long79333's blog: "opped 31 shots in defeat. Belleville had a number of quality chances on DAgostini in the first two periods before Berisha converted on a perfect tic-t"

DENVER -- Once he hit the ball down the left-field line, Kyle Blanks began talking to it in an attempt to keep it fair. On the mound and watching the ball soar toward the stands, Jeff Francis started leaning in an effort to push it foul. "I think I mightve been talking louder than he was leaning," Blanks said. Blanks hit a two-run homer that caromed off the foul screen and Eric Stults tossed seven solid innings, helping the San Diego Padres to a 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night. For Blanks, this was another memorable night at Coors Field. The powerful first baseman is having quite a series, going 6 for 11 with two homers and five RBIs. And to think he almost didnt make the trip to the Mile High City. He was headed for the minors before the Padres had a late change of plans when infielder Yonder Alonso went on the disabled list. "Getting good pitches to hit. Havent been missing too many," Blanks said of his recent success. "Thats typically how anyone gets quite a few hits." For Francis (2-4), that misplaced changeup may end up costing him more than a game. The soft-tossing lefty is auditioning to keep his spot in the rotation, especially with veteran Roy Oswalt throwing well for Double-A Tulsa. This didnt exactly cement Francis place. "Im not sitting here talking about whats going to happen next week," manager Walt Weiss said when asked about Francis remaining in the rotation. "Well see what happens." Francis struggled in his first start since coming off the disabled list with a strained left groin. He allowed four runs and six hits in four innings. "I dont think I was rusty," Francis said. Everth Cabrera had three hits, including a bloop RBI double, and stole two more bases, running his season total to a major league-leading 28. Stults (5-5) never really ran into trouble against his former team, giving up seven hits and two runs (one earned) for his first win in four starts. Dale Thayer pitched out of a jam in the eighth and Luke Gregerson closed out the ninth for his second save in three chances. It was far from a routine save, though, as Gregerson had runners on second and third with one out, only to get Tyler Colvin to line out to second and then struck out Dexter Fowler to end the game. "That line drive? That will make your heart stop for a second," Gregerson said. "Once we had two outs, I went right after Fowler with a healthy dose of sliders." The Rockies were 0 for 15 with runners in scoring position. That kind of futility doesnt happen all too often to one of the top-hitting teams in the NL. "You cant expect to win when you leave so many guys on base," said Carlos Gonzalez, who was hitless in four at-bats and struck out twice. "Tonight was just a bad game. You have to forget about it." Up 4-2 in the ninth, the Padres had a chance to pad their lead when they loaded the bases with two outs. But Nolan Arenado made a magnificent play at third base, snaring Cameron Maybins slow roller with his bare hand and throwing him out at first base. The Rockies couldnt carry over the momentum. "We just didnt get the big hit tonight," Weiss said. "They did a pretty good job of getting through some things." One of the Rockies runs came courtesy of a throwing error and the other when Colvin grounded out in the seventh following D.J. LeMahieus one-out triple. Colvin was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs earlier in the day and entered the game as part of a double-switch. Stults nearly escaped a jam in the third when the Rockies had runners at first and third with one out. He struck out Gonzalez, but catcher Yasmani Grandal overthrew second with Eric Young Jr. stealing, allowing Fowler to trot home. He was pretty much in control the rest of the way. "Ive been feeling pretty good on the mound," said Stults, who briefly pitched for the Rockies in 2011. "Just like a hitter, you kind of get a groove going. The last few starts, I feel like I have a good tempo. Ive felt good about the way Ive been throwing the ball." San Diego scored a run in the first when Chase Headley singled in Cabrera, who walked and stole second. Headley was back in the lineup after leaving the game Friday with tightness in his right calf after being hit by a pitch. Michael Cuddyer missed his second straight game with sore ribs. The outfielder is hoping he will be healed in a few days and wont have to go on the disabled list for a second time this season. NOTES: The Padres recalled RHP Burch Smith from Triple-A Tucson and optioned RHP Brad Boxberger. ... The Rockies drafted SS Brody Weiss, the son of manager Walt Weiss, in the 22nd round. Brody Weiss is committed to play next year at UC Santa Barbara. "Guess Ill have to negotiate with the Rockies in the next couple of weeks here," Walt Weiss said, smiling. ... Rockies closer Rex Brothers had his brother Hunter, a right-hander out of Lipscomb University in Tennessee, drafted by Colorado in the 24th round. ... To make room for Francis, the team designated RHP Jon Garland for assignment. ... The Rockies wore camouflage caps for Military Appreciation Day. Custom Ravens Jersey . After being told by an Italian reporter that there might be some undeclared gay players on the team, Cassano appeared at a loss for words before responding. "Thats their problem, but I hope not. ... But I dont know," he said, then added that he hoped his answer sufficed. Custom Chiefs Jersey . Raikkonen, who won the season-opening Australian GP, was 0.03 seconds faster than Webber and 0.12 quicker than Vettel. "Its nice to be fastest but you never know what the others are doing," said Raikkonen, who won the drivers championship in 2007. http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-Buffalo-Bills/ . The end of this mess of a season for the Minnesota Twins still mattered to the veteran right-hander, who wanted no part of 100 losses. Custom Cowboys Jersey . LOUIS -- Shelby Millers lone regret is it took a lot of work to send Milwaukee Brewers hitters trudging back to the dugout. Custom Carolina Panthers Jersey . Reimer was the steady, effective force behind the Leafs sixth win in eight games and third in four tries against Montreal this year, stopping 36 pucks in a 5-1 victory at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday evening. REGINA -- After being the go-to receiver for the past three seasons in Hamilton and Toronto, Arland Bruce had to adjust to diminished role when he was traded to the B.C. Lions in August. On Sunday, he was front and centre once again. Bruce caught a Travis Lulay pass across midfield on B.C.s second offensive play of the fourth quarter, and ran the rest of the way for a 72-yard touchdown that gave B.C. the lead for good in a 29-18 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. "Thered been places throughout the game where I know I wasnt really getting no looks, and its just about being a professional," said Bruce. "Just staying in the game and letting the game come to you ... no matter if youre down by three, or whatever, I just wanted to stay in the game. "Lulay made a great throw, I made a catch for him, and I did my job." The win was the eighth straight for the Lions (9-5), who held onto a share of first place in the CFLs West Division by keeping pace with Edmonton. Saskatchewan (4-11) suffered its fourth straight loss. "Every win for us is big," said Lions head coach Wally Buono, who has guided his team back from an 0-5 start to the year. "Its something that weve been preaching week in and week out about just playing for the week. "Some games are going to be prettier than others, some are going to be easier than others, this was a tough game, and we expected a tough game coming into Saskatchewan." The Roughriders had hoped it would be a little tougher on the Lions. Saskatchewan was down to its last gasp of playoff hope, needing to win all four of its remaining games as well as have Hamilton lose its final four in order to make the post-season. Instead, the Riders will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2001 and, adding insult to injury, have now gone over 265 minutes of footballl without scoring a touchdown.dddddddddddd "Its bitterly disappointing," said a dejected Ken Miller, who returned as Saskatchewans head coach after Greg Marshall was fired following a 1-7 start to the year. Miller previously coached the Riders from 2008-10, leading them to Grey Cup games in each of the last two seasons, and was then asked to compare Sundays emotions with those of losing back-to-back Grey Cups. "Theres no comparison," he said quietly. "When youre in the depth of the valley like we are in this situation, in comparison to being near the mountain top, there really isnt any comparison." Sundays game featured almost 800 yards in total offence but a number of clutch defensive stands saw B.C. kicker Paul McCallum and Riders kicker Chris Milo combine for 10 field goals before Bruce scored the games first touchdown. B.C. running back Andrew Harris added the insurance score with a 42-yard touchdown reception on the Lions next possession. McCallum kicked a 51-yard field goal to open the scoring on the Lions second possession of the game. Milo evened it up with a 37 yarder on Saskatchewans next possession and gave the Riders their first lead of the game with a 49-yard field goal, his longest of the year. The kickers traded field goals to end the half -- McCallum was good from 23 and 10 yards, Milo from 21 and 45 -- as Saskatchewan entered the break with a 12-9 lead. Milo then hit from 30 and McCallum from 31 and the Riders carried a 15-12 lead into the final frame, where Milo booted a 32-yarder early in the frame. McCallum capped the scoring with a 28-yard field goal. Milos only miss of the day came from 34 yards late in the third quarter. Lulay finished 16-of-29 passing for 287 yards. Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durant, playing with a broken foot, was 29-for-45 for 281 yards. ' ' ' 

Overnight data from BBM Canada confirms that Tuesday nights thrilling 2013 IIHF World Womens Championship Gold Medal Game featuring Canada vs. the United States was watched by an average audience of 795,000 viewers - making it the networks most-watched Final ever at the IIHF World Womens Championship. Overall, more than 3.6 million Canadians watched some part of the United States 3-2 win over Canada.  Audience levels peaked at 1.6 million viewers on TSN late in the third period. Next month, TSN travels to Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden, to deliver complete live coverage of the 2013 IIHF World Championship from May 4-19. TSN is the official broadcaster of Hockey Canada. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">stitched jerseys</a>. -- Monta Ellis had 29 points and nine assists for the Milwaukee Bucks, who held off the Sacramento Kings for a 115-113 win on Sunday night. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">jerseys from china</a>. Imagine, then, how frayed his emotions will be going into Game 7. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/</a>. -- Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly will be trying for his first BCS championship, instead of a Super Bowl title, next season. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">Wholesale Jerseys From China</a>. -- The commissioner of the Western Hockey League says the failure of the City of Medicine Hat to fund a new arena is surprising and disappointing. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">nfl jerseys china wholesale</a>. Monfils, who had only beaten Nadal once before in nine meetings, started well with a strong first serve and an ability to chase down nearly every shot. The 25-year-old Frenchman broke Nadal to go up 4-2 in the first set. Nadal recovered to lead 4-1 in the second set but Monfils stepped up his game.PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates have placed third baseman Pedro Alvarez on the 15-day disabled list with a lingering leg injury and recalled infielder Pedro Ciriaco from Triple-A Indianapolis. Alvarez missed four games earlier this month after straining his right quadriceps. He aggravated it last weekend against Milwaukee and manager Clint Hurdle said it didntt appear to be getting better.dddddddddddd The 24-year-old Alvarez, the second overall pick in the 2008 draft, is batting .208 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 36 games for the Pirates. Brandon Wood replaced Alvarez in the lineup for Saturday nights game against the Detroit Tigers. Ciriaco is hitting .193 with two homers in 36 games with Indianapolis. ' ' '

NEW YORK -- On one side, a blossoming dynasty from the college football capital of the Deep South. On the other, the sports most famous team, trying to reclaim its place among the elite. Notre Dame and Alabama bring star power and power football to the BCS championship. The matchup became official Sunday night when the final standings were released and, to no ones surprise, the Fighting Irish were first and the Crimson Tide was second. The one bit of drama on college footballs selection Sunday was whether Northern Illinois could be this years BCS buster. The Huskies got in, getting a spot in the Orange Bowl against Florida State, taking a bid away from Oklahoma and sparking heated debate about a system that never fails to tick off fans in some way. The other BCS matchups: -- Oregon and Kansas State will play in the Fiesta Bowl. -- Wisconsin and Stanford will meet in the Rose Bowl. -- Florida and Louisville are set for the Sugar Bowl. As for the main event in the penultimate Bowl Championship Series, there was little controversy about No. 1 Notre Dame against No. 2 Alabama in Miami. "The tradition of Alabama and Notre Dame brings special attention to it, but were just trying to the best team on Monday, Jan. 7," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Sunday night. "All of that tradition, whats happened in the past, is not going to help us Jan. 7, but we do respect the traditions." The Irish clinched their spot a week ago in Los Angeles by completing a perfect season against rival Southern California. Alabama earned its spot Saturday, beating Georgia 32-28 in a thrilling Southeastern Conference title game. The program that coach Paul Bryant turned into an SEC behemoth in the 1960s and 70s, winning five national championships and sharing another during his tenure, is again dominating college football with a modern-day version of the Bear leading the way in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide are on the verge of one of the great runs in history. Alabama would become the first team to repeat as champs since the BCS was implemented in 1998, and it would be the 11th time a team has won consecutive AP titles since the poll started in 1936. Alabama is already one of seven programs to repeat. The Tide has done it twice. Notre Dame is another. Alabama also won the 2009 BCS championship under Saban. The last team to win three major national titles in four seasons was Nebraska, which went back-to-back in 1994 and 95 and finished No. 1 in the final coaches poll in 1997. In a world full of spread-the-field, hurry-up offences, Alabama is a bastion of traditional football. The Tide put its no-frills muscle on display Saturday, mashing Georgia with 350 yards rushing. Eddie Lacy, listed at a conservative 220 pounds, went for 181 against the Bulldogs to up his season total to 1,182 with 17 touchdowns. Freshman T.J. Yeldon has run for 1,000 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. But this is no 3 yards and a cloud of dust. Both backs average over 6 yards per carry, behind an offensive line anchored by All-American centre Barrett Jones, who is nursing a foot injury. And quarterback AJ McCarron has thrown for 26 touchdowns with only three interceptions. The Tide has been more potent offensively this season than last to make up for a defence that has slipped, but only a bit. Alabama leads the nation in total defence (246 yards per game) and is second in points allowed (10.7 per game). Linebackers Adrian Hubbard, Nico Johnson, CJ Mosley and Trey Depriest average 242 pounds. When Brian Kelly was hired at Notre Dame three years ago, he looked at Alabama and the SEC, which has won six straight BCS titles, and decided the Irish needed to play like that. Kelly built his reputation and winning teams at previous stops on fast-paced spread offences. In South Bend, Ind., he has put the fight back in the Irish, who have won eight AP national titles -- only Alabama has as many -- but none since 1988. Notre Dame has allowed the fewest touchdowns in the country (10) and is sixth overall in total defence (286 yards per game). "Its clear that the formation of any great program is going to be on its defence," Kelly said. "If you play great defence youve got a chance. For us to move Notre Dame back into national prominence we had to develop a defence." The face of the Irish isnt a strong-armed quarterback or speedy ball carrier. Its middle linebacker Manti Teo, a 255-pound offence wrecker with a nose for the ball. The senior has seven interceptions and is a likely Heisman finalist. Teo, along with 300-pound linemen Stephon Tuitt and Louis Nix, have formed a red-zone wall for the Irish. Late goal-line stands highlighted victories against Stanford and USC. "Theres some pretty physical guys that have some great toughness and some great licks," Saban said in assessing Notre Dame. While nurturing redshirt freshman Everett Golson, Kelly has leaned on Notre Dames running game, which averages 202 yards. "This is just a good all-around football team with tremendous balance on offence and a very physical defence," Saban said. If Notre Dame, making its first appearance in a BCS championship, is going to break the SECs strangle hold on the crystal ball trophy, the Irish will try to beat Bama at its own game. And Kelly will try to uphold a Notre Dame tradition, by winning a national title in his third season as coach. Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian, Dan Devine and Lou Holtz all won it all in Year 3 playing in the shadow of the Golden Dome. Notre Dame will try to become the first team since BYU in 1984 to start the season unranked and win a national title. Expect plenty of fans to be watching. With the popularity of both programs, the second-to-last BCS title game is expected to be the highest rated ever. Though it might be hard for many fans to choose. While there are plenty of fans tired of watching the SEC win championships, Notre Dame has always been the program people love to hate. "I dont know if we picked up any more fans along the way," Kelly said. In two years, college football switches to a four-team playoff to determine its champion. No doubt fans of Florida (11-1), Oregon (11-1), Stanford (11-2) and Kansas State (11-1) wish they could push the start date up on that, but for the most part there isnt much griping about this championship matchup. Notre Dame is the only undefeated team that is eligible -- thanks to Ohio States NCAA sanctions -- and Alabama is the champion of the league that has produced the last half-dozen national champs. Roll Tide or return to glory? To be determined in South Florida. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">China Jerseys NFL</a>. Cullen spent the past three seasons with Jacksonville. Before joining the Jaguars, Cullen was at Idaho State and spent three seasons (2006-08) with the Detroit Lions. Cioffi, who has 18 years of NFL experience to the Browns staff, was with Arizona the past two seasons. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">nfl china jerseys</a>. The luck seems to be evening out. Seager and Mike Zunino came up with clutch hits early, and the Mariners used an unlikely ninth inning double play to pull out a 4-3 win over the Indians on Tuesday night and extend their winning streak to eight games. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/</a>. The networks exclusive live coverage of the national mens championship begins Saturday, March 3 at 2:30pm et/11:30am pt on TSN with Draw 1 matchups. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">China Jerseys Wholesale</a>. Their fill-in starting pitcher was also pretty good. Rookie first baseman Mark Trumbo homered and drove in four runs with three hits, Hank Conger had two hits and scored twice and No. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">China Jerseys</a>. -- Thierry Henry scored for New York in the fourth minute, Landon Donovan countered for Los Angeles in the 41st and the Red Bulls and Galaxy tied 1-1 on Saturday night. (Sports Network) - The Charlotte Bobcats will try to sweep a season series from the Toronto Raptors for the first time in franchise history when the two clubs collide Sunday afternoon at Air Canada Centre. The Bobcats have won the first three meetings of the season with the Raptors and six of the previous eight matchups between the two clubs. Charlotte, however, has dropped seven of its 11 contests up north. Charlotte will begin a four-game road trip against the Raptors, Rockets, Thunder and Spurs, and is only 10-22 away from Time Warner Cable Arena. The Bobcats, who have lost five in a row as the visitor, ended a six-game slide with Fridays 97-92 win over Portland. Stephen Jackson returned from a three- game absence because of a hamstring injury to post 29 points and 10 rebounds. Jackson netted 18 points in the fourth quarter, and has scored 20 points or more in 13 of his last 20 games played. We just have to find a way to play like this on the road, Jackson said. Every game counts and we just have to continue this. D.J. Augustin and D.J. White had 16 points apiece in the win. Augustin has scoredd in double figures in eight of his last nine games, averaging 15.dddddddddddd7 points in that stretch. Charlotte and Indiana are tied for the eighth and final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bobcats reached the playoffs for the first time in team history last year, ending a five-year drought. Toronto will close out a three-game homestand today and ended a three-game losing streak with Fridays 108-98 victory over the Pacers. The Raptors got a season-high 29 points from Leandro Barbosa, while DeMar DeRozan notched 16 points in the win -- Torontos second in the previous seven games. James Johnson and Jose Calderon had 13 points apiece for Toronto. I was really into the game, Barbosa said. I was in the flow tonight. Toronto is 13-21 as the host this season. Amir Johnson didnt play versus Indiana because of a sprained left ankle and is day-to-day. Andrea Bargnani had a season-worst eight points in the recent win. In other Raptors news, Calderon is averaging 12.8 points and 10.2 assists through five games in March. DeRozan is posting 22.0 ppg in his past five games played. ' ' '

WARSAW, Poland -- Mario Balotelli flexed his muscles in more ways than one. The 21-year-old Italy striker quieted his multitude of critics by delivering Italy to an unexpected spot in the European Championship final. Having been severely criticized for failing to take advantage of his opportunities earlier in the tournament, Balotelli scored twice in the first half Thursday to give Italy a 2-1 win over Germany. After his second goal, Balotelli stripped off his jersey and flexed his muscles in a defiant pose -- even if that meant an automatic yellow card. For someone whose behaviour often treads on the verge of craziness, it was an emblematic moment. "This is the greatest night of my life, but I hope Sunday is going to be even better," Balotelli said, looking ahead to the final against defending champion Spain. "In the opening matches I had a lot of chances, and I wasnt able to finish them. But In football you also need luck." In the 20th minute, Balotelli had no trouble getting past Holger Badstuber to head in a pinpoint cross from Antonio Cassano. Then in the 36th, he received the ball behind the defence and blasted a long shot into the top right corner. With three goals, Balotelli moved level with four other players for the tournament scoring lead. After the match, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli was asked if this was the best match of Balotellis career. "Balotellis career has just started," Prandelli said. Meanwhile, Germany extended its winless streak against Italy in major tournaments to eight matches. The Germans failed to trouble Italy for much of the match, although Mesut Oezil scored a consolation penalty in injury time after Federico Balzaretti was whistled for a handball. Germany had entered the game on a world record 15-match winning streak in competitive matches. "Its a very bitter defeat," Germany captain Philipp Lahm said. "We tried everything in the second half but our goal came too late. We have so much potential in our team but if we cannot give the right performance at the right time or are not clever enough, then we lose such a game." The final in Kyiv, Ukraine, will be a rematch of Italy and Spains 1-1 draw that opened Group C. "We showed were on Spains level and thats where we started this run," Italy midfielder Claudio Marchisio said. "Its no longer a question of fear. Now weve got to pull out everything we still have inside ourselves." While Italy has won four World Cups, its only European Championship title came in 1968. Like when they won the 1982 and 2006 World Cups, the Azzurri have managed to maintain their focus despite a match-fixing and betting scandal at home. "All I can say is that when you talk about Italy, everyone needs to be careful," Prandelli said. "We played an extraordinary match. We displayed a model of fair play and attachment to this shirt." On a pleasant evening at the National Stadium Warsaw, Cassano set up the opening goal by befuddling Germany defenders Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng to lift the ball in Balotellis direction. The second goal began with a long vertical pass from Riccardo Montolivo, whose mother is German. Balotelli collected the pass with his back to the goal, controlled the ball with his chest and then sprinted forward and unleashed a blazing shot from the edge of the area as Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer again stood immobile. "We did what we had thought would put them in trouble," Prandelli said. "We played centrally and looked for one-on-one opportunities with Cassano." Even before scoring, Italy controlled the pace of the match, although Germany did have several chances from Hummels, Toni Kroos and Oezil. In the 35th, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon preserved the Azzurri lead by swatting away a long shot from Sami Khedira -- and Balotelli doubled the lead a minute later. To start the second half, Germany coach Joachim Loew brought on Miroslav Klose for Mario Gomez at centre forward and replaced Lukas Podolski with Marco Reus on the wing. With Germany appearing slightly more organized, Lahm had a great look at the goal in the 49th but shot way over the bar. "If we had scored earlier, there could have been more for us," Loew said. "The disappointment is great. Nobody is speaking in the dressing room. The players are crying. ... But I am not going to question everything weve done. This team has great quality. It will continue to develop and learn." Buffon made another impressive save in the 62nd, leaping to push a free kick from Reus off the bar. While Italy largely sat back and protected its lead in the second half, the Azzurri did produce some dangerous counterattacks. Marchisio shot just wide in the 67th and 75th and substitute Antonio Di Natale missed another chance in the 82nd. Di Natale came on in the 70th after Balotelli went down with a cramp to his left leg. White-clad German fans greatly outnumbered Italian supporters, unveiling a huge banner before kickoff that featured a giant "G" for Germany. However, most of the stadium was filled with Polish fans who supported Italy. They had plenty to cheer about. "Were living a dream along with millions of Italians," Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini said. "Were going to enjoy this victory a little longer, then well think about Sunday, because we want to continue dreaming." <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-Denver-Broncos/">Custom Broncos Jersey</a>. The last one cleared the veterans troubled mind. The pinch hitter slammed a game-winning home run in the 10th inning to give the Washington Nationals a 6-5 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday night. <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-Minnesota-Vikings/">Custom Vikings Jersey</a>. -- Jon Fogarty emerged from a highly competitive qualifying session on Friday with the pole for the Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway. <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-St.-Louis-Rams/">http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-St.-Louis-Rams/</a>. The Miami Heat star is getting treatment "around the clock" for his aching right knee, and coach Erik Spoelstra said theyll wait until Sunday to decide whether hell play in Game 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks. <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-San-Diego-Chargers/">Custom Chargers Jersey</a>. He confirmed it Thursday night, but didnt provide details. Burleson writes in a direct message on Twitter to The Associated Press that he redid his deal because he wants to retire with the Lions and to do his part to bring more athletes to the team. <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-Washington-Redskins/">Custom Redskins Jersey</a>.Y. -- On a day Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula reiterated his faith in the slumping team, his players paid him back with a much-needed victory.A five-point recap of the Marlies 4-3 shootout loss to Grand Rapids at the Ricoh Coliseum on Sunday afternoon. Five Points 1. Dallas Eakins professed pride at his teams fight in the one-goal loss to Grand Rapids on Sunday, scratching out a point in their third game in as many nights. "I rarely talk to our team after games," said Eakins, whose team earned three out of a possible six points over the weekend, "[but] I stuck my head in there and just made sure that they knew to keep their heads up. I thought we battled hard and I know we left everything we had out there on the ice." Still, the Marlies did own a two-goal lead until late in the middle frame, leaving veteran defenceman Mike Kostka somewhat sour with the final result afterward. "Im not happy about it at all," he said with a bitter laugh. "Yeah you can pat ourselves on the back and say good effort but divisional game, those are big points; they go a long way at the end of the year. It might be game five, but I dont think there should be any sense of satisfaction out of just getting one point." Kostka wasnt suggesting a lack of effort, but only a necessary clampdown in a close game at home. "We worked," Kostka continued. "We worked, we really did. Theres just got to be that extra little bit of desperation to make sure you dont blow a two-goal lead on Sunday afternoon in a three in three…Im not saying we gave up or anything like that. It just cant be acceptable. Two-goal lead, youve got to learn just to shut it right down." 2. The Marlies have owned the American Leagues top penalty kill in each of the past two seasons, but have started slowly with a few new pieces in the mix this season. On Sunday, they allowed two power-play goals to the Griffins, falling to 78% (18-23) on the season. For all their early struggles though, the special teams unit did come up huge in the final stages of the afternoon tilt, halting the Griffins on a powerplay late in the third period (which included a brief five-on-three) before stopping them again during a minute and a half stretch of four-on-three in overtime. "Once again were trying some new guys in there and its part of the process," said Eakins. "Theres some stuff there, some real good teaching video and some stuff that we can go over next week. And like always mistakes turn into positives; it turns into a great teaching tool and well get those covered off and get things going again like weve had in the past couple years." Carter Ashton and Leo Komarov are among the new recruits on the Marlies penalty kill this season. Korbinian&nbbsp;Holzer, who scored his first goal of the season in defeat, observed some hesitation to what is normally an extremely aggressive group.dddddddddddd "As soon as we implement that in our heads again I think the PK is going to be absolutely fine," he said. 3. Sundays action at Ricoh was not without some controversy. Late in the final frame with the score knotted at threes, Griffins defenceman Brian Lashoff swiftly stuck out the left side (part knee, part hip) of his body toward the knee of Nazem Kadri, who immediately went down in a heap in the neutral zone. A scrum ensued with Kadri, Mark Fraser and others from both sides in the mix. When the rubble cleared, it was Kadri getting an extra penalty for roughing (handing the Griffins a late-game power-play), Lashoff unscathed from punishment. Kadri looked for an explanation on the call, but didnt get one. "I tried to get one," he said emphatically. "I tried to talk to [the ref] and he just kind of gave me the hand to the face. I tried to get an explanation. I really wasnt sure what I did." "I thought that was a dangerous hit number one with a leg being out," said Eakins of the Lashoff hit. "And how [Kadri] ends up in the penalty box Im not quite sure. I got an explanation, but I just feel sometimes Im not watching the same game the refs are. They have a tough job, things happen quickly, but him going to the box and us being short there was very strange to me." 4. Kadri has only two assists through the opening five games, but his obvious skill has been on frequent display despite the early point spell. "I dont think Naz gets really affected by that," said Eakins. "Hes such a competitive kid and the thing I love about Nazem hes got such swagger, hes a little cocky out there and I think youve got to be that way to be a successful player. I dont think he ever squeezes his stick too hard. He is going to be rewarded. He is doing everything were asking of him right now on the ice, off the ice and as long hes getting his chances eventually the math part of it just looks after itself." 5. Joe Colborne endured a 31-game goal drought last season, anxious to dispel those memories this season. The 22-year-old had only a point after four games, but picked up two assists in the Sunday defeat, setting up Komarov for his first with the Marlies before dishing off to Holzer for the 3-1 lead. "I was happy today to see Joe get a couple of points," said Eakins. "I dont want him to revert to the thinking from last year when he was in such a hole." Next Game: Friday at Hamilton ' ' '

ROME -- Second-place Lazio rallied to beat visiting Cagliari 2-1 in a controversial finish on Saturday as the Serie A resumed after its holiday break. Marco Sau gave Cagliari the lead in the 62nd minute at Stadio Olimpico before French defender Abdoulay Konko equalized in the 79th for Lazio. In the 83rd, Cagliari goalkeeper Michael Agazzi was shown his second yellow card for a foul on Miroslav Klose, and Lazio was awarded a dubious penalty that Antonio Candreva converted. Agazzi made contact with Klose but was clearly aiming for the ball and hit the Germany striker only lightly after Klose got his shot off. The shot landed on top of the net. Cagliari midfielder Andrea Cossu was also sent off for protesting, and the sixth consecutive loss by the visitors ended with nine men and without their coach, with Ivo Pulga having been expelled in the 32nd for protests. Lazio moved within five points of Serie A leader Juventus, which hosts Sampdoria on Sunday. "Were on the right track," Candreva said. "It wasnt easy tonight but its never easy coming back from a break. Were a great group, though." Also on Sunday, Inter Milan visits Udinese, Fiorentina faces Pescara and Roma is at Napoli. Earlier, 10-man Catania played to a 0-0 draw with Torino. Catania midfielder Francesco Lodi was sent off with a direct red card in the 13th minute after reacting violently to physical contact by taking a swipe at an opponent. Catania was awarded a penalty in the 23rd but forward Gonzalo Bergessio hit the crossbar with his spot kick. Catania coach Rolando Maran was also sent off, for protests in the 84th. Still, Catania moved into a tie with Parma for eighth place, one point behind AC Milan, which faces Siena on Sunday. Torino is 13th, five points clear of the relegation zone, with a one-point penalty for match-fixing. <a href="http://www.football49ersteamshop.com/womens-kyle-williams-nike-jersey-ah-53.html">Kyle Williams Jersey</a>. Hudson (2-0) allowed one run, walked none and struck out three in improving his lifetime record against Washington to 15-5. Not only did the right-hander outpitch Strasburg, but he also got two singles off Washingtons hard-throwing ace. <a href="http://www.football49ersteamshop.com/womens-andy-lee-nike-jersey-lk-66.html">Andy Lee Jersey</a>. The 145-pound fight is slated for Aug. 3, at a venue to be determined. Aldo (22-1) is coming off a weekend UFC 156 win by decision over former UFC lightweight champion Frankie (The Answer) Edgar. <a href="http://www.football49ersteamshop.com/womens-patrick-willis-nike-jersey-nh-60.html">http://www.football49ersteamshop.com/womens-patrick-willis-nike-jersey-nh-60.html</a>. Alex loved Jose as a player, but was concerned about giving so much long-term money to a player who had burst into stardom in his late 20s in such an unprecedented fashion. <a href="http://www.football49ersteamshop.com/womens-dwight-clark-nike-jersey-vo-21.html">Dwight Clark Jersey</a>.C. -- Former South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore signed a four-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers on Friday. <a href="http://www.football49ersteamshop.com/womens-navorro-bowman-nike-jersey-gr-50.html">NaVorro Bowman elite Jersey</a>. The three-time scoring champion then went on an offensive frenzy in the fourth before watching his supporting cast finish off the Dallas Mavericks. MONTREAL -- Anthony Calvillo says he feels great and hes playing well, so why retire even if he is 40 years old? The Montreal Alouettes quarterback who was named a CFL all-star for a fifth time this season announced Thursday that he will return for a 20th season. He signed a contract for a year plus an option year, and will make another decision on whether to continue after the 2013 campaign. "I have to evaluate every season if I still enjoy what I do, and I do," Calvillo said. "I strongly believe that this organization is going to continue to have success and I want to be part of that. "Going on 20 years, at one point, youre supposed to retire and that day will come. But todays not it. I have too much passion and love for this organization." The leagues all-time passing leader had his left, non-throwing, arm in sling from surgery last Friday to repair a torn labrum that he played through since the third game of the season. Despite the injury, which forced him to change his throwing motion, Calvillo completed 333 passes for 5,082 yards and 31 touchdowns in 17 starts. It was his seventh season of more than 5,000 passing yards. And he excelled despite a run of injuries that claimed star running back Brandon Whitaker and, at different times of the season, most of his starting receivers. "I truly believe Anthony had his best season in 2012," coach Marc Trestman said in a statement. "He overcame adversity in many ways." Calvillo said the surgery went well and he will need four months of rehab work to be back to normal. The sling will come off in three weeks, followed by two months of work to restore full range of motion in the arm. Then comes another month on building back strength in the limb. "I dont usually throw until May anyway," he said. "But pain wise, there hasnt been any. "Ive just been very bored at home not being able to do a lot." Calvillo calls his trainer Scott Suter his "career extender" and said a new set of workouts have already been planned. The Los Angeles native, entering his 16th season with the Alouettes, holds league records of 5,777 completions, 449 touchdown passes and 78,494 passing yards. He should pass the 80,000-yard mark early in the 2013 campaign if his health holds up. Two seasons ago, he blew passt the old career passing yards record that had been set over 23 seasons by Damon Allen, who played until he was 44.dddddddddddd "Theres pride in myself to be the best quarterback I can be," said Calvillo. "Theres a level Im trying to stay at. "If I felt I wasnt competing at a certain level and didnt have that drive to win the championship, then I wouldnt be saying I want to play. Im in a territory few quarterbacks have been at, and my goal is to play as long as I can and enjoy it." With Calvillo, the Alouettes are likely to remain the Grey Cup contenders they have been since he took over as their starter in 2000. Now the question is whether Adrian McPherson, his back-up the last four years, will opt to stay in that role or sign with another team. McPherson mostly goes in on short-yardage situations. He scored nine touchdowns that way this season. And he got to start the final, meaningless, game of the regular season. Calvillo told him at the end of the season he was likely to be back. "Ive always been honest with Adrian on where I am in my career," he said. "The challenge for him is what he wants to do as a quarterback. "Does he want to continue to sit behind me or try something new? I cant answer that question, but I know hes a quality player who can help our team win, so Im hoping he sticks around." Calvillo said he was close to deciding to hang up the cleats after the 2011 season, when the team lost the final three games of the regular season and then was beaten by Hamilton in the playoffs. He had come back from having his thyroid gland removed due to a cancerous lesion to set the all-time passing mark, but felt he wasnt playing well. But then he came back and had a strong campaign. Now his goal is to get Montreal back in the Grey Cup game after missing out two consecutive years for the first time since 1998 and 1999. "Ive kind of thrown out the whole age thing and I just try to enjoy the moment and help this team win," he said. Calvillo began his CFL career with the defunct Las Vegas Posse in 1994 and played three seasons for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before signing with the Alouettes as back-up to quarterback Tracy Ham in 1998. Calvillo won Grey Cups in 2002, 2009 and 2010, was named the CFL outstanding player three times. ' ' '

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- After facing R.A. Dickey and Josh Johnson in the National League, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus is happy to have them as teammates. In his days with the St. Louis Cardinals, Rasmus had one hit in five at-bats against Dickey and four in 14 against Johnson. He also struck out a combined four times. "Ive faced Johnson quite a bit," Rasmus said of the six-foot-seven right-hander. "He was always a fierce competitor. He was always slinging that cheese. And Im definitely excited to play behind him. I know hes put it on us some games when I was over with St. Louis. Hes strong, a big dude. Big durable pitcher. Thats going to be a big add for us. "And R.A. Dickey, I faced him with that knuckleball, hes tough, man. Now, what he did the last couple of years, I guess hes learned more about his knuckleball and how to perfect it and what hes trying to do with it. Im just excited to see him pitch." Rasmus reported to camp Saturday, his southern drawl as pronounced as ever with a mullet-like mountain of hair carefully tucked behind his ears. The 26-year-old from Alabama hit .223 last season with 23 home runs and 75 RBIs in what was an up-and-down year. The home runs matched his career high, but his average was the worst of his four big-league seasons. Consistency at the plate is the first order of business in 2013. Last campaign, Rasmus hit .291 in June but batted just .191 in July, .167 in August and .209 in September. "This year Im looking to pace myself a little more," he explained. "Sometimes I get a little carried away with trying to do too much or when I start struggling, get in the cage and taking more hacks and working on things a little more than I should. "Im going to try to take it easy and try to be more consistent throughout instead of just busting it hard at the beginning and kind of falling it off." Rasmus also hopes not to let things fester mentally. "This is a competitive game and I dont like to lose," he said. "Sometimes I take that to the extent of overworking myself instead of just knowing that Im good, get out there and just play the game." Rasmus has a close relationship with new hitting coach Chad Mottola, saying he has a good way with younger players. "Hes a cool dude and he knows what were trying to do," Rasmus said. "Ive come in this year and talked to him about some things that Im trying to do. And hes going to try to keep me there." That includes avoiding lowering his hands at the plate, something he noted during some off-season video sessions. As for the team itself, Rasmus likes what he sees of the additions after a tough, injury-plagued year. "I remember telling some people last year, youve got to ride the low tides to get to the high tides," he said. "So I think this year will be a good year for us with everybody weve got coming in. "Hopeful this will be our year and we can just ride the high wave and have a good time and win some baseball games." Injuries decimated the Jays pitching staff last season, which meant stress for the position players. Rasmus sees the beefed-up Toronto pitching rotation helping keep the hitters off the field and at the plate -- "taking some hacks and keeping us more fresh to do damage at the plate." "I think were definitely going to be dangerous," he added. Rasmus and the Jays avoided arbitration in January by agreeing to a one-year contact worth US$4.67 million. Note: Jays manager John Gibbons cut short his day on Saturday as he deals with the flu. <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-New-York-Giants/">Custom New York Giants Jersey</a>. Home run, home team. Adeiny Hechavarria ended a pair of home run droughts with a three-run shot that helped Miami beat the Washington Nationals 8-2 Tuesday night. <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-Denver-Broncos/">Custom Broncos Jersey</a>. The NHLs senior vice-president of hockey operations will oversee a rules summit with key stakeholders in the game Tuesday and Wednesday that is tasked with examining the way hooking, holding and interference calls were handed out last season. <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-Tennessee-Titans/">http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-Tennessee-Titans/</a>. Porto won 1-0 at home last month but Malagas 20-year-old forward Francisco "Isco" Alarcon levelled the series in the 43rd minute by scoring with a high, curling shot that beat goalkeeper Helton and went into the far top corner. <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-Buffalo-Bills/">Custom Bills Jersey</a>. The world No. 5 defeated Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at Kuala Lumpurs Putra Stadium. Benneteau earlier beat Colombias Alejandro Falla 6-2, 6-2. "I was good tactically and did not give him a chance to come back into the game," Benneteau said. <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-Washington-Redskins/">Custom Redskins Jersey</a>. Now hell lead the Toronto Argonauts in their biggest game of the season. NEW YORK -- San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum headed 142 players filing for arbitration on Friday and is set to ask for a record salary when figures are exchanged next week. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner made US$13.1 million last season, completing a two-year deal worth $23.2 million. The highest figure ever asked for in arbitration is $22 million, submitted by Houston pitcher Roger Clemens in 2005 after he became a free agent and accepted arbitration. Among players with less than six years of major league service, the high of $18.5 million has been held by Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter since 2001. San Francisco figures to give Lincecum the highest offer for an arbitration player, topping the $14.25 million the Yankees submitted for offered Jeter. Most players settle before a hearing -- Jeter agreed to a $189 million, 10-year contract, and Clemens accepted a one-year deal for $18,000,022. Others set to swap figures Tuesday include NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw and Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Andre Ethier, Philadelphia pitcher Cole Hamels, World Series star Mike Napoli of Texas and Chicago Cubs pitcher Matt Garza. Also in arbitration are three former free agents who accepted offers from their olds teams: Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, Milwaukee reliever Francisco Rodriguez and Toronto second baseman Kelly Johnson. San Diego has the most players who filed with 11. The Chicago White Sox are the only team without any. Lincecum is 69-441 with a 2.dddddddddddd98 ERA in five major league seasons and in 2010 helped the Giants win their first World Series title since 1954. He would be 29 when he becomes eligible for free agency after the 2013 season. While he was just 13-14 last year, his 2.74 ERA was fifth-best in the NL. The Giants scored no runs while he was in the game in seven of 33 starts, had one run six times and two runs five times, according to STATS LLC. Atlanta outfielder Martin Prado became the first player who filed to reach an agreement, getting a $4.75 million, one-year deal. Three players who had been eligible for arbitration agreed to one-year contracts: Phillies right-hander Kyle Kendrick ($3,585,000), Boston Red Sox outfielder Ryan Sweeney ($1.75 million) and Pittsburgh right-hander Chris Resop ($850,000). In a trade Friday night, the Seattle Mariners sent hard-throwing right-hander Michael Pineda and 19-year-old righty Jose Campos to the New York Yankees for power-hitting catcher Jesus Montero and 24-year-old pitcher Hector Noesi. The Yankees also agreed to a one-year, $10 million free-agent contract with right-hander Hiroki Kuroda. The 36-year-old Kuroda can also earn performance bonuses as part of the deal. Among other free agents, reliever Kerry Wood is remaining with the Chicago Cubs. He agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract for 2012 with a $3 million club option for 2013. Shortstop Jack Wilson decided to stay with the Braves for a $1 million, one-year deal. ' ' '

RICHMOND, Va. -- Matt Kenseth didnt wait long to get his pole award back. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver stripped of his pole award from last week at Kansas in a raft of penalties levied by NASCAR this week, set a track record with a lap at 130.334 mph Friday at Richmond International Raceway. Kenseth edged JGR teammate Brian Vickers by 0.005 seconds to claim only the 10th top starting position of his career in 481 starts. Vickers, who held the previous qualifying record at 129.983, is filling in for injured JGR driver Denny Hamlin. In what has been a hard week for the JGR stable because of the hammer-like quality of the penalties imposed by NASCAR, the results were welcome news. Kyle Busch, the third driver for the team, qualified eighth. "When you only win nine poles in 14 years, youre pretty darned fired up for all of them," Kenseth said. "For sure, that was one of our goals for this weekend was to come here, sit on the pole and kind of quiet down at least part of the noise." The run again qualified Kenseth for next years Sprint Unlimited exhibition race for pole winners only. When he addressed the penalties on Thursday, Kenseth said he planned to talk, then put the matter behind him. As the Sprint Cup garage filled Friday, he said he heard from several people, but then went back to work and will let it play out. "I think almost every person that Ive talked to has been very supportive," he said. "I just kind of left it behind me. Im just going to let the appeals process work out and see what happens. Whatever it is it is. Well have to deal with the consequences then and move on. For now, its just business as usual. Theres absolutely nothing we can do about anything that happened last week at this point so you just put that out of your head. Its only a distraction if you let it become one." Jeff Gordon, who qualified third, said it sounds like Kenseth is taking the right approach. "I think that you go through the ups and downs of this sport if youve been in it long enough. Sometimes mistakes are going to be made, or things are going to happen," the four-time series champion said. "Ive been on both sides." Like Kenseths team, the penalties Gordons incurred were for a part supplied by the manufacturer. "We had manifold issues here one time where it was made out of the wrong material, and it was a GM part that was sent to us," he said. "It was a mistake, but ultimately the team takes that responsibility and pays the price. You feel for everybody on the team. You feel for others when that happens. But, it is just kind of the way it works." Kasey Kahne qualified fourth, followed by Clint Bowyer. <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-Dallas-Cowboys/">Custom Cowboys Jersey</a>. Chavez was penalized for violent conduct in a May 8 game against Toronto, and the MLS disciplinary committee doubled the penalty last Friday. Garber made his decision after hearing an appeal. The disciplinary committee suspended four players one game each Wednesday: Colorados Edson Buddle (reckless challenge), Vancouvers Johnny Leveron (reckless challenge), Chivas USAs Mario De Luna (aggressively retrieving the ball) and Salt Lakes Kwame Watson-Siriboe (violent conduct). <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-Chicago-Bears/">Custom Bears Jersey</a>. The Arsenal winger missed two matches near the end of the Premier League season after injuring his left hamstring during a game against Chelsea. And it was troubling Walcott again on Sunday, forcing him out England training early as a precaution after feeling a "slight tightness," coach Roy Hodgson said. <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-Kansas-City-Chiefs/">http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-Kansas-City-Chiefs/</a>. The 21-year-old Lee, the 2008 U.S. Amateur champion, closed with a 6-under 66 to match English (69) at 18-under 270 at Midland Country Club. Lee, born in South Korea, earned US$94,500 to jump from 14th to fourth on the money list with $271,700. <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-San-Francisco-49ers/">Custom 49ers Jersey</a>. The NHL announced Wednesday that Chara will face no additional discipline for his role in a scary collision with Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty. The play occurred when Pacioretty was charging down the left-wing side near the benches during the last minute of the second period of Montreals 4-1 win on Tuesday. <a href="http://www.customnflstore.com/Customized-New-Orleans-Saints/">Custom Saints Jersey</a>. Sloan, 30, appeared in 33 games last season for the Washington Capitals and had one goal and five assists. HELSINKI, Finland -- Jesse Joensuus winning goal with nine seconds left lifted Finland past the United States 3-2 Thursday for a place in the semifinals of the IIHF World Hockey Championship. Joensuu opened the scoring at 13:27 in the second period, before Anaheim Ducks forward Kyle Palmieri scored 20 seconds later. Bobby Ryan added a goal for the Americans early in the third period. Minnesota Wild captain Mikko Koivu tied it with 6:58 left in the third. Power forward Joensuu, once with the New York Islanders, pounced on a pass from Petri Kontiola and scored from close in. Finland meets Russia on Saturday in the semifinal. The Russians moved on with a 5-2 win over Norway, while the Czech Republic edged Sweden 4-3..dddddddddddd The Czechs will play Slovakia in the other semi Saturday after the Slovaks upset Canada 4-3. --- Russia 5, Norway 2 At Stockholm, Alex Ovechkin scored in his first game of the tournament as Russia scored three goals in the third period to stay unbeaten. Alexei Yemelin, Nikolai Zherdev, Alexander Popov and Ilya Nikulin also scored for Russia. Patrick Thoresen and Per-Age Skroder replied for Norway. --- Czech Republic 4, Sweden 3 At Stockholm, Milan Michalek scored in the final minute of regulation to help the Czechs edge Sweden. Martin Erat, Petr Nedved and Jiri Novotny had one apiece for the Czechs. Loui Eriksson, Henrik Zetterberg and Jonathan Ericsson each scored for Sweden. ' ' '

A lack of discipline early in the game proved costly for the P.E.I. Rocket on Saturday as they dropped a 5-2 decision to the host Chicoutimi Sagueneens in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. P.E.I. played parts of the first period shorthanded and Chicoutimi made them pay by outshooting them 16-6 and scoring three times with the power play. Carl Tremblay, Laurent Dauphin and Guillaume Asselin all scored for the Sagueneens (23-20-4) while up a man and Asselin tacked on two assists for a three-point outing. Asselin extended his point streak to 10 games with his performance and he has five goals and nine assists in the process. Sebastien Sylvestre also had a goal and two assists, Guillaume Cloutier chipped in with three assists and Lukas Sedlak scored once to round out Chicoutimis offence. Victor Provencher and Nathan Yetman scored late in the third period for the Rocket (25-19-2), who were down 4-0 after 20 minutes of action and played much of the game with a short bench. Defencemen Jimmy Oligny and forward Louick Marcotte each received game misconducts in the first period and forward Patrick McGrath was tossed early in the second, leaving P.E.I with only 15 skaters. Oligny and McGrath were both called for checking-to-the-head majors while Marcotte was ejected for abuse of an official. Christopher Gibson stopped 29-of-31 shots for the win as Maxime Lagace made 36 saves in a losing cause. Chicoutimi went 3 for 9 on the power play and scored once shorthanded, while P.E.I. failed to score on five chances with the man advantage. Elsewhere in the QMJHL, it was: Halifax 5, Sherbrooke 0; Drummondville 5, Acadie-Bathurst 4; Saint John 2, Cape Breton 1 (SO) and Blainville-Boisbriand 5, Val-dOr 1. At Chicoutimi, Que., Sylvester opened the scoring 8:18 into the first period and the Sagueneens added three more power-play goals in the span of six minutes to make it 4-0 after 20 minutes of play. Tremblay was the first to score with the man advantage at 11:31, Dauphin was next at 14:02 and Asselin added his at 17:39. P.E.I. had an opportunity to get back into the game when Chicoutimis Charles Hudon was called for high sticking midway through the second period, but Sedlak scored shorthanded to make it 5-0 for the Sagueneens. Provencher finally got the Rocket on the board at 16:37 of the third period and Yetman added P.E.Is second goal with only nine seconds remaining in regulation time. --- Mooseheads 5 Phoenix 0 At Sherbrooke, Que., Nathan MacKinnon was one of four Mooseheads players to record a goal and an assist and Chris Clarke stopped all 25 shots he faced as Halifax (37-4-3) blanked the Phoenix (12-27-6) for its fifth win in a row. --- Voltiguers 5 Titan 4 At Bathurst, N.B., Jerome Verriers goal at 7:48 of the third period stood up as the game winner and Louis-Philip Guindon turned away 36-of-40 shots as Drummondville (25-16-3) handed the Titan (18-23-6) their third straight defeat. --- Sea Dogs 2 Screaming Eagles 1 (SO) At Saint John, N.B., Jakub Izacky scored once in regulation and the shootout winner while Sebastien Auger made 32 saves as the Sea Dogs (19-25-0) halted their five-game winless streak by edging Cape Breton (9-29-8). --- Armada 5 Foreurs 1 At Boisbriand, Que., Tommy Giroux scored twice and Guillaume Decelles stopped 29-of-30 shots as the Armada (27-13-5) picked up their third win in as many outing by downing Val-dOr (23-20-3). <a href="http://www.football49ersteamshop.com/womens-joe-montana-nike-jersey-dg-28.html">Joe Montana Jersey</a>. Alex Aleardi and Ben Johnson added two goals each for the Spitfires (23-28-7), while Alexander Khokhlachev, Remy Giftopoulos and Graeme Brown also scored. <a href="http://www.football49ersteamshop.com/womens-kyle-williams-nike-jersey-ah-53.html">Kyle Williams Jersey</a>. Minnesota enters the contest having scored a major league-low 33 runs, while the Rays come into the tilt sporting the worst average in the majors at . <a href="http://www.football49ersteamshop.com/womens-nnamdi-asomugha-nike-jersey-su-43.html">http://www.football49ersteamshop.com/womens-nnamdi-asomugha-nike-jersey-su-43.html</a>. -- Rick Pitino said Tuesday that he wont coach past the 2016-2017 season when his current contract ends at Louisville. <a href="http://www.football49ersteamshop.com/womens-chris-culliver-nike-jersey-vp-35.html">Chris Culliver Jersey</a>. Erik Karlsson had a goal and two assists as the Senators spoiled the Jets home opener with a 4-1 victory Saturday afternoon. "I thought the game was played a little bit like a dogs breakfast . <a href="http://www.football49ersteamshop.com/womens-colt-mccoy-nike-jersey-wc-32.html">Colt McCoy Jersey</a>. -- The Concordia Stingers won their second consecutive Canadian university mens wrestling championship Saturday by a narrow margin.FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Rex Ryan says the New York Jets are not close to deciding on a starting quarterback and he wont make that call until he feels "100 per cent comfortable." Mark Sanchez, the incumbent trying to revive his career, and Geno Smith, the hotshot rookie, are competing for the job this off-season. Offensive co-ordinator Marty Mornhinweg recently suggested he hoped a front-runner would emerge early, but Ryan is content with letting it play out into training camp.dddddddddddd. Ryan says "sometimes this guy looks good, sometimes this guy looks good" during organized team activities, although Sanchez has taken the majority of first-team snaps during sessions open to the media. Smith has worked with the starting offence at times throughout the other OTAs. Both quarterbacks struggled Wednesday with several wide receivers out nursing injuries. ' ' '

(Sports Network) - For the first time in over 25 years the AFC Championship Game will feature a rematch from the previous season. Tom Bradys New England Patriots will once again do battle with Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens for AFC supremacy and a spot in the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. Catch the game live on CTV and CTV.ca, tonight at 6:30pm et/3:30pm pt. The contest is the first AFC title game rematch since Denver and Cleveland teed it up in back-to-back conference championship tilts following the 1986 and 1987 seasons. The Ravens will be returning to Foxboro for the first time since their heartbreaking defeat in last years AFC Championship Game when New England narrowly escaped with a 23-20 victory, after a potential go-ahead touchdown catch was knocked from the grasp of Lee Evans and Billy Cundiff missed an ensuing gimmee field goal attempt that would have tied things in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter. Both Evans and Cundiff are gone but Baltimore is back in search of its second ever Super Bowl appearance. "We fought hard to get back to this point," Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said. "We are definitely proud of being here. We are going to give it our all and we know what it felt like last year. We walked off that field without that win. We know what weve put in to get back to this point. It is going to be a great game." The Ravens reached the AFC title game for the third time in five years by cutting Peyton Mannings first season in Denver short and extending Lewis final NFL season when the clubs new kicker, rookie Justin Tucker, knocked home a 47-yard field goal 1:42 into the second overtime period to give Baltimore a dramatic 38-35 victory over the Broncos. "That game did the game of football proud," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh remarked afterward. Tuckers deciding field goal came four plays after Corey Graham intercepted Manning in Denver territory for the second time of the game, while the Ravens forced extra time on a thrilling 70-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Jacoby Jones with just 31 seconds remaining in regulation. It was a desperation heave but in a stunning breakdown of situational football by Denver. Broncos safety Rahim Moore allowed Jones to get deeper than him and compounded that error by badly misplaying the throw in the air before Jones snared it and raced untouched for the startling score. "At that point in the game when you dont have any timeouts and youve got to go a pretty decent length, youve got to start taking shots at some point," said Flacco. "It happened to work out." Flacco also hooked up with Torrey Smith for a pair of touchdowns earlier on while amassing 331 yards on 18-of-34 passing, with Ray Rice contributing 131 rushing yards and a touchdown on 30 carries to the improbable win. "It was pretty incredible," said Flacco. "We overcame some things today and we fought until the very end. When some of those (negative) things happened, none of us blinked. We just sat over there on the sideline and said alright, our turn." The Patriots, meanwhile, advanced to their 10th AFC Championship Game with a 41-28 win over Houston behind Brady, who surpassed his boyhood hero, Joe Montana, to become the winningest signal-caller in NFL playoff history. "Tom is a great competitor," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "Hes our leader and we all follow him. Theres no quarterback Id rather have than Tom Brady." Brady passed for 344 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Texans, including two TD passes to running back Shane Vereen, who saw extensive playing time in place of the injured Danny Woodhead. Vereen also had a 1-yard touchdown run, becoming the third player in NFL history with two TD catches and a touchdown run in a postseason contest. "Shane had a great game," Brady said. "Just a huge growing up moment for him." The Patriots rolled up 457 total yards on Houstons highly regarded defense despite playing most of the way without Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski, who exited the contest on New Englands second offensive series with a re-fracture of his surgically repaired left forearm, an injury that sidelined him for five weeks during the regular season. Along with Vereen, Wes Welker helped offset Gronkowskis absence by amassing 131 yards on eight receptions. "Thats what Josh does best," said Brady in reference to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. "He gets guys in the best position to make plays and always comes up with a way to adept and scheme things up. Theres no one better in the league." Woodhead, who injured his thumb on the first offensive series against the Texans, is expected to play against the Ravens, but Gronkowski is done for the year. "You cant replace him, but we all have to step up," said Pats tight end Aaron Hernandez when asked about Gronks absence. "It is a huge loss and everyone knows that, but we still have games to win. Everyone has to step it up and we have to do as much as we can do individually to fill his void." The Patriots are 6-1 overall in the regular season and 4-0 at home all-time versus the Ravens. The two teams have met twice previously in the postseason with each winning a game. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">China Jerseys Wholesale</a>. The prolific Netherlands striker did little to dispel that theory Tuesday. Van Persie ushered in 2013 by taking his league-high tally to 16 goals with a brace in Uniteds 4-0 win at Wigan, maintaining the teams seven-point lead over City. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">China Jerseys NFL</a>. Rosberg kept his cool amid the chaos to win the crash-marred race on Sunday to give Mercedes its first victory of the season, as well as matching Keke Rosbergs Monaco victory from 1983 -- the year after Rosberg Sr. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/</a>. Its not if, but when and yet Chris Ilitch doesnt know or want to say much about it. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">nfl china jerseys</a>.ca! Hi Kerry: I love your column! I was watching the Chicago at St. Louis game last night and a Blues player fired a slapper that rang off the post.  The Ref clearly signaled "no goal" and play was allowed to continue. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">jerseys from china</a>. Selke Trophy as the NHLs best defensive forward. Bergeron, who won the award last year, was the NHLs top face-off man this season, winning 62.1 per cent of his draws. He ranked sixth overall and led the Bruins in plus-minus with a plus-24 rating and played an average of 2:12 per game with his team short-handed.GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Greg Jamison was unable to pull together the funds and investors he needed to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes before a deadline with the city of Glendale expired. His bid to buy the team from the NHL may not be over, though. More complicated, yes, but not necessarily finished. "We remain hopeful the Coyotes sale process will be resolved successfully and we will continue to work with the City of Glendale to move the process forward," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement on Friday. Jamison was unable to complete his purchase of the Coyotes before midnight Thursday, the deadline set in a 20-year, $308 million lease agreement he reached with Glendale for Jobing.com Arena last year. In a statement released Thursday night, Jamison said he will continue to work toward buying the team, but that the lease agreement with the city would have to be renegotiated. Despite the disappointment for the Coyotes and their fans, nothing much changes -- the team has been run by the NHL for over three years and will continue to be. "Mr. Jamison will continue to work with the NHL and the City of Glendale to close a deal that will keep the Coyotes in the Valley," Coyotes chief operating officer Mike Nealy said in a statement. "Although there is no set timetable, hopefully it will be soon. The Coyotes will continue to be owned by the NHL and nothing changges for our organization.ddddddddddddWe will work hard on and off the ice to provide our fans with a winning team that they can be proud of. We would like to thank all of our great fans and corporate partners for their incredible patience and loyalty throughout this process. We know its been difficult and we appreciate their support." Jamisons failure to meet the deadline in the lease agreement could shake things up. Hell continue to work toward buying the team, but will have to work out a new deal with Glendale. The previous City Council approved the initial agreement with Jamison -- it was reworked in November -- but Glendale has a new mayor and three new council members, so getting another deal done isnt a sure thing. The expired deal also opens up the possibility that Jamison could face competition from new bidders to buy the team. "The city and the current owner of the Coyotes, the National Hockey League, will continue to work together on a solution that is in the best interest of Glendale and our citizens," the city of Glendale said in a statement. "The next step involves seeking direction from the City Council to determine how to move forward with this process. The arena was built to serve as a catalyst for the economic growth that has occurred in Glendales Sport & Entertainment District, and its success remains a priority for the city." ' ' ' 

(Sports Network) - For the first time in over 25 years the AFC Championship Game will feature a rematch from the previous season. Tom Bradys New England Patriots will once again do battle with Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens for AFC supremacy and a spot in the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. Catch the game live on CTV and CTV.ca, tonight at 6:30pm et/3:30pm pt. The contest is the first AFC title game rematch since Denver and Cleveland teed it up in back-to-back conference championship tilts following the 1986 and 1987 seasons. The Ravens will be returning to Foxboro for the first time since their heartbreaking defeat in last years AFC Championship Game when New England narrowly escaped with a 23-20 victory, after a potential go-ahead touchdown catch was knocked from the grasp of Lee Evans and Billy Cundiff missed an ensuing gimmee field goal attempt that would have tied things in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter. Both Evans and Cundiff are gone but Baltimore is back in search of its second ever Super Bowl appearance. "We fought hard to get back to this point," Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said. "We are definitely proud of being here. We are going to give it our all and we know what it felt like last year. We walked off that field without that win. We know what weve put in to get back to this point. It is going to be a great game." The Ravens reached the AFC title game for the third time in five years by cutting Peyton Mannings first season in Denver short and extending Lewis final NFL season when the clubs new kicker, rookie Justin Tucker, knocked home a 47-yard field goal 1:42 into the second overtime period to give Baltimore a dramatic 38-35 victory over the Broncos. "That game did the game of football proud," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh remarked afterward. Tuckers deciding field goal came four plays after Corey Graham intercepted Manning in Denver territory for the second time of the game, while the Ravens forced extra time on a thrilling 70-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Jacoby Jones with just 31 seconds remaining in regulation. It was a desperation heave but in a stunning breakdown of situational football by Denver. Broncos safety Rahim Moore allowed Jones to get deeper than him and compounded that error by badly misplaying the throw in the air before Jones snared it and raced untouched for the startling score. "At that point in the game when you dont have any timeouts and youve got to go a pretty decent length, youve got to start taking shots at some point," said Flacco. "It happened to work out." Flacco also hooked up with Torrey Smith for a pair of touchdowns earlier on while amassing 331 yards on 18-of-34 passing, with Ray Rice contributing 131 rushing yards and a touchdown on 30 carries to the improbable win. "It was pretty incredible," said Flacco. "We overcame some things today and we fought until the very end. When some of those (negative) things happened, none of us blinked. We just sat over there on the sideline and said alright, our turn." The Patriots, meanwhile, advanced to their 10th AFC Championship Game with a 41-28 win over Houston behind Brady, who surpassed his boyhood hero, Joe Montana, to become the winningest signal-caller in NFL playoff history. "Tom is a great competitor," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "Hes our leader and we all follow him. Theres no quarterback Id rather have than Tom Brady." Brady passed for 344 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Texans, including two TD passes to running back Shane Vereen, who saw extensive playing time in place of the injured Danny Woodhead. Vereen also had a 1-yard touchdown run, becoming the third player in NFL history with two TD catches and a touchdown run in a postseason contest. "Shane had a great game," Brady said. "Just a huge growing up moment for him." The Patriots rolled up 457 total yards on Houstons highly regarded defense despite playing most of the way without Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski, who exited the contest on New Englands second offensive series with a re-fracture of his surgically repaired left forearm, an injury that sidelined him for five weeks during the regular season. Along with Vereen, Wes Welker helped offset Gronkowskis absence by amassing 131 yards on eight receptions. "Thats what Josh does best," said Brady in reference to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. "He gets guys in the best position to make plays and always comes up with a way to adept and scheme things up. Theres no one better in the league." Woodhead, who injured his thumb on the first offensive series against the Texans, is expected to play against the Ravens, but Gronkowski is done for the year. "You cant replace him, but we all have to step up," said Pats tight end Aaron Hernandez when asked about Gronks absence. "It is a huge loss and everyone knows that, but we still have games to win. Everyone has to step it up and we have to do as much as we can do individually to fill his void." The Patriots are 6-1 overall in the regular season and 4-0 at home all-time versus the Ravens. The two teams have met twice previously in the postseason with each winning a game. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">China Jerseys Wholesale</a>. The prolific Netherlands striker did little to dispel that theory Tuesday. Van Persie ushered in 2013 by taking his league-high tally to 16 goals with a brace in Uniteds 4-0 win at Wigan, maintaining the teams seven-point lead over City. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">China Jerseys NFL</a>. Rosberg kept his cool amid the chaos to win the crash-marred race on Sunday to give Mercedes its first victory of the season, as well as matching Keke Rosbergs Monaco victory from 1983 -- the year after Rosberg Sr. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/</a>. Its not if, but when and yet Chris Ilitch doesnt know or want to say much about it. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">nfl china jerseys</a>.ca! Hi Kerry: I love your column! I was watching the Chicago at St. Louis game last night and a Blues player fired a slapper that rang off the post.  The Ref clearly signaled "no goal" and play was allowed to continue. <a href="http://www.stitchednfljerseyschina.com/">jerseys from china</a>. Selke Trophy as the NHLs best defensive forward. Bergeron, who won the award last year, was the NHLs top face-off man this season, winning 62.1 per cent of his draws. He ranked sixth overall and led the Bruins in plus-minus with a plus-24 rating and played an average of 2:12 per game with his team short-handed.GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Greg Jamison was unable to pull together the funds and investors he needed to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes before a deadline with the city of Glendale expired. His bid to buy the team from the NHL may not be over, though. More complicated, yes, but not necessarily finished. "We remain hopeful the Coyotes sale process will be resolved successfully and we will continue to work with the City of Glendale to move the process forward," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement on Friday. Jamison was unable to complete his purchase of the Coyotes before midnight Thursday, the deadline set in a 20-year, $308 million lease agreement he reached with Glendale for Jobing.com Arena last year. In a statement released Thursday night, Jamison said he will continue to work toward buying the team, but that the lease agreement with the city would have to be renegotiated. Despite the disappointment for the Coyotes and their fans, nothing much changes -- the team has been run by the NHL for over three years and will continue to be. "Mr. Jamison will continue to work with the NHL and the City of Glendale to close a deal that will keep the Coyotes in the Valley," Coyotes chief operating officer Mike Nealy said in a statement. "Although there is no set timetable, hopefully it will be soon. The Coyotes will continue to be owned by the NHL and nothing changges for our organization.ddddddddddddWe will work hard on and off the ice to provide our fans with a winning team that they can be proud of. We would like to thank all of our great fans and corporate partners for their incredible patience and loyalty throughout this process. We know its been difficult and we appreciate their support." Jamisons failure to meet the deadline in the lease agreement could shake things up. Hell continue to work toward buying the team, but will have to work out a new deal with Glendale. The previous City Council approved the initial agreement with Jamison -- it was reworked in November -- but Glendale has a new mayor and three new council members, so getting another deal done isnt a sure thing. The expired deal also opens up the possibility that Jamison could face competition from new bidders to buy the team. "The city and the current owner of the Coyotes, the National Hockey League, will continue to work together on a solution that is in the best interest of Glendale and our citizens," the city of Glendale said in a statement. "The next step involves seeking direction from the City Council to determine how to move forward with this process. The arena was built to serve as a catalyst for the economic growth that has occurred in Glendales Sport & Entertainment District, and its success remains a priority for the city." ' ' '