ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions running back Theo Riddick is one of four players ruled out for Sundays game against the Los Angeles Rams.Riddick has missed all three days of practice this week with an ankle injury after scoring two touchdowns last Sunday against Philadelphia. He has become Detroits top running back with Ameer Abdullah on injured reserve.The Lions will also be without defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (shoulder), tight end Eric Ebron (knee/ankle) and linebacker DeAndre Levy (knee/quad).Lions coach Jim Caldwell acknowledged Friday the teams offense will shift a little bit with Riddick out of the lineup. He has 50 carries for 171 yards and 26 receptions for 190 yards and three touchdowns this season.Hes got a uniqueness, which is obvious. You just dont find many guys, check through the history, that do what he does, Caldwell said. We do have, if he cannot go for whatever reason, we do have a number of guys that I think are capable of doing the things that we need to get done.We may not do exactly the same things we do with him, but in terms of our offensive scheme, it doesnt shut down a whole area of our offense. We just have to maybe do it a little different way.Rookie running back Dwayne Washington, who is listed as questionable with an ankle injury after missing last week against the Eagles, will likely fill in for Riddick along with newly signed Justin Forsett and second-year pro Zach Zenner.Meanwhile, the Lions will likely get their best defensive player back Sunday.Defensive end Ezekiel Ansah said his ankle has been feeling good and said he would be ready to go if he is active Sunday against the Rams. He is officially listed as questionable.Ansah has missed the past three games with a high ankle sprain -- an injury he suffered on the first series of the second week of the season against Tennessee. He had not been seen at a Detroit practice since until Wednesday, when he practiced on a limited basis.He participated in all three days of Lions practice this week and Caldwell said Ansah is going to be a captain against the Rams as long as he keeps progressing on the ankle as he has been. Caldwell said Friday that Ansah has been trending in the right direction.Physically, Im able to walk now so I feel good, Ansah said. Ive been out there trying to run around a little bit. But right now Im just trying to work as hard to do my best to come out there.In Ansah, Detroit would get its most productive pass-rusher back. He had 14.5 sacks last season and has 30 sacks in the first three-plus seasons of his career.Hes a Pro Bowl player and you miss those guys. Youd like to say you dont miss them, and weve had guys that have done an outstanding job in his absence, but theyre not Ziggy, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. Hes a special skill set. I mean you look throughout the league, theres not a lot of guys like him, you know, 6-5, 270, run the way he does, plays as hard as he does.So we miss him and whenever we get him back, well be glad to have him back, thats for sure.Both of Detroits starting guards -- Laken Tomlinson (neck) and Larry Warford (hip) -- are listed as questionable, as are defensive tackle AShawn Robinson (shoulder), wide receiver Anquan Boldin (ankle) and safety Don Carey (ribs). USWNT Jerseys China . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please. Fake USWNT Jerseys . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. https://www.cheapuswnt.com/ . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. USWNT Gear . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season. USWNT Jerseys 2020 .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. SAVANNAH, Ga. -- T.J. Bells 6-yard touchdown pass to Derek Kirkland with 19 seconds to go lifted Savannah State over Howard 31-27 on Saturday.The play completed a six-play, 49-yard drive, which started after a 38-yard punt return from Cantrell Frazier to set up a short field. Bell went 16 of 31 for 241 yards and the touchdown for Savannah State (2-4, 2-2). Arshon Spaulding Jr. rushed for 102 yards with a 53-yard touchdown and added a pair of catches for 55 yards.Howaard (1-8, 1-5) got two fourth-quarter touchdown passes from Kalen Johnson to Robert Mercer and Kyle Anthony to take a 27-24 lead with 5:17 left.dddddddddddd Johnson went 23 of 48 for 278 yards while Anthony hauled in nine catches for 137 yards.Howard led in yardage (406-378), time of possession by nearly 9 minutes and first downs (24-14). ' ' '

So I took one step out of the box and took a breat

In crickets history, perhaps only Don Bradman has made as much of an international impact as WG Grace. Grace, however, played in an era when Englands empire was at its height and his career spanned a period when sport changed from a casual pastime into a beast of global interest. Such was his fame that it was said that he was the best-known Englishman aside from William Gladstone. But while there is no questioning Graces reputation or ability, he was a prickly character, used to getting his own way both on and off the pitch. His falling out with Gloucestershire in 1899 highlighted this side of his personality.While Grace was nominally an amateur - a vital distinction in a era where class was prevalent across all society - the reality was that he earned large sums of money from cricket, certainly more than any contemporary professional. And he was always on the lookout for ways to maximise his earning potential. Wisden noted: He was, throughout his career, quite breathtakingly grasping when his eye caught the glint of hard cash.In 1898 he received an offer from the Crystal Palace Company (CPC) in south London inviting him to help them form a first-class cricket club. Although Grace had captained Gloucestershire since their formation in 1870 - and since 1873 had almost single-handedly raised sides - he saw no conflict between continuing in that role and accepting the offer from London. He had, after all, managed to run Gloucestershire at the same time as he had played a considerable amount of other cricket for Gentlemen v Players, England, North v South etc.Negotiations with the CPC culminated in an announcement in The Times on October 11, 1898 to the effect that Grace had agreed to run the London club and also to move from Bristol to Sydenham to be able to devote his whole time and attention to the new club. The deal guaranteed Grace ￡600 a year and a share of gate money. Even Grace seemed to realise the response that this would provoke, for the following day the same paper published a telegram from him stating that he no intention of retiring from the Gloucestershire XI.That winter, Grace moved to London and threw his energies into establishing the new venture, which included redeveloping the site at Crystal Palace. Gloucestershire, where is brother, EM, was still secretary, remained silent.The 1899 season started with Grace, who was also Englands captain, leading his side in a few matches, but perhaps what really concentrated minds in the west country was that four other Gloucestershire players were included in his first match. Grace also staged a coup by arranging a game between South of England and the touring Australians on his new ground. Over the two days, 18,000 paid to watch. From there, Grace journeyed a few miles to Blackheath to lead Gloucestershire in their first outing of the summer against Kent. Three more games around the Home Counties followed, with mixed results, but Grace did not appear to have any inkling that there was a potential problem.On his return to Sydenham from the last of those games on May 28 that there was became all too clear when he discovered a letter from the Gloucestershire committee, who had met on May 16, curtly demanding to know which matches he intended to play for the county. Grace was livid, fuming that it questioned his loyalty and commitment in what he had already hinted was likely to be his final season with them. His response did not pull any punches. He resigned as captain, after making it clear he would have played in nearly all our matches and his final sentence was unambiguous. I have the greatest affection for the county of my birth, he wrote, but for the committee, as a body, the greatest contempt. Gilbert Jessop later recalled that the tone of Graces response was a surprise as a majority of them were close personal friends of the Old Man.Friends subsequently urged him to retract this parting shot, but Grace was unrepentant. Go back and tell the committee to underline it a hundred times, he told them. The committee accepted his resignation with regret. Two months later he wrote of them that they were unable to speak the truth and are a bad lot.Within a fortnight, Grace had played his final Test and lost the England captaincy as well. His batting was as effective as ever, but he had become a liability in the field - he was, after all, almost 51 and nearly 18 stone - and had been barracked by the crowd. He told friends that the ground was getting too far away. After the first Test at Trent Bridge he is reported to have sat on the train with his old friend FS Jackson and muttered: Its all over, Jakker. I shant play again. He didnt.Graces time in Sydenham was happy, although marred by personal tragedy with the premature deaths of his daughter and eldest son. Although the London County venture started promisingly when they were granted first-class status in 1900, the public never really warmed to what were essentially friendly matches, and in 1905 they lost that status and with it the ability to attract decent players. In 1908, the same summer that Grace played his final first-class match, the grounds and club were locked when the parent company ran out of funds.His feud with Gloucestershire was, fortunately, short lived. In 1902 he was made a life member of the county and that same year took a side to Bristol to play in a charity match and was warmly received. That encouraged him to arrange home and away matches between London County and Gloucestershire in 1903. In June, he led his new side to victory over his old in what was to be his last game in the county, a fortnight after also winning the home leg. It was almost the last hurrah of London County, but the bridges had been mended.Is there an incident from the past you would like to know more about? E-mail us with your comments and suggestions.BibliographyWisden Cricket Monthly - VariousThe Cricketer - VariousWisden Cricketers Almanack 1998WG Grace - A Life - Simon Rae (Faber & Faber 1998)WG - Robert Low (Richard Cohen 1977)Cricket At The Crystal Palace - Brian Pearce (Brian Pearce 2005) Dallas Cowboys Shirts . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. Stitched Cowboys Jerseys .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. https://www.cowboysjerseysale.com/ . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Dallas Cowboys Store . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. Cowboys Jerseys 2021 . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. The college gridiron has returned, and with it a plethora of big names all competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Now its your chance to put your knowledge to the test!Looking for more ESPN Fantasy Games? Play Capital One Bowl Mania, our college football bowl pickem game, and compete for a chance to win $1,000,000! Just pick all 42 bowl games correctly!Its no surprise that Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State are all pre-season title contenders, but with programs like Michigan and LSU seemingly on the verge of a return to prominence and with others such as Oklahoma and Florida State right in the mix, the competition will be fierce.Each week well list 10 matchups from the slate of College Football games to choose from, some more evenly matched than others. Its up to you to pick the winners, so if you see one of the programs listed above as an option throughout the season they are probably worthy of serious consideration.Heres a breakdown of the two formats:Straight-Up: Pick the teaams from the 10 listed matchups that you feel are most likely to win.dddddddddddd Correct picks earn you points towards your season total.Confidence: Here youre not only picking the winners of each matchup, youre RANKING each selection you make based on how confident you are. Your most confident pick will be assigned 10 Points while the least will be assigned 1, placing an added emphasis on getting those top picks correct.You can create an entry in BOTH the straight-up and confidence versions of College Pickem, each boasting a $2000 Amazon Gift Card to the contestant who scores the most points throughout the season.Were also offering a $100 weekly prize for that segments top competitor in both formats so youre never out of the running for a nice payday. To help you along the way be sure to check out ESPN Chalk for all your research needs. Good luck and have fun! ' ' '

ESPN senior writer Mike Sando asks league insiders to pick winners in selected games each week. Three evaluators took the challenge in Week 14. The games on the docket: Raiders-Chiefs, Seahawks-Packers, Broncos-Titans, Cowboys-Giants and Ravens-Patriots.Oakland Raiders at Kansas City ChiefsThursday:?8:25 p.m. ET, NBC |?Point spread: KC?by 3 | PickCenterAll three insiders are taking Kansas City to win at home as Oakland travels two time zones on a short week to face a team it has beaten just once during the Derek Carr era -- in a 2014 Thursday night game in Oakland, when the Raiders had the big logistical edge.Eight teams have faced both the Raiders and Chiefs. An insider from one of those eight teams said he thought the Raiders were better overall.Kansas City does everything to not beat themselves and then they have those opportune plays to win the game, this evaluator said. Its just tough picking the road team at Kansas City in a Thursday night game. Fake Sabres Jerseys .7 million, one-year contract, a raise of $2.2 million. Wieters had asked for $8.75 million and the Orioles had offered $6. Sabres Jerseys 2021 .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. https://www.cheapsabres.com/ . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Buffalo Sabres Pro Shop . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. Buffalo Sabres Store . The Croatian served 21 aces and hit 42 winners against Sijsling, who double-faulted to give Cilic a 4-3 lead in the deciding set. "All the players, they know me and they were really happy to see me and they were really happy that this is over for me," Cilic said. BOISE, Idaho -- Chandler Hutchison scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Boise State opened its season Saturday with an 85-46 drubbing of NAIA-Northwest University.Ben Tucakovic drilled a 3-pointer to get the Eagles even, 3-3 two minutes into the game, but Boise State ran off 14 straight points and never looked back. The Broncos led by 23 points at intermission, 43-20.Boise State now is 29-20 in season openers as a four-year school. Last years season-opening loss at Montana snapped a strinng of eight straight season-opening wins.ddddddddddddlex Hobbs had 11 points off the bench for the Broncos and Justinian Jessup added another 10 points.Tucakovic finished with 12 points to lead Northwest, with Michael Dupree adding another 10 points.Boise State plays in the Gildan Charleston Classic next week, opening the tourney Thursday against College of Charleston. ' ' '

Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich says he leaves the game with no regrets despite not walking away with an AFL premiership.Pavlich will retire after Sundays clash with the Bulldogs at Domain Stadium and the 34-year-old says he has given every ounce of himself and is leaving the game at the perfect time.Fremantle have just won three games for the season but Pavlich says the club has rock solid leadership and is destined for future success. Cheap New York Giants Jerseys . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. Cheap Indianapolis Colts Jerseys .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. https://www.cheapjerseys-wholesalechina.com/?tag=cheap-new-york-jets-jerseys . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Cheap Chicago Bears Jerseys . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. Cheap Dallas Cowboys Jerseys . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. West Coast midfielder Andrew Gaff is confident Sharrod Wellingham will bounce back from last weeks shocker, saying the former Pie will make amends in Saturdays AFL clash with Collingwood at the MCG.Wellingham committed a series of horror turnovers in West Coatss six-point win over Melbourne in Perth.His shanked kick-in that gifted Melbourne a goal infuriated coach Adam Simpson so much that he gave the 28-year-old a spray at three-quarter time.Wellingham is usually one of West Coasts best ball users, but the heavy cork he copped late in the first quarter may have affected his kicking.Gaff said he and his teammates retained full faith in Wellinghams skillset.Hes one of our bravest ball users, and he tries to do kicks that probably some guys wouldnt do, Gaff said on Monday.But most of the time they come off and look great.Then theres days on the weekend when they dont come off and it probably doesnt look as good.When youre playing in the backline and turn a couple over, its highlighted a little bit more because its normally in front of goal.But we know hes going to work pretty hard during the week and make amends.The Eagles are just four percentage points adrift of second spot following a five-match winning run.But their form has been scratchy in the past two weekss, and Gaff admits they were lucky to come away with a win against Melbourne.ddddddddddddhe absence of ruckman Nic Naitanui has left a huge void in the midfield, but the 2012 All-Australian is a chance to return against the Magpies.Naitanui, who underwent surgery last month to address Achilles tendon soreness, is back in full training and needs to pull up well from the next few sessions if he is to be given the green light to face Collingwood.Its 50-50 and a coachs call as to whether he plays this week or next week, Gaff said.Hes been flying around in a few of the drills we were doing last week.West Coast lost the inside-50m count 66-37 against the Demons.The looming return of Naitanui will help West Coast address a few problem areas, but Gaff said it wouldnt fix everything.Theres no hiding around were probably not playing our best footy at the moment, Gaff said.Midfielder Dom Sheed, who has been grounded most of the year by pectoral and knee issues, is a chance to return to AFL ranks after making it through his fourth successive WAFL game unscathed.Defender Will Schofield is also available for selection after being rested last week. ' ' '

American swimmer Ryan Lochte, who lost all of his endorsement deals on Monday, added a new deal Thursday.Cough drop company Pine Brothers announced the partnership, saying that it hopes people forgive the 32-year-old swimmer, who was involved in a drunken incident at a Rio de Janeiro gas station for which he has since apologized.Lochte will appear in print ads and commercials, advertising that its throat drops are forgiving on your throat.We all make mistakes, but theyre rarely given front-page scrutiny, said Rider McDowell, CEO of the privately held company. Hes a great guy who has done incredible work with charities. Im confident that Pine Bros. fans will support our decision to give Ryan a second chance.The Pine Brothers endorsement is likely to be joined by a spot on Dancing With The Stars. Sources told ESPN on Wednesday that Lochte was a virtual shoo-in to be named when the shows personalities are announced on Good Morning America next Tuesday.Three of Lochtes partners -- Speedo, Airweave and Gentle Hair Removal -- all severed their deals?with the 12-time Olympic medalist Monday. Ralph Lauren, which counted Lochte as its biggest Olympic spokesperson, said its deal ended with the Olympics and would not renew him.On Aug. 14, the morning after the swimming competition ended at the Rio Games, Lochte and three teammates asked a cab driver to stop at a gas station so they could use the restroom. The group urinated outside the station, and Lochte damaged a promotional poster. Two security guards confronted the men, and guns were drawn during an altercation. The Americans paid about $50 before they were allowed to go.Lochtes version of the story changed several times. In an interview with NBC on the morning of the incident, Lochte said the taxi he was in was pulled over, and he was robbed and had a gun put to his head. Three days later, he told NBC that he and the other swimmers were victims and that he hadnt made up the story.On Aug. 19, Lochte apologized on Instagram, saying he accept[ed] responsibility for my role in this happening and have learned some valuable lessons. The next day, in an interview with Today, he said he was intoxicated during the incident and that he overexaggerated the story.The three other swimmers -- Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen -- have all released statements apologizing for their role in the scandal, as well.Lochte finished the Rio Games with only one medal -- a gold in the 4x200 relay. Boston Bruins Shirts . A big centre with all the tools to be an elite player, Johansen paced the Blue Jackets with a standout game Saturday night. He had a goal and two assists for a career-high three points as Columbus beat the New York Islanders 5-2 to snap a five-game losing streak. Custom Boston Bruins Jerseys . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. https://www.cheapbruins.com/ . The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 for Jones (19-1). It was the champions closest call. Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth. Boston Bruins Store . Radwanska, making her debut in the Seoul tournament, hit eight aces in a match that lasted 1 hour, 4 minutes at Olympic Park tennis stadium. "It was definitely a very good match -- I was playing really good tennis," Radwanska said. Boston Bruins Gear . Its 1987 and a Brazilian playmaker, known as Mirandinha, is being paraded around St James Park to the passionate Newcastle fans. Melbourne rookie Shem Tatupu has been cleared of serious injury after being hit by a car.The 20-year-old former Hawthorn Hawks AFL players was struck by a car while crossing the road outside the Storms headquarters at AAMI Park following training on Monday night.The club said he was expected to make a full recovery and discharged from hospital in the coming days.Tatupu, a 1004kg centre, spent two years with the Hawks before leaving Australian Rules after losing his passion for the game.ddddddddddddThe son of Warriors foundation player Tony Tatupu, he was scouted playing schoolboys rugby union in his native Auckland. ' ' '

BOULDER, Colo. -- Former teammates joined family and friends to say goodbye to 1994 Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam on Friday, remembering his warm heart and peaceful spirit.About 250 people gathered for a funeral service for Salaam at the Islamic Center of Boulder near Folsom Field, where Salaam carved his name into the University of Colorado record book from 1992 to 1994.He was found dead Monday night in a park not far from the school at the age of 42. His mother, Khalada, told USA TODAY Sports that police said they suspect he killed himself.The service followed Fridays regular prayers. Some people sat on the floor while others sat on chairs brought into the center for the event. Afterward, Salaams simple wooden casket was carried outside and mourners, including former Colorado coach Bill McCartney, lingered to talk and hug one another.Imam Abdur-Rahim Ali told those at the service that they will be able to hold onto their memories of Salaam.We still have all the wonderful memories from our brother Rashaan, his good spirit, his appetite for good food. We still remember all those good things. We never forget those things. Those things are going to be with us forever, he said.Former teammate T.J. Cunningham said he would remember Salaams infectious smile and laugh and all the good times he and his children had hanging out with Salaam.Michael Westbrook, who played with Salaam at Colorado and went on to play with the Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Redskins, said nothing seemed to be able to make Salaam mad. Any anger in a room would somehow disappear whenever Salaam entered, Westbrook said.Thats just what he brought as a beautiful human being, he said. John Smoltz Jersey Braves .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. Discount Jerseys China . Parker had 26 points and eight assists and San Antonio beat Toronto 112-99 Monday night. "We won that game because of Tony Parkers aggressiveness," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His juice; his aggression all night long. https://www.discountjerseysonline.com/jim-bouton-jersey-braves-57 . Philadelphia is 2-0 against the Senators this season and scored five goals in each victory. The Flyers recorded a 5-0 win in Ottawa on Nov. 12 and then earned a 5-2 home decision on Nov. 19. The Flyers have claimed three straight and four of the last five encounters with the Sens overall and Philly has won two in a row and three of its past four tests in Canadas capital city. Craig Kimbrel Jersey Cubs . Emery skated the length of the ice and fought an unwilling Holtby during the third period of the Flyers 7-0 loss Friday night in Philadelphia. He was given 29 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. But Emery did not face even a disciplinary hearing with NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan because rules 46. Discount Jerseys Cheap . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. HAMPTON, Va. -- Xavier Lundy and Stevie Jordan each scored 14 points and Rider beat Hampton 67-56 on Friday night in a season opener for both teams.Hampton got within 50-48 midway through the second half, but Rider answered with a 15-4 run to take a 65-52 lead with 3:51 left.Norville Carey added 13 points, Kahlil Thomas had 11 and Jimmie Taylor, who was the only starter not in double figures, scored nine points for Rider. Thomas grabbed nine rebounds and Jordan had five assists.Taylor hitt a 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer for a 36-24 lead.ddddddddddddophomore Kalin Fisher tied a career-high with 14 points to lead Hampton. Jermaine Marrow added 13 points in his debut and Charles Wilson-Fisher grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds. The Pirates were held to just 9-of-33 shooting (27.3 percent) in the first half and finished at 35.1 percent. ' ' '

DENVER -- A dazzling defense rendered the Denver Broncos quarterback question a moot point last year. The Super Bowl champs are counting on that being the case again this season.The six-month saga over who will guide Denvers title defense came down to Mark Sanchez losing his grip on both the ball and the job when he fumbled twice inside the San Francisco 15-yard line on Aug. 20. Rookie Paxton Lynch might be the franchises future, but the present belongs to Trevor Siemian.The seventh-round pick out of Northwestern in 2015 has made the startling jump from No. 3 QB to starter thanks to a confluence of events, including a retirement, a rebuff and a reboot.While Lynch was showing more promise than proficiency, Siemian displayed poise, power and precision.Thats not surprising given that Siemian had a birds-eye view of the Broncos quarterback conundrum last year when coach Gary Kubiak began every Monday meeting after mid-November with an announcement whether Peyton Manning or Brock Osweiler would start.The Broncos made it work thanks to a spectacular supporting cast that also makes them the favorite to win their sixth straight AFC West crown, although Oakland and Kansas City are closing that gap.The Raiders and Chiefs both beat the Broncos in Denver last year, and it took Mannings Willis Reed moment to keep the San Diego Chargers from doing the same.Manning retired a month after Denvers parade and Osweiler bolted 48 hours later to the Houston Texans. GM John Elway was rebuffed in his attempt to get Colin Kaepernick, so it came down to a three-way QB competition. Now, the Broncos go into the NFL kickoff game against Carolina on Sept. 8 with two quarterbacks who have never thrown a pass that counts in the NFL.Thats not exactly a recipe for another run, but the Broncos always seem to navigate their way through adversity.DOMINANT DENVER: The Broncos lost DE Malik Jackson and MLB Danny Trevathan to free agency, not really lamentable departures. Theyve had injury issues along the line, but theyre still loaded with pass rushers Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett, plus MLB Brandon Marshall and DBs Chris Harris Jr., Bradley Roby, Aqib Talib, Kayvon Webster, T.J. Ward and Darrian Stewart.Miller parlayed his Super Bowl MVP performance into a jet-lagged offseason that included 61 flights and 47 television appearances. Oh, and a record six-year, $114.5 million deal with $70 million in guarantees. Hes looked terrific in limited action this summer.The retooled offense features four new starters on the line, a bona fide fullback and a new tight end group. Denver has co-stars at wide receiver in Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, who is bent on putting last years drops and drama behind him.RISING RAIDERS: The future of the team in Oakland remains as foggy as an autumn morning in the Bay Area. Still, the Raiders have legitimate hopes of contending for the playoffs for the first time in years.They rebuilt the defense, signing CB Sean Smith, LB Bruce Irvin and S Reggie Nelson, drafting S Karl Joseph and DL Jihad Ward. Those five team with All-Pro Khalil Mack on what should be a much-improved unit.Offense all comes down to whether Derek Carr takes another step forward. After playing very well in the first half last season, Carr struggled in the second half, in part because of injuries to WR Amari Cooper and C Rodney Hudson. Oakland hopes signing G Kelechi Osemele fortifies the line and leads to a more consistent running game.CHAMPING CHIEFS: Kansas City LB Justin Houston is out for now after surgery to repair a non-functioning ACL in February. The Chiefs also took a cautious approach with LB Tamba Hali after surgery on his balky knees, and RB Jamaal Charles, who had his right ACL repaired last season.With injury issues a concern, the Chiefs also feel they have more talent across the board than at any point under GM John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid. Charles and RBs Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware form a potent three-headed monster, and Jeremy Maclin and TE Travis Kelce give Alex Smith decent pass catchers.The defense was great last season but is a year older, with concerns about the pass rush and in the secondary, where SS Eric Berry didnt report until Sunday.RECHARGED CHARGERS: Joey Bosa went public with his contract dispute. While the front office ripped Bosa, coach Mike McCoy seemed to support the former Ohio State defensive end selected third overall in the draft. He said whenever Bosa shows up, he is one of us. Bosa finally signed on Monday.The Chargers, 4-12 last season, missed the playoffs for the fifth time in six years, and could really use Bosa at full strength. Their D-line lost Sean Lissemore to a season-ending shoulder injury in training camp and Damion Square to a four-game suspension to start the season.On offense, Melvin Gordon is trying to bounce back from his nightmarish season.PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH: Broncos, Raiders, Chiefs, Chargers.---AP Sports Writers Dave Skretta, Josh Dubow and Bernie Wilson contributed.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton Cheap Authentic Jerseys . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. China NFL Jerseys . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. http://www.cheapjerseysfinish.com/ . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. Wholesale Stitched Jerseys . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. Cheap Custom NFL Jerseys . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. You wonder if the WNBA participants in the Summer Olympics feel like theyve just starred in a multi-episode run of the old Super Friends cartoon -- especially the romp-to-the-gold U.S. team members -- and now are headed to an episodic run of Survivor.The Americans kept the drama low and the quality of basketball high as they won their sixth consecutive Olympic tournament. But kudos also to Spain (silver) and Serbia (bronze) as they medaled in the Summer Games for the first time in womens hoops.Condolences to Australia, which is in transition mode as Penny Taylor will be joining Lauren Jackson in retirement. The Opals werent expecting their time in Rio de Janeiro to end in the quarterfinals, but it was another example of how competitive the Olympic tournament was -- aside from the U.S. dominance, that is.Now its back to the WNBA, which resumes play Friday. Los Angeles (21-3) and Minnesota (21-4) already have clinched playoff berths. Theyll focus on securing the top two spots, which come with a bye into the best-of-five semifinals in the WNBAs new playoff format.New York (18-8) is the only other team with a realistic shot of grabbing one of those two spots. Tina Charles leads the league in scoring and rebounding, and the Liberty are getting back guard Epiphanny Prince, who has been out all season with a knee injury. But unless the Sparks or Lynx have really lost their steam, its a long shot for the Liberty, who dont have any games left against L.A. or Minnesota.After those three teams, its a pretty big drop record-wise to what will be a free-for-all for the final five playoff berths. Other than 5-18 San Antonio, which is probably left to the role of spoiler, every team is still in the postseason hunt. Atlanta has the best record of that remaining group at 13-12.So as we enter the final three weeks of the regular season -- and close in on the career finishes of great players and fan favorites Taylor, Tamika Catchings and Swin Cash -- here are five questions to ponder.1. Will the Olympics help turn around the Mercury?Before the Rio Games, we examined the disappointing season?Phoenix has had. But the struggles of May, June and July wont matter much if the 10-14 Mercury can play up to their potential the rest of the way. (Admittedly, if has been a tormenting word for the Merc this summer.)Four players bring Olympic medals back to Phoenix, with Diana Taurasis and Brittney Griners golds, a silver for Spains Marta Xargay and a bronze for Serbias Sonja Petrovic.Taurasi had an outstanding Olympics, leading the U.S. team in scoring (15.6 points per game) and minutes played (24.3 per game). She was deadly from behind the arc (33 of 57, 57.9 percent) and played with trademark Taurasi zest and leadership.The latter part might be what most excites Mercury fans. Taurasis WNBA stats this season have been very good (18.9 PPG, 4.3 APG), but she hasnt always seemed ... well, Taurasi-like on court.As for Griner, she tied with Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles to lead the Americans in rebounding (5.6 RPG) and was the top shot-blocker with 11. Griner averaged 9.8 points per game, third best on the team.In WNBA play this season, Griner?is averaging 13.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, numbers down a bit from her previous two years. She needed the energy jolt the Olympic seemed to give her.Competitive consistency has been a thorny issue with Phoenix this season, but the potential is still there for a big finish. Lets put it this way: If the Mercury close out the regular season strong, they could be very scary in a one-game elimination format, which is now in place for the early rounds.2. Can Seattles young guns get the Storm back in the playoffs?Breanna Stewart turns 22 on Saturday. Jewell Loyd doesnt turn 23 until October and tweeted Monday with mock irritation that shed been asked twice that day if she was older than 15. The Storms two super babies still look like kids, but they dont play that way.Gold medalist Stewart averaged a very efficient 8.1 points while playing 10.9 minutes per game for the United States in Rio. She is averaging 19.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for Seattle and has the 2016 WNBA rookie of the year award already locked up.Loyd won that honor last season and now is second on the Storm in scoring at 16.5 points per game, while also getting 3.0 assists per game.Seattle is tied with Washington at 9-15 for the eighth-best record in the league. For the Storm to get back to the playoffs after a two-year absence, theyll need a strong closing surge from Stewart and Loyd.Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that Sue Birds knee injury at the Olympics wasnt serious enough to keep her out of the gold-medal game. Shhes having a very good WNBA season, too, leading the league with 6.dddddddddddd0 assists per game. The Storm point guard has done so much to help Seattles two rising stars mature, and shell continue to push them and her team to try to get back where Bird is used to being: the postseason.3. Can the Mystics salvage their season?No team needed the Olympic break more than the Mystics, who went into a tailspin and lost all seven of their games in July. Yet they are 9-15 and still battling to make the playoffs.Emma Meesseman (15.7 PPG) and Tayler Hill (14.7 PPG) are scoring well; its a breakthrough for Hill in her third full season in the league and fourth overall.But overall, this isnt a strong offensive team -- only San Antonios 72.2 points-per-game average is lower than Washingtons 79.6 -- so its hard to see the Mystics getting to the postseason if they cant clamp down more defensively in their remaining 10 games. Washington is allowing its foes 83.3 points per game.?It should help the Mystics to get back veteran forward LaToya Sanders, who missed the first part of the season while with the Turkish national team.4. Who has more on her shoulders: Elena or Angel?They both have plenty. But Chicagos Elena Delle Donne might have a heavier load to carry to get her team to the postseason because Atlantas Angel McCoughtry -- who has done a ton of heavy lifting in her WNBA career -- seems to have a little more help this year.Both players came off the bench during the Olympics and did their jobs well, providing energy for the U.S. team. Now, they go back to being their WNBA teams respective superstars.Delle Donne is the reigning WNBA MVP and is averaging 21.2 points per game for the Sky, who are 11-13. Cappie Pondexter and Allie Quigley are the other Chicago players who are scoring in double figures. Those two, Courtney Vandersloot and Jamierra Faulkner provide a solid perimeter core, but the Skys ability to score consistently inside other than with Delle Donne remains a concern.McCoughtry is averaging 18.2 points per game for the 13-12 Dream, who have three other players scoring in double figures: Tiffany Hayes, Elizabeth Williams and Layshia Clarendon. The Dream initially thought in July they might have lost veteran post player Sancho Lyttle for the season to a foot injury, but she is expected back. Her 8.5 rebounds per game are especially very valuable to the Dream.5. Who will be the No. 1 seed?The Sparks and the Lynx have split their two meetings thus far, with each winning on the others home court. They have one matchup left: Sept. 6 at Los Angeles.The Sparks havent played at Staples Center since July 10. They ended the first part of the season with five straight road games and open the second part with four more on the road. When they finally return to Staples Sept. 4, nearly two months will have passed between home games -- which is ridiculous.However, that means the Sparks will play five of their last six at home, so that might help down the stretch. Meanwhile, the Lynx have nine games left, and only one of their final five is at home.The teams were total contrasts in terms of the Olympics. Los Angeles had just one player competing: reserve guard Ana Dabovic for Serbia. Meanwhile, it seemed like everyone with the Lynx except mascot Prowl was in Brazil.OK, slight exaggeration. But with four starters -- Moore, Fowles, Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus -- on the U.S. team along with coach Cheryl Reeve as one of Geno Auriemmas assistants, there was a lot of Lynx green and blue amid the American red, white and blue.All the Lynx players performed well in the Olympics, but Moore deserves a special shout-out. She was spectacular, which is not new. But watching her work so hard setting up others and defending -- she led the Americans with 34 assists and 16 steals -- while still being the second-leading scorer (12.0 PPG) and tying for the lead in rebounding (5.6 RPG) epitomizes why U.S. womens basketball has been unbeatable: truly great players happily putting the team first.Will the effort expended for the Olympics end up costing the Lynx a little in fatigue? Will the Sparks be extra motivated for a title because they dont have any 2016 gold medals among them?The Lynx are three-time champions trying to win back-to-back titles, which no WNBA team has done since the Sparks in 2001-02. How can you pick against Minnesota? But ... this is a different Sparks team than weve seen in a long, long time. They dont just have talent, they have resolve and chemistry and willpower.Its going to be quite a finish. ' ' '

NEW YORK -- Claressa Shields did a cartwheel in the ring after winning her second Olympic boxing gold medal in Rio, and shes not done celebrating.Shields and water polo goaltender Ashleigh Johnson were recognized as Sportswomen of the Year at the Womens Sports Foundations annual dinner Wednesday night.The 21-year-old Shields will decide in the coming years if she wants to add `Tokyo for the 2020 Games to the tattoo of the Olympic rings with Rio and London on her right biceps.Im back in the gym, trying to figure out whats the best move next, Shields said. Im taking my time with that. I have a couple of different options. I can go pro or stay amateur for 2020.Johnson had 51 saves in Rio, including nine in the final against Italy, when the Americans won their second consecutive Olympic gold medal in water polo.It was definitely a perfect ending to all the work and effort and sacrifices we made in the past 1 1/2 years, Johnson said. It was a big thing to carry on the legacy.A senior psychology major at Princeton, she hopes to lead the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament next spring. The water polo team just missed the tournament while the 6-foot-1 goalie with the wide wingspan trained for Rio.Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman won the Billie Jean King Contribution Award. Ackerman was the first president of the WNBA, now in its 20th season, and served on the boards of USA Basketball and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).Pakistani pro squash player Maria Toorpakai Wazir, who dressed as a boy to play sports and later moved to Canada after receiving death threats from the Taliban, earned the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award.King, a winner of 39 Grand Slam titles in her tennis career, created the Womens Sports Foundation in 1974. The foundation provides travel and training grants and community-based sports opportunities. Presenters on Wednesday night included Jessica Mendoza, Mary Carillo, Laila Ali, Meryl Davis, Aimee Mullins and Sanya Richards-Ross.The foundation also paid tribute to the late Pat Summitt, the Tennessee coach who won eight national titles and a Division I record 1,098 games in her 38-year career. Former athletic director Joan Cronan and players Tamika Catchings and Kara Lawson honored their legendary coach.Shields defended her middleweight title and became the first U.S. boxer to win consecutive gold medals in the Olympic sport that added women in 2012.Shes training and getting acclimated in her new place in Boynton Beach, Florida. The native of Flint, Michigan, spent the year before Rio at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She moved to Florida three weeks ago.I love it here, just got my furniture, she said. I like the vibe and the people down here. Theyre very family-oriented and this place just makes me happy.In the gold-medal match in Rio, Shields was faster and stronger than her taller Dutch opponent Nouchka Fontijn. Shields, who wore Superman knee socks, encouraged Fontijn in the fourth round to put up a better fight.I didnt mean to taunt her in the last round, Shields said. When I fight with my hands down, its more letting her think she has opportunities and a shot when she doesnt.Shields owns a 77-1 record, won two world championship titles and spars mostly against men.If you want to get the best out of me, you have to let me fully perform, she said. The guys cant hold back on me, so you end up going 100 percent. Theres a bunch of guys who wanted to prove a point, and they couldnt.Shields, who threw out the first pitch at a Detroit Tigers game last month, has a film about her life in the works through Universal Pictures. Barry Jenkins, the director of the acclaimed movie Moonlight, recently signed on to write the script.Im not done yet, Shields said. I have this hunger to do more and be bigger and be more known and get womens boxing on the course of being respected by everybody. Stitched Bruins Jerseys . Zvonareva, who won the tournament in 2009 and 10, couldnt handle her opponents big groundstrokes in only her third event back after 17 months out with a shoulder injury. Zvonareva made her comeback in January in Shenzhen and played in the Australian Open but lost her first matches at both tournaments. Cheap Bruins Jerseys . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. https://www.cheapbruins.com/ . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. Boston Bruins Pro Shop . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. Wholesale Bruins Jerseys . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. CHASKA, Minn. -- Europes defeated players and officials may have been trying to mask their disappointment, but when asked to give their views on Ryder Cup week on Sunday night they produced something close to a comedy routine.The show took place at the final media conference and there were some serious points made. Rory McIlroy insisted his sides fans should not consider retaliation in France in 2018 after the American supporters behaviour here, and Justin Rose criticised the Hazeltine National course set-up on Sunday as being like that for a Pro-Am.But as the players drank while seated on the stage, and joked among themselves, the flippant responses were at least as many as the serious.The biggest laugh from the assembled media was when Danny Willett was asked to sum up his first Ryder Cup experience, from his brothers poorly judged blog to his underwhelming competition performance.S---, he said loudly before draining some more of his beer. Sorry, did you want me to elaborate? Really s---.The whole of Team Europe loved that and were still passing on their approval when the proceedings were over 15 minutes later.There was more, though. When it was put to the players that they wouldnt be throwing their coach under the bus as the Americans, and more specifically Phil Mickelson, did with Tom Watson in 2014, McIlroy quickly interjected: Not yet. Darren Clarke quipped: Ill leave if you want me to.McIlroy took centre stage, as he had for the team on the course so much this past week, and became so much like the teams unofficial spokesman, he ended up trying to deflect some of the questions.Having seriously addressed the issue of crowd behaviour at Hazeltine and highlighted how early fans had started drinking each day, he was asked whether something should be done to restrict access to alcohol at future events.Not with their pissy beer, no, McIlroy said. People are here to have a good time. I dont know how you could policee that or limit that in any way, telling people they cant drink until 11:00 in the morning, they are just going to go and buy six beers.ddddddddddddGeez, I know if I was watching the Ryder Cup, I would want to do the same thing. I mean, Id love to be on the other side of the ropes giving other people abuse, it would be so good. But unfortunately, I have to play inside the ropes, and thats a great privilege to have.Given all that has gone on in the past week, some of the answers were perhaps a little ill-judged. The explanation, or defence, would be at that stage of the evening, and of the event, they were just letting off steam and trying to relax with all the pressure finally gone.They were disappointed of course, but if anyone was expecting a downbeat, sombre atmosphere they would have been surprised. Maybe there was some bravado, and a bit of a defence mechanism kicking in, but gallows humour certainly prevailed.Sergio Garcia, bless him, repeatedly tried to get in on the act, joking with his teammates and commenting on proceedings regularly without getting the response he clearly so desperately wanted.Vice captain Ian Poulter was ribbed for seemingly being glued to twitter and Willett rolled his eyes when Sam Torrance was asked to remember one of his glory days. Others, particularly Matt Fitzpatrick and some of the other rookies, mostly sat quietly, looking a little bewildered.Lee Westwood got a laugh, though. Again, it was on the subject of crowd behaviour. Having just referenced how the American team seemed embarrassed by some of its supporters, he said: On a good point, I got called a t--- yesterday, which is the first time since I was about 12 years old, so it made me feel young again.Whether he or any of the others on Team Europe would feel youthful on Monday, was another matter. ' ' '

Jeff Stelling and the team bring you Saturdays scores, including the north London derby, plus interviews with John Terry and Juan Mata. Matt Le Tissier, Paul Merson, Phil Thompson and Charlie Nicholas will be in the studio from midday to count down to kick-off - as well as bringing you updates from the early kick-off between Tottenham and Arsenal.Therell also be a number of big-name interviews including: JOHN TERRY - John Terry provides an update on his return from injury and Chelseas aspirations for the remainder of the season.JUAN MATA - How far can a resurgent Manchester United go this season? Their Spanish midfielder Juan Mata lifts the lid on the mood within the Old Trafford camp.TROY DEENEY - Three years on from his unforgettable play-off goal, Troy Deeney spoke to us about the progress Watford have made in the intervening seasons and how the players have been inspired by the changes on and off the field at Vicarage Road.IVO PINTO - Ivo Pinto talks about Norwich Citys terrible luck and his belief that Canaries fortunes will soon change. From 3pm, well bring you the best scores service on the box with updates on Chelsea v Stoke, Everton v West Ham, Man City v Aston Villa, Newcastle v Bournemouth, Southampton v Sunderland and Swansea v Norwich in the Premier League.Well also have the length and breadth of the Britain covered as we bring you all the scores from the Football League games and updates from the SPFL.Be sure to tune in to Soccer Saturday from midday on Sky Sports News HQ. Also See: Soccer AM Sunday Supplement Goals on Sunday The FantasyFC Air Max 90 Outlet .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. Fake Air Max Plus .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. http://www.fakejordancheap.com/wholsale-air-jordan-1-china.html . "Four now," Carl Gunnarsson told the Leaf Report proudly following a 5-2 victory over New York on Tuesday night, the clubs fifth straight at home. Cheap Jordans Fake . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. Fake Jordan 11 . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Skyler Howard wouldnt let strained ribs hold him back.Howard tied a career high with five touchdown passes, leading West Virginia to a 38-21 win over Youngstown State on Saturday.Howard, who hurt his ribs a week ago in a win over Missouri and was limited in practice leading up to this game, completed 20 of 33 passes for 389 yards.Youre going to be sore after game one, after not being hit all spring, all camp, Howard said. Its nothing thats not expected. Youve got to fight through it, but it was fine today. I felt pretty good out there.Once he got going, Howard made it look simple. On three of his scoring throws, Youngstown States secondary was caught helping with run support, and Howard threw the ball far downfield and let his receivers get to the ball, often in double coverage.Howard matched the five TDs he threw in a Cactus Bowl win over Arizona State in December.Hes always thrown a good deep ball, said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen.The Mountaineers (2-0) broke the game open with 24 unanswered points after falling behind 14-7 early in the second quarter.Youngstown State (1-1) appeared to wear down in the second half on a hot day. The Penguins punted on six straight possessions spanning both halves, allowing West Virginia to take control.West Virginias defense repeatedly forced Youngstown State quarterback Ricky Davis out of the pocket and into hurried throws or scrambling to run up field.Our guys didnt panic when it was close, Holgorsen said.Howard had TD pass plays of 54 and 57 yards to Shelton Gibson, 53 yards to KaRaun White, 11 to Daikiel Shorts and 21 yards to Kennedy McKoy. Shorts third-quarter catch in the left corner of the end zone was set up by Gibsons 45-yard reception.They ran by us a couple of times, said YYoungstown State coach Bo Pelini, who kept his postgame comments brief.dddddddddddd. We didnt play well enough to win the football game. We didnt coach it well enough.THE TAKEAWAYYOUNGSTOWN STATE: Davis said this was the Penguins Super Bowl. With starting running back Jody Webb out with a knee injury, Davis kept the Penguins in the game for at least a half. But he alone couldnt get it done.They obviously had a lot more depth than we had, Davis said. We just didnt finish.Davis said he played the second half with an undisclosed injury. He finished 11 of 26 passing for 189 yards and one touchdown, and he ran for a team-high 62 yards.WEST VIRGINIA: The slow-starting Mountaineers will need to work on scoring earlier in games and also more often when they reach the opponents 20-yard line. In two games West Virginia has touchdowns on one of seven total trips inside the red zone. Shortly before halftime, the Mountaineers marched 53 yards in the final minute, then Mike Molina missed a 30-yard field goal. In the third quarter, a holding penalty negated Rushel Shells 5-yard scoring run, and West Virginia settled for Molinas 32-yard field goal.RECEIVING THREATSGibson, Shorts and White have combined for 89 percent of West Virginias receiving yards in two games. Gibson had six catches for 171 yards Saturday, Shorts had six catches for 93 yards, and White had five catches for 88 yards.UP NEXTYOUNGSTOWN STATE: The Penguins host Robert Morris next Saturday, a team the beat 21-14 in overtime last year.WEST VIRGINIA: The Mountaineers have a bye week before facing BYU for the first time in program history on Sept. 24 in Landover, Maryland. ' ' '

Chris Berman has taken his Swami Sez NFL picks segment seen on SportsCenter to ESPN Chalk. Each week during the NFL regular season, hell give his favorite picks against the spread here with a little further analysis.Season record:?21-6 ATS (last week: 3-2)Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots? I think Tom Brady is having a blast playing football again, and that cant mean good things for any Patriots opponent. The Bengals arent the same team theyve been the past few years, at least not yet. I wouldnt be surprised if they right the ship before the season is out, but this is not the place to get back on track. New England takes this one comfortably.Score: Patriots 28, Bengals 17Baltimore Ravens at New York GiantsBaltimore is a little banged up, but I like their defense against a Giants offense thats in a bit of a funk. The Ravens are hoping for the same formula the Bills used when they got a new offensive coordinator -- after Baltimore fired Marc Trestman and replaced him with Marty Mornhinweg this week -- and I think they find some of it here. In a field goal game, Ill take the field goal.Score: Ravens 22, Giants 20Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago BearsMaybe the Cubs magic is on its way, but if so, its needed at Wrigley. The Jaguars still have a chance to be the improved team that everyone thought they would be before the season. If theyre going to get there, this is a game they have to win. I just dont see the Bears winning with that team at the moment.Score: Jaguars 22, Bears 19Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland RaidersCoach Andy Reids teams are 12-5 against the spread and 15-2 straight up after a bye week. The Chiefs come out with a typical organized post-bye performance here. The Raiders are going to be fun to watch all year, but I think after this game, the AFC Wests top three teams will all have two losses. Keep an eye on the rain here as well, which could hurt Oaklands passing attack.Score: Chiefs 27, Raiders 24Atlanta Falcons at Seattle SeahawksGive Atlanta credit -- they went into Denver and scored 23 points against that defense. And with that offense, if the Falcons defense is even average, theyll be in good shape. But nothing perks up a historic defense like a high-flying offense. They like this challenge. The early bye week was good for Russell Wilson, and this is the best price youll get with Seattle the rest of the season at home. Seahawks take this one.Score: Seahawks 27, Falcons 16 Cheap Stitched NFL Jerseys . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. "Given the way the meeting transpired," Ray Halbritter, an Oneida representative and leader of the "Change the Mascot Campaign," said Wednesday, "it became somewhat evident they were defending the continued use of the name. Authentic Jerseys Cheap . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. Everton manager Roberto Martinez says that keeping Baines at the club is a "massive boost and exciting for the future" because he brings "maturity and football knowledge in a very specialized position on the pitch" and an "infectious and positive influence to the rest of the squad. http://www.cheapwholesalejerseyschina.com/ . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. Jerseys NFL Wholesale . Radwanska, making her debut in the Seoul tournament, hit eight aces in a match that lasted 1 hour, 4 minutes at Olympic Park tennis stadium. "It was definitely a very good match -- I was playing really good tennis," Radwanska said. Cheap Jerseys USA .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. NEW YORK -- There was a near consensus about Baylors hiring of Matt Rhule from administrators, coaches and agents gathered for the annual National Football Foundation Hall of Fame dinner.Great hire for Baylor. Strange choice for Rhule.Born in New York, Rhule went to high school and college in State College, Pennsylvania, and spent the majority of his career in the Northeast, including the past four seasons as Temples coach. Theres nothing about his persoonality or his playing style that screams Texas, which makes Baylor an interesting job for him.ddddddddddddt underscores the question facing successful Group of 5 coaches like Rhule, Western Michigans P.J. Fleck and South Floridas Willie Taggart: When Power 5 opportunities present themselves, should they always jump at them?? ' ' '

The form of Canberra Raiders pair Jordan Rapana and Joseph Tapine has been rewarded with places in the Kiwis training squad for looming internationals.The uncapped duo join North Queensland Cowboys joint Dally M Medal winner Jason Taumalolo in the wider group, after their clubs were eliminated from the NRL playoffs in last weekends semi-finals.Rapana has been one of the NRLs form wingers this season, scoring 23 tries and making 26 line-breaks, leading the competition in both categories.A former New Zealand Maori representative, he has also played internationally for Cook Islands.He made a strong case for Kiwis inclusion, benefiting from his destructive combination with centre Joey Leilua down the Raiders right flank.Tapine is a former Junior Kiwi, who transferred from Newcastle Knights to Canberra mid-season and immediately made an impact off the bench.Wrecking ball forward Taumalolo debuted for the Kiwis during the 2014 Four Nations and last played for the national side against Australia in the loss in May.Meanwhile, Wests Tigers centre Tim Simona and Brisbane Broncos second row Alex Glenn have dropped out of contention through injury.Those changes bring the wider squad number to 32, with a squad of 24 to be finalised next week after Sundays NRL Premiership final between the Melbourne Storm and Cronulla Sharks.The Kiwis play Australia in a Test in Perth on October 15 followed by the Four Nations tournament in England.Kiwis train-on squad:Adam Blair, Lewis Brown, Greg Eastwood, James Fisher-Harris, Addin Fonua-Blake, David Fusitua, Shaun Johnson, Jordan Kahu, Solomone Kata, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Thomas Leuluai, Sam Lisone, Isaac Liu, Tuimoala Lolohea, Issac Luke, Simon Mannering, Te Maire Martin, Suaia Matagi, Manu Mau, Sam Moa, Jason Nightingale, Jordan Rapana, Brad Takairangi, Joseph Tapine, Jason Taumalolo, Martin Taupau, Elijah Taylor, Jazz Tevaga, Bodene Thompson, Manu Vatuvei, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak. Fake Vans Shoes Cheap . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield. Cheap Air Max 97 China . Both players have lower body injuries that will keep them out of the lineup until at least January 31, which is the first game they can be activated from IR. http://www.fakeyeezyscheap.com/wholesale-air-max-97.html . With his new coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during an official match for the first time, Djokovic appeared tentative early against the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to keep the ball in play. Balenciaga Speed Trainer Cheap . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Cheap Fake Air Max 95 . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. BOSTON -- The 2016 edition of Head of The Charles Regatta is set to feature several U.S. and international rowers that are coming off capturing medals during the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.Members of the gold medal winning U.S. womens eight, as well as fellow gold medalists Mahe Drysdale, of New Zealand, and Croatias Valent Sinkovic are scheduled to compete during the 52nd Regatta, scheduled for Oct. 22 and 23 in Boston. It has become one of the worlds premier rowing events, annually attracting some 400,000 spectators to the banks of the Charlees River.ddddddddddddOther Rio Olympians scheduled to compete include silver medalists Gary and Paul ODonovan, of Ireland, Croatias Damir Martin and Australias James McRae. Norwegian bronze medalist Olaf Tufte will be among the close to 11,000 competitors, along with top U.S. collegiate and elite rowing clubs.The 52nd edition of the Regatta will also feature two new events, and an expansion of Para Rowing events. ' ' '

PORTLAND, Maine -- A Maine teenager who was recommended for a prestigious athletic award after being accused of sexually assaulting two children has pleaded guilty.The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/2ax588S ) reports that 19-year-old Tyrell Gullatt was sentenced Monday in a Portland juvenile court to two years of probation. The charges were reduced as part of the plea deal to felony counts of unlawful sexual contact of a minor.The former Windham High School football player was charged in November. Police say they notified school administrators of the accusations.A few weeks later, school officials recommended Gullatt for the Frank J. Gaziano Offensive and Defensive Lineman Awards, presented to linemen who are considered positive role models.Gullatts attorney says his client took responsibility for his actions by admitting to the charges.---Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com Terance Mann Jersey .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Ken Norman Jersey .com) - Yankee Stadium is the home of the Bronx Bombers, but on Sunday afternoon it will open its gates to host the latest addition of the Hudson River Rivalry. https://www.cheapclippersonline.com/190h-bo-outlaw-jersey-clippers.html . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. Bob Kauffman Jersey .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. Danny Manning Jersey . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. MILWAUKEE -- Zach Duke retired the only batter he faced, birthday boy Adam Wainwright turned the page on a disappointing year and the St. Louis Cardinals strengthened their hold on the final NL wild-card spot.Duke stranded the bases loaded with a strikeout in the 10th inning after Randal Grichuk hit an RBI single in the top half of the inning, lifting the Cardinals over the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 on Tuesday night.St. Louis added a game to its lead in the wild card and is now 2 1/2 up on the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets.Seung Hwan Oh (4-2) pitched out of a jam in the ninth to get the win. Duke got his first save with the Cardinals by entering to strike out pinch-hitter Manny Pina after Matt Bowman walked three batters.The Cardinals Jhonny Peralta led off the 10th with a single off Corey Knebel (0-2) and moved to third on Yadier Molinas ground-rule double. Jeremy Hazelbaker, who pinch ran for Peralta, scored the winning run on Grichuks flare to right.Wainwright dueled with Milwaukees Wily Peralta for seven innings, and they left a 1-1 game for the bullpens to settle.It was a resurgent performance for Wainwright, who began his 35th birthday by watching video of his younger self and deciding to make some changes.Step one: Pant legs up.Step two: Stop throwing like an old man.I changed everything up. I went pants up, and I went stirrups, Wainwright said. I watched all my good games. It was just obvious how much more aggressive my delivery was.Wainwright retired the first nine batters until Jonathan Villar singled leading off the fourth. Wainwright gave up three hits and one run in seven innings. He struck out seven and didnt walk a batter.That was the best fastball hes had all year, Matheny said. I think he wanted to prove that turning 35 isnt that big of a deal.Wainwright missed most of last season with a torn Achilles tendon.Thirty-four was a bad year for me, he said. Im 35 now. Ive turned over a new leaf.Neither team had a hit until the fourth and neither scored until the sixth.St. Louis Jedd Gyorko broke the scoreless tie with a two-out home run iin the sixth.dddddddddddd. The Cardinals have homered in 19 consecutive games, tying a franchise record set in July 2006.Martin Maldonados run-scoring double tied it in the bottom of the inning.Peralta retired the first nine batters before surrendering a single to Matt Carpenter, who led off the fourth.Peralta has pitched well since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Aug. 8 after struggling earlier in the year. He gave up three hits and one run in seven innings, walking one and striking out a season-high 10. It marked the second time in his career that he reached double digits in strikeouts.Peralta had not gone more than six innings in a game this season.When youre throwing the ball good, your confidence is always going to be high, Peralta said. Since Ive come back, Ive been able to execute the pitches when I want to.The Brewers put two runners on in the ninth, but Oh struck out Chris Carter to end the threat. Milwaukee has lost six straight, all at home.TRAINERS ROOMCardinals: SS Aledmys Diaz has been sent to the teams facility in Jupiter, Florida, as he recovers from a hairline fracture in his right thumb that occurred in July. Diaz could serve as a designated hitter in a minor league rehab assignment sometime this week but still must go through more tests before he begins throwing.Brewers: INF Will Middlebrooks (lower leg strain) was activated from the disabled list and outrighted to Triple-A. Middlebrooks can refuse the assignment and become a free agent. It didnt look like there was going to be playing time for him in September, manager Craig Counsell said.UP NEXTCardinals: Luke Weaver (1-1, 3.60 ERA) will make his fourth major league start and first against the Brewers. He earned his first win in his last start against Oakland on Friday.Brewers: Matt Garza (4-6, 4.89) is 4-5 with a 4.25 ERA in 13 career starts against St. Louis. He surrendered seven runs in 5 2/3 innings in a loss at St. Louis on July 1. ' ' '

Need some help setting your fantasy lineup? NFL Nation reporters are here to help with predictions for every Week 8 game. The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans have been excluded after playing on Thursday night.REDSKINS AT BENGALS (IN LONDON)Washington RedskinsWith tight end Jordan Reed back, quarterback Kirk Cousins will continue his recent solid play and throw for two touchdowns. The good news for DeSean Jackson fans: One of those touchdowns will be for more than 30 yards. The Bengals defense has allowed 22 plays of 20 yards or more. That ranks 19th in the league. -- John KeimCincinnati BengalsWith the Redskins likely focused on stopping A.J. Green, look for Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert to score a touchdown in his second game back. Eiferts snaps should increase in a big way from last week, and the Bengals will heavily use him in the red zone to provide another potential scoring component. -- Katherine Terrell Paul George Jersey . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. "I have been having this neck ache thats been affecting my golf recently," Oyama said. Tom Brady Jersey Nike .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. https://www.sportsstarsjerseys.com/devin-booker-jersey/ . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. Baker Mayfield Jersey . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. Javier Baez Jersey . "It was nerve-wracking, but we pulled through," said Collaros, who threw four touchdown passes to lead the Toronto Argonauts (8-4) to a 33-27 win over the Calgary Stampeders (9-3) in front of 28,781 fans at McMahon Stadium. HOUSTON -- Sean Manaea left in the fourth inning with another injury, and things went downhill after that for the Oakland Athletics.Jose Altuve homered, Joe Musgrove and three relievers combined on a four-hitter and the Houston Astros beat Oakland 6-0 on Monday night.Manaea (5-9) exited with a left rhomboid strain after 3 1/3 innings. He fielded a comebacker from Yulieski Gurriel to start the fourth, then threw one pitch to Marwin Gonzalez before manager Bob Melvin and the trainer headed to the mound. The left-hander was replaced by Chris Smith.Manaea said he felt the injury for the first time in the second.Just halfway through I felt it on the left side of my spine and it kind of shot through to my shoulder area and thats when I really felt it, Manaea said. That next inning just throwing my warmup pitches I couldnt really warm up.The promising rookie was on the disabled list from June 14-28 with a left pronator strain.Manaea was uncertain whether he would miss his next start. He is listed as day to day.Just frustrating from where Im at, Manaea said. Already been on the DL once and to me it just feels like Im letting everyone down. I hate being hurt and just getting taken out early, especially with a close game like that just bothered me. It is what it is, I just have to make sure going forward I get everything done and try not to have this problem again.Melvin said Manaea wanted to stay in, but his velocity was falling, and he didnt want Manaea trying to pitch around the injury.Manaea allowed two unearned runs, one hit and two walks with four strikeouts.We walked a couple of guys with the bases loaded but we didnt do him any favors in the field, could have been out of the inning, Melvin said. I thought he was pitching fine. Looked like he had good life on his heater and his sliders been good and his changeup.ddddddddddddJust didnt do him any favors.Marcus Semien had two of Oaklands hits.Musgrove (2-2) struck out seven, walked three and allowed three hits over 5 1/3 innings, and then Luke Gregerson, Pat Neshek and Brad Peacock closed things out. Musgrove had allowed 13 runs over his last two starts.Houston closed within two games of the second AL wild card with the win and Baltimores loss.Altuve hit his second homer in two games to lead off the sixth and extend Houstons lead to 3-0. Alex Bregman hit a two-run single and Carlos Correa had an RBI single as part of a three-run seventh.Musgrove retired 11 of the first 13 batters before Khris Davis singled with two outs in the fourth for the first hit against him.TRAINING ROOMAthletics: INF Billy Butler was reinstated from the seven-day concussion list. To make room on the roster, INF Arismendy Alcantara was optioned to Class A Stockton. ... LHP Sean Doolittle (left shoulder strain) will continue a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Nashville. ... RHP Henderson Alvarez (right shoulder surgery) is set to start a rehab assignment Tuesday in Stockton. ... RHP Jesse Hahn (right shoulder strain) will pitch Wednesday for Nashville.UP NEXTAthletics: RHP Kendall Graveman (10-8, 3.97) starts Tuesday in the second of the three-game series with the Astros. Graveman is 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA over his last four starts.Astros: RHP Collin McHugh (8-10, 5.01) will take the mound Tuesday, looking for his second straight win after snapping a four-game losing streak Wednesday in Pittsburgh. ' ' '

Sri Lanka U-19s307 (Vithanage 80, Daniel 52) and 94 for 3 (Asalanka 40*) beat England U-19s 208 (Holden 111*, Kumara 7-82) and 192 (Kumara 4-52) by seven wicketsScorecard England Under-19s suffered their first home defeat for six years in a four-day match as an outstanding bowling performance by Lahiru Kumara fired Sri Lanka to a seven-wicket victory in Northampton.Kumara, a well-built seamer from Kandy, claimed four more wickets as England could only manage 192 in their second innings. That completed match figures of 11 for 134, and left Sri Lanka needing only 94 for victory.They knocked them off for the loss of three wickets, two of them to Warwickshire seamer George Panayi, meaning they win the two-match series 1-0 after England enjoyed the better of a rain-affected draw in Cambridge last week.Englands last home four-day defeat had also come against Sri Lanka in Northampton in 2010, when a team including Joe Root and Jake Ball were beaten by 199 runs.They made a promising start on the third morning after resuming their second innings on 24 for 1, with Olly Westbury and George Hankins surviving a searching examination from Kumara and Jehan Daniel who both generated consistent and considerable in-swing to the right-handers.It was the introduction of spin which broke the stand as Hankins was lbw trying to sweep the slow-left-arm of Praveen Jayawickrama, ending a restrained innings of 20 from 70 balls from the Gloucestershire batsman.The next blow to England was self-inflicted as Westbury, the Worcestershire opener who made 196 in Cambridge and had compiled a patient 41 from 109 balls, was run out by a call for a quick single from George Bartlett.Next ball, Westburys Worcestershire team-mate Josh Dell became the first of two England batsmen to complete a pair, although he was unlucky to be brilliantly caught at silly point as he pushed forward to Jayawickrama.That left England on 89 for 4, still 10 runs behind. Bartlett, the Somerset batsman who also scored a century at Fenners, did his best to repair the damage by making 26, before edging a superb delivery from Kumara to third slip soon after lunch.Hampshires Josh McCoy completed Englands second pair when he was bowled by Kumara, but Surreys wicketkeeper Ollie Pope made a promising 23 from 31 balls until he was also trapped lbw by Jayawickrama.The Essex seamer Aaron Beard then joined Yorkshires Ed Barnes to put on 48 for the eighth wicket, the second highest stand of the innings. But Beard chipped a full toss from Sri Lankas captain Charith Asalanka to mid-off, and George Panayi edged the next ball to slip.Amar Virdi was the last man out, leaving Barnes unbeaten on 18. The Yorkshireman also claimed a wicket in Sri Lankas second innings, as Dilan Jayalath holed out to Bartlett on the square leg boundary, and Panayi briefly raised Englands hopes when he trapped Avishka Fernando lbw with his fourth ball.But Sri Lankas captain Charith Asalanka ensured there were no nerves in such a small chase by cracking 40 from 18 balls including two sixes, one of which soared over the signal box at Wantage Road and into the gardens of Clarke Road.England have the chance to hit back in a three-match Royal London One-Day Series which starts at Wormsley next Wednesday, and ends with a day-night game at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence on Tuesday week which will be televised live by Sky Sports. Nike Air Max Offerta . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night. Vapormax Bianche Scontate . Numbers Game examines the deal that sees Michael Del Zotto and Kevin Klein switch places. 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How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif. When talking to former UFC womens bantamweight champion Holly Holm, its hard not to respect her no-nonsense spirit.Holm, also a former decorated boxing champion, is a fighter through and through, and one who is much more motivated by winning titles and fulfilling her potential than by money or fame. So any hope of asking Holm (10-1) to look past Saturdays opponent and entertain the idea of big-name opponents down the road would be futile.Four months after losing her 135-pound title by fifth-round submission to Miesha Tate, Holm looks to rebound in the main event of Saturdays UFC Fight Night card in Chicago (8 p.m. ET, FOX) against Valentina Shevchenko (12-2).My motivation is victory against Valentina -- if I dont win this fight, then what? Holm said. A lot of people ask me, Do you want to fight for the belt against [Amanda] Nunes or do you want to fight Miesha? Well, actually, Im just focused on one fighter, and thats Valentina. If I dont get through her, theres never another opportunity promised.Holm, 34, knows all too well the chaos that exists within her division, with four fighters having worn the belt in the past nine months alone following a series of upsets. Ronda Rousey?lost the title when she was knocked out in November by Holm, who went on to lose to Tate in her first defense. Two weeks ago at UFC 200, Tate lost in her first defense, falling to the upstart Nunes.Holm spoke to ESPN.com about a number of topics entering her return Saturday.You already proved in boxing you can bounce back from a devastating defeat and gain redemption. But how hard was it to accept the Tate loss, considering the dramatic finish and what was at stake?I think its just different. I can never really compare two fights or two losses. They have their own feel. They are very different losses. Both of them ended in stoppage -- the last one I had [in boxing] was a complete knockout, and this one she choked me out. I definitely want to come back strong and come back hard. Its one of those things where I can only tell people so much that I believe in myself, but I have to show that. I have to show that I improved and have learned from my loss. Thats a test for me. I want to make my coaches proud, considering the time they put into my training. I think my main motivation coming back from this loss is to perform what I know Im capable of. I was taught a lot of things to do very differently in those situations, and I didnt act upon it at the time. I just dont want to let my coaches down. I want to do better for them, really.In terms of how your styles complement each other, what is this fight with Shevchenko going to look like inside the cage?I never really like to look too far into that, because I dont want to get too set on how I think something is going to be. If it doesnt turn out that way I want to be ready for the alternative. Im ready to handle whatever she has coming. Weve seen her with her standup, weve seen her with her clinch game, with takedowns and on the ground. I dont expect her to just be fighting one way. I think shes going to be ready for any of it.The UFC womens bantamweight title has changed hands three times in the past nine months. What do you think that says about the division, either positively or negatively?The negative part to me is that I let it go. Positively, I feel like it just shows that this division is one of the most competitive divisions there is. It creates a lot of curiosity, and it keeps the entire division very motivated to keep getting better because they know the competition is tough. In turn, thats going to show really good fights, and the girls are going to get better, and the sport will continue to grow as a whole. But, shoot, I wish it wasnt on its fourth champion. I wish it was still on iits second.ddddddddddddWhat were your expectations coming in as to how the Nunes-Tate fight was going to play out at UFC 200?A lot of people asked me what I thought would happen in that fight, and I said that if Amanda wins, it would be in Round 1 or 2, and it would be Miesha who wins if it went past that. I didnt really put too much thought into it.What type of staying power do you believe Nunes will have atop the division?Ive always said that anybody is beatable, and I think that with the belt changing hands so many times it has proven that to be true. I wish the belt wasnt passed down from me, but anybody is beatable. [Nunes] can be beat, and anybody in the division is capable of it. If you would have looked back one year ago and imagined how the division would be, you wouldnt have thought the belt would have changed hands three times already. It has been a crazy year for our division. Amanda could hold onto it and is very capable of it, but she can be beat. I dont ever really think that anything is a certainty, and thats what makes fighting fun to watch.You were criticized by Dana White for taking the Tate fight instead of waiting on Rousey. A few months later, the UFC asked Tate to do essentially the same thing by fighting Nunes. Were you hurt by how that played out?Well, I think its a good thing I didnt wait for the Ronda fight, because Id still be waiting. Would I have my belt still if I was waiting? I mean, yeah, but what kind of champion is that who sits on the bench? Im glad I took the fight with Tate. Thats what I wanted to do. I didnt get into this to just walk around with a shiny belt and polish it. I wanted to get in there to fight. Thats why I started doing this sport. When you start fighting, you dont really even make money in the beginning. If youre doing it in the amateurs, you are just doing it for passion. I like to stay true to that. Again, its a good thing I didnt wait for Ronda, because Id still be waiting. There are a lot of fighters in this division, and its not just about one fighter.In some ways, your name will forever be linked with Rousey because of that fight. What are your thoughts on whether she will ever return and be the same fighter again?I dont worry about it -- at all. I think any fighter should do whatever they are passionate about. If shes not passionate about fighting right now, then I dont want to see her fight. I dont want to see any fighter fight if they arent into it. Who wants to see that? I want to see two fighters who are hungry. I want to see them get in there and do it. I dont want to see anyone fight just because everyone else thinks they should. If she wants to? Great. And if she doesnt? Do what you want to do. Its your own life.Whats the one thing you learned from the loss to Tate that will help you the most moving forward?I just hate to lose. I hate to lose. I hate it. That is it. I dont care how I lost, it doesnt matter. It all sucks that bad. I hate to lose, and that is my motivation all the time, even if I wasnt coming off of a loss. Im motivated to go in there and win every time.If you defeat Shevchenko on Saturday, who is most deserving of the next shot at Nunes title?I guess Im just not even letting myself think that way. Im just going to focus on this fight. I dont want to do anything to look past it. We will see what happens.Whats the biggest thing you are looking to prove to yourself with this fight?For me, I always want to show a better and improved me. That means all of my time in the gym is not a waste. I want to make my hard work worth it and all of the sacrifices that my coaches have made for me. That is really it. ' ' '