consciousness." He did not respond to questions, and his limbs appeared to move involuntarily, the doctor said. He was airlifted to a local hospital and then later brought to Grenoble. Doctors said that stopover was typical and did not affect his condition. The French prosecutor in Albertville has opened an investigation into the accident, according to the Mountain Gendarmerie in Bourg-Saint-Maurice. The goal is to determine the circumstances and cause of the accident. Formula One drivers and fans rushed to wish Schumacher a quick recovery. "Like millions of Germans, the chancellor and members of the government were extremely dismayed when they heard about Michael Schumachers serious skiing accident," German Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said in Berlin. Sebastian Vettel, the Formula One racer for whom Schumacher was a boyhood idol, told German news agency dpa: "I am shocked and hope that he will get better as soon as possible." Ferrari, which Schumacher raced for, also expressed its concern. Company President Luca di Montezemolo and race team leader Stefano Domenicali were in contact with the family, the company said in a statement. Former Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa, who himself recovered from life-threatening head injuries at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2009, wrote on Instagram: "I am praying for you my brother!! I hope you have a quick recovery!! God bless you, Michael." British former F1 champion Jenson Button posted that "Michael more than anyone has the strength to pull through this." Some fans gathered outside the hospital Monday. Nuravil Raimbekov, a student from Kyrgyzstan who is studying in Grenoble, said Schumacher has been an inspiration to him. "Im worried, of course ... But I still hope, and I will pray for him," he said. During his career, Schumacher set an array of Formula One records. After initial success with the Benetton team, winning his first two championships in 1994 and 1995, Schumacher moved to Ferrari. There, he helped turn the storied Italian team into the sports dominant force. After initially retiring in 2006, he made a comeback in 2010 and raced for three years with Mercedes. ' ' '

VANCOUVER - The Canadian womens soccer team announced two more international friendlies to its 2014 schedule on Wednesday. Schuhe Großhandel . The national team will host Germany on June 18 before facing Japan on Oct. 28. Both games will be played at Vancouvers B.C. Place Stadium. Canada announced two other friendlies earlier this week -- May 8 in Winnipeg against the United States, and Oct. 25 against Japan in Edmonton. All four games will be tough as Canada continues its preparations ahead of hosting the 2015 Womens World Cup. The U.S. tops the current FIFA world rankings, followed by No. 2 Germany and No. 3 Japan. Canada lost 1-0 to the Americans in a friendly in Texas on Friday. Air Max Bestellen Auf Rechnung . Pressley missed all of last season with Cincinnati because of a knee injury, but the 5-foot-10, 249-pounder had been expected to fill a need on Clevelands roster. Nike Air Max 90 Günstig Schweiz .com) - It appears both the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls will reach the playoffs, but the two squads are coming off losing efforts.Tracy Morgan shared one of his favourite NBA memories as well, when Larry Bird stole the inbound pass in the waning moments of Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals.Jonah Hill and Ice Cube then challenged NBA Legends Dr. J, Clyde Drexler, Moses Malone and Robert Horryy to a game of HORSE. Nike Air Max 90 Kaufen Schweiz. Hill drained a one handed half court shot… or ESPN has a great video editor, but it was still fun. Im willing to bet well see more fun NBA videos this Sunday before Game 2 of the Miami Heat vs. the San Antonio Spurs. ' ' '

LOS ANGELES -- Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier both deeply regret their brawl at a publicity stop in Las Vegas earlier this week. Garrett Cooper Jersey . The light heavyweights also say they would probably do it again in a similar situation. Jones and Cormier kept their rivalry civil Tuesday during another publicity appearance for their title fight next month. They sat on opposite sides of a stage at a club in downtown Los Angeles, with police officers watching them warily. "The whole situation was silly, and I think I reacted inappropriately," said Jones, the UFCs 205-pound champion. "I think I turned a lot of fans off. I think I turned a ton of fans on." Indeed, the fighters will likely face disciplinary action from the UFC and the Nevada Athletic Commission for a scuffle that started during a photo faceoff in the lobby of the MGM Grand casino. They also created a viral phenomenon that sold untold thousands of pay-per-view buys and garnered international interest in their title showdown at UFC 178 on Sept. 27. "I do believe we have to carry ourselves more respectfully," Cormier said. "MMA is a very new sport, and when we behave the way we did, its easy to say its just a sport filled with thugs." It all started when Jones and Cormier walked straight into each other during the traditional photo faceoff at the MGM Grand casino on Monday, with the taller Jones putting his forehead on Cormiers head. Cormier then shoved Jones with his hand at the champions neck, and Jones threw a looping punch. The fighters fell off a makeshift stage into a crowd of fans and UFC employees while trading more punches and kicks, sending one public relations man who tried to get between them tumbling into a makeshift backdrop. Jones said the brawl was part of the "mental warfare" before any fight. "If Daniel could touch me like that and me not do anything, I think it would have given him a false sense of confidence," Jones said. "I needed to let him know that I am not on the defence. I am the lion. I am the aggressor. I am the one thats on the attack. Youre just not going to do that to me." Cormier said the confrontation brought back childhood memories of bullies in Lafayette, Louisiana. "I can defend myself now," Cormier said. "Im never allowing anyone to dominate me again." Jones and Cormier didnt get near each other in Los Angeles, but they flung insults and jokes across the stage in front of several hundred excited fans. At one point, Jones stood and picked up his stool, taking three menacing steps toward Cormier on the far end of the stage before breaking into a laugh and a grin. Even without an eye-catching brawl, this title fight already was the UFCs most compelling matchup of the fall. Jones (20-1) is widely considered the pound-for-pound champion of MMA, while Cormier (15-0) is an undefeated former heavyweight who has loomed for years as Jones biggest challenge. Although Jones is apologetic about his latest instance of questionable behaviour, he also thinks he learned something useful for their fight next month from that early preview. "I felt his strength there," Jones said. "He really isnt that strong." Jose Fernandez Jersey . Off-Season Game Plan looks at what the Blue Jackets may do to build upon last seasons success to return to the playoffs again next year. Donn Pall Jersey . It was a day that saw England slump off a World Cup field once again battered and bruised. This time there was no red card to wonder about, no goalkeeping error or individual mistake. They were thoroughly beaten by something they have nothing of – genuine world class ability.TORONTO - As the home of football in Canada, TSN once again delivers every game from the CFL season with its comprehensive CFL ON TSN broadcast campaign. TSNs live coverage includes all 81 regular season games, all four divisional playoff matchups and the 102nd GREY CUP in Vancouver. New this season, TSN subscribers can live stream all CFL games using TSN GO. Through TSN GO, TSN subscribers can also watch every CFL game on demand. To date, Rogers Cable and Bell TV have signed on to make TSN GO available to their customers and more TV service providers are expected to join. To learn more, please visit TSN.ca/GO. TSN also complements its broadcast campaign with a slate of digital content surrounding the league, highlighted by TSN Fantasy Football: CFL Edition presented by Moores and the enhanced TSN Gametracker: CFL Edition presented by GMC. TSN kicks off the 2014 CFL season this Thursday (June 26) at 8:30 p.m. ET with the opening game featuring the Toronto Argonauts visiting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Investors Group Field. Highlights of the 2014 CFL ON TSN broadcast schedule include: - The 102nd Grey Cup championship in Vancouver on Sunday, November 30- The Saskatchewan Roughriders begin their defence of their 101st Grey Cup title in a championship game rematch against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, on Sunday, June 29- The CFLs longstanding Labour Day Classic rivalry is renewed when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats host the Toronto Argonauts on Monday, September 1 from the brand new Tim Hortons Field- The Montreal Alouettes host the Canadian Football Hall of Fame game on Sunday, September 21 against the Calgary Stampeders. Former Alouettes stars Ben Cahoon and Uzooma Okeke will be enshrined in the Hall alongside iconic CFL player and coach Wally Buono RDS and RDS2 have French-language coverage of all 18 Montreal Alouettes games, 15 games featuring the expansion Ottawa Redblacks, an additional 20 CFL games from around the league, plus complete CFL playoffs including the 102nd GREY CUP. Broadcast Team TSNs CFL coverage is anchored by the networks Gemini Award-winning broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Chris Cuthbert and game analyst Glen Suitor. Also in the booth are veteran play-by-play announcers Rod Black and Gord Miller alongside game analysts Duane Forde and Matt Dunigan. As announced, the popular CFL ON TSN panel is back with new host Rod Smith - one of the most-trusted voices in sports broadcasting - who joins fan-favourite analysts Matt Dunigan, Chris Schultz, Jock Climie, Milt Stegall, and Paul LaPolice. Once again, Brian Williams brings fans in-depth features and interviews with key newsmakers during CFL ON TSN broadcasts, while TSN Football Insider Dave Naylor returns to break down the hot button issues impacting the league across TSN platforms. Billy McMillon Jersey. Kate McKenna joins the team this season to contribute special reports and features on buzz-worthy items from around the league, as well as host CFL ON TSN Insider segments with Dave Naylor. CFL Season Preview Specials Leading up to the opening kickoff on Thursday, CFL ON TSN primes fans for the 2014 season with a series of special season preview broadcasts airing tomorrow night (Wednesday, June 25): - 7:30 p.m. ET - JOURNEY TO THE GREY CUP: 2013 SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERSThis 30-minute TSN Original feature looks back at the storybook season that saw the Roughriders capture the CFL title on their home turf. - 8 p.m. ET - CFL TOP 50 PLAYERSMilt Stegall and Matt Dunigan count down the CFLs most electrifying talents, identifying the players to watch during the 2014 season. - 8:30 p.m. ET - CFL SEASON PREVIEW SHOWCFL ON TSNs hour-long season preview special breaks down the biggest storylines heading into the 2014 CFL season and to tee up the season opener the following evening, Thursday, June 26. TSN Radio TSN Radios family of stations across the country provide live CFL coverage as well as comprehensive pre- and post-game coverage throughout the season. TSN Radios lineup of live CFL coverage, which can also be accessed online via TSN.ca and TSN GO, is as follows:- TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto - the official radio voice of the Toronto Argonauts features live coverage of every game as well as the ARGOS ALL ACCESS show, airing every Monday night of the season at 7 p.m. ET - TSN Radio 690 in Montreal - the official radio voice of the Montreal Alouettes delivers exclusive English-language coverage of every Alouettes game, along with THE ALS THIS WEEK, airing every Monday night of the season at 7 p.m. ET- TSN Radio 1200 in Ottawa - the official radio voice of the Ottawa Redblacks delivers complete coverage of every game from  the Redblacks inaugural season, plus the OTTAWA REDBLACKS RADIO SHOW Thursdays at 7 p.m. ET- TEAM Radio 1040 in Vancouver - the official radio voice of the B.C. Lions features live coverage of every game In addition, fans of the Blue Bombers and Edmonton Eskimos can tune in to TSN Radio 1290 in Winnipeg and TSN Radio 1260 in Edmonton respectively for extensive game day coverage of each teams 2014 CFL campaign (visit each stations home page for more details). TSN Radio is the exclusive home of the 102nd GREY CUP championship in Vancouver. ' ' '

WASHINGTON -- Fabian Espindola scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season to lead D. Reggie Sanders Jersey .C. United to a 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday. Bill Hamid made five saves to preserve his third shutout and D.C.s fifth this season. Uniteds victory was their first over Sporting since a 2-1 win on May 5, 2010, with Kansas City winning six matches and drawing one since. Sporting (5-5-4) had its winless streak stretched to five matches as United (6-4-3) climbed past them into second place in the Eastern Conference. Already without American World Cup call-ups Matt Besler and Graham Zusi, Kansas City lost defender Aurelien Collin in the eighth minute with an apparent recurrence of a right hamstring injury. Collin previously missed two matches with the same injury earlier this month, and was replaced Saturday by 17-year-old Erik Palmer-Brown, the leagues youngest current player. United also lost defender Chris Korb to an apparent leg injury in the 34th minute. But forward Eddie Johnson was allowed to start after the league waived his red card from last weeks match at New England and the resulting suspension. D.C. substitute Alex Caskey was sent off in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time for his late, dangerous challenge on Kansas Citys Kevin Ellis. Ellis was also involved in a post-match scrum, with Sporting coach Peter Vermes having to briefly restrain the defender. Espindola scored in the 28th minute on his long, left-footed strike from outside the penalty area that appeared to be a cross aimed at Johnson. Instead, it sailed beyond stranded Kansas City goalkeeper Eric Kronberg and into the net for Espindolas third goal in three matches. Kansas City had chances to tie after halftime. In the 63rd minute, Jacob Peterson reached Benny Feilhabers cross but headed it wide of Hamids right post. Then Hamid made a reaction save on his left post to turn away substitute Soony Saads whistling shot in the 78th minute. Fake Diamondbacks Jerseys . Authorities in Medina, Minn., released the details one day after Cunningham was jailed for another alleged incident with the woman he had been living with for the previous eight months. Cunningham had already been charged with felony domestic assault for allegedly choking the woman last week. Carson Kelly Jersey . The Asheville, N.C. native, who signed as a free agent with the CFL club last May, didnt see any action with Edmonton this season after opening the year on the injured list.RALEIGH, N.C. - Justin Faulk had a goal and two assists and Jeff Skinner scored his 100th career goal and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Calgary Flames 4-1 on Monday night.David Jones gave the Flames a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 13:07 of the first period.Zach Boychuk tied it with 2:30 left in the first period for the Hurricanes, who won for the fifth time in six games since starting the season 0-6-2.Boychuks shot went off Jonas Hillers mask and into the net.Faulk scored a power-play goal at 4:50 of the second period, four seconds after Devin Setoguchi went off for holding the stick. Faulk scored from the slot after taking a pass off the faceoff from Riley Nash.Skinners goal gave the Hurricanes a 3-1 lead at 12:15 of the second.He became the fourth-youngest player in franchise hisstory to score 100 goals — behind Sylvain Turgeon, Ron Francis and Geoff Sanderson — but the youngest since the team moved from Hartford in 1997. Jay Bell Jersey. Skinner later added an assist on Tim Gleasons third-period goal that made it 4-1. It was Gleasons first goal of the season.Carolina goalie Cam Ward finished with 22 saves to win his fifth straight decision.Hiller stopped 27 shots for the Flames. The Flames fell to 3-2 on their road trip.NOTES: Carolina has earned points in six straight games, its longest streak of the season. ... Calgary D Mark Giordano extended his point streak to seven games with an assist on the Flames goal against Carolina. He has 14 assists to lead NHL defencemen. ... The Flames remained stuck on 1,499 regular-season wins after losing to Carolina. ' ' '

TORONTO - Canada has never been lower on the world soccer ladder and now finds itself looking up at such minnows as St. Yeezy 700 Outlet . Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Haiti, and Antigua and Barbuda.The Canadian men slipped two places to No. 122 in the October rankings released Thursday by FIFA. That tied their August nadir.Perhaps more worrying than being sandwiched between Niger and Liberia, Canada is ranked 16th in CONCACAF regions, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.Canada would seem to deserve a better billing oven its performance against Colombia in a friendly last week, losing 1-0 to the No. 3 team in the world.But the FIFA rankings, assembled via a set formula, tell a different story.I think its embarrassing, I think its wrong, Toronto FC midfielder Dwayne de Rosario, Canadas all-time leading scorer, said of the FIFA numbers. When you look at where we are, as a country and where we are in soccer in this country, I think we should be a lot better than that.To be (No.) 16 is a little bit disrespectful. I think theres no way we should be 120-and-something. But we are and we have to accept that.The lower the ranking and the more circuitous Canadas next World Cup qualifying journey will be.Canadas next outing is a tough friendly at No. 56 Panama in November.As a team, were still developing, said the 36-year-old De Rosario. Unfortunately we dont have a U.S. pool where we can draw players from all over, playing at high levels and top levels ... We still have unattached guys playing and guys that are playing for clubs that arent really getting a lot of minutes. Its difficult.I think what Benito (Floro) has done with what he has has been good. We saw a resilient Canadian side compete against a very good Colombia team, a full Colombia team and it wasnt even our full Canadian team. But at the end of the day we lost ....Hopefully next year come Gold Cup time, we can drop our ranking by getting some wins and push through that tournament.Canadas best ranking was No. 40, achieved in December 1996. Its average ranking is 76.281 since the ratings began in August 1993.Elsewhere in the rankings, Belgium moved into the top four for the first time and former World Cup winner Spain dropped to 10th following a loss to Slovakia in a European Championship qualifier.The top three positions remained the same with World Cup winner Germany first., ahead of runner-up Argentina, then Colombia. Belgium was fourth and the Netherlands fifth.Brazil was sixth, ahead of France, Uruguay, Portugal and Spain, which slipped two places to No. 10.England dropped from 18th to 20th, and the U.S. slipped six places to 23rd.Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter. Yeezy 350 Outlet . After Mariota was pushed around by Stanford on Thursday, finishing 20/34 with 250 yards and two touchdowns in Oregons Title hope-crushing defeat, hes going to need a poor performance or two from the remaining frontrunners to have a shot at the most coveted individual trophy in college sports. Air Max 90 Saldi .C. -- Al Jefferson knows few people will be giving the Charlotte Bobcats a chance to upset the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.BARCELONA, Spain - Lionel Messi has another scoring record in sight when Barcelona visits Almeria on Saturday looking to bounce back from consecutive losses that have cost it the Spanish league lead.Messi scored his 70th and 71st goals in the Champions League in a 2-0 win at Ajax on Wednesday to equal Raul Gonzalezs all-time record in Europes top-tier club competition.The Argentina forward can now match the Spanish leagues scoring milestone as he is just one goal short of Telmo Zarras mark of 251, a record the Athletic Bilbao great established in 1955.Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, will try to extend his club-record run of scoring in eight straight league appearances when the leaders hosts crosstown minnow Rayo Vallecano.Madrid leads Valencia and Atletico Madrid by one point, with Barcelona and Sevilla another point behind.Here are some things to know about round 11 of the Spanish league:___BALE BACK: Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has been facing questions about whether Gareth Bale, the winger Madrid bought for a world-record 100-million euros (then $132-million) last season, has a place in his starting 11.While Bale nursed a muscle injury, Madrid didnt skip a beat and won all five games, including a 3-1 victory over Barcelona.And with the Santiago Bernabeu crowd chanting the name of midfielder Francisco Isco Alarcon and thrilled with James Rodriguez, some have questioned whether Bale shouldnt be left on the bench.Ancelotti is not having any of it and said Bale will start against Rayo after coming on as a substitute against Liverpool.I see Bale is fine, Ancelotti said. I didnt start him because he is just back from injury. He felt fine. He will start on Saturday.___SUAREZ SEARCHING: While Messi dazzled in Amsterdam with his goals and incisive playmaking, new teammate Luis Suarez was left scoreless against his former club to remain without a goal in three games since returning from his four-month biting ban.Messsi is not worried and expects the goals to come for Suarez once he settles in and learns Barcelonas possession-based style. Air Max 270 False. .We are happy Luis is with us and he is adapting to our philosophy, Messi said. This was his third game and we expect more from him given the class of striker he is.Suarez will have a good opportunity to get on track against an Almeria team that has lost three straight and is winless in all five games played at its Juegos Mediterraneos Stadium this season.___WINNING VALENCIA: Valencia has had a remarkable turnaround under new Portuguese coach Nuno Espirito Santo and new owner Peter Lim, the Singaporean investor.The team looks like it is halting years of decline after losing only once in the first 10 rounds.Valencia is in second place before hosting struggling Athletic Bilbao. The Basques have won two straight in the league, but are in 12th place and coming off a 2-0 loss to FC Porto on Wednesday that ended their chances of advancing in the Champions League.___TROUBLE AT ANOETA: Atletico visits a Real Sociedad side that is still trying to find a replacement for fired coach Jagoba Arrasate.Sociedad let Arrasate go with the team having won just once in 10 rounds. The club president said former Manchester United boss David Moyes is one of four candidates to take over.Antoine Griezmann will make his return to San Sebastian, where he played for five seasons before transferring to the defending champions in the off-season.___STEADY SEVILLA: Sevilla has won four straight home games in the league and welcomes relegation-threatened Levante.Coach Unai Emery has melded new arrivals Denis Suarez, Aleix Vidal and Gerard Deulofeu into a side led by Colombia striker Carlos Bacca to produce one of the leagues most versatile attacks.Levante, meanwhile, is tied with Granada for the fewest goals scored in the 20-team league with just six.Sevilla hosts Standard Liege in the Europa League on Thursday. ' ' '

(SportsNetwork. Benito Santiago Jersey Cubs .com) - The Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks, the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference last season, will meet Friday night at the Bradley Center. The Bucks home-opener Friday comes after a heart-breaking, 108-106 overtime loss Wednesday night in Charlotte against the Hornets. The Bucks squandered a 24-point third-quarter cushion when Charlottes Kemba Walker made a 3-pointer to tie the contest with 1.6 seconds left. Walker then won the game for the Hornets thanks to a jumper with 5.1 ticks on the clock. Milwaukee, coming off a league-worst 15-67 campaign, played well for much of the night under new head coach Jason Kidd before wilting down the stretch. Brandon Knight totaled 22 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds in a losing cause, with Khris Middleton and O.J. Mayo each tallying 17 points for the Bucks. Larry Sanders and Giannis Antetokounmpo both finished with 10 points in defeat. Jabari Parker had a quiet NBA debut, however, managing just eight points and four rebounds in 37 minutes in the Milwaukee rookie and former Duke stars return to the Carolinas. It was everything I expected, two great teams going down to the wire, Parker said. The better team won today, but were going to get better. The Sixers, who owned the second-worst mark in the NBA last season, started the 2014-15 campaign with a 103-91 setback at Bankers Life Fieldhouse to the Indiana Pacers. Philadelphia was without Michael Carter-Williams, the reigning Rookie of the Year, who is on the shelf after offseason shoulder surgery. Joel Embiid, taken third overall in June, has a foot injury and will most likely miss the season, and Dario Saric, who the team traded for on draft night, has a two-year contract overseas. It looks like another long season ahead for the Sixers. Were not worried about whats on paper. They put the ball out there for a reason, to play 48 minutes, guard Tony Wroten said. Every game, we come out to play hard and try to win. Wroten ended with 22 points, eight boards, seven assists and three steals for the Sixers, who went 19-63 last season. Alexey Shved, who came to Philly in a deal for Thaddeus Young, tallied 18 points. Nerlens Noel had six points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in his NBA debut. Noel was acquired on draft night in 2013 and sat all of last season to heal from a torn ACL. The Bucks won two of three meetings against the Sixers last season, and have taken three in a row and six of the last seven as the host in this series. Nomar Garciaparra Jersey Red Sox . Follow all the action live on TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto, TSN Radio 690 in Montreal, TSN Radio 1260 in Edmonton and TEAM 1410 on Friday at 3pm et/Noon pt. Luis Polonia Jersey Braves . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.STANFORD, Calif. - Toronto FC midfielder Michael Bradley was named to the United States 23-man roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, while American career scoring leader Landon Donovan was among seven players cut on Thursday. Bradley, 26, has appeared in eight matches, registering two goals for Toronto FC in all competitions this season. Bradley has earned 83 caps to date for the U.S. team and has scored 12 goals. His most recent cap came on Apr. 2 in a friendly match against Mexico, where he started the match, registered a goal, an assist, and played the full 90 minutes in a 2-2 draw. Bradley was a member of the U.S. 2010 World Cup squad. He has also represented the U.S. at two CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments, winning gold in 2007 and finishing as runners-up in 2011. Bradley also played in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, where the U.S. finished as runners-up to Brazil. The 32-year-old Donovan, bidding to make his fourth World Cup, was bypassed by U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann in favour of Aron Johannsson and Chris Wondolowski, who joined Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey as the forwards. Aside from Donovan, defenders Brad Evans, Clarence Goodson and Michael Parkhurst, midfielders Joe Corona and Maurice Edu, and forward Terrence Boyd were also cut. Donovan has 57 goals in 156 international appearances and has been the face of American soccer for thhe past decade, both with the national team and with Major League Soccer, where he has won five titles. Julian Tavarez Jersey Red Sox. Donovan was a mainstay of the national team before he took a sabbatical of about four months after the 2012 season, spending part of the time in Cambodia. Klinsmann said Donovan would have to earn his spot back. He restored Donovan to the roster for last summers CONCACAF Gold Cup, where Donovan excelled, and played Donovan for World Cup qualifiers later in the year. But Klinsmann kept him out of the starting lineup for last months exhibition against Mexico, saying Donovan practiced poorly because of a knee problem. Donovan said this week his knee was OK. "Im very confident in my abilities and I think Im deserving to be a part of the squad, but I have to prove that and I have to earn it," he said Monday. When Klinsmann announced his 30-man preliminary roster on May 12, he said he viewed Donovan more a forward than a midfielder. "I dont have that youthful energy and excitement that I did in 2002, but I see the game and I see the situation a lot more clearly now, so Im able to I think enjoy it more in that way," Donovan said. "When youre younger, youre just sort of going crazy to do whatever it takes to make the team and you forget to enjoy it, And now Im actually getting to enjoy it." ' ' '

DETROIT -- Gustav Nyquist is making the most of his opportunity to play a lot for the injury-depleted Detroit Red Wings. Jose Siri Jersey . Nyquist had two goals and Jimmy Howard made 31 saves to help the Red Wings hold on to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Tuesday night. The 24-year-old Nyquist has 19 goals in 43 games after he had a total of four goals in 40 games spread out over the previous two seasons in the league. Entering the game against Toronto, he was tied with Bostons Jarome Iginla with an NHL-high 12 goals since Jan. 20. "I didnt know that," Nyquist said. "Im just playing with some good players and Im getting some good bounces." While Nyquist is being humble about his goal-scoring stretch, teammate Daniel Alfredsson raved about the fellow Swede. "Hes really pesky on the forecheck and hes making a lot of plays," Alfredsson said. "His speed gives him chances that other players dont get. The second goal was a perfect example." Early in the third period, Nyquist poked the puck off the boards to himself and charged up the ice early to flick a wrist shot from the right circle that beat James Reimers blocker. That goal seemed to set the Red Wings up for the victory, but they still had work to do. Jake Gardiner scored on a power play midway through the third to pull Toronto within a goal. The Maple Leafs appeared to tie the game less than two minutes later, but Nazem Kardris goal was waved off because he made a kicking motion to knock the puck in with the inside of his right skate. The Red Wings went ahead by two goals again with 2:33 left when Alfredssons wrist shot from the slot hit the back of the net on an odd-man rush that Gardiner lamented. "I thought we were going to come back at the end, but we made a mistake," Gardiner said. The Maple Leafs pulled Reimer to add an extra skater seconds later and James van Riemsdyk scored with 1:13 left, but couldnt get the puck past Howard again to extend the game past regulation. "Not a lot of space out on the ice," Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said. Reimer stopped 28 shots for the Maple Leafs. Detroit is desperately trying to move up in the Eastern Conference standings to extend its post-season streak to 23 with a fraction of the team it expected to have this season. Toronto is the first of two wild-card teams in the East, and the Red Wings wouldnt make the playoffs is they started Wednesday. "A huge win for us," Nyquist said. "Also very important they didnt get a point too and we got two." The Red Wings lost forward Justin Abdelkader to a leg laceration in Sundays loss at Chicago, leading to the team calling up 22-year-old Landon Ferraro, son of former NHL player Ray Ferraro. "I was a little nervous at the beginning," Landon Ferraro acknowledged. Ferraro said it was "awesome" to have both his parents watch him play his first game for the Red Wings. "It was real nice for both of them to be able to get in and be here for this," he said before chatting with his father in the dressing room after the game. Abdelkaders injury also put 25-year-old defenceman Brendan Smith at forward for the first time since he was a teenager against Toronto. The banged-up team, which had won just two of their previous seven games, took another hit against the Maple Leafs. The Red Wings started the game with numerous forwards, including Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, due to injuries and lost defenceman Jonathan Ericsson because of a broken finger. "We get somebody hurt every day and they never come back," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "I guess hes out for a bit. I dont really know. A hand specialist is looking at him." NOTES: The Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings in their previous meeting, a 3-2 shootout on New Years Day in the Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium, after losing the first matchup this season 5-4 in a shootout at home. ... Abdelkader is expected to be out for two weeks. ... Toronto, which closed its road trip 2-3, hosts Tampa Bay on Wednesday. ... Detroits next game is Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Aristides Aquino Jersey . The Montreal Alouettes announced Tuesday that they have acquired the return specialist from Calgary, as well as the Stampeders fifth-round draft pick in the 2014 CFL Canadian Draft. Phillip Ervin Jersey .twitter.com/TeZD3KOvlA — Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) September 24, 2014 Sorry for the delay, we just got back from lunch at Papa Vons #NBAFastFood pic.TORONTO - Helio Castroneves purses his lips and smiles. Will Power looks away to contemplate what it will take to win the title that has eluded both drivers their entire careers. The two IndyCar veterans are duelling for the elusive championship this year, with Castroneves ahead of his Team Penske teammate by just nine points atop the standings. Its a familiar scenario for Castroneves ahead of the Honda Indy Toronto on Saturday and Sunday. He entered the Toronto races first overall in 2013 only to eventually cede the title to Scott Dixon. But this could be Castroneves year. The 39-year-old Brazilian yearns for a championship. "More than anything, my friend," said Castroneves. "More than anything." Castroneves lost by just 27 points to Dixon last year after being undone by a disastrous doubleheader in Houston where Dixon finished first and second, respectively. He also settled for second behind Sam Hornish Jr. in 2002, his first full season in the Indy Racing League after four seasons in Champ Car. Both series merged in 2008. Power has come even closer. The 33-year-old Australian finished second overall every year between 2010 and 2012. Power could taste the title in 2012, but he crashed at Fontana. His team scrambled to get him back on track, but Ryan Hunter-Reay edged Power out in a dramatic season finale. He doesnt want another year of being IndyCars bridesmaid. "Its going to be a tight race to the end. But man, Im doing everything I can," said Power. "Im determined to win the thing. Really determined." The Penske cars, always a formidable presence in the series, have been consistently dominant this season as the team looks to end an eight-year title drought. Power began the season on a tear. He won the season opener at St. Petersburg and again at one of the Detroit races. He was on the podium five times and never finished out of the top-10 in the first eight races. But penalties have hampered Powers season. Hes been charged five times so far, some more costly than others. At the Grand Prix of Indianapolis he hit pit equipment and was dropped out of contention. Later at Pocono on July 6 he was charged with blocking Castroneves. "The only one that cost me was the one at Pocono," said Power. "Double points, man that was like actually a 40-point swing right there, which is (a) pretty bad hit." Powers last four results have also been poor — 14th and 11th at Houston, 10th at Pocono and 14th in Iowa. He nearly won the second race at Houston but had to pit with a broken suspension just two laps from the finish. George Foster Jersey. Power has two career wins at Toronto in 2007 and 2010. Castroneves, who took over the overall lead last Sunday at Iowa with an eighth-place finish, has just one win so far after splitting the Detroit doubleheader with Power. But Castroneves has been consistent. Hes been on pole twice, stepped onto the podium five times and has nine top-10 finishes in 12 races so far. Last year Castroneves, who has never won in Toronto, made a breakthrough with a second-place finish in the second race behind Dixon. "I feel this place owns me," said Castroneves. "We start on the pole, finish second, finish all over the place. ... This place always helps a lot in terms of strategy. Some people in the back sometimes take chances and they end up paying off, but it all depends. "We can only try to predict the unpredicted, which is hopefully start in the front, stay in the front if the race goes that way and then collect a lot of points." Points are becoming ever-more precious as the season winds down. Six races remain ahead of the Aug. 30 finale at Fontana, and at least 100 could be won by a driver who sweeps the 85-lap, 2.81-kilometre street course at Exhibition Place. Theres also plenty of time for another driver to steal the title from Castroneves and Power. Ryan Hunter-Reay, who has three wins including one at Iowa, trails Castroneves by just 32 points. Simon Pagenaud and Penskes Juan Pablo Montoya are also within 100 points of first place. Power and Castroneves both say theyre trying to balance a focus on racing with an awareness of the standings. "Youre just thinking every session," said Power. "Youre thinking about getting the car right and having good weekends. Not even that, every session youre thinking about, every lap. Doing it right, thats it." Castroneves added its hard to not get overwhelmed by the numbers. "Sounds not a lot when you say six races to go, but points involved its a lot and with that aspect, not that I dont look ahead, but youve got to push through to make sure that you finish ahead of those important (drivers). ...," said Castroneves. "Youve got to actually save for a rainy day in case that something bad happens, you have enough to cover for the last race." It might just take the last race for the championship to be decided. --- Follow @tyler_harper on Twitter ' ' '

NEW YORK -- Henrik Lundqvist didnt allow a bad ending to the second period wreck an otherwise good day for the New York Rangers. China Jerseys Knockoff . Lundqvist was the beneficiary of a three-goal lead that was trimmed to two when the Philadelphia Flyers got their power play to work in the closing seconds of the middle period. But the Rangers kept it together in the third, withstood a late surge, and pushed the Flyers to the brink of elimination with a 4-2 victory Sunday. "The biggest part to me was to calm down and not be too upset about it," Lundqvist said of Vinny Lecavaliers goal with 32.6 seconds left that made it 3-1. "It is really frustrating to sit here when you give up a goal like that late in the period. "It was just about letting it go and being focused on the right things going into the third." Brad Richards and Dominic Moore scored in the second to make it 3-0. Lundqvist stopped 24 shots and didnt face more than 10 in any period. The only other puck that got past him was Claude Girouxs goal with 1:29 left after the Flyers pulled goalie Steve Mason. Defenceman Marc Staal gave the Rangers the lead in the first, and Brian Boyle ended the drama with an empty-net goal with 15 seconds remaining. Moore helped seal the win when he raced up ice to negate an icing call and fed Boyle. New York leads the series 3-2 and can advance to the second round with a win Tuesday in Philadelphia. If necessary, a deciding seventh game would be back at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. The teams have alternated wins this series. "We took back the advantage, and we have to win one now," Richards said. "We put ourselves in a good position. We were in control for most of the game. They got a little sneaky there at the end." Mason wasnt nearly as sharp in his second straight start following a late-season injury. He stopped 18 shots after his 37-save effort in a 2-1 victory in Game 4 got the Flyers even. "As you go through a series, you have to keep elevating your game because the other side will," Rangers forward Martin St. Louis said. "I thought we did that, and we got rewarded." Giroux made things interesting with his first goal of the series. The Flyers went 0-2 during the season at the Garden and are 1-2 there during this series. "Were playing well," Giroux said. "Its a tough building to play in. Game 6 is going to be huge. We are not looking at it like its our last game of the season. Weve come back all season long when it matters, and were going to stay confident." New York is 13-2 in series it has led 3-2, but the Rangers have lost 11 straight games in which they had a series lead. Philadelphia is 7-10 in Game 6 when trailing 3-2. The Rangers increased their pressure in tight on Mason, a stated objective, and created multiple scoring chances in the second even though they managed only eight shots. New York thought it grabbed a 2-0 lead 2:14 in when St. Louis poked in a loose puck in the crease, but the play had been blown dead. The Rangers took their two-goal lead on Richards second of the series and 30th career playoff score. With a crowd around Mason, Richards tucked in a backhander at the left post off assists from J.T. Miller and Carl Hagelin. Unlike in previous games in which the Flyers rallied after being down 2-0, New York pushed its edge to 3-0 later in the period with a big assist from Philadelphia defenceman Hal Gill, playing his first game of the series. Gill was unable to handle a rough pass at his blue line from defence partner Braydon Coburn. Moore swooped in to poke the puck behind him and skate in alone. Moore beat Mason for his second of the series and then leapt into the arms of Boyle, sending them both to the ice. "I tried to kick (the puck) up, and I kicked it back," Gill said. "I have to make that play, and I didnt. When youre in the playoffs, you make a little mistake and it costs you." Philadelphia took advantage on its fifth power play when Lecavalier scored his first of the series and 25th in 68 career playoff games. The Rangers had six shots on Mason in the first period, but Staal made it 1-0 with his first goal in 29 games, dating to Jan. 26 against New Jersey outdoors at Yankee Stadium. NOTES: The Rangers put the 21-year-old Miller into the lineup in place of agitator Daniel Carcillo. It was Millers career post-season debut. ... The 39-year-old Gill replaced defenceman Nick Grossmann, who injured his right knee in Game 4. Gill played in only six regular-season games. ... New York was 3 for 12 on the power play in the first two games, but is 0 for 11 since, including 0 for 3 Sunday. China Jerseys Fake .com) - Nicolas Colsaerts fired an 11-under 60 on Thursday and grabbed a 3-stroke lead with the opening round of the Portugal Masters suspended by rain. China Jerseys Authentic . The All Blacks played their best rugby of recent years when they beat South Africa 38-27 in Johannesburg two weeks ago, clinching the Rugby Championships in a match which has been hailed as one of the best ever played.ARLINGTON, Texas -- Not one, not two, not three. The Texas Rangers now have four catchers on their 25-man roster. The Rangers recalled opening day starting catcher J.P. Arencibia from Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday, the same day they made the expected move of activating catcher Geovany Soto from the 60-day disabled list. Struggling first baseman Carlos Pena was designated for assignment after playing only 18 games in his return to the Rangers. Soto and Arencibia joined the team for a workout in Toronto, along with catchers Robinson Chirinos and Chris Gimenez. Texas (38-57), with the worst record in the majors, plays the Blue Jays on Friday in its first game after the All-Star break. Arencibia was optioned to Round Rock on May 20 after hitting .133 in 20 games with the Rangers, 19 of them starts at catcher. He hit .279 with 14 homers and 41 RBIs in 48 games at Round Rock, where he started 20 games at first base while playing the position professionally for the first time. Eight of his last 11 startts at Triple-A were at first base. China Jerseys Reviews. Pena hit .136 and two RBIs in 18 games for Texas, including 16 starts at first base, after being purchased from Round Rock on June 24. Texas has 10 days to trade, release or outright Pena to the minor leagues. He had rejoined the Rangers on June 24, a week after signing a minor league deal -- and 13 years after making his major league debut with Texas. He was the 10th overall pick in 1998. Soto tore cartilage in his right knee late in spring training and is looking to make his season debut with the Rangers after 12 games of rehab the past two weeks with Round Rock and Double-A Frisco. In 54 games last season for the Rangers, primarily as the backup to A.J. Pierzynski, Soto hit .245 with nine homers and 22 RBIs in 54 games. Soto was expected to be the primary catcher this season before getting hurt in the spring. The Rangers traded right-handed reliever Jason Frasor on Wednesday, so only the Pena move was necessary Thursday to bring back two catchers. ' ' '

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia -- Forward Renaldas Seibutis scored 15 points and Lithuania shut down Tony Parker to beat France 76-62 at the start of the second round of the European basketball championships. Arizona Diamondbacks Gear . Serbia beat Belgium 76-69 and Latvia routed Ukraine 85-51 in earlier matches on Wednesday. France, although loaded with NBA players, could not cope with Lithuanias speed and fell behind by 10 midway through the third quarter. Centre Jonas Valanciunas of the Toronto Raptors added 13 points on 6-for-6 shooting from the field to go with six rebounds. He had a dunk, then grabbed an offensive rebound and put in the tip-in to give Lithuania a 14-point lead with less than three minutes to go. Seibutis made four straight free throws and France could not come back. Nando de Colo, who plays for the San Antonio Spurs with Parker, led France with 12 points, including five late in the game. Parker struggled in finishing with 11 points, including just three after half time. "The plan was to do everything to stop him. Not only his scoring but his ability to create movement," Valanciunas said. France finished the first round as the tournaments top scoring team but was held well below its 80.6 points-per-game average. Lithuania played tough perimeter defence, holding France to just 24 per cent shooting from three-point range. "We tried to get the ball inside but they closed down everything and when you dont make shots from the perimeter it gets to be difficult," France forward Boris Diaw said. Guard Stefan Markovic scored five straight points to secure Serbia an unexpectedly tough victory over Belgium. With Serbia up by two, Markovic nailed a 3-pointer and then sank two free throws to give his team a seven-point lead with less than two minutes remaining. Serbia held on to win over a team considered an underdog and took a big step toward securing a slot in the quarterfinals. "Maybe we were a little relaxed going into the match because we knew that we already had four points (in the standings)," said Serbias captain Nenad Krstic, who led Serbia with 17 points. Belgium opened the game with an 8-0 run and the Serbs had to work hard to catch up. "Maybe we didnt expect them to start in such a way," Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic said. Markovic finished with 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 12 points, including a 3-pointer that made it 73-67. Serbia, the youngest team in the tournament with nine players making a debut at a major event, is now 3-0. Results against other teams which progress from the group stage are carried over, and Serbia already had wins over Latvia and Lithuania. Belgium is 0-3. "We gave a statement tonight why we are in the second round. I hope people appreciate our effort," Belgium coach Eddy Casteels said. Wen Mukubu, who led Belgium with 16 points, said: "They made the big shots at the end and that made the difference." The Latvians made 15 of 29 3-point attempts, while Ukraine hit only 3 of 16. Latvias shooting percentage for the game was 58.6 per cent, while Ukraine shot 29.5 per cent. "They dominated every facet of the game," Ukraine coach Mike Fratello said. "To lose by 34 is an embarrassment for everyone in the locker room." Kristaps Janicenoks led Latvia with 14 points, and Martins Meiers had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Sergii Gladyr was the only Ukrainian player to score in double figures with 12. Ukraine won four of its five group games but came up short against Latvias speed. Latvia and Ukraine both have 1-2 records, while France and Lithuania are 2-1. Brian Anderson Jersey .com Tours Nova Scotia Open. The 27-year-old Sloan, a former Texas-El Paso player from Calgary matched first-round leader Rodriguez at 10-under 132 on Ashburn Golf Clubs New Course. Arizona Diamondbacks Pro Shop .J. Mayo made seven three-pointers and scored 25 points, Ersan Ilyasova added 20, and the Milwaukee Bucks placed seven players in double figures in a 130-110 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost their 11th straight game on Monday night.BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Ralph Wilson fulfilled his vow in keeping the Bills in Buffalo during his lifetime. Though they wont be leaving any time soon following the 95-year-old Pro Football Hall of Fame owners death, their long-term future is in question. The Bills are essentially locked in to playing at Ralph Wilson Stadium through the next six years. Thats because of a non-relocation provision included in the teams lease agreement that would require the Bills to pay a $400 million penalty if they leave before the 2019 season. "Anyone expecting to see the Los Angeles Bills is sorely mistaken," SportsCorp President Marc Ganis told The Associated Press. "They cant move even if they wanted to. It would go against the ironclad agreement done with Ralphs blessing." Ganis, a close observer of the NFL, heads a Chicago-based consulting firm and is very familiar with the 10-year lease the Bills negotiated with state and county governments in December 2012. "With that lease, Ralph gave away hundreds of millions of dollars as, in essence, a parting gift to Buffalo," Ganis said. While it looks highly unlikely any potential owner would try to break the lease, nothing is impossible. And as for what happens beyond 2019 is uncertain and largely dependent on the next owner. In 2020, the Bills have a one-time opportunity to opt out of the lease for $28.4 million. "It buys us seven years, which is a substantial amount of time to make sure the next ownership team that comes in sees the benefit of keeping that team in Buffalo," Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy said in Elmira on Wednesday. "We dont want to lose them." But that is certainly a possibility. The teams founder and sole owner died at his home in Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich., on Tuesday and survived by wife Mary and two daughters. Wilson, however, expressed no interest of leaving the team to his family. As a result, the original American Football League franchise is expected to be placed into a trust overseen by the executors of Wilsons estate before being put up for sale. That opens the potential of the team being sold and relocated. Los Angeles could be a landing spot. So would Toronto, where the Bills played annual regular-season games since 2008 before postponing their series last month. "Well, I havent focused on that," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodelll said when asked about the franchises future at league meetings in Orlando, Fla. Lyle Overbay Jersey. "We know the terms of that lease. And we also know we have to find a long-term solution to keep the Bills there, and thats what well continue to work to do." Nonetheless, a list of ownership candidates has emerged to purchase a franchise valued at around $870 million. Its not every day an NFL team goes on sale. The list includes: -- Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly has made no secret that he has put together a group of investors to buy the team. Kellys health, however, has become an issue. The 54-year-old is preparing to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatment following a recurrence of cancer. -- California-based bond fund manager Jeffrey Gundlach expressed interest in buying the Bills three years ago. Gundlach, who founded DoubleLine Capital, is a Bills fan and has ties to Buffalo. -- Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula. -- Two Toronto-based groups -- Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment and Rogers Communications -- have been mentioned as groups interested in buying the Bills with the intention of relocating them north of the border. -- New Jersey rocker Jon Bon Jovi has expressed interest in becoming an NFL owner, and is close with MLSE President Tim Leiweke. -- Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs or his immediate family cant be counted out. Jacobs is from Buffalo, and his Delaware North food service company is headquartered in the city. Jacobs NFL interests date to the late 1990s, when he failed in a bid to purchase the Browns in their return to Cleveland. NFL rules bar owners from running sports teams in separate markets, meaning Jacobs would either have to give up his holdings in the Bruins or, perhaps, have members of his family run the Bills. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz refused to speculate on what could happen after 2019. He is certain the Bills will continue playing in Orchard Park for the near future and believes it was always Wilsons intention to keep the team in Buffalo. "If we had ownership that wasnt interested in it, (the lease) never would have happened," Poloncarz said. "He put in place a provision that locks this team in for many years to come, even after his death. And that says a lot about his commitment to western New York and the fans of the Buffalo Bills." ' ' '

If only their arms were longer. Shake Milton Jersey ... Ben Simmons Jersey . The 23-year-old McNabb was an All-Star with the American Hockey Leagues Rochester Americans this season, posting seven goals and 22 assists in 38 games. In 12 games with the Sabres this season, McNabb has accumulated six penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating. He has scored one goal and seven assists in 37 career games with the Sabres, who originally selected him in the third round (66th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. 76ers Jerseys 2019 .ca. Kerry, I hope you address Ron MacLeans comment during the second intermission of Game 4 in Montreal-Tampa series. Basically, he suggested that the NHL should not have used a referee from Quebec, following the Game 3 disputed non-goal, because the referee could be biased towards Montreal.Jack: Rooneys suspension hands van Gaal real opportunity It was Marilyn Monroe who once said for a lasting union, there must be a genuine liking for each other. Wayne Rooney celebrated 10 years as a Manchester United player this weekend and, as a he closes the book on a decade at Old Trafford, it appears both sides are back to genuinely liking each other. For now. In an interview with The Times newspaper to mark his anniversary with the club, the England skipper said: I still believe I can get better as a footballer. In the next three to five years, you will see me as a different player. The next two or three, I feel, could be the best of my career. Im at a stage, especially after playing at this club for 10 years, where Ive picked up a lot about the game - Ive learnt. It is not difficult to agree with Rooneys assessment that he can be better as a player. Whether or not that happens as a United player, however, remains to be seen. Great players do not tend to present the amount of challenges that Rooney has given all three of his managers at United and, even more particular, those who have been in charge of England, where his best performances still came as an Everton player 10 years ago at Euro 2004. There is no doubting Rooneys goalscoring record for both club and country but this is not baseball or cricket where numbers alone can tell us just how good a player was. At 28, Rooney remains a complicated player and far from the complete package. Van Gaal The latest man given the task at solving this issue is Louis Van Gaal. Three full months have yet to pass since he took over at Old Trafford but his media appearances, much like Uniteds performances on the field, have been pure box office with the main characters involved delivering inconsistent performances. Confident Van Gaal is not a man who talks in clich??s, naturally taking pre-planned pauses in between words to ensure he says the right English word and delivers his thoughts in the correct tone. Yet rarely in life does anything get you in more trouble than your own mouth. Speak so often to an audience who marks down every single word and eventually you will back yourself into a corner. It is no coincidence that the Dutchmans first major hurdle he has faced in this department is around the role of Rooney. It was only six weeks ago that Van Gaal picked the 28-year-old as his skipper. At the time, he said: For me its always very important the choice of captain. Wayne has shown a great attitude towards everything he does. I have been very impressed by his professionalism and his attitude to training and to my philosophy. He is a great inspiration to the younger members of the team and I believe he will put his heart and soul into his captaincy role. Van Gaals carefully chosen 63-word statement could not be challenged. No one outside of the club could question anything he had said about Rooney. However, not one word was said about Rooney the player. Thankfully, as outsiders, we had many other opportunities to listen to Van Gaal since that day and eventually the subject about Rooney the player did come up. Prior to the 5-3 defeat at Leicester, Van Gaal, after handing Radamel Falcao his first start, told Sky Sports: We have played well but can improve and I was not so satisfied with Rooney as a striker and [Juan] Mata as midfielder and thats why Im changing. The comments came just a week after he had guaranteed Rooney a spot in his team every week. I dont think any player is fixed, said the United boss when asked how he was going to fit all of the star players into the team following the signings of Angel Di Maria and Falcao. Only the captain has more privileges but no other player has privileges, I think. Every player knows that because you see how I manage my teams a€“ my captain shall always play and normally the goalkeeper. Number Ten Van Gaal has experimented with a 3-4-3 to start the season and has now moved to a 44-3-1-2, a 4-4-2 diamond hybrid, so far this season and in both systems, he has the opportunity to play three of Mata, Rooney, Robin Van Persie and Falcao in the same team. Philadelphia 76ers Store. Against QPR, it was Falcao who missed out, while against Leicester and, most recently in Saturdays 2-1 win over West Ham, it was Mata who started on the bench with Rooney placed in behind the front two as the number ten. Van Gaal has complimented Rooney this season on his versatility, calling him a multi-functional player but it should come as no surprise that he doesnt believe he is as good as is other two attacking options to play up top. Both Falcao and Van Persie possess all of the qualities a modern day striker needs. Much like Diego Costa at Chelsea, they are very powerful and clever in their movement, predators in the six-yard box, who run with purpose and intelligence and often only need one touch to score. Rooney is more of an all-around forward, comfortable dropping deep with his back to goal to bring others into play as a link-man. On the surface, it seems ideal to play him behind the dynamic duo in front of him but issues arise when United do not have the ball. When not in possession, no matter in a 3-4-3 or a 4-3-1-2, Van Gaals preferred position for Rooney requires defensive responsibilities. Such responsibilities have found him out in recent years. Liability At Euro 2012, his lack of tactical discipline allowed Andrea Pirlo to completely control the quarterfinal as the forward simply played far too high up the pitch. Any astute observers came away from that match thinking Rooney could not be trusted in such a role against top class opposition. One of those was Sir Alex Ferguson. In what proved to be his final Champions League tie, against Real Madrid in 2013, Ferguson put Shinji Kagawa in the number ten role at the Bernabeu, placing Rooney on the right where he was a liability against Fabio Coentrao. In the home leg, Rooney was left out completely with Danny Welbeck asked to play centrally and sit on Xabi Alonso. He understood the reasons for not playing him and that was completely tactical. And I think I was right. Danny Welbeck is the best player we have in terms of operating in a double role. We had to choke Xabi Alonsos ability to control the game, which Danny did, Ferguson remarked after the game. It was an indictment on Rooney as a number ten. In the World Cup this year even Roy Hodgson, not known to be a master tactician, decided he couldnt play Rooney in the number ten role and, instead, he spent his time in Brazil either as a winger or as the main man up front. Now 28, having spent a decade at one of the finest clubs in the game, the jury remains out as to what position Rooney is best suited in. It is possible he is a player, as he says, who can mature in that central role and learn from Van Gaal, a manager he has publicly praised. Yet it is worth noting Van Gaal has yet to see Rooney play in that position against a top team. His red card, for a rash kick out at West Hams Stewart Downing on Saturday, now means he will miss the next three games, meaning Van Gaal wont see Rooney in that role against Everton and Chelsea. This presents him with an opportunity. Having said he isnt good enough to play as a striker, Van Gaal is no longer forced to play Rooney behind the front two against two good teams and he can bring back Mata in that role or even play Di Maria in such a role and add more steel with a Darren Fletcher, for example, coming in alongside Daley Blind and Ander Herrera. Rooney will be back soon enough but the next few weeks will allow Van Gaal to examine evidence on how United operate without their captain. He may have promised him a spot every week but if the club improves without Rooney on the field, like England did against Norway recently, the genuine liking for each other may start to be tested if Van Gaal discovers Rooney is more of a problem than a solution. ' ' '

Kansas State and UCLA each ended their seasons with disappointing losses to knock them out of college football’s top-10. NMD Outlet . The two teams will have a chance to rebound and end their once promising seasons with a win in the Alamo Bowl on January 1. Despite having two loses on their resume, Kansas State remained in the discussion for the College Football Playoff in December with a game against sixth-ranked Baylor looming. However, the ninth-ranked Wildcats were unable to keep up with Baylor’s high-powered offence and dropped to 0-3 on the season against top-10 ranked teams. UCLA also remained in the College Football Playoff debate despite also having two losses and sat just one win away from reaching the Pac-12 Championship and a rematch against Oregon. Stunningly, the heavily-favoured Bruins were held to just 162 yards passing and routed 31-10 by six-win Stanford. The loss gave Arizona a spot in the Pac-12 Championship as the South division representative and erased UCLA’s hopes of reaching the four-team playoff. To make matters worse for UCLA, star quarterback Brett Hundley injured a finger on his throwing in his the loss, putting his bowl availability in jeopardy. With over a month to heal, Hundley is expected to play against Kansas State in what will likely be his final game as Bruin. The redshirt junior quarterback entered the year with Heisman expectations and, though he fell short of being a finalist, the signal caller put together a solid season. Hundley finished the year with 21 touchdowns and five interceptions passing, while he rushed for another eight scores. With NFL scouts watching closely, Hundley will hope to rebound from his worst start of the season against Kansas State’s susceptible pass defence – which allowed 412 yards to Bryce Petty and Baylor. Like UCLA, Kansas State’s offence also relies on a passing attack, led by senior quarterback Jake Waters. Waters threw for over 200 yards in every game this season and finished with 3,163 yards and 20 touchdowns to six interceptions. Like Hundley, Waters also presents a rushing risk for opposing defences. Waters crossed the 100-yard mark rushing twice this season; burning Iowa State for 138 yards in September and running for 105 yards against Texas Tech. Waters will look to target fellow senior Tyler Lockett early and often against the Bruins 82nd-ranked pass defence. Lockett led the Wildcats receivers with 93 receptions, 1,351 yards and nine touchdowns this season. He posted 196 receiving yards in a game twice this season, in Kansas State’s 41-20 loss to TCU and again in their win over West Virginia. For Kansas State, the Alamo Bowl offers the opportunity to prove the team can rise to the occasion in big games. Losses to their lone SEC-opponent in Auburn and to big Big 12 rivals TCU and Baylor relegated the team to outside the top-10. Their lone win over a ranked team came in mid-October over No. 11 Oklahoma. Waters completed 15 of his 23 pass attempts for 225 yards and two touchdowns without an interception as Kansas State won 31-30, will the help of a blocked extra point in the fourth quarter. UCLA, meanwhile, will try to rebound from their embarrassing upset loss to Stanford and early ending to their season. UCLA only suffered one loss to a ranked team – to No. 12 Oregon on Oct. 11 – but suffered two losses to unranked teams. With a win, the Bruins can put together back-to-back 10-win seasons for just third time in school history. Kansas State, in Waters and Lockett’s final game, will be not be short of motivation as they hope to stay in the conversation of the Big 12’s top teams, behind TCU and Baylor. The two teams are hard to separate on paper, with a spread of two points or less favouring UCLA. If Hundley can put together a signature effort in the game coach Jim Mora said would be his last, then UCLA should take the bowl. However, Kansas State has been more the consistent team throughout the season, falling only to top-six teams. If UCLA fails to bring their full effort, as they did against Stanford, the Wildcats should be able to take advantage. Eye on Sunday QB Brett Hundley, UCLA Hundley has been a polarizing figure in the NFL draft community since before the season. Initially considered an early first-round pick, Hundley has slipped back on draft boards and even out of the first round on some. The Alamo Bowl will present a major stage for Hundley to prove why he deserves to be in the conversation with Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota as the top draft-eligible quarterback, or why he doesn’t. WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State Lockett had a terrific season for Kansas State and, for that matter, a terrific career. At 5’11, Lockett hardly boasts ideal size, but his production is undeniable. Lockett broke Kansas State records for career receptions, yards and touchdowns this season, which were all marks formerly held by his father, Kevin. He was also named a second-team All-American for his efforts this season and should be drafted in 2015. LB Eric Kendricks, UCLA Kendricks was awarded the Dick Butkus Award as college football’s most outstanding linebacker in 2014. Every player to win the award since 2005 has been drafted in the first two rounds, including four top-10 picks. Kendricks posted a career-high 96 solo tackles in 2014 and holds the NCAA record for career tackles. After adding three interceptions and two touchdowns to his résumé this season, expect Kendricks to be heavily involved against the Kansas State offence. NMD Fake . Neither side would publicly confirm or deny any discussions were taking place, until the near unexpected happened. On Saturday night sources confirmed to TSN, the league and players agreed to terms on a new, tentative CBA, pending ratification by the unions players. A league source confirmed the CFLs board of governors must also ratify any potential agreement. NMD Online . But the young forward is more than willing to shed a little blood if thats what it takes to make the team this season. "It caught me pretty good, dazed me for that shift, but I didnt want to be off the ice for too long," he said after practice, his lip still bleeding a little despite the plastic stitches holding it together.WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Goldeyes announced today that infielder Nate Samson has had his contract purchased by the Chicago Cubs. Samson, 25, played seven seasons in the Cubs organization before being released this past offseason and joining the Goldeyes. He hit .216 with a grand slam and 15 RBI in 42 games with the Goldeyes this season. He started all of his 42 games at shortstop. "This is what independent baseball is all about," Goldeyes manager Rick Forney said. "We thank Nate for his service to our baseball club and wish him the best pursuing his baseball dream with the Chicago Cubs organization once again. NMD Discount. quot; Samson is expected to report to Double-A Tennessee of the Southern League tomorrow. He previously played parts of four seasons with Tennessee. With Samsons departure, the Goldeyes have sold the contracts of 62 players to Major League organizations during the teams 20 years of existence. Samson is the fourth member of the Goldeyes in the last three years to have his contract purchased mid-season. The Goldeyes now have 21 players on their active roster, including 11 pitchers and 10 position players. ' ' '

ATLANTA -- Build it and the Super Bowl will come. Jerry Coleman Jersey . That message rang loud and clear Tuesday when Minneapolis was awarded the 2018 game after a vote by owners rewarded the city for its new stadium deal. The owners chose Minneapolis and the $1 billion stadium planned for the site of the old Metrodome to host the championship over New Orleans and Indianapolis. "In large part, it was due to recognition of the great work theyve done on the stadium," Commissioner Roger Goodell noted. "Its been 10 years and weve always been driving to build a stadium," Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said. "We can rejoice right now for being rewarded this, but the hard work comes now." New Orleans bid committee members were certain the new Minneapolis stadium, set to open in 2016, swung the vote. The stadium will hold up to 72,000 for the Super Bowl. "The new stadium was absolutely the deciding factor," Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation President Jay Cicero said. "Any time that there is so much public support for a $1 billion stadium, the NFL owners are impressed. "We did everything we were supposed to do, had a fantastic presentation. In the end we think the stadium did it." The big game will be staged in the Twin Cities for the second time. It was there in 1992, when Washington beat Buffalo. It will be there in 2018 because the Vikings lobbied for years to replace the aging Metrodome, one of the NFLs least profitable facilities. When Minnesota political leaders realized the team could move out of state without a new home, the stadium project moved forward. Legislators in 2012 approved the stadium, with taxpayers carrying about 56 per cent of the freight. Owners needed four ballots to choose Minneapolis, with Indianapolis the first city eliminated. Indy was praised for a highly successful 2012 Super Bowl, but could have been hurt by the recent legal troubles of Colts owner Jim Irsay. Irsay underwent treatment after he was arrested and accused of having $29,000 in cash and bottles of prescription drugs in his car. He made his first public appearance at these meetings since the arrest. Irsay said Indianapolis will bid again. "Before, we had to lose one to get one," he said, noting Indy fell short in previous bids before landing the 2012 game. "It will take persistence and we know we have the type of people who will be that." New Orleans was considered the favourite and has staged the Super Bowl 10 times, tied with South Florida for the most. Its bid might have been damaged by the blackout that interrupted the 2013 title game. Next years game is in Glendale, Arizona, followed by Santa Clara, California, for the 50th Super Bowl, then Houston. Earlier at their spring meetings, NFL owners tabled any vote expanding the playoffs to 14 teams. There is strong sentiment among the owners to add a wild-card team in each conference to the post-season, most likely beginning in 2015. Under such a setup only the team with the best record in each conference will get a week off at the beginning of the playoffs. Goodell said it will be discussed again in October. "I do believe it will be approved for the 2015 season," he said. New York Giants owner John Mara is against adding more playoff teams. "I dont think its a sure thing at all," Mara said. "Its probably more likely than not, but nothing is set in stone. There was no straw poll taken. ... I think its good the way we have it." The players union says it needs to be consulted on an expanded post-season, and Goodell said he spoke with NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith two weeks ago about it. Also Tuesday: --A committee examining the time, length and site of the draft reported to the owners. The NFL will consider whether to keep it in May. It drew record TV ratings this year after it was moved back two weeks from its usual late April slot. It also will look into adding a fourth day and moving it from its traditional spot in New York to a variety of NFL cities, with a dozen already having expressed interest; "If I was king of the world, Id put it right back where it was," Mara said, referring to the April dates. --Goodell said that had HGH testing been implemented, 104 other cases under the leagues drug policy would have been heard by an independent arbitrator, with 21 players being referred to the first level of the drug program rather than being suspended. The NFL and players union agreed to HGH testing in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, but the union first balked at the procedures for testing, then at Goodell having the final say on appeals. The NFLPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. --New director of football operations Troy Vincent hired three advisers, including Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary. Vincent, a former All-Pro defensive back, also hired former NFL player and coach Jimmy Raye and former player and general manager Mike Reinfeldt. Among other chores, the three new hires will serve as liaisons to league coaches and front-office personnel. Gene Tenace Jersey . “Im not sure well get Melky Cabrera at all,” said Gibbons. The 29-year-old left fielder struggled all season with knee and hamstring problems. Cabrera was first on the disabled list from June 27-July 20 with tendinitis in his left knee. Oscar Gamble Jersey . According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, it doesnt appear the offer was warmly received by the team. Blue Jackets director of hockey operations John Davidson and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said on Wednesday the team has made offers of $6 million for two years, $32 million for six and $46 million over eight years but each one was refused by the restricted free agent centre and agent Kurt Overhardt.MONTREAL - After two years out of the NHL playoffs, there is new optimism among the Nashville Predators.A stunning turnaround aided by a coaching change, the addition of veteran forwards James Neal and Mike Ribeiro and the emergence of 20-year-old forward Filip Forsberg have put Nashville in first place in the Central Division going into the all-star break.Now they believe theyve got enough pieces to keep up their strong play through the second half of the regular season and do some damage in the playoffs.Absolutely, veteran centre Mike Fisher said Tuesday. We really believe in this group.We believe were a top team in this league and we are. Weve shown it thus far. Were really confident in the group we have, that we can win any night against other top teams.The Predators had not lost twice in a row this season going into a game Tuesday night against the Canadiens in Montreal, where they were without star goalie Pekka Rinne for a third game due to an injury expected to last three weeks.Backed by Rinne and an impressive defence group led by Shea Weber, the Predators are the NHLs stingiest team, allowing only 2.25 goals per game. But Nashville has been known as a tight defensive side in recent years.The surprise is that they are tied for fifth in goals scored per game at 3.0.Part of that stems from the decision last summer to let the conservative Barry Trotz go after coaching the team through its first 15 NHL campaigns and bring in a more attack-minded Peter Laviolette.Trotz is now performing wonders in making the Washington Capitals a winning, two-way club, while Laviolette will also be a coach of the year candidate for doing much the same in Nashville.Its good for both sides, said Weber. You see the success theyre having (in Washington) and that were having.There was a different feel coming into training camp this year with a new face and I think the guys have responded very well.The second part of the season will determine if the Predators are for real, but it looks like it so far.They certainly have the goaltending with Rinne, considered one of the best in the world.With Weber, they have the big No. 1 blue-liner every team wishes it had, and he is backed by a group that can defend and move the puck. Among them is emerging talent Seth Jones, the fourth pick in the 2013 draft.Only a few months ago,, they didnt appear to have much up front, but then Forsberg turned into a nearly point-per-game player and a strong two-way player on the top line with veteran Mike Ribeiro, who so far has shown a new commitment to discipline after being bought out by Arizona due to behavioural problems. Hunter Renfroe Jersey. Hes been an excellent addition to our team, Laviolette said of Ribeiro, who is on pace for his first 70-point campaign since 2010-11. Terrific in the room, terrific teammate, terrific on-ice play.Forsberg, playing his first full NHL campaign, was acquired from Washington in March 2013 for Martin Erat and Michael Latta in what is looking to be a spectacular steal for Nashville.Fisher centres James Neal, a one-time 40-goal scorer picked up in a trade with Pittsburgh in June, and Colin Wilson, who is having a breakout season and will soon top his career high of 35 points.Veteran Olli Jokinen, signed from Winnipeg, is playing on the fourth line. Another reclamation project, defenceman Anton Volchenkov, brings his stay at home style to the third defence pair and being dumped by New Jersey.Fisher likes the teams chances.With the goaltending we have, and look at our back end: everyone can handle the puck and skate, he said. And you look at the mix, the young guys, the leadership, energy, the way we play.Were all excited about what we can do. Its a tough league and the playoffs are tough, but we feel weve got a lot of pieces and character and we can be successful.The Predators have won only two playoff series in their history, the last against Detroit in 2012.The optimism now stems from adding some offence to a team known for tight defence. That comes from Laviolette.Id say were more aggressive, said Fisher. We want to be hungry for pucks, to forecheck really hard.The way our defence can move the puck helps us offensively. And defensively, we want to be hard to play against. He wants us to play both ends. He wants us to make plays and be creative, but be responsible.It has worked so far, but Weber, the captain, knows there is a lot of hockey still be played.I was on this team a while back when we were in first place for a while too, he said. Weve had good teams since Ive been in Nashville.Its just been tough the last couple of years. Theres still a lot of season left and we have to keep it up. ' ' '

Montreal Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien has made it clear that he believes PK Subban is making a case to join Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Nike Air Max 270 Schweiz Günstig . Subban has started off his season strong, ranking sixth in the NHL in assists with 20 and 23rd in points with 24. Yet the question remains, should Subban be on Canadas Olympic roster? Subbans skill-set as an offensive defenceman limits his competition for a position on the team, but it also restricts his chances. Team Canada is expected to feature a mix of defensive and puck-moving players on the back end, including 2010 members Duncan Keith, Drew Doughty, Shea Weber. Other names in the mix that excel at moving the puck include Jay Bouwmeester, Dan Boyle, Alex Pietrangelo and Kris Letang. Marc Staal is also in the running for a roster spot. Subban won the Norris Trophy as the leagues outstanding defenceman in last season and Therrien has continued to praise Subbans strong play. "As far as Im concerned, hes playing his best hockey. His focus is at the right place," said Therrien after the Canadiens win over Devils Monday night. "Hes doing a fabulous job for the team. Were putting him out there against top players, game in and game out. And he loves that challenge. And its not a coincidence that were having success, that we pick up wins. "Hes certainly one of the best defencemen right now." Though Subban is the best Canadiens defenceman, he is not the best Canadian defenceman, leaving him on the fence when it comes to Canadas roster. While his puck-moving ability is unquestioned, he remains a player with a style of play that can bring high reward but also high risk. Will the Team Canada staff feel comfortable with that scenario? Should PK Subban be one of the seven defenceman at the 2014 Games? As always, its Your! Call. Nike Air Max 720 Herren Günstig . Floundering in the English Premier League, United has delivered better performances in Europe this season and stunned Bayern by taking the lead against the run of play through Nemanja Vidics header in the 58th minute. Bayern had dominated possession but struggled to create a clear-cut chance before Schweinsteiger arrowed a half-volley high into the net in the 67th to give the German side a slight advantage ahead of the second leg in Munich next week. Nike Air Max 95 Günstig . The victory strengthened Liverpools position in the top four after Tottenham lost 1-0 at Norwich in the days late kickoff, cutting the north London club six points adrift of fourth place and the final Champions League slot for next season.As a football manager you can easily be distracted by what the league table tells you. Take Vancouver Whitecaps boss Carl Robinson, for example. The young manager has now taken charge of a grand total of six professional matches as the boss of a club side. Many men in his position wouldnt be sleeping as easily lately after watching his team suffer back-to-back defeats in the past two weeks, after previously starting his career on a four match unbeaten run. However, it is clear Robinson is not concerned about how results have turned against him lately. If he was, his starting XI in Los Angeles on Saturday would have been very different. For a first year manager, who just seven days earlier had suffered his first loss to Colorado, it would have been the easy thing to do to insert veterans Nigel Reo Coker and Kenny Miller into the starting XI against the superpower Galaxy. Except, in the days before the game, Robinson took a look at all of the matches the Whitecaps had played against LA in their stadium. Four games. Four losses. One goal scored. Ten goals conceded. Battered. Bullied. Humbled. With the veterans all playing. Robinson decided to go against an unflattering history and opted for the long-term risk card from the dealer rather than taking the safe one. LA Galaxy is, themselves, quietly going about a transition of their own as they work on a new tactical shape featuring a pair of technical midfielders. However, any team featuring the likes of Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan, Juninho and Omar Gonzalez, will always be a real handful. Their midfield diamond features a lot of technical players that works superbly on the counter but can also ensure they can keep the ball better. With the movement of the front two it often can be a flexible 4-6-0. In fact, it is a fascinating system to keep an eye on in MLS and one that provides a stern test for their opponents. Robinson decided Gershon Koffie and Russell Teibert needed to face that test in a double pivot central midfield tandem inside a labeled 4-2-3-1 that was effectively a 4-3-3 hybrid. He decided Kekuta Manneh needed to take that test on the left. Three men, all 22 or younger, given a huge responsibility by the manager. Some called it bold, others felt it was risky but what it was, even before a ball was kicked, was a decision from a manager completely comfortable in his job and his own ability. It was not a move of caution. The move required the manager to have extensive discussions with both Miller and Reo-Coker on Saturday morning. That could not have been easy. The Game The Whitecaps would lose the match 1-0. Robinson told us on the TSN broadcast at half-time that the team couldnt afford to switch off from the tactical discipline they had shown in the first half. Within minutes, one lapse cost them as Keane ran untracked from a deep area and volleyed home the games solitary goal. The Positives For the Whitecaps it was a kick in the teeth because they had contained their bulllies for 45 impressive minutes. Air Max Günstig. . Koffie and Teibert needed to be aggressive, smart and tactically sound, not separating too far from the centre-backs, which would give space for Keane and Donovan to come into.  They did exactly that. Teibert, in particular, impressed against Keane. The veteran Irishman was a victim of Teiberts physical style early in the match and from that moment Keane put a target on the Canadians back and tried to intimidate him. Teibert didnt run away from the fight and stuck to his game. The visitors struggled to find outlets on counter attacks but Teibert did look, on a number of occasions, to play the long diagonal balls that Gonzalez plays for LA (something the Whitecaps defenders cannot do). The Weaknesses The decision to play 4-2-3-1, rather than match up diamonds in midfield, was vindicated by the play at the base of midfield but, much like the last away game in New England, issues with the 3 remain. Manneh defended his flank well when required and cut in centrally to make up an attacking two when the Whitecaps moved forward but he remains very raw and needs more time in the team to help him get a better read of a through ball so he doesnt get caught offside as much. Pedro Morales and Sebastian Fernandez struggled. Juninho was excellent against Morales who simply didnt find enough space to be effective. Fernandez, however, had much more room in a game that was very narrow but was too hurried in possession and made wrong decisions in distribution. Both were removed in the second half and Morales looked less than 100 per cent physically. If he wasnt hurting it would have been interesting to see if Robinson would have pushed him wider to find space and leave Morales, Mattocks and, the other substitute, Kenny Miller on the field at the same time. Star Man Keane scored the games only goal and was a class apart from most of the players on the field, however, it is important to note that most of his chances (other than the goal and once the game was stretched late) all came from deep areas on the field, which meant the Whitecaps had done their job. The same can be said about Donovan. And that is one of the positives that Robinson will take away from this game. Never once did he see his selections as a gamble. He rewarded his young players with key roles in a big game and they paid him back. The final score meant the Whitecaps got nothing in the standings but for Robinson this was short-term (minimal) pain for long-term gain, giving himself and his young players a platform to learn some things about each other. It is not often a young inexperienced manager puts the vision of the club first ahead of his own reputation and win/loss record. For a team who has had too many managers in their short time in Major League Soccer, this was a night where a loss showed their decision to hire Robinson was indeed a correct one. Finally, it appears the bosses are all singing from the same hymn sheet in Vancouver. ' ' '

TORONTO -- Playing the second half of back-to-back games, the Toronto Maple Leafs refused to use fatigue as an excuse. Air Force 1 Clearance . Coach Randy Carlyle noticed his players were tired and how much that played a role in a 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night at Air Canada Centre. But inside the locker room the talk was much more about a lack of execution. "Theres never an excuse: Injuries, tired, its all B.S.," goaltender James Reimer said. "Those are all excuses. Theyre useless." Winger Mason Raymond, who scored Torontos only goal, scoffed that he and his teammates "simply got embarrassed." They committed turnovers that led to all three Panthers goals and were never really able to keep up. "I echo those remarks as something that we cannot be proud of our performance tonight," Carlyle said after the Leafs (17-16-3) lost for the fifth time in their past six games. Tomas Fleischmann, Sean Bergenheim and Brad Boyes scored for the Panthers (13-17-5), who won their fourth straight and sixth in their past seven games. With the victory, Florida crept to within six points of Toronto for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. "Were looking for progress," coach Peter Horacek said. "Were looking for consistency in our play." The Panthers certainly showed more consistency Tuesday than the Leafs, who couldnt get much of an attack going until the third period when Raymonds goal broke up Scott Clemmensens shutout and cut the deficit to two goals. Before that, Carlyle bemoaned his team being on the wrong end of far too many 50/50 puck battles. It didnt matter that the Panthers have the lowest payroll in the NHL because they didnt look like it. Torontos lacklustre play helped. "We just didnt play well enough. Thats the bottom line," Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf said. "We take pride in being a team that doesnt get outworked. Tonight we were outworked." Couple that with mistakes at inopportune times and the result was the Leafs 12th loss in 18 games at Air Canada Centre this season. Each of Floridas goals came as a result of a noticeable turnover. Centre Nazem Kadri was the first Leafs player to make a costly error, before some of the 19,076 fans even settled into their seats. Kadri lost the puck at the Panthers blue-line, and seconds later Fleischmann had a jump on Carl Gunnarsson and beat Reimer to make it 1-0 just 3:29 in. Sloppy play continued, but it didnt hurt the Leafs again until a disastrous defensive-zone shift in the second. Defenceman Jake Gardiner put the puck right on Bergenheims stick, but Reimer made a stop to keep the threat at bay. When the Leafs couldnt clear it, Bergenheim got it back in front and scored 5:54 into the second. "We had clear-cut possession of the puck, won a faceoff, it goes back to (Gardiner), they end up with a breakaway out of it," Carlyle said. "Its pretty hard to defend a player in that position, and I told him so. Youve got to expect to have a higher level of execution than that in that situation." Boos predictably followed, and then continued when Phaneufs turnover directly contributed to the Panthers third goal of the game. Boyes poked the puck away from Phaneuf and scored seconds later on his own rebound thanks to some help from Bergenheim in front. "I made some mistakes tonight that are unacceptable," Phaneuf said. "Take responsibility for it." It couldve been even uglier had the Panthers converted on a short-handed odd-man rush in the third period. Shawn Matthias missed a wide-open net, and Toronto didnt have to stare down a four-goal deficit. The Leafs cut it to 3-1 not long after on their most opportunistic play of the night. Centre Peter Holland, filling in amid injuries to Dave Bolland and Tyler Bozak, held onto the puck long enough to get some traffic in front, and Raymond tipped the puck past Clemmensen 3:43 into the third. "I thought we got a little life after that," Raymond said. "We played some better hockey then." Aided by that third-period onslaught, Toronto outshot Florida 29-23, but Carlyle didnt like the lack of second opportunities. "I classified our game as we tried to plan shinny against an NHL hockey club tonight," he said. Clemmensen, who made 28 saves for the victory, was hardly stressed for most of the game. The veteran netminder acknowledged, as did Horachek and other Panthers players, that the Leafs were tired. But it was incumbent on the visitors to take advantage of that. "We were hoping to have a little bit more energy than they had," Clemmensen said. "Fortunately for us, we kept them off the board until the third period. That, in turn, kept the crowd out of it. That was big." This was their third victory in the past two weeks against a team being featured on HBOs "24/7" program. Florida beat the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 7 and Dec. 10. As for the Leafs, the frustrating is growing bigger amid losses. And with the excuses thrown out, answers are also lacking. "Everyone is trying to turn it around," centre Jay McClement said. "It seems like we need all of us to step up and take the reins and change things. But it seems like were waiting too long to do that." NOTES -- Centre Trevor Smith broke a bone in his right hand when blocking a shot from the Panthers Shawn Matthias in the third period, Carlyle said. Smith has four goals and five assists in 24 games this season. ... Last years Calder Trophy winner, Jonathan Huberdeau, missed his second straight game with a foot injury. Horachek said the Saint-Jerome, Que., native could have played and is hopefully on target to be in the lineup Thursday when Florida visits the Ottawa Senators. Air Force 1 For Sale . TSN 1290s coverage begins with Hustler & Lawless at 3pm.  Rick Ralph hosts the Official Jets Pre-game Show at 5pm. Air Force 1 Replica .The Canadiens will visit the Boston Bruins at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on New Years Day 2016, taking hockeys oldest rivalry outside.It was special in 2010 just to be there with the history behind Fenway Park and all that, Bruins centre Patrice Bergeron said.Free agent shortstop Jhonny Peralta and the St. Louis Cardinals have agreed on a four-year contract, giving the All-Star a fresh start after his Biogenesis drug suspension last summer. The Cardinals filled a need by getting a top-hitting shortstop a month after losing the World Series in six games to Boston. Pete Kozma and Daniel Descalso, while generally good fielders, are light hitters. The deal was expected to be worth more than $50 million. "We are pleased to announce that Jhonny has agreed to terms and I know he is equally excited to be joining the Cardinals," general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement. "Jhonny is among the games top offensive shortstops, hes a steady defender and he has experience playing for a contender. He gives us proven veteran experience and brings balance and versatility to our everyday lineup. " But the move drew a different reaction from a couple other big leaguers. "It pays to cheat... Thanks, owners, for encouraging PED use," Arizona pitcher Brad Ziegler tweeted. "Apparently getting suspended for PEDs means you get a raise. Whats stopping anyone from doing it? (hashtag)weneedtomakeachange," free agent pitcher David Aardsma tweeted. The 31-year-old Peralta was suspended 50 games last season as a result of Major League Baseballs investigation in the Biogenesis case involving perrformance-enhancing drugs. Air Force 1 Online. He returned to the Detroit Tigers in late September and played in the post-season, both in left field and at shortstop. Shortly before Peralta was penalized, the Tigers acquired young shortstop Jose Iglesias from Boston in a three-team trade. Peralta hit .303 with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs in 107 games during the regular season, then batted .333 with one homer, four doubles and six RBIs in 10 playoff games. The two-time All-Star is a career .268 hitter with 156 homers and 698 RBIs in 11 seasons with Cleveland and Detroit. The NL champion Cardinals have been busy since the season ended. A few days ago, they sent third baseman David Freese, a hometown product and the 2011 World Series MVP, to the Los Angeles Angels for outfielder Peter Bourjos in a four-player trade. The Cardinals cut about $45 million off last seasons payroll, and wanted to plug a hole at shortstop. St. Louis lost All-Star Rafael Furcal in spring training for the whole year because of elbow surgery. Detroit did not extend a qualifying offer to Peralta, meaning there would be no compensation draft pick involved in his move from the AL Central champions to the NL Central winners. Earlier this off-season, the Tigers traded first baseman Prince Fielder to Texas for second baseman Ian Kinsler in a swap of All-Stars with rich contracts. ' ' '

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Rafael Nadal is taking it easy at the Rio Open, nursing a back injury and hoping it gets better. Mychal Givens Jersey . No. 1-ranked Nadal defeated fellow Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver in his first-round match on Tuesday night, his first in more than three weeks after losing the Australian Open final to Stanislaw Wawrinka. Nadal was an overwhelming favourite in Australia to win his 14th Grand Slam title, but he picked up the back strain warming up and was never the same. "When one comes back from an injury in a short period of time, you can always feel a need to be cautious," he said. "I felt it (the back) a bit. But I hope things continue to improve day by day. Little by little the back will be strong again. Ill get used to the competition and the back wont keep me from playing future tournaments." The Spaniards next test is on Thursday against countryman Albert Montanes. "I had a problem from Australia," Nadal said. "I tried to work on it at home and Im back playing again. At the beginning one is a bit afraid coming back from a problem. Ive worked hard to try to come back." Nadal was sidelined for much of the 2012 season with a left knee injury. He used the Latin American clay-court circuit as his testing ground for the knee early in 2013. It went OK. He won the French and US Open. Hes at it again early in 2014 with his back, reminding some that Nadals big swings and aggressive play may be taking a toll on his 27-year-old body. Nadal said after Tuesdays match -- his 800th -- that hed played better than hed practiced. "Of course there are aspects of the game I have to improve," he said. "Its been a long time since Ive played on the surface (clay), so Its normal to return without the best feeling." Melvin Mora Jersey . -- Maxence Parrot of Bromont, Que. Robin Roberts Jersey . - Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II says the NFL has told the team it will not be docked a pick in this years draft for coach Mike Tomlins foray onto the field against Baltimore last November.TORONTO - Toronto FC is close to full health for its home opener Saturday against D.C. United. Brazilian forward Gilberto and English fullback Bradley Orr have both recovered from injury. The only players still missing are backup midfielder Jeremy Hall and teenage striker Jordan Hamilton, both of whom are nursing hamstring injurries. George Kell Jersey. Hall is expected to be back in training Monday. A bigger question-mark is the grass pitch at BMO Field. Close to five centimetres of snow is expected overnight. Toronto won its MLS season opener last weekend, winning 2-1 in Seattle. D.C. United lost its opener 3-0 to the visiting Chicago Fire. ' ' '

MINNEAPOLIS -- Phil Hughes has been pitching with a cracked nail on his right index finger, a common side effect of the sharp curveball he throws. Dwyane Wade Jersey . Hes kept the nail intact with super glue. The big righty has done a nice job of holding the Minnesota Twins rotation together, too. Kennys Vargas homered and sparked rallies with two other hits, leading Hughes and the Twins past Corey Kluber and the Cleveland Indians 4-1 Thursday. Hughes (14-8) struck out eight over seven innings to forge a four-way tie for the American League lead in victories, with Rick Porcello, Max Scherzer and Scott Kazmir, and improved to 4-0 with a 1.32 ERA in four August starts. "When you get on good stretches, everythings kind of working for you mechanically and your game plan, everything, just kind of falls into place," Hughes said. Including that pesky finger nail. "As long as it stays where its at, Ill be fine," Hughes said. Zach Walters, who has four home runs and six RBIs in nine games since joining the Indians, took Hughes deep in the fifth to tie the game. But Trevor Plouffe put the Twins back in front with a two-run double in the sixth inning after Vargas hit a one-out double. Vargas singled in the eighth, and pinch-runner Eduardo Nunez scored on a double by Oswaldo Arcia. Then Glen Perkins pitched a perfect ninth for his 32nd save in 36 attempts for the Twins, denying the Indians their first sweep of a road series this season. Kluber (13-7) had his winning streak stopped at six, despite eight strikeouts over seven innings, and the Indians fell six games behind Kansas City in the AL Central. They also dropped into sixth place in the AL wild-card race, still 4 1-2 games out of the second spot. "Anytime you lose a ballgame its disappointing, whether it be going for the sweep or the first game of the series. They all count the same in the long run," Kluber said. Hughes avoided a walk for the 14th time in his 26 turns for the Twins and gave up just five hits. "Hes got one of those sneaky fastballs," Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis said. Hughes has 148 strikeouts in 165 innings, putting him on pace to sail past his career high of 165 Ks with the New York Yankees in 2012. "Change of scenery, whatever you want to call it, hes throwing the ball great," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. STREAK SNAPPED The home run by Vargas ended a scoreless streak of 20-plus innings and 64 outs for the Twins since they tallied five runs with their first five at-bats to start the series Tuesday. Kluber tried to throw a cut fastball outside that hit too much of the plate. "I dont want to say he got beat by it, but it looked like he was a little late on it, but hes just big enough and strong enough that he lifted it out of the park," Kluber said. TRAINERS ROOM Indians: C Yan Gomes was replaced in the sixth inning by Roberto Perez because of illness. ... RF David Murphy, who was placed on the disabled list Aug. 10 due to abdominal muscle tightness on his right side, has resumed core workouts but still feels discomfort. Twins: RHP Alex Meyer, the top pitching prospect in the organization, has been handled carefully with Triple-A Rochester because of shoulder trouble last season. Meyer has logged more than 123 innings already, but when asked if he could get a September call-up general manager Terry Ryan did not rule that out. UP NEXT Indians: RHP Carlos Carrasco (5-4, 3.27 ERA) starts Friday to open a three-game home series against Houston. RHP Brad Peacock (3-8, 5.47 ERA) pitches for the Astros. Carrasco takes his third turn since rejoining the rotation, following three months in the bullpen. Hes pitched 12 scoreless innings, with five hits and no walks allowed over the last two starts. Twins: Host Detroit this weekend for four games in three days, including a doubleheader. RHP Tommy Milone (6-4, 3.99 ERA) starts following the shortest outing (only four outs, seven run) of his career. LHP Robbie Ray (1-3, 5.33 ERA) pitches for the Tigers. Barry Bonds Jersey . With the Canadiens leading by one to start the third period, Price turned away 16 shots by the Panthers in the final frame to give Montreal a 2-1 victory over Florida on Monday night. The Panthers (16-21-6) outshot Montreal 16-10 in the final frame, but were repeatedly frustrated by Price, who made 26 saves on the night. James Conner Jersey . The senior threw for 319 yards and no interceptions in his final college game, leading No.ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS, TPC Louisiana, Avondale, Louisiana The PGA Tour moves further south to Louisiana this week for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Last year, Billy Horschel birdied the 72nd hole of the tournament to hold off D.A. Points and claim his first PGA Tour victory. Horschel entered the final hole tied with Points, but the duo would have to wait a little while to figure out the final result as play was halted for weather concerns moments after they hit their tee shots. It was the second weather delay of the afternoon. After the threatening weather moved out, Horschel hit his third shot to 26 feet and watched as Points blasted his fourth from a greenside bunker to within five feet. Points wouldnt get a chance to force the playoff as Horschel drained his putt for birdie and the win. Horschel will retuurn to defend his title against a field that includes seven winners from this season. Michael Jordan Jersey Nike. The defending champion will try to become the first player to win back-to-back in New Orleans since Carlos Franco turned the trick in 1999 and 2000. Horschel will also try to become the first person to earn his first two wins on tour at the same event since Boo Weekley won the Heritage in 2007 and 2008. This will be the last chance for players who are not already qualified to earn a spot in The Players Championship by moving into the top 10 in the FedExCup standings or top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. The PGA Tour moves to North Carolina next week for the Wells Fargo Championship, where Derek Ernst parred the first playoff hole last year to defeat David Lynn and collect his first career win. ' ' '

TORONTO - Georges St-Pierre is picking Johny (Bigg Rigg) Hendricks to succeed him as UFC welterweight champion. Zapatillas Mujer Baratas . Hendricks, who lost a controversial split decision to St-Pierre at UFC 167 last November, fights again for the 170-pound crown on Saturday when he faces veteran (Ruthless) Robbie Lawler at UFC 171. The 32-year-old St-Pierre vacated the title in December, saying he needed time away from the sport. St-Pierre has been making the most of his time off, travelling and speaking his mind about what he believes needs to be fixed in the world of mixed martial arts. But he remains close to the sport and says he will be watching the UFC 171 main event in Dallas. "Its a fight where anything can happen," St-Pierre told The Canadian Press. "Both guys can put each other to sleep. They have a lot of power in striking, but I believe Hendricks has the edge in this fight because I believe he will come more well-prepared with his team and hes got an edge in the grappling department." Hendricks (15-2) is a former two-time NCAA wrestling champion. St-Pierre (25-2) left a 12-fight winning streak and a string of UFC records behind him. But he says it wont be strange seeing someone else have his belt strapped around their waist. "No, because it was my choice to give away the title. It was my choice so I dont regret anything. I feel very good and Im happy that I did it. I feel better now." St-Pierre, who had held the UFC title since regaining it from Matt (The Terror) Serra at UFC 83 in April 2008, says the outcome of the fight will not affect whether he returns to the sport. "I dont plan on coming back right now," he said. "First if I come back, it will be when I want. I have a lot of things to do. And also a couple things need to change if I come back. ... Whoever wins, I dont care. I just watch it as a fan." Since leaving the sport, St-Pierre has spoken out about the need to have more stringent drug testing. The Montreal fighter — who was the UFCs biggest pay-per-view draw — has also complained about the UFC having a monopoly. Hendricks has said he sees Lawler (22-9 with one no contest) as a more dangerous opponent that St-Pierre. "Robbie, if you make a mistake, weve seen it time and time again that he can knock you out." The 30-year-old Hendricks is the top-ranked contender in the 170-pound division while Lawler is No. 3. No. 2 Carlos (The Natural Born Killer) Condit, who lost to St-Pierre in a UFC 154 title shot and was beaten by Hendricks at UFC 158, takes on No. 11 Tyron Woodley (12-2) in the UFC 171 co-main event. Condit (29-7) says he has been told a win will earn him another title shot. Hendricks is currently No. 10 in the UFCs pound-for-pound rankings. Yeezy Baratas Hombre . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. Air Max Baratas . Crawford hit his slam off Pirates starter Edinson Volquez to give San Francisco a four run lead in the fourth and they never looked back. Brandon Belt had three runs batted in as well. Bumgarner pitched all nine innings and allowed just four hits. VALENCIA, Spain -- Nicolas Almagro beat fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar 6-2, 6-3 to make a successful start to his bid for a third title at the Valencia Open on Tuesday. The third-seeded Almagro, who won here in 2006 and 2007, reeled off winners to break Andujar five times and easily advance to the second round on the indoor hard court. Almagro said that he feels like he was rediscovered his winning form. "I have been playing well now after a period when I was a little lost and didnt really know what to do," Almagro said. "Thanks to the people supporting me I have found my way forward again. I feel strong, but I just need to focus on going match by match." Also, Bernard Tomic of Australia retired in the third set of hiss match with Mikhail Youzhny. Zapatillas Nike Baratas España. Tomic was losing 4-1 after splitting the first two sets. Giles Simon, seeded No. 6, was upset by Colombian Alejandro Falla 6-1, 6-0. Fifth-seeded Jerzy Janowicz hit 14 aces to dispense with Pablo Carreno 7-5, 7-6 (7), and Joao Sousa defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3, 7-5. Two favourites of the home crowd, Fernandez Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez, both lost in straight sets. Qualifier Michal Przysiezny ousted Verdasco 6-3, 7-6 (1) after Julien Benneteau thrashed Lopez 6-3, 6-1. World No. 3 and reigning champion David Ferrer debuts on Wednesday against Gael Monfils, while John Isner plays Ernests Gulbis and second-seeded Tommy Has faces Philipp Kohlschreiber in an all-German match. ' ' '