Chelsea midfielder Oscar believes interim manager Guus Hiddink is getting the best out of his players and has them working as a team. Hiddinks relaxed style appears to have turned Chelseas season around as their struggles in the final months of Jose Mourinhos reign now seem distant.Chelseas defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in midweek was their first since Hiddinks arrival in December, and only his second in 34 matches in two spells at the club. Oscar certainly seems to be playing with more confidence in recent months, the 24-year-old has scored five goals in 12 games since the arrival of the Dutchman.Hiddink has also reintroduced John Obi Mikel as a second defensive midfielder to protect a back four that was looking bedraggled in the first half of the campaign. Hiddink: No plans to stay on Guus Hiddink admits his managerial career will end this season [The coach] has been very good for the attacking players and he has really emphasised the importance of playing good football and creating lots of chances and scoring more goals, Oscar said on The Sunday Times.All the attackers have felt that [message] and the improvement is clear for everyone to see. He wants to see us be compact all the time. Based on how well Guus has been doing so far, he could very well stay. Guus Hiddink is the Chelseas manager until the end of the season The Brazil internationals compatriot Ramires decided to leave Chelsea for Jiangsu Suning in January, but despite the Chinese clubs attempt to lure Oscar, he has no intention of leaving Chelsea for the time being.Its a good move, Oscar said of his former team-mate.As for me, there was interest but I have no desire to leave Europe, Chelsea are a fantastic, very big club and Im still young.Im 24 so I have a lot of football here ahead of me. Also See: Hiddink: No plans to stay on Eriksson: Terry the talk of China Chelsea v Man City preview Hiddink outlines joyful approach Authentic Air Jordan From China . He says so-called TRT is only one problem and he wants to go even further than the ban. "Its about time," St-Pierre told reporters at a promotional event in Montreal on Friday. "I think its a good thing. Air Jordan Outlet . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. http://www.wholesaleairjordanchina.com/ . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Jordans Wholesale Store . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. Nolan punched Oilers forward Jesse Joensuu in the jaw in front of the Kings goal during a scrum. Wholesale Real Jordans . Goals from Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller extended Bayerns unbeaten run to a record 37 matches. "

One week had passed since a Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl win served as Houstons biggest bowl celebration in 35 years and doubled as the Cougars declaration as a future playoff revolutionary.Tom Herman, who days earlier stood overwhelmed atop a Georgia Dome stage, was clearing space. Not for two sterling trophies but for his family. The first-time head coach who went 13-1 in his inaugural season was cleaning his garage.The luster of a conference championship and New Years Six trophy for Houston didnt wear off after a week. It was wiped clean. It was time for Hermans 2016 to to-do list, which constituted a Saturday of housework.Winning the Peach Bowl does not help you at all with what youre trying to accomplish in 2016, Herman said. Youve probably heard we dont wear any Peach Bowl gear during team activities, we dont say the words.Its a formula adopted from Urban Meyer. If Meyers ketchup, Herman is catsup. The recipe is the same, just a repackaged style. With a clean garage, next on Hermans to-do list was to touch base with Meyer.Want to win a national championship in Year 2? Meyer has the blueprint, and it was Meyer who helped launch Hermans nascent coaching career with a three-year apprenticeship at Ohio State.At two of Meyers past three stops, Year 2 consisted of an undefeated regular season. The other was a national championship year. There have been three BCS bowls, and while Boise State and TCU are memorialized as the BCS busters, first there was Meyers 2004 Utah team.Now, Herman is hoping to similarly chart a landscape undefined for the Group of 5. In his second season at Houston, Herman has positioned the Cougars as a viable preseason playoff contender. In the first two years of the playoff, only one Group of 5 team has been ranked preseason: No. 23 Boise State in 2015.[Meyers] Year 2s are phenomenal, Herman said.Herman hopes to duplicate it, and there are striking similarities between how Meyer started his programs with what Herman is doing at Houston.1. Break entitlementMeyer blueprint:Wide receiver Dallas Baker enrolled at Florida in 2003 under Ron Zook but lived off past Florida glory. A nose-diving program still held itself in the same esteem as the SEC powerhouse of the 1990s.We were losing but still living the life. We were living off stuff that Steve Spurrier did, Baker said. That first [Meyer] year, 2005, was about breaking entitlement. Coach Meyer said the school owes you nothing.So Meyers first offseason consisted of midnight and weekend workouts to assess the players dedication to the program and one another. Stripped of their gear and given tattered workout clothes, players were shipped to nearby Lake Alice to carry weighted milk jugs the length of the field. Lifting logs, army crawls and sledgehammer slams followed as the rest of campus enjoyed the temperate winter weather.It taught us not to give up, no matter how hard, Baker said. It was about dedicating our time to one another.Herman model:Herman stripped Houston of any sense of comfort in his first offseason. Players had to earn the right to display the Houston insignia. The locker room was chained shut, and what followed were a series of consecutive pre-dawn workouts.Earn a place on the team, Herman demanded, and build equity with the staff.He told us that first-meeting things will be a meritocracy, senior defensive end Cameron Malveaux said. You get what you earn, all the way to the workout gear.... That first offseason, he was trying to make us realize he was the real deal. We did a lot of things to break you physically and mentally. Of course we had a couple teammates back out, weeded out.2. Change practice habitsMeyer blueprint:In the moments leading up to the 2006 national championship game, Meyer and Baker argued over the intricacies of a route. Early in the first quarter, a pass to Baker went for a touchdown rather than a costly red zone interception.There is no detail overlooked during practices with Meyer. No skills are taken for granted. Basics are perfected.Not taking anything away from Coach Zook because he coached at Florida in the early 90s and knows Florida football, but he wasnt about hitting on fundamentals. We didnt hit on them. It was supposed to be expected, Baker said. It was about bringing the juice like Florida had with Coach Spurrier. When Coach Meyer came, it was about competing, learning how to run, basically taking a robot apart and putting it back together.Once Meyer built them back up, he put his players through the most physically taxing practices. He would set up the offense against the defense first-and-goal from the 1-yard line, and the loser had to run sprints. It fostered such a competitive environment that fights would sometimes break out, creating an edge which former players said the coach liked.My second year in the NFL, I went back to Florida and how intense it was, in the NFL you didnt practice nearly as hard or strenuous, 2006 linebacker Brandon Siler said. It comes from the tempo and amount of stress he puts on competition.Herman method:At Houston, dont dare walk onto the practice field with even a slight deviance from the equipment that players were asked to wear. Dont finish a route even a half-inch past its intended point.That tremendous attention to detail came from Urban, said Houston co-defensive coordinator Craig Naivar.After beating Vanderbilt last season, Herman offered a break from those heavily scrutinized practices. He asked his players whether they wanted a light day early next week. Theyd watch film instead of slopping in the downpour outside.They declined.And this spring, Houston suffered through more live hitting in practice than ever before. Malveaux estimates there were far more than 1,000 live repetitions, exceeding any previous spring.It was a feel for hard-nosed football, he said. The main thing is we have to impose our will on teams.3. Proper alignmentMeyer blueprint:Alignment is a word rooted in Meyers programs, and it doesnt always take hold in the first year. Not much changes in Year 2 to spark a championship run, but after a full year, theres an alignment within the program. Its an all-encompassing term stretching to every corner of the program.In Year 1, I dont care where you go. Youre trying as best you can to get as much buy-in, but theres never 100 percent. There cant be. Guys have been involved in another program, said Steve Addazio, who is the coach for Boston College and former Meyer assistant. In Year 2, everyone knows the offseason program, understands accountability, bought into the principles, the way we practice, run Fridays, train. Everyone is in alignment.Thats really what it is. I know it intimately. Theres nothing else thats dif

This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!Portland Trail BlazersOverall: 46 Title track: 80 Ownership: 47 Coaching: 28 Players: 17 Fan relations: 51 Affordability: 69 Stadium experience: 51 Bang for the buck: 45 Change from last year: +25Portlands first year without LaMarcus Aldridge went better than expected. Led by the dynamic backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, the Blazers made the playoffs and even won a game against the Warriors in the conference semifinals (no easy feat!). They also landed in the NBAs top 10 in average attendance for the ninth straight season. The young Blazers are hoping for a fourth straight playoff appearance this season, but this one wont be a surprise.Whats goodBoth Lillard and McCollum set career highs in scoring, with the former landing on the All-NBA Second Team and the latter more than tripling his scoring average in his first year as a starter. Add leading rebounder Mason Plumlee and role players Al-Farouq Aminu, Allen Crabbe and Maurice Harkless -- at 26, 24 and 23 years old, respectively -- and youve got a nice core. That explains the 46-spot jump in players (17th overall, Portlands best showing). Coaching also improved 41 spots and is now 28th overall, thanks to the steady hand of Terry Stotts, whos entering his fifth season as Portlands head man. The Blazers have made the playoffs the past three seasons and won 50 games twice, and Stotts earned an extension through 2020.Whats badWould we be shocked if the Blazers matched or exceeded their 44-win output from last season? Not at all. Does that mean they are any closer to winning a championship? Also no. Tucked away in the exceedingly competitive Western Conference, Portland doesnt have the firepower to take down the Warriors or Spurs. That explains a title track that sits at No. 80 -- 18 spots better than last year but not high enough to land the Blazers among the leagues elite. The reason, in part, is that Portland has not been a free-agent destination throughout its history. While Kevin Durant decided to take his talents to Golden State, for example, Portland landed Evan Turner. Thats good but not championship great.Whats newA 42-spot increase in ownership is a tribute to billionaire Paul Allen, also the owner of the NFLs Seahawks, who green-lighted about $350 million in offseason spending, mostly on the retention of players from last seasons roster. Portland gave McCollum a $106 million extension and brought back role players Harkless, Crabbe and Meyers Leonard. Oh, and they also signed versatile wing Turner and upgraded the frontcourt with former Warriors big man Festus Ezeli. There will be no super-team in Portland, but the Blazers seem just fine with that: Theyll go about winning a different way, by keeping their guys together.Next: Toronto Raptors?| Full rankings Brent Seabrook Jersey . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Patrick Kane Blackhawks Jersey . LOUIS -- Lance Lynn was one of the more enthusiastic participants as the St. http://www.officialblackhawksfanstore.com/authentic-tony-esposito-blackhawks-jersey/ . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals missed another chance to get a statement win.A road game on Monday night against a winning team was an opportunity for the Bengals to reach .500 for the season.The Bengals faltered in the fourth quarter, though, and lost to the Giants 21-20 to fall to 3-5-1.The Bengals dropped to 11-23 on Monday night, including 4-7 in the Marvin Lewis era. The Bengals havent won a road game on Monday night since the 1990 season, which was also the last season the team won a playoff game.The loss also continues the Bengals struggles against the leagues better teams in 2016. They also have lost to Dallas, Denver, New England and Pittsburgh.Weve got to find a way to flip the switch and get these games turned into wins rather than a tie in London and a one-point loss here tonight, Dalton said.Weve got to take a good hard look at what were doing and correct the things that are hurting us.Penalties, an inconsistent offense and an inability to contain Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. combined to foil the Bengals.Dalton was 16 of 29 for 204 yards with a TD pass to A.J. Green and an interception.The Bengals finished with only 12 first downs and 264 yards.The defense, which entered the game ranked 25th in the league, allowed 351 yards, and the Bengals were penalized nine times for 60 yards.Trailing 21-20 early in the fourth quarter, Dalton was intercepted by Landon Collins. George Iloka intercepted Manning on the next play, but the Bengals were unable to take advantage as they failed to get a first down. The Bengals were forced to punt on their next two drives as the Giants sacked Dalton twice.The fourth-quarter struggles overshadowed a strong start to the second half.The Bengals used Alex Ericksons 84-yard second-half kickoff return to get back in the game. Jeremy Hill had a 9-yard TD run and the Bengals later added Mike Nugents 38-yard field goal for a 20-14 lead in the third quarter.But the defense couldnt hold the lead as the Giants went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 3 and scored on Mannings third TD pass of the game early in the fourth quarter to retake the lead at 21-20.Late in the second quarter, the Bengals missed an opportunity when they only mustered a field goal after Dre Kirkpatricks interception gave them the ball at the 7. They were held to a 25-yard field goal by Nugent for a short-lived 10-7 lead.We have opportunities on offense to put more points on the board and we end having to kick field goals and that ended up probably being the difference in the football game, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. If we get a touchdown, particularly from the 7-yard line there.Manning then led a drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Beckham for a 14-10 lead at the half.With no team in control of the AFC North, the Bengals fell further behind in their hope to reach the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. They host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.Were trying to figure out what we need to do to have these outcomes be different and theres not one explanation for it, Dalton said.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Vince Carter Jersey .com) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to halt their longest losing streak of the season when they host the struggling New York Islanders in tonights clash at the Bell Centre. Shaquille ONeal Magic Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.magicauthentic.com/kids-penny-hardaway-magic-jersey/ . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. Jonathan Isaac Magic Jersey . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. Nikola Vucevic Jersey . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division.Jonathan Quick stopped 25 of 26 shots faced, Justin Williams scored a pair of goals three minutes apart in the second period and that was enough for the Los Angeles Kings to take Game Seven against the San Jose Sharks by a 2-1 score. The Kings will face the winner of Wednesdays Detroit-Chicago Game Seven in the Western Conference Final. Quick has risen to the challenge in the postseason, just as he did last year when he won the Conn Smythe Trophy. In fact, Quicks .948 save percentage in this years playoffs is even better than the .946 save percentage he posted in last years Cup run. The difference, though, is that Quick was a Vezina finalist last year and this year, his .902 save percentage in the regular season was the worst of his career. Its also been imperative for Los Angeles that Quick play at such a high level because the Kings have managed a playoff-low 24.8 shots per game and are being outshot by 4.6 shots per game. Without superior goaltending, theyre not getting through. Williams picked a fine time to break out of his slump. In his last seven games, Williams had no goals, one assist and 11 shots on goal, but then came up big when the series was on the line. Not only did he score a pair of goals, but Williams had a team-leading five shots on goal while playing 19:53, his second-highest total of the postseason. Kings D Slava Voynov assisted on both of Williams goals in Game Seven, and finished the series with five points, tying Jeff Carter and Mike Richards for the team lead. San Joses only goal of Game Seven was scored by D Dan Boyle, and set up by RW Joe Pavelski, giving both four points in the series, tying Joe Thornton for the Sharks team lead.dddddddddddd Brent Burns, who had been such a force as a power forward in the second half of the season, managed just one goal (on 19 shots) and no assists through the seven game series. What was somewhat puzzling about San Joses plan for Game Seven was the amount of ice time allocated for fourth liners. Bracken Kearns played a playoff-high 9:32, Adam Burish and Andrew Desjardins played 10-minutes-plus, yet Joe Thornton played 19:36 in a game in which the Sharks trailed for more than half the contest. Thorntons line struggled possession-wise, but with the Sharks trying to mount a comeback, who wouldnt prefer to have Thornton on the ice for an extra couple of minutes? In any case, the Sharks acquitted themselves well. Even if he was outdueled by Quick, G Antti Niemi finished the playoffs with a .930 save percentage and there is a subtle changing of the guard taking place, as Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski emerge into more prominent roles, necessitated by Thornton and Patrick Marleau getting older. But now, the Kings continue their title defence against either Detroit or Chicago. No matter who gets through, the Kings are going to have a real shot at repeating if Jonathan Quick is going to remain the hottest goaltender on the planet. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '

Katie Ledeckys Olympic Games are off to a flying start: The 19-year-old swimmer took gold in her first individual event Sunday night. And she didnt just win -- she blew her competition out of the water, finishing with a nearly 5-second lead and breaking her own world record in the 400-meter freestyle.By holding world records in the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle, Ledeckys dominance continues to be astounding. During Sunday nights broadcast, as Ledecky quickly pulled ahead of the pack, NBCs Rowdy Gaines proclaimed: A lot of people say she swims like a man. She doesnt swim like a man -- she swims like Katie Ledecky.Indeed, the tendency to compare women athletes to men seems to arise no matter what, in an attempt to contextualize female athletic achievement in the male terms we understand as default.This girl is doing respectable times for guys, 11-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte told USA Today. Olympic silver medalist Connor Jaeger took the comparison beyond her impressive times. Her stroke is like a mans stroke, he told the Washington Post. I mean that in a positive way. She swims like a man.Lochte, Jaeger and most people comparing Ledecky to male swimmers are trying to be nothing but praiseworthy. And the idea that she has a mans stroke isnt entirely hyperbolic. As espnWs?Philip Hersh explains, her coach tweaked her mechanics to employ techniques rarely used by female swimmers:And yet, its easy to see why many on social media reacted strongly to the idea of comparing Ledecky to a man in the first place. Ledecky uses a stroke traditionally ascribed to men, but theres nothing about the skills required to employ that stroke that are uniquely male. Strength and timing can be acquired, and history has shown us that both improved training and increased access to sports helps close the gap between men and women athletes.This is demonstrably true in swimming. In 2012, the Atlantics Robinson Meyer found that womens world-record times in the 100 free have improved at a greater pace than the mens times since 1905. Interestingly, he also compared mens and womens world records across events and found that women come closest to men in longer races, particularly the 1500.Thats noteworthy with regard to Ledecky because, while she holds the world record in the 1500 free, she wont have the chance to swim the event in Rio. The womens mile is glaringly absent from the Olympic program, which has featured the mens 1500 since 1908.The reasons are vague and unconvincing -- everything from a lack of global reach to a dearth of public interest. But while the 1500 requires more patience from viewers than shorter races with more immediate excitement, theres no explanation for why that same reasoning isnt applied to the men -- nor why it also doesnt hold true for the 10K open-water swim, which was introduced to the Olympics for both men and women in 2008. As for the global nature of the womens mile, since the 1500 was added to the FINA world championship program in 2001, the event has hailed medalists from 11 different countries.The International Olympic Committee has thus far rejected FINAs attempts to push for the womens 1500 in the Olympics, citing too many events on the schedule. Thats a very real concern, and has led the IOC to foolishly eliminate other essential events in the past. (Welcome back, baseball and softball.)Having men swim a 1500 while the women swim an 800 harkens back to a time of immense resistance to all womens events, particularly those endurance sports thought to be too physically strenuous for delicate female bodies. And while that might not be the intention, its not happening in a vacuum. Its happening in a sports climate that tells women tennis players they cant play five sets, that belittles womens basketball and soccer players for hypothetically not being ab

SEATTLE -- In the third quarter of the Seahawks 24-3 win?Thursday night, the team?faced a first-and-goal from the Los Angeles Rams 1-yard line and opted to throw the ball to Jimmy Graham in the end zone.That decision did not sit well with cornerback Richard Sherman, who engaged in a shouting match with members of the coaching staff on the sideline.Im upset about us throwing from the 1, Sherman said afterward. Id rather do what most teams would do, making a conscientious decision to run the ball.Sherman said he was initially talking to Pete Carroll on the sideline, but then offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell got involved.Yeah, I was letting [Carroll] know. Weve already seen how that goes, Sherman said, alluding to the Seahawks Super Bowl XLIX loss to the New England Patriots, which ended on a Russell Wilson interception in a similar situation.Im sure you guys have seen that play enough times, Sherman said.Sherman had to be calmed down by teammates, including linebacker Bobby Wagner, on the sideline.Carroll, meanwhile, downplayed the incident.Between what he was saying and what Doug [Baldwin] was saying, Doug was saying, Give me the ball. And Richard was saying something else, Carroll said. I needed those two guys to go sit down and have a little timeout and talk it over what we should do next.Im not even worried about it one bit, not one bit. I dont know. I talked to him on the sidelines, and he was jacked up and ready to go. He went out and played a good series after that. What was said in there, it doesnt matter. I know you would love to know more. Youll probably figure out more. But I dont care.Wilsons pass to Graham on the first-and-goal situation was nearly intercepted. After a failed rushing attempt with Marcel Reece on second down, Wilson threw a touchdown to Baldwin.That was one of our guys whos got as much emotion and passion for this game as you could ever want, Carroll said of Sherman. And sometimes it goes one way, you have to reel it back in. He did exactly that. He did a nice job of coming back to poise and finishing the game really well. Jonathan Huberdeau Jersey . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. Denis Malgin Panthers Jersey .500 on the season. The Jets are now 0-5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. The game started the same way the Vancouver game started the night before, with the Jets taking the first two penalties of the game and killing off the first, but the Oilers getting on the board first, scoring on the second man-advantage. http://www.hockeypanthersofficialonline.com/vincent-trocheck-hockey-jersey/ . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Denis Malgin Jersey .Y. - New Orleans forward Anthony Davis was chosen Friday to replace the injured Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star game that will be played in his home city. Henrik Borgstrom Panthers Jersey .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center. The NFL is still seeking an audience with the four linebackers its investigating for an alleged link to performance-enhancing drugs.The leagues latest message to James Harrison, Clay Matthews, Mike Neal and Julius Peppers came with an ominous and onerous threat: Answer our questions in the next 10 days, or start your suspension.NFL senior vice president of labor policy and league affairs Adolpho Birch sent a letter Monday to the NFL Players Association detailing a plan to suspend Harrison, Matthews, Peppers and Neal if they dont speak with the league by Aug. 25.Their punishment would then start the following day on an indefinite basis, to be ended at the discretion of Commissioner Roger Goodell once an interview has been completed.Birchs memo to the union was obtained by The Associated Press, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation whos not authorized to speak publicly about it.Harrison, a 14-year veteran, is a longtime leader for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Matthews and Peppers are key cogs in Green Bays defense, and Neal is currently a free agent who spent the past six seasons with the Packers. Harrison, Matthews and Peppers have been picked for the Pro Bowl a combined 20 times.The NFL first notified the quartet on Jan. 11 about the investigation into a television report by Al-Jazeera featuring allegations made by Charlie Sly, who worked as an intern at an anti-aging clinic, about the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs by several athletes including the four linebackers. Sly later recanted his claims.Birch, in his letter, said the league has made at least seven attempts to arrange the interviews.Goodells power to punish has been a prickly issue between the NFL and the union in recent years, so the elevation of this dispute was not surprising since it revolves around the potential of player discipline and how it fits withiin the collective bargaining agreement.ddddddddddddhe stance of the players has been steadfast in this case, refusing to be interviewed without being presented with what theyve called credible evidence. Affidavits were sent by the NFLPA on behalf of the players to substitute for the interviews. Birch dismissed each as simply half-page statements, which were wholly devoid of any detail. Birch also said the league determined that an assertion made in Neals affidavit was demonstrably false.Harrison said in his statement, sent to Birch July 25 by the NFLPA, he never met nor communicated with the source of the report and has never violated the NFLs policy on performance-enhancing substances.Neither the CBA nor the policy state that a player must agree to an in-person interview based upon random, baseless verbal remarks or face discipline for a failure to cooperat

Sky sources report that Sam Tomkins is set to make his long awaited return to Super League for Wigan against Hull FC on Friday, live on Sky Sports 3. The 27-year-old England international full-back has re-joined his hometown club but has yet to play this season, having sustained a knee ligament injury while playing for New Zealand Warriors last year. However, Tomkins recently returned to training and now looks set to make his first appearance for Wigan since 2013.Having moved to the NRL for a world record fee, Tomkins spent two years with the Warriors, but it was announced last year that he would leave at the end of the 2015 season.He had an operation on the knee injury just before Christmas but Wigan coach Shaun Wane said last week that Tomkins was training every day and would be back in action soon. Also See: Rugby League on Sky Fixtures and results Follow @SkySportsRL Pundits Yu Darvish Cubs Jersey .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. Cole Hamels Jersey . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . http://www.thecubsteamshop.com/Cubs-Billy-Williams-Kids-Jersey/ . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Kosuke Fukudome Cubs Jersey . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. Mike Montgomery Cubs Jersey . 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. ARLINGTON, Texas -- While the Texas Rangers are getting close to clinching another AL West title, their top two pitchers are struggling a bit.Yu Darvish matched a career high allowing seven runs, a night after All-Star lefty Cole Hamels had another subpar outing, and the AL-best Rangers lost 11-2 to the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night.We believe in those two guys, in Cole and Darvish, manager Jeff Banister said. Still believe theyre as good as there is out there.Darvish (5-5) struck out eight in his five innings, but walked four batters -- all of those runners scored -- and allowed two homers.Ive been having good command throughout this year. Today I didnt have it, Darvish said through his translator. I think its because I wasnt getting a good feel for it physically, and a feel for the pitches. Im not talking about pain or anything, its just the feel. I just didnt pitch well today.Joey Wendle led off the game with his first major league homer and Marcus Semien also went deep against Darvish.Carlos Gomez homered for the Rangers (88-61), whose magic number to clinch the division title dropped to five after Houston won 2-1 at Seattle later Saturday night. The Astros and Mariners are both 9 1/2 games back in the AL West with two weeks left in the regular season.Hamels has allowed at least six runs in three of his four starts, including the series opener Friday night against the As when he allowed six runs in six innings before the Rangers rallied to win the game with two outs in the ninth.There would be no big comebacks Saturday night, after which both Hamels and Darvish will likely have no more than two more starts before the postseason.Darvish has put together some quality starts in there, Banister said. With Cole, obviously, weve seen some challenges, hes been nicked a little bit, but still, these guys are still throwing quality pitches. ... I feel like that these guys are going to continue to find their rhythm and make good pitches for us.Raul Alcantara (1-1), among five As pitchers to make their MLB debuts this season with a start, had three strikeouts without a walk. He pitched into the sixth, when he allowedd a two-run homer to Gomez.dddddddddddd.Danny Valencia added another three-run homer for the As, his 17th, in the eighth off Dario Alvarez.Wendle, a rookie second baseman in his 15th career game, hit a 1-1 pitch into the left-field seats. His sacrifice fly in the second made it 4-0, after Darvish had walked the bases loaded to start the second and Bruce Maxwell hit a two-run singleSemiens three-run homer in the fifth, his 26th, made it 7-0 against Darvish.I noticed that early the fastball command wasnt there. So you get him looking in one spot, Semien said. Hes going to throw it in there. He throws a lot of offspeed too, so we were able to key in on one pitch and did a good job.NO A FOR YU VS OAKLANDDarvish is now 2-9 in 13 career starts against Oakland. No other team has beaten Darvish more than four times. When Darvish last faced Oakland -- a day after his 30th birthday exactly a month ago Saturday -- he struck out nine and walked one in seven innings in a 6-2 victory. Before that, he had gone 0-8 in 10 starts against the As since winning against them more than four years earlier in only his eighth game after coming from Japan.TRAINERS ROOMAthletics: RHP Sonny Gray, out since Aug. 7 with a strained right forearm, threw all of his pitches during a 31-pitch bullpen session. He will get a couple of days off before another bullpen, and could still potentially pitch in another game this season.Rangers: DH/1B Prince Fielder was in the dugout for the first time since announcing last month that he couldnt play again after a second spinal fusion surgery. He got his neck brace off just more than a week ago.UP NEXTAthletics: Since eight scoreless innings in his first start for Oakland, lefty Ross Detwiler is 1/3 with a 5.25 ERA his last seven games (six starts).Rangers: Colby Lewis (6-2, 3.31) makes his only his second start since a two-month stint on the DL with a strained right lat. The right-hander allowed three runs, all on solo homers, in 5 1/3 innings at the Los Angeles Angels last Sunday. ' ' '

Maggie Crawford was deep in the Wyoming wilderness in the spring of 2013, leading a trip with the National Outdoors Leadership School (NOLS), when she started forgetting peoples names.She was sick to her stomach and somehow also hungry -- hoarding food, eating anything anyone left out but still losing drastic amounts of weight. Finally, she had to admit something was wrong. She used the emergency satellite phone to call headquarters. Then she hiked 20 miles to meet up with the refueling truck to begin the long trip back home to California.For Crawford, 28, it was also the start of a whole new life -- she just didnt know it yet. I definitely had diabetes then, but I had no idea, she says.Until that moment, Crawford had always taken advantage of her good health. She and her now-husband, Timbo Stillinger, spent a year bumming around New Zealand after college, chasing adventure and sleeping in tents. Then they moved back to the U.S. and lived in a decked-out van, hiking, skiing and climbing every day. They surfed and ran ultramarathons. In the fall of 2012, Crawford was training to break the womens record for summiting all of Californias 14ers -- peaks over 14,000 feet. She planned to climb all 15 mountains in only five days.But she got sick partway through the attempt, could barely crawl out of her sleeping bag, and bailed on the record. She assumed she just had giardia (a parasite) and, as soon as she could, she headed right back out to join that fateful NOLS trip. Instead of feeling like her normal self, though, she spent months being sick.After she self-evacuated from Wyoming, got a ride with the refueling truck, and made her way back to Santa Barbara, it took only one visit to the doctor to get a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes.After the fact, looking back, it was a lot more obvious. There were all these things, small chronic issues, we were wondering about that then made sense, Stillinger says.Type 1 diabetes meant Crawfords pancreas had stopped producing insulin. This can be caused by a combination of genetics and her bodys own immune system reacting to harmful viruses or bacteria. Crawfords diabetes probably was triggered by the bacteria she picked up during her 14ers record attempt, but it also runs in her family. Her cousin, a professional cyclist, was diagnosed just before she was.Diabetics arent able to process the sugar they eat; they cant turn it from glucose in the bloodstream into energy. That means they have to give themselves insulin shots and must carefully manage their diet and stress levels, which can also increase blood glucose.They kind of just sent me home with insulin and needles. It was terrifying, Crawford says. Equally terrifying was that this seemed to mean the end to all of her adventures. Type 1 diabetes doesnt go away, and she didnt want to spend the rest of her life without climbing another mountain or surfing another wave. Instead, she set about trying to figure out how to be healthy and happy.She just kind of took the initiative from day one, developed a plan, and stuck with it. Its been pretty impressive to watch, Stillinger says.Fortunately for Crawford, she knew where to start. As an undergrad at UC Berkeley, she studied nutrition and worked in a lab doing diabetes research. She called up her old boss, and soon she was connected to a whole world of Type 1 diabetics who still ride their bikes across mountains and surf every morning, who still do more stuff than most people who dont have it, Stillinger says. They helped her figure out what works and what definitely doesnt.First up: a little stability.I thought, All right, we probably shouldnt live in a van anymore, she jokes, if for no other reason than her medicine needed to stay cold and its hard to keep things cold while living in a van. But the diagnosis also helped her come to terms with the idea of creating permanence and sustainability in her life.In the year after her diagnosis, she and Stillinger became engaged. He started grad school, and she started a job working in public health. She then got accepted into a PhD program at UC San Diego, where she now works with mostly Type 2 diabetics on health behaviors -- hoping to make sure no one has to go through the same uncertain time she went through after her diagnosis. The two of them moved into a house outside San Diego and adopted a dog, whom Crawford then trained to detect -- with his nose -- when Crawfords blood sugar is high.But the pair didnt get too domestic. Crawfords next step was figuring out what adventures still made sense, and that meant finding a way to manage her diabetes.She now eats a vegan, gluten-free and generally low-fat diet. It helps her keep inflammation down and makes her body more sensitive to the insulin she takes. But it took some trial and error to learn what kinds of foods keep her blood sugar fairly steady. Apples, for example, though tasty, vegan and gluten-free, dont work well for her.And it took some experimenting to figure out how to do what she still wanted to do. When she goes into the mountains, theres no way to get medical help if her blood sugar gets too low, so her doctors told her to keep her blood sugar a little high during long trips. When she runs ultramarathons, her blood sugar will be elevated for a week after. Learning these things was part of a process.She also has learned not to push her body past the point of safety. Instead of extreme events, the couple has started doing shorter trips, which are easier to manage, but with harder and more intense efforts mixed in. She probably wont go for the 14ers record again, but she is testing herself with new challenging climbs.Crawford runs each morning to help manage her insulin levels, and when she rides her bike to the beach to surf, all the lifeguards know its her because of the bananas she leaves sitting in the sand and the gel she has taped inside her wetsuit.Having a community that knows and supports her, and that she also gives back to, has been a valuable part of her post-diabetic life. When she wears her continuous blood glucose monitor -- a recent development that has revolutionized her ability to manage things while climbing or running or biking -- other diabetics will see it and come talk to her. She regularly talks with new diabetics and gives them advice or tips to navigate the same process she went through after diagnosis.It has not slowed her down at all. If anything, its lit the fire even brighter to do more things, Stillinger says. Its a burden for sure, but I think our lives are better now. Theyre healthier and more fulfilled. And not any less fun. Tom Seaver Jersey . The Vikings announced Thursday that Priefer will be one of seven holdovers from the previous staff, along with offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, wide receivers coach George Stewart and others. Norv Turner will mark his 30th year of coaching in the NFL as the offensive co-ordinator, as widely reported for weeks, and George Edwards will be the defensive co-ordinator. Keith Hernandez Jersey .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place. http://www.metssale.com/mets-jed-lowrie-jersey/ . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. Wilson Ramos Mets Jersey . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Zack Wheeler Jersey . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship. SEATTLE -- David Crisp made all four of his 3-pointers down the stretch and scored 26 points to lead Washington to a 94-88 win over Long Beach State on Tuesday night.The Huskies (3-1) failed to connect on their first 13 3-pointers -- meanwhile the 49ers (1-5) made 10-of-17 from range -- but it was the 3-ball that sealed the victory for Washington, which sank its final eight. UW forced back-to-back turnovers with less than six minutes to play, and Matisse Thybulle followed each with a 3-pointer as the Huskies turned a two-point deficit into a 75-68 lead with 5:10 to play.It just wasnt falling, but in the first half, we were guarding, Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said. That allowed us to stay in the game. We talked to our team about it: The shots arent always going to go in.The second half, we did start making shots and I think we forgot about playing defense at that point. Our identity shifted all of a sudden, where we had an offensive mindset.Crisp made four from behind the arc en route to his career-high and Markelle Fultz added 21 points. The guards picked up the slack in the second half from Noah Dickerson, had 17 of his career-high 23 points in the first half and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.Once he makes one 3, I think David, he can just go up from there, said Fultz, who also dished out six assists. Thats what he does. He makes big shots at big times.The Huskies didnt lead for the first 17 minutes but went on a 14-2 run -- eight from Dickerson -- near the end of the half to lead 36-32 at the break.Evan Payne led Long Beach State with 19 points and Noah Blackwell added 12, making 4 of 5 behind the arc.BIG PICTURELong Beach State: The 49ers can see the light at the end of the tunnnel.dddddddddddd Tuesdays game against Washington ended a stretch of contests against Wichita State, North Carolina, Louisville and UCLA. All resulted in losses, but Long Beach State played their best game of the stretch in the last game.Washington: Despite what the score against a 1-5 team might indicate, the Huskies played their most complete game of the season. If not for a team of hands that went collectively cold and vice versa for their opponents, the Huskies would have walked away with a decisive win over a team they battled closely in last seasons NIT. Instead, Washington relied on Dickersons best game since arriving on campus and a stellar defensive performance, forcing the 49ers to make shots with hands in their faces, which for the most part, they did.REMATCHTuesdays game featured a repeat of the first round of the NIT last season. The No. 3-seeded Huskies prevailed in a track meet, 107-102. Of the six players to score in double figures in last years meeting only the 49ers Justin Bibbins (17 points, four assists) remained for the rematch.Theyve played us very tough in the past, Romar said. It seems like whenever we play Long Beach State, the games are close. . We knew that they would come out here and play well.UP NEXT:Long Beach State: The 49ers will be seeking their first win since the season-opener as they travel to Fort Myers, Fla., to play Binghamton in the Battle4Atlantis Mainland on Thursday.Washington: The Huskies head to Las Vegas for their first games away from home this season, playing Western Kentucky to open the Global Sports MTE on Friday. ' ' '

JACKSON, Miss. -- As a tackler latched onto his left ankle, Austin Howard lofted a short pass to Randall Menard, who outjumped a defender in the end zone, and Southern made the score stand up to defeat Jackson State 28-24 Saturday night.The hard-fought TD was an answer to Jackson State surging briefly into a 24-21 lead in the Southwestern Athletic Conference battle.Southern (3-2, 3-0) owned a 429-280 yards advantage in total offense but couldnt shake the Tigers (2-4, 2-2), who were held to a missed field-goal attempt through a scoreless fourth quarter. JSU was penalized 14 times for 125 yards.Joshua Bates scored from the 2 in the third quarter as Jackson State took the 24-21 lead.Howard went 24 for 35 for 288 yards with two TDs -- both to Menard, who caught four balls for 68 yards. Lenard Tillery also scored twice for Southern with 127 yards on 29 carries. Carlos Martinez Cardinals Jersey . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. Ken Boyer Cardinals Jersey . Kuznetsov, who was selected by the Capitals in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has been playing for his hometown team Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. http://www.authenticcardinalspro.com/cardinals-enos-slaughter-jersey/ . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. Yadier Molina Cardinals Jersey .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. Ozzie Smith Jersey . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. The College Football Playoff begins in three weeks, but bragging rights are already underway. And it looks like Washington has taken the early lead over Alabama.Check out this awesome, Beat Bama sign made out of snow inside Husky Stadium:While nothing will be truly decided until the Huskies and Crimson Tide battle it oout on Dec.dddddddddddd 31 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, its always great to see fans go back-and-forth with fun trash talk.?This is very creative. Will Alabama fans top it?--?Isaac Chipps ' ' '

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Bradford will be without striker Billy Clarke for the first leg of their Sky Bet League One play-off semi-final against Millwall, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 12pm on Sunday. Clarke sustained a fractured cheekbone in last Sundays 2-0 home win against Chesterfield and is expected to miss both legs.Boss Phil Parkinson will monitor striker James Hanson, who missed out last week due to a calf injury, and on-loan West Ham defender Reece Burke, forced off at half-time with a groin problem. Billy Clarke: Misses key encounter Striker Steven Davies will return to contention after serving a three-match ban, while wingers Filipe Morais and Kyel Reid, plus defender Nathan Clarke are pushing for recalls. Highlights of Bradfords 2-0 win over Chesterfield Millwall will be without Mahlon Romeo who starts a three-match suspension after the defenders dismissal in the final league game of the regular season.The Lions appealed against the Antigua and Barbuda internationals sending off but were unsuccessful in overturning the decision so Tony Craig could come into a reshuffled back-line. Highlights of Millwalls 2-1 win at Gillingham Lee Gregory is likely to remain on the bench despite scoring last weekends winner in the eighth minute of injury time as he continues to recover from a double hernia.Midfielder Shaun Williams could be back in the starting line-up following his return as a unused substitute last week following a three-game ban.Watch Bradford v Millwall, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 12pm on Sunday. Ander Herrera Manchester United Jersey . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. Matteo Darmian Jersey . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. http://www.jerseymanchesterunitedsoccer.com/womens-marcus-rashford-manchester-united-jersey/ . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. Andreas Pereira Manchester United Jersey . Tevez, who has had conflicts with coaches in the past, has not been called up since Sabella was named coach in 2011. Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. Paul Pogba Jersey . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU. With his Deflategate suspension behind him, Tom Brady is making fun of the scandal in a new Foot Locker commercial.The ad begins with two Foot Locker customers questioning how the shoe retailers annual Thanksgiving sale could continue to be great year after year. A frustrated Brady overhears the conversation and tells the men, Just because something is great year after year doesnt mean anything is going on. He continues, saying such questions turn into assumptions, and then assumptionss turn into vacations.ddddddddddddThe Patriots quarterback served a four-game suspension earlier this season. It was imposed after an NFL investigation concluded the team intentionally underinflated footballs used in the 2015 AFC Championship game.Brady closes the commercial by asking why Foot Locker should be punished for something that never even happened. ' ' '

Dont you hate when a band you really like breaks up? And I dont mean when its 10 years after their last good album and you just heard their No. 1 hit in Muzak form at the grocery store and you feel old and fat. Sometimes theyre coming off a pretty good album, and you were hoping to hear a little more. Thats the Los Angeles Dodgers.All in all, 2016 was a solid season for the Dodgers, with some big moments, including that track with the surprise cameo from Clayton Kershaw at the end of a postseason game that came out of nowhere. Its just that the Cubs release was just that little bit better in the NLCS, and theres some unfinished business for the Dodgers to take care of in 2017.Without third baseman?Justin Turner, closer?Kenley Jansen and starter?Rich Hill, the Dodgers would have been missing some key pieces that would have been quite difficult to replace. Los Angeles has money, even after some loud hints from MLB about the teams debt load, but L.A. was going to boast a $200 million payroll in 2017 no matter what, so to start off the season with an 84-78 roster would have been unacceptable.Its not as if the Dodgers could have replaced the losses in free agency. Hill had the best projected 2017 WAR per ZiPS of any starting pitcher in free agency. Jansen had the second-best reliever projection outside of Aroldis Chapman. And Turner had the second-best WAR projection of any position player?in free agency, just the slightest hair behind Yoenis Cespedes in a neutral park (by about 1/25th of a win).Short of Shohei Otani coming over from Japan -- something that wasnt going to happen and now appears to be unlikely to happen for several years thanks to MLBs awful new CBA section on foreign players -- money didnt matter. Just to continue the music analogy, the free-agent market is a bit like one of those record stores when they went out of business in 2004 or so, and all they had left on the nearly unguarded racks (for 90 percent off) was a stack of Gregorian Monks Sing Squeezes Greatest Hits. OK, I dont think that actually existed. Cheap Detroit Tigers Jerseys .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. Cheap Minnesota Twins Jerseys . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory. http://www.cheapmlbjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=cheap-san-diego-padres-jerseys . "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. Cheap Houston Astros Jerseys . 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. Cheap Los Angeles Dodgers Jerseys . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. CHICAGO -- Brian Dozier was struggling to keep his average above .200 for the first two months of the season.Then June arrived and Dozier turned into one of the hottest hitters in the majors.Dozier homered twice and drove in four runs, Kyle Gibson pitched seven innings of five-hit ball for his first victory of the season, and the Minnesota Twins blanked the Chicago White Sox 4-0 on Tuesday night.Dozier homered in his third straight game and extended his hitting streak to 10 games as the last-place Twins beat the White Sox for first time in seven tries.Its contagious. I know thats a boring answer, but it really is, Dozier said. Guys heat up around you and you kind of feed off one another. I got a couple good pitches to hit.Gibson (1-5) struck out seven and walked one in his best performance since coming off the disabled list this month.Ryan Pressly and Brandon Kintzler each got three outs to finish the six-hitter for Minnesotas first shutout of the season.Thankfully, I was able to put up some zeros and keep some of the pressure off the offense, Gibson said.Dozier pulled both homers off Jose Quintana (5-8), a solo shot off a fastball in the second and a three-run drive off a curveball in the sixth for his third career multihomer game. Doziers 12th homer of the season drove in Eduardo Nunez, who had singled, and Joe Mauer, who walked.Dozier has gone from .202 on June 1 to .259. In his 10-game hitting streak, he is hitting .439 (18 for 41) with five homers, three doubles and two triples.I think hes just slowing himself down and getting a better look at the baseball, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. I think hes executing plans a little bit better and when he gets mistakes, hes taking advantage.It was the ninth straight game with an extra-base hit for Dozier, the longest streak for the franchise since it moved to Minnesota in 1961. Dozier added an infield single off Chris Beck in the eighth.Its all about driving the ball and staying behind the ball, Dozier said.The Twins won for the fifth time in eight games and slowed a White Sox team that thought it waas on the upswing.ddddddddddddChicago had won two straight series after a 10-26 stretch, but it was shut down by Gibson in the right-handers best start since he threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings against the White Sox on Sept. 13.Todd Frazier went 0 for 4 and struck out twice, lowering his average to .198, and Melky Cabrera was 0 for 3 before leaving with a sore left wrist after six innings.Rookie Tim Anderson had two hits for the White Sox, who again provided little support for Quintana. The lefty allowed six hits and struck out eight in seven innings.After a 5-1 start, Quintana is 0-7 in his last nine outings despite a 3.18 season ERA.Its been going on for two or three years, Frazier said of Quintanas lack of support. Maybe we try a little harder. Im not saying pressing like `We got to, we got to. But maybe we go after it more rather than just see pitches.TRAINERS ROOMTwins: RHP Phil Hughes will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. He was already out with a broken bone above his left knee. ... 3B Miguel Sano (strained left hamstring) homered Monday for Triple-A Rochester, but Molitor said he still has a ways to go before hell be ready to end his rehab assignment.White Sox: Manager Robin Ventura said Cabrera has been sore since diving for a fly ball on June 18. When he swings and misses there seems to be some irritation, Ventura said.MORNEAU CLOSERRecent White Sox signing Justin Morneau (elbow surgery) said he feels more like a baseball player as he takes daily batting practice. The former AL MVP with the Twins could start a minor league rehab stint next week -- he said hell need at least 30 at-bats -- before a possible Chicago debut after the All-Star break.That would put Morneau in line to play at Minnesota as an opponent for the first time July 29-31.Itll be weird, he said.UP NEXTRHP James Shields (2-9, 6.22 ERA) makes his fifth start for Chicago and faces Minnesota RHP Ricky Nolasco (3-5, 4.95 ERA) on Wednesday night. ' ' '

AFC Wimbledon manager Neil Ardley insists its a job half done after his sides late 1-0 win over Accrington in the League 2 play-off semi-final first leg. Tom Beeres injury-time winner handed the Dons the advantage going into the second leg in the north west on Wednesday, coming from their only shot on target.Ardley was delighted to be going into the second leg with the advantage, given several sides tasted heavy first-leg defeats over the weekend across the Football League, but is aware it is only half-time in the tie. We know its a job half done, Ardley told Sky Sports. I would have [settled for 0-0]. Seeing how the other games have gone it is important not to be chasing a situation in the second leg. Highlights of the Sky Bet League 2 semi final 1st leg between Wimbledon and Accrington I give Accrington so much respect, theyve done so well this season, but we had to make sure we stayed in the game and had some opportunities, and its worked out well today. We attack together, we defend together.I thought it would be tight. They settled better than we did, but as weve seen in other play-off games you can lose the tie, so its very important to keep it alive.Ardley insists his side will not attempt to hold onto their lead with defensive football in the second leg, and wants another win as they set their eyes on Wembley.We have to go out and try and do the same. We cant go out and defend, you cant show them too much respect, we have to try and cause them a problem.Well try and win the game, thats the only way to do it. If theres 10 minutes to go and we still have the one-goal lead obviously well try and hold onto that, but well go there trying to win the game. AFC Wimbledons Tom Beere celebrates scoring his sides first goal of the game during the Sky Bet League Two play-off Stanley boss John Coleman was less than impressed with what he branded rough-house tactics by the Dons.Weve got a lot of players injured by late challenges and it was allowed to go unpunished, he added.There wasnt a card shown. and if people keep getting away with it, theyre going to keep on doing it.Weve always bounced back when things have gone against us this season and theres no reason why we cant do it again.Weve got to believe, weve got players who can win a game. Well keep plugging away. If theres any justice in this world, well win the game next week. Also See: Beere secure last-gasp win Match stats Match video Wimbledon 1-0 Accrington recap Garrett Bradbury Youth Jersey . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. Kirk Cousins Youth Jersey . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. http://www.authenticvikingspro.com/Adrian-peterson-vikings-jersey/ . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Cris Carter Youth Jersey . -- Devin Hester is done returning kicks in Chicago. Kirk Cousins Vikings Jersey . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. A look at whats happening all around the majors Wednesday:---RETURN OF THE KINGFelix Hernandez (4-4, 2.86) makes his first start for Seattle since May 27 after recovering from a right calf injury. The Mariners ace made two minor rehab appearances, most recently striking out seven over 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball with Triple-A Tacoma. Hell face the White Sox and right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (2-5, 4.40).NEW SOXAll-Star Drew Pomeranz gets his first start with the Red Sox when Boston hosts San Francisco. The left-hander was acquired last week from San Diego for prized pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza after going 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA with the Padres. The Giants send out righty Matt Cain (1-5, 5.34).COLON VS THE CUBSBartolo Colon (8-4, 3.11) and the Mets close out a three-game series with the Cubs. Colon held Chicago to two runs over six innings in a 4-3 win on July 2. Hell face right-hander Kyle Hendricks (8-66, 2.dddddddddddd1), who hasnt lost since June 13.COMING SOONBlue Jays slugger Jose Bautista is expected to begin a rehab assignment and could rejoin Toronto when it opens a three-game interleague series at home against San Diego on Monday. Bautista, out since June 16 with turf toe, will begin his rehab with Class A Dunedin and then play three games with Triple-A Buffalo over the weekend. If alls good, youll probably see him Monday I would guess, manager John Gibbons said.KEEP IT GOINGAnthony DeSclafani was supposed to be the Reds opening day starter until he strained an oblique late in spring training. He missed most of the first half, but is back in top-of-the-rotation form. Hes 4-0 in his last five starts with a 2.67 ERA. He starts the final game of a series against the Braves. ' ' '

NEW ORLEANS -- Justin Simmons perfectly timed leap over Saints long snapper Justin Drescher brought the celebration inside the Superdome to a stunning halt, and sent the Broncos galloping the other way for a first-of-its kind victory.Just like Denver drew it up.Will Parks scooped up Simmons smothering block of Wil Lutzs point-after kick and ran 84 yards for a defensive 2-point conversion that lifted Denver to a wild 25-23 victory over the Saints on Sunday.Simmons says Denver calls the play, Leaper, and was something we worked on all week.It took me a few tries to actually time it up and make sure I could clear the center in practice, Simmons said. We just picked up on their tendencies throughout the week watching film and executed the play.The decisive play came while the Superdome crowd was still buzzing about Brandin Cooks twisting, 32-yard touchdown catch between two defenders, which had put New Orleans in position to take the lead with 1:28 left. Simmons block was scooped up by Parks, who nearly stepped out of bounds as he raced down the left sideline.Im still in disbelief a little bit. Especially when you score at the end, Saints quarterback Drew Brees said. Its tough to play a game like that on both sides of the ball, fighting the way that we all did, and then for it to come down to something like that.It was the first such play to provide the winning points in an NFL game and the third return for 2 points since the NFL began allowing defensive scores on such plays in 2015.Weve always had that play in our arsenal, Simmons said. You put it in the back of your pocket for a situation like this to go win the game.New Orleans (4-5) wasnt entirely unprepared. Drescher said the Saints have a pre-snap Jumper call that linemen are supposed to make when an opposing teams alignment tips off such a play.Its an awareness factor, Drescher said. Weve gone over this before and its on me. Its my responsibility to get up and get him and I didnt do it, and I feel horrible. Its a horrible way to lose the game.The Broncos made the play stand up by recovering an onside kick and running out the clock.STOPPING POWERThe Broncos league-leading pass defense got the best of its matchup with New Orleans top-rated passing offense, thanks in large part to turnovers.Safety Darian Stewart intercepted Brees twice and recovered a fumble for the Broncos (7-3). Three of Denvers four takeaways came on passes intended for Saints rookie sensation Michael Thomas. Thomas fumbled twice after catches, and one of Stewarts interceptions came on a pass Bradley Roby deflected out of Thomas grasp.Brees still wound up completing 21 of 29 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns, with the first two scoring passes going to Willie Snead.Brees final TD pass capped a six-play, 75-yard drive that began with 2:50 left and no timeouts. It put the Saints (4-5), who won four of their previous five games, in position to climb above .500 for the first time this season following an 0-3 start. It was not to be.PERSEVERINGTrevor Siemian overcame two interceptions by passing for touchdowns of 14 yards to Jordan Taylor and 2 yards to Demaryius Thomas. Siemian finished with 258 yards passing and completed other clutch throws as Denver converted 11 of 19 third downs.I was up and down, I made a few mistakes. The defense bailed us out a couple of times, Siemian said. But overall, the group really played hard and theres something to be said about that.MOMENTUM SHIFT: The Broncos controlled the first 29 minutes. Stewart intercepted Brees twice -- joining the currently injured Aqib Talib as the only Broncos with multiple interceptions in one game. The second turnover set up Brandon McManus 50-yard field goal, which gave the Broncos a 10-0 lead.Late in the second quarter, Denver was across midfield and looking for one more score when Sterling Moore anticipated Siemians short throw toward the left flat and intercepted it. Brees marched New Orleans 50 yards in less than 29 seconds, setting up Lutzs short field goal to make it 10-3 at halftime. It was the beginning of 17 straight Saints points.AGGRESSIVE FRONT: The Saints defense entered the game with 11 sacks through their first eight games, or 1 1/2 more than Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller had by himself. But New Orleans created more pressure up front and sacked Siemian six times. Rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, DT Nick Fairley, end Cameron Jordan, safety Kenny Vaccaro and linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Craig Robertson all had sacks. Meanwhile, Denvers defense sacked Brees once to increase its season total to 29. Linebacker Shaq Barrett got the lone sack.UP NEXT:Denver enters its bye week.New Orleans has a short week, playing at Carolina on Thursday night.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Aaron Ramsey Wales Jersey .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey. Joe Ledley Jersey . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. http://www.soccerwalesstore.com/ashley-williams-wales-UEFA-EURO-jersey/ . The Vikings announced Thursday that Priefer will be one of seven holdovers from the previous staff, along with offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, wide receivers coach George Stewart and others. Norv Turner will mark his 30th year of coaching in the NFL as the offensive co-ordinator, as widely reported for weeks, and George Edwards will be the defensive co-ordinator. Gareth Bale Jersey . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. Aaron Ramsey Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. When Tennessee Volunteers?football coach Butch Jones was asked about his senior players at his latest press conference, he responded with a quote that is blowing up the internet.?Theyve won the biggest championship -- thats the championship of life, said Jones.And let the memes begin.Jones Wikipedia page even got an updaate with his championship of life addition (toward the bottom of this tweet).ddddddddddddJones and his Volunteers are currently 8-3, with one game remaining against the Vanderbilt Commodores. ' ' '

CHASKA, Minn. -- After two days of emotionally charged matches, two days of mind-numbingly brilliant entertainment, two days of laser-beam approaches and clutch putts and even a few missed gimmes (sorry, Lee Westwood), two days of Patrick Reed thunderclaps and Rory McIlroy silencers, two days of enough Baba Booeys to last 10 lifetimes and two days of the United States team hanging on to a lead against Europe, the Ryder Cup will all come down to Sundays singles matches.How do we know? Heres a clue: because it always comes down to Sundays singles matches.Forget everything weve heard for the past two years about task forces. Forget all the conjecture over pairings and pods and sort-of-but-not-quite pods and personality profiling. The portion of the Ryder Cup that included high-fiving and fist-bumping and some cringe-worthy shimmy-shake thing (were looking at you, Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar) is over. That was just the appetizer.Now comes the fun part.If weve learned anything through recent history, its that racing to a Saturday evening lead is nice, but its hardly indicative of the eventual champion.With the U.S. up 9? to 6?, that differential is less than 1999, when the U.S. roared back to win at Brookline, and 2012, when Europe did the same at Medinah. Those are the big ones, the most historic ones, but others have proved equally unpredictable entering the final session.In 1995, the U.S. led by two; Europe wound up winning. In 1997, Europe led by five; it wound up holding on to win by a single point. In 2010, Europe led by three; it again held on to win by one point.Moral of the story? Anything can happen on a Sunday at the Ryder Cup. This one wont be any different.Each captain always has various ways to set the lineup. Frontload? Backload? Spread the stars among the batting order? At least right off the top, Team USAs Davis Love III and Team Europes Darren Clarke each clung to the same idea for the blind draw, which in turn has created one of the most anticipated singles matches in recent memory. Reed and McIlroy have each been their respective teams best player over the first two days, and theyll kick things off in what should be a knock-down, drag-out heavyweight title fight-type of match.Ive obviously been around a lot of teams that, no secret, they were going to load the boat, Love said after the matches were announced. So our problem, again, was we say, All right, were going to put the six guys out that are playing really well. Well, weve got 12 that are playing really well, so we didnt know what to do.Thats very diplomatic of the captain, but he did at least understand that of the 12 playing well, Reed is playing the best. Hes also a lightning rod to get the crowd pumped up and start some momentum. But perhaps the greatest reason for him batting leadoff is this: In the strategic game of poker that is setting lineups without knowing the other teams order, he read Clarkes raise of McIlroy and called with his own hottest player.If nothing else, the rest of the golf world thanks them for making this happen.From there, Clarke continued to frontload. He followed with perhaps his next-best performer so far in Henrik Stenson, then Thomas Pieters, Justin Rose, Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Sergio Garcia. If you wanted to know the six players who have played the best so far this week, you dont have to look past the first six on the singles list.Despite his claim that all 12 players are playing well, some of Loves roster is playing better than others. Though he led off with Reed, the U.S. skipper spread out some of his other studs, including Brandt Snedeker, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka in the 8-10 spots, respectively.What will it all mean? Just as history has proven that the Ryder Cup aint over until its over, it also has shown us that there is no secret formula to producing a winning lineup.Perhaps Clarkes frontloading will lead to some early European momentum that carries into the later matches. Maybe it will backfire, with the Americans taking out the opponents best players, turning the remainder of the day into a coronation.The past two days have been a brilliant display of the most passionate golf youll ever see, but thats all just the opening act for Sunday. Bring on the main event. Javier Mascherano Argentina Jersey . The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling "puts an end to my dreams of being a top player," the 27-year-old Troicki said in a statement. "I worked my entire life for it, and it has been taken away from me in one afternoon by a doctor I didnt know," said Troicki, whose ranking peaked at No. Mariano Andujar Jersey . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. http://www.argentinasoccerauthentic.com/Ezequiel-Lavezzi-Copa-America-Jersey/ . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca. Ezequiel Garay Jersey .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. Ezequiel Lavezzi Argentina Jersey .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. He is the secret weapon Cronulla hope will finally deliver them a maiden NRL premiership.Six months after revealing his boredom in the centres, Sharks star Jack Bird is thrilled by the possibility of being bombed in-field in next weeks preliminary final.Coach Shane Flanagan made the shock decision to bench starting halfback Chad Townsend late in their qualifying final win over Canberra, shifting Bird into the halves in the clutch.What has been overlooked was his initial plan to bring bench centre Gerard Beale onto the field late in the game and inject Birds attacking play at lock.That was the plan for Flanno, to put me at lock when them big boys are getting tired and try to beat them on their inside shoulders, Bird told AAP.It was something I was looking forward to actually, just to be around the ball a little bit more and get myself more involved.Unfortunately it didnt work out, but I went to five-eighth and thats the second best option.The NSW State of Origin representative hasnt played a minute in the midfield at club level this year, but is salivating at the thought of making the surprise move in a grand final qualifier.Flanagan has enjoyed the luxury of having a specialist centre in Beale or RRicky Leutele on his bench for most of this season, and could look again at using Birds thrust around the ruck.ddddddddddddBird, who was in a battle with Ben Barba for the fullback spot in the pre-season, concedes he has heard the calls for him to eventually find his best position in the forwards.But he hinted that it could happen sooner, against North Queensland/Brisbane next week.Ive heard a few talks around saying thats where Ill probably end up, playing lock. I played lock when I was younger. Its something I wouldnt mind doing again, he said.The way I play footy, I gotta be around the ball a little bit more. The more I get the ball in my hands, the better Ill be.The 21-year-old admitted he has had a number of discussions with Flanagan during the year on how to get more involved during matches.I havent spoken to him about playing lock, but Ive spoken to him about swinging on the other side of the field and that kind of stuff, he said.But its hard at centre - youve got to stick to your edges. But hopefully it happens somewhere down the track, but Im not too sure when. ' ' '