BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have Jack Eichel back, but theyre still desperately looking for consistency -- something they would like to see when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.The lowest-scoring team in the NHL exploded for nine goals in Eichels first two games back in the lineup last week, picking up victories over the Ottawa Senators (5-4) and New York Rangers (4-3).They had lost the two games before that, however, along with the two games since. On Saturday, Buffalo fell 2-1 to Boston. On Monday night, the Sabres had a 2-1 lead but gave up a late goal to Washington before losing 3-2 in overtime.We have to try and fight our way up the standings, Sabres winger Kyle Okposo said after the loss to Washington. You might have some lulls in the season, but we already had ours. We have to make sure were pushing forward and doing everything we can to get two points. Getting a point is OK, but we had the lead in the third.Eichel missed the first 21 games of the season due to a high ankle sprain and had a minor setback in the loss to the Capitals, but Sabres coach Dan Bylsma called the setback fairly normal.Injuries continue to be an issue for the Sabres, particularly on defense. Erik Bergdorger played in his first NHL game against the Capitals after being called up from the AHLs Rochester Americans and was Buffalos 11th different defenseman to play this season. Zach Bogosian (knee sprain), Dmitry Kulikov (lower back), Josh Gorges (foot) and Taylor Fedun (shoulder) have all been out.The Oilers, like the Sabres, have a young core of players and are looking to finally turn the corner after several years of struggling. With a record of 14-10-3, the Oilers have gotten off to a better start than the Sabres.Edmonton is coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to Minnesota on Sunday but had won its previous two games -- 6-3 at Winnipeg and 3-2 in overtime against Anaheim.In the overtime loss to the Wild, Edmonton avoided a scare in the second period when young superstar Connor McDavid hit his head on the ice and was pulled from the game by the leagues concussion spotters to undergo the leagues concussion protocol. Team doctors later determined that McDavid didnt suffer a concussion.I was pretty shocked, to be honest, McDavid said, according to the teams website. I hit my mouth on the ice. You reach up and grab your mouth when you get hit in your mouth. I think its a pretty normal thing. Obviously, the spotter thought he knew how I was feeling. He pulled me off.McDavid has been lights out through the first third of the season. Through 27 games, he had a team-best 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists), which is 13 points more than the next-highest Oiler (Leon Draisaitl, 21 points).Hes such an easy player to play with, Draisaitl told the teams website. He always wants the puck and hes so fast. I dont really need to talk about how good he is. Hopefully we can keep this going. Nick Young Jersey . Dallas hasnt ruled out the star quarterback for Sunday nights game against Philadelphia, but all signs point to Romos back injury pushing Kyle Orton into the starting role after two years of limited play as the backup. Surely Ortons name isnt the first that comes to mind for fans wanting a change after years of damaging interceptions, fumbles or, most infamously, the field goal flub when Romo dropped the snap on a kick that could have won his first playoff game in 2006. Chris Mullin Warriors Jersey . Kozun faked to the forehand and beat Monsters starter, Calvin Pickard, pad side in the second round for the winner. Spencer Abbott also scored in the shootout for the Marlies (25-13-4). https://www.warriorsrookiesshop.com/Kevin-Durant-City-Edition-Jersey/ . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. Patrick McCaw Warriors Jersey . The parade and rally were held to celebrate the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday in the CFLs championship game. DAngelo Russell Warriors Jersey . Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series. This offseason has developed a bit slowly compared with recent years, but one subtle narrative that has taken shape in recent weeks is the state of pitching metrics. Sam Millers recent article looked at Robbie Ray and the huge disparity between his FanGraphs and Baseball Reference WAR, while the AL Cy Young voting rewarded Rick Porcello, a traditional stats guy, over more saber-friendly competition. What does that say about publicly available pitching metrics? What are they missing, and what can that missing piece of information tell us about pitchers who could have an impact on 2017s pennant races?All metrics get the value of the strikeout and the walk, and the role played by park effects. What they are missing is a precise measurement of pitchers ability to manage contact. But in the age of StatCast, there really isnt an excuse for that. The data is at our fingertips, so we might as well put it to use in the evaluation of pitchers. There are two major aspects to pitching: What happens when the hitter does not make contact -- strikeouts and walks -- and what happens when the hitter does. Pitchers should be evaluated based on both the frequency of each type of ball in play allowed, i.e., their BIP mix, and on thee authority with which those batted balls were hit.ddddddddddddFrequency is a key; for most pitchers, the frequency of most BIP types allowed correlates well from year to year. Starting pitchers popup, fly ball and grounder rates allowed tend to stay about the same; not so line-drive rates, which are relatively volatile. Only truly excellent hurlers -- and hitters -- tend to record better than league-average line-drive rates consistently. Average authority (or exit speed) allowed, both overall and by specific BIP type, correlates a bit from year to year, but not nearly to as significant an extent as frequency. ERA and even FIP (which doesnt go much further than docking a pitcher for allowing homers) both miss pitchers relative contact management skill.This is where a couple of my metrics come in.?Adjusted contact score expresses a pitchers contact management performance based on the exit speed and launch angle of each ball put in play, on a scale where 100 equals average. Then, you add back the Ks and walks to get each pitchers Tru ERA, which can then be compared with his ERA and FIP. ' ' '

With New Mexico State disposed of in a 52-10 rout, Texas A&M could be poised for another big offensive show when the Aggies visit Mississippi State.The Aggies (7-1, 4-1 SEC) and Bulldogs (3-5, 1/3 SEC) will kick off at noon ET Saturday in Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville with the SEC Network airing the game.The Aggies, a surprise No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday, go into the contest ranked second in scoring (38.4 points a game) and total offense (498.8 yards per game) in the Southeastern Conference.The Bulldogs are coming off a 56-41 win over Samford in which they gave up 627 yards, 27 first downs, and 41 points to the FCS foe. They had 669 yards and 29 first downs themselves.Obviously, when youre playing a team like Texas A&M youre going to have to score some points because they score, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said. Theyve put points on the board against everybody so youre going to have to score some points to keep yourself in the game.The Aggies are a well-balanced offense with the split between rushing and passing yardage about as even as you can get. The number on the ground is 249.1 yards per game. Through the air it is 249.6 yards per game.What would A&M coach Kevin Sumlin like?More.Got to continue to get better offensively at what we want to do, he said, looking back on the 515-yard outburst against New Mexico State. Thought we operated pretty well on third down early in game. Got to continue to get better every week.Look at everything Sunday, get with players Monday and talk about the good stuff and the things we need to get fixed. Monday practice mostly about fixing our own issues and not letting them pop up again.Mullen is no stranger to Sumlins offenses. This will be the seventh time in eight seasons the two have matched wits on opposing sidelines during Mullens tenure at Mississippi State.Sumlin is a 4-2 in those games head-to-head including his time at both Houston and Texas A&M.Hes a really good offensive coach, Mullen said. They do a nice job of trying to be innovative and spread the field and utilize players a lot in the same way that we do. Hes not afraid to think outside the box and not afraid to tweak and change around the players that hes had.Keying the Aggies attack is quarterback Trevor Knight. The Oklahoma transfer has completed only 53.3 percent of his passes, but they have been good for over 233 yards a game. His favorite target, veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk, has 54 receptions for 446 yards, and Josh Reynolds provides big-play potential with 586 yards on 19 receptions, an average of 19.5 yards per play.But Knight also provides a running threat. He is second on the team in rushing with 529 yards to running back Trayveon Williams 776 and leads in rushing touchdowns with nine to Williams six.That doesnt bode well for a Mississippi State team that has struggled with its tackling. During its win over Samford, Mississippi State missed more than 20 tackles that resulted in over 300 yards after the catch.Theres a lot different things going on that weve got to get cleaned up, Mullen said. We missed tackles high, low, inside and outside. Guys have to have confidence running to the ball and have to have good form tackling.Mississippi State also has a running threat at quarterback. Nick Fitzgerald has stepped in for Dak Prescott, now starting for the Dallas Cowboys, and has rushed for a team-best 657 yards.Not shocked at all, Sumlin said of Fitzgeralds performance. Dan Mullen has done great job of developing quarterbacks, whether at Utah, Florida, Mississippi State.For you Cowboys fans, theres no mistake. Dak Prescott is a pretty good player. Also has experience based on where he came from that has helped him. This guy is no different.Big guy -- 6-5, 230. Thats first thing that gets your attention. He can spin it. Can put it down and run it. Is a load when he runs it. Another one of those deals where you get later in season, quarterbacks that are young are starting to see more things and are getting better. Trey Lyles Jersey . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. LaMarcus Aldridge Jersey . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. https://www.spurslockerroom.com/Luka-Samanic-City-Edition-Jersey/ . But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. "Id love to look at those opportunities as they arise," Pierce said in an interview from his Winnipeg eatery. San Antonio Spurs Jerseys . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. George Gervin Spurs Jersey . -- Vincent Lecavalier got everything but the desired result in his return to Tampa Bay. Terry Collins said 2017 may be his final year as manager of the New York Mets, but he will wait until after that season to gauge how he feels physically before deciding.I just need to re-evaluate at the end of this coming year whats going on, where I am, how Im feeling, Collins told ESPN.com on Thursday. Ive always said a lot of it will be dictated by how Im feeling. This was a tough year. In June, Collins was hospitalized overnight in Milwaukee and missed the series finale against the Brewers at Miller Park after becoming ill pregame. He said that medical issue did not resurface, but the physical demands of the job can be challenging. Collins, who at 67 is the oldest manager in MLB, felt particularly worn down when the Mets had to play a day game on Labor Day in Cincinnati after playing in New York the previous night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Asked whether next season would be his last if next October?he feels physically?like he does now, Collins said: Thats right.He added about the travel: It takes a toll on everybody. You talk to the players. If you noticed, that [Labor Day game] was the day we gave everybody off because they were stinking beat. This travel is hard, especially with the late-night scheduling that is prevalent throughout baseball. There are so many night games where youre traveling after the game and getting into towns at 3 or 4 oclock in the morning. And the next thing you know, if you ever have a day game pop up on you, its tough to do. After reaching the World Series in 2015, the Mets were bounced this year in the National League wild-card game by the San Francisco Giants. Still, given season-ending injuries to starting pitchers Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz and infielders David Wright and Neil Walker, plus other losses, Collins felt a sense of accomplishment in navigating the 2016 Mets to the postseason. The Mets had been two games under .500 and stood 5? games out of the second wild-card spot after an Aug. 19 loss at San Francisco. Last year was a little different dynamic, Collins said. We had that really, really powerful young pitching staff that was coming on right at the right time. This year, to have them disappear, I think what we accomplished with all the injuries really took some tremendous character on the players part and the coaches and everybody else. Getting to the World Series is really hard, as we all know, but from where we were in July to where we finished was pretty impressive. Despite consecutive postseason appearances, there are uncertainties entering 2017. For one, Harvey (thoracic outlet syndrome), deGrom (ulnar nerve in his right elbow) and Matz (bone spur) all will be coming off surgeries. And Zack Wheeler, another projected member of the rotation, has missed two full seasons since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2015. The Mets have safety nets with Robert Gseellman and Seth Lugo and the potential re-signing of Bartolo Colon, but getting their heralded young rotation healthy remains of utmost importance.dddddddddddd The lone member of that hyped staff not to be coming off surgery in spring training will be Noah Syndergaard. He was diagnosed with a bone spur this past summer that was deemed too insignificant to surgically remove now. I think you can only go with what past research and past things have shown, and thats that these guys will bounce back, Collins said. As we saw from Zack Wheeler, not everything is etched in stone. Fourteen months after Tommy John isnt a guarantee youre going to be ready to pitch. But youre looking at the end of [2017] spring training, 24 months after Tommy John, theres no reason to think that [Wheeler] cant be ready. Matt was a three-month [recovery time]. DeGroms is a three-month. Steven Matzs is a three-month. Well make sure we dont push them too much early in spring training, so that they are ready. Coming out of spring training, are they ready to go seven innings? Probably not, some of those guys. But I do believe that certainly as we get closer to the end of spring training, those guys should be ready to pitch. The Mets fully expect slugger Yoenis Cespedes to opt out three days after the World Series. Asked about his confidence level that Cespedes will return to the Mets, Collins said: I have no idea. If Cespedes declares free agency and signs elsewhere, the hope is that Jay Bruce -- whose $13 million option for 2017 will be picked up -- will help offset the loss. Still, Collins noted about the potential loss of Cespedes: Thats a big piece to miss. Collins added that the Mets desperately need catcher Travis dArnaud to rebound after hitting .247 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 75 games this past season. The oft-injured dArnaud spent nearly two months on the disabled list with a rotator cuff strain. Collins could not say whether it was time for the organization to start plotting other options behind the plate. First of all, the expiration side, thats [general manager] Sandy [Alderson]s department, Collins said. I only worry about the guys weve got. And right now weve got to get Travis dArnaud better. Weve got to get him better. No. 1, weve got to keep him somewhat healthy. You cant keep losing your mainline guys for two months. He had 250 at-bats when he should have 500. Youre talking about a guy who missed half the season. Weve got to get him better. He is going to be one of our No. 1 projects in spring training. Weve got to get this guy back, and weve got to get his bat going. If he is what we thought hes going to be, hes a middle-of-the-lineup guy who can do damage from the right side. And you know how bad we need that. ' ' '

LOUDON, N.H. -- William Byron aced the inaugural Chase race in NASCARs Trucks Series.The Liberty University freshman dominated Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and won for a whopping sixth time this season.This win came with extra credit: the 18-year-old Byron became the first driver to advance to the second round of the Chase.Its a great run for our team, he said. We needed this to get back into Chase form.NASCAR expanded its Chase format this season to include the feeder Xfinity and Truck Series, its champions now crowned in a four-driver shootout at the season finale. The format mostly mirrors the playoff setup used to determine the Sprint Cup champion the last two years.Trucks will use a seven-race Chase to decide a champ. In Trucks, the format is eight drivers cut down to six and then a final four at Homestead.Byron led 161 of 175 laps and was never seriously challenged the No. 9 Toyota in yet another flawless win. His Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate Christopher Bell was second. Matt Crafton, non-Chase driver Tyler Reddick and Timothy Peters completed the top five.Busch had advice for Byron before he took the wheel: Go fast and turn left.It was that simple.Byron, who will race next season for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, won from the pole. Byron lives in a dorm at his Virginia college and seems to have found a home in victory lane. Busch said his only expectations this season were for Byron to win a race or two.Try six.At this rate, one or two more, even the championship, seem like a good bet for Byron. With a break in the schedule, Byron gets his next shot Oct. 3 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.Its not anything new to these guys and this team to be able to go to victory lane, Busch said. It kind of relaxes these guys a little bit.Byron doesnt turn 19 until after the championship finale.Weve got to make it to Homestead, Byron said. Thats our ultimate goal.The rest of the field realized in a hurry that the road to Homestead has to through Byron.The most frustrating part was the 9 driving away like he does and he did it effortlessly, Bell said. Hes in. Thats good for Kyle Busch Motorports and the company. Weve got to be better than the 9 the next time out. Wholesale Angels Jerseys . Supported by three-run homers from Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos, the young right-hander went seven strong innings in the Washington Nationals 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. Fake Angels Jerseys .com) - Manchester City midfielder David Silva is expected to miss the next four weeks because of a calf problem. https://www.cheapangels.com/ . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. Custom Los Angeles Angels 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. Los Angeles Angels Store . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. MOSCOW -- Svetlana Kuznetsova secured the last spot at the WTA Finals in Singapore after defeating Daria Gavrilova of Australia 6-2, 6-1 on Saturday to retain her Kremlin Cup title.The top-seeded Russian saved six of the seven break points she faced and converted six of her eight opportunities to beat the 38th-ranked Gavrilova in 72 minutes.The 22-year-old Gavrilova, who knocked out 2014 champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quartterfinals, was seeking her first WTA title.dddddddddddd Kuznetsova already has won 16.The 31-year-old Kuznetsova, who was a fixture at the season-ending finals for much of her early 20s, hadnt qualified since 2009, but she returns to take her place in the eight-player draw at the expense of Johanna Konta. ' ' '

PHILADELPHIA -- On Nov. 21, 1976, audiences met Rocky Balboa, the southpaw boxer from south Philadelphia. Four decades later, Sylvester Stallones lovable character resonates with fans drawn to his underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm.The reach of Rocky is international, and the film serves as a slice of Americana. It is shorthand for Philadelphia as much as the Liberty Bell or Benjamin Franklin.Anytime we are speaking to overseas visitors ... the conversation always turns, at some point, to `Rocky, said Julie Coker Graham, president of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. They ask, `Have you met Rocky? A lot of them think its an actual, real-life person.On the films 40th anniversary, a few reasons for its enduring legacy:---LOVABLE UNDERDOGWritten by Stallone in three days, fans fell hard for the ballad of Rocky Balboa. For the uninitiated (SPOILER ALERT): The small-time boxer from the heavily Italian neighborhood of South Philly stumbles into a bout with the heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed, fighting in the city to celebrate Americas bicentennial. To get him into fighting shape, Rocky (played by Stallone) is trained by the peppery Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), whose many one-liners make him a frequent scene stealer. Rocky also finds love in the film with sheepish neighborhood pet store clerk, Adrian (Talia Shire). Though he ultimately loses the fight, Rocky proves himself and wins Adrians heart, making him the winner of much more than a title.The film itself was a long shot, made on a budget of only $1 million and shot in 28 days, with a largely unknown cast, including Stallone himself. And it was shot in working-class Philadelphia, a city that -- despite its roots as the crucible of freedom -- had long had a chip on its shoulder as second-tier as compared to more cultured East Coast metropolises like New York and Boston. (It is worth noting that the film had its premiere in New York.)---CHEERS FOR ROCKYWhat the movie lacked in beauty, it made up for in heart, something that resonated with audiences worldwide. The film was the highest-grossing of the year, earning $117 million at the North American box office and another $107 million overseas. Rocky received 10 Oscar nominations in nine categories at the Academy Awards, winning three: best picture, best director (John G. Avildsen) and best film editing. Stallone, Burgess and Shire were all nominated in acting categories, and Stallone was nominated for his screenplay.Rocky is preserved in the Library of Congress National Film Registry as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. It was also ranked one of the greatest sports films ever made and is the second-best film about boxing behind Raging Bull, according to the American Film Institute.---GONNA FLY NOWThe score for Rocky, which was also nominated for an Oscar, was penned by Bill Conti. The main song, Gonna Fly Now, was originally intended as filler for the training sequence marking Rockys journey from amateur to contender. The opening fanfare is among the most recognizable in American culture, and the soaring melody that plays on the melancholic theme woven throughout the movie is the backdrop to Rocky doing impressive one-armed pushups, punching meat in his girlfriends brothers butcher shop and running through Philadelphias Italian Market, along the Schuylkill River and past the shipyards.Conti went on to win an Oscar for his score to 1983s The Right Stuff and made music recognizable to millions in theme songs to Dynasty and Falcon Crest.---THE ROCKY STEPS AND STATUEThe montage climaxes in one of the films most memorable scenes, as Rocky bounds up the 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, raising his arms in triumph. Four decades later, the run and pose atop the steps are re-created daily in Philadelphia, mostly by tourists. In 1982, a statue of Rocky commissioned by Stallone for Rocky III was placed in the spot where he stood in the original film. Its current home is just to the right of the steps and is a selfie stop for visitors.---ROCKYS NEXT CHAPTERThe original movie was followed by six sequels. In 2015, Rocky was reborn in Creed, the story of Adonis Creed, the son of his nemesis-turned-best friend, Apollo. An aging and dying Rocky trains Adonis for a brawl not unlike the grizzled boxers first fight nearly two generations earlier. The New York Times reviewed it as a dandy piece of entertainment, soothingly old-fashioned and bracingly up-to-date. Colorado Rockies Shirts . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Colorado Rockies Pro Shop . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. https://www.cheaprockiesjerseys.us/ .ca NHL Power Rankings for the second straight week, ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. Custom Colorado Rockies Jerseys . Oaklands loss to Seattle clinched the ALs best record for the Red Sox with one day to spare in the regular season. "I think everybody was kind of watching," catcher David Ross said. "Demp (Ryan Dempster) came out before he went to the bullpen and was just yelling that they lost. Wholesale Rockies Jerseys . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. 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. ' ' '

ATLANTA -- Atlanta United hired former Argentina national coach Gerardo Martino on Tuesday as coach for its 2017 inaugural MLS season.Martino is a former professional player who brings 20 years of coaching experience on the club and international levels to the new Atlanta team. He also has led the Paraguay national team and the Spanish Leagues FC Barcelona.This is an exciting time for MLS and Im looking forward to the challenge of leading a team in an evolving league, Martino said in a statement released by the team. Atlanta United is a first-rate organization, and Im very eager to get working and build one of the top clubs in MLS.Atlanta United has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday.Team President Darren Eales said Martino is a good fit for the expansion franchise.His deep experience and success at both the club and international levels speak for itself, and his vision and approach aligns very well with our club philosophy, Eales said. Were confident in his ability to help build a winning culture both on and off the pitch.Martino most recently managed the Argentina national team from 2014 to 2016. He led Argentina to the No. 1 FIFA world ranking in July 2015 and to appearances in the Copa America final in 2015 and 2016.Atlanta United will play its debut season in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which also will be home to the NFLs Atlanta Falcons. Both teams are owned by Arthur Blank, who described the hiring of Martino as an incredibly exciting and historic day for our club.Blank also said the teams ability to hire Martino demonstrates the continuing growth of Major League Soccer.Atlanta United technical director Carlos Bocanegra said fans can expect Martinos teams to play a fast and fluid style.Hes also demonstrated a commitment to youth soccer, consistently proving his ability to enhance the progression of younger players, Bocanegra said. Trae Young Jersey . Pert has formerly spent time as an assistant coach with Cardiff City, Coventry City, and Bahrain mens national team. "Martyn is a highly-respected coach with experience at the top levels in England," said Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson. Evan Turner Hawks Jersey . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. https://www.thehawkslockerroom.com/Jabari-Parker-City-Edition-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. Spud Webb Hawks Jersey . 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. DeAndre Hunter Hawks Jersey . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview.Captain Faf du Plessis says South Africa plan to keep AB de Villiers towards the top of a powerful battin

BOSTON -- A couple of bounces worked out well for the Detroit Tigers, ending their very successful visit to Fenway Park.Miguel Cabrera hit a tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning that skipped off the top of the wall and into Bostons bullpen, lifting the Tigers to a 4-3 victory over the Red Sox on Wednesday for a three-game sweep.Boston was the last major league team to be swept in a series of any length this season.I guess if youre a Red Sox fan, a couple bounces went our way, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. I look at it as Miggy hit the ball 385 feet into the wind, a ball without the wind that would have gone into the bullpen with ease.Rookie Michael Fulmer had another solid start, giving up three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks in 7 2/3 innings. He took a one-hop grounder off his pitching shoulder, but stayed in the game.I think we did get a little bit fortunate with the Fulmer thing, Ausmus said.James McCann also hit a solo homer, and Victor Martinez had four singles, a walk and drove in two runs for Detroit, which has won five of seven in its recent climb in the AL Central.Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia hit solo homers for the Red Sox, who lost for the fifth time in six games to complete a 4-5 homestand.Cabrera hit his 21st homer off recently acquired closer Brad Ziegler (0-1). The right-hander was surprised the ball carried out.I just kind of watched it in the air, it looked like it just kept getting further and further away, Ziegler said. I was, `What in the world? I didnt think he hit it that good.Bruce Rondon (4-2) got one out for the win. Justin Wilson got three outs for his first major league save because closer Francisco Rodriguez wasnt available after working the past two days.Ausmus said afterward that Rodriguez was away from the club tending to a personal issue. He expects him back Friday.In the seventh, Fulmer gave up a solo homer to Bogaerts leading off and was hit by Jackie Bradley Jr.s grounder on the top of the right shoulder.The Red Sox chased Fulmer in the eighth, tying it on Betts RBI triple when center fielder Tyler Collins took a bad route and missed a diving attempt.McCann made it 3-1 in the sixth, hitting a drive that caromed off a billboard above the Green Monster seats.Before his previous two starts, the 23-year-old Fulmer had a string of eight straight when he allowed one or no runs. He mixed mostly a fastball in the mid-90s mph with a sharp sider to keep the majors top-scoring team to one run over the first six innings.Im just enjoying the big leagues right now, he said. Obviously when the season started I didnt expect to be in this position.Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez allowed three runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.TRAINERS ROOMTigers: OF J.D Martinez (broken elbow) started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday night, going 1 for 5 with an RBI. . Minor league pitcher Drew VerHagen has been shut down for the rest of the season after a setback in his recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome. Hes expected to have surgery in early August.Red Sox: Closer Craig Kimbrel had a bullpen session. Manager John Farrell said hell have a rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Pawtucket. After that, its uncertain if hell be activated right away. It could be as few as one, Farrell said. Itll be dependent physically on how Craig feels. . C Ryan Hanigan was still only available on an emergency basis after being scratched Tuesday with flu-like symptoms. . 1B Hanley Ramirez had the day off.THATS A STRIKECollins did have a nice throw, nailing Sandy Leon attempting to score on a flyball from medium-deep center to end the third.UP NEXTTigers: Off Thursday before opening a three-game home series versus Houston. LHP Matt Boyd (1-2, 4.63 ERA) is set to start against Astros RHP Collin McHugh (7-6, 4.18).Red Sox: Begin an 11-game West Coast trip Thursday, with the first of four against the Los Angeles Angels. Boston LHP David Price (9-7, 4.51) hopes to rebound from two straight mediocre starts. Richard Dent Youth Jersey . Numbers Game examines the deal that sees Michael Del Zotto and Kevin Klein switch places. The Predators Get: D Michael Del Zotto. Tom Waddle Womens Jersey .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. https://www.bearssportsgoods.com/Womens-Riley-Ridley-Inverted-Jersey/ . -- Stanfords Kevin Danser knelt on one knee and hardly moved on the sideline as Michigan State celebrated its Rose Bowl victory and his Cardinal teammates made their way to the locker room. Khalil Mack Jersey . Newcastle dominated in the early stages but City weathered the storm and then raised its game in extra time. Negredo broke the deadlock from close range after a simple move in the 99th minute before Dzeko took the ball round goalkeeper Tim Krul to seal the victory in the 105th. Walter Payton Womens Jersey .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. The designation was released Monday after the deadline passed for NFL teams to use franchise or transition tags on players becoming free agents. Kyle Edmund suffered a disappointing defeat to Japans Taro Daniel in the second round of the mens singles.The British No. 2 is ranked 36 places higher than world number 117 Daniel but could not find his best form on the slow courts and went down 6-4 7-5.Edmund, Britains Davis Cup hero last month, led by a break in both sets but was unable to penetrate Daniels defences on enough occasions and made too many sloppy errors.The 21-year-old Yorkshireman said: It was a tight match, some long rallies. Im just disappointed to lose. I know what I could have done better, I just wasnt able to problem-solvve during the match.ddddddddddddI didnt quite finish the points when I needed to on some short balls and some bad unforced errors in key moments.Edmund will now head to Cincinnati for the final Masters tournament before the U.S. Open later this month.He will take positive memories with him, saying: It was my first Olympics and youve got to enjoy it as much as possible. 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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Even as Fort Wayne made a run Tuesday night, No. 23 Notre Dame stayed calm.The Fighting Irish saw a 27-point lead in the second half whittled down to nine with under 3 minutes left, but they hit their free throws down the stretch to close out an 87-72 win over the Mastodons.Bonzie Colson had his sixth straight double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Steve Vasturia scored 21 points for the Fighting Irish (9-0). They are off to their fastest start in coach Mike Breys 17 seasons -- and the schools best since opening 12-0 in 1973.We handled our business, Brey said. I thought we were poised and knew we werent going to get beat. We just kind of adjusted and figured it out.IPFW used a 20-5 run to get within single digits with 2:48 to go after Charles Ruise Jr.s one-handed floater in the lane.Four straight free throws by Matt Farrell, including a pair following a technical foul on Fort Wayne coach John Coffman, helped seal it for Notre Dame.We knew they were going to have their run, Colson said. We just stayed composed and stayed together.Fort Wayne native V.J. Beachem added 14 points, Farrell had 12 and Colson hit a career-high three 3-pointers.Hes a special guy, Brey said of Colson. He just is really confident and growing. Some of the stuff hes doing outside the arc, step-back 3s, stepping up. I just want to let him keep blossoming.Mo Evans scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half to lead Fort Wayne (7-3), which had won six straight -- including an upset of then-No. 3 Indiana in overtime. John Konchar added a season-high 18 points to go with nine rebounds for the Mastodons.Bryson Scott, who came in averaging 16.9 points and was shooting better than 62 percent from the floor over his last six games, missed all 10 of his field goal attempts and finished with two points.That is a really stingy defense that sits in gaps and really makes you work to get good shots, Coffman said. I dont think we put our best attack and toughness out there on the floor.Seldom-used reserve John Mooneys putback dunk with a second left gave the Irish a 41-23 lead at the break, the fewest points Notre Dame has allowed in the first half this season.A 10-2 Irish run over the first 4 minutes of the second half pushed their lead to 27.In a matchup of the nations No. 10 scoring offense (Notre Dame at 89.1 points per game) and No. 11 scoring offense (Fort Wayne at 88.7 ppg), it was the Irish defense that gave the Mastodons fits early.IPFW entered ninth in the country in field goal percentage, but started cold, hitting just four of its first 15 shots while the Irish built a 14-point lead 12 minutes into the game.I just think our focus level wasnt where it should have been, Evans said. We came out and we dug ourselves a hole.The Mastodons made only one of their first 14 tries from 3-point range, but shot 58 percent from the field in the second half to fuel their comeback.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Irish will have a chance to make a major rise over the next two weeks, with ranked teams Villanova and Purdue coming up on the schedule. Fort Wayne received one vote this week, but likely wont factor into next weeks poll.FAIR SHOOTINGMartinas Gebens missed free throw early in the second half snapped a string of 31 straight makes from the foul line for Notre Dame. The Irish, who came in leading the country in free throw shooting at 85.8 percent, finished 20 of 23 from the line.Its definitely a weapon, Vasturia said. Its been a great advantage for us to get in the bonus early.BIG PICTUREFort Wayne: Was the win over Indiana on Nov. 22 just a fluke? After crashing back to reality against Notre Dame, the Mastodons will try to right the ship in their final three non-conference games before Summit League play starts.Notre Dame: The Irish, the last undefeated team left in the ACC, did what the Hoosiers could not in putting away Fort Wayne. Now, Notre Dame heads into its big matchup against No. 1 Villanova with plenty of momentum.UP NEXTFort Wayne: Before beginning a stretch of eight days between games, the Mastodons return home Saturday to face Austin Peay, a team they already beat once this season, 103-99 in Clarksville, Tennessee.Notre Dame: The Irish face their toughest stretch of the season to date, heading to Newark, New Jersey, to meet No. 1 Villanova on Saturday, followed by a matchup in Indianapolis with No. 18 Purdue a week later. Cheap Hockey Jerseys . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. Cheap Hockey Jerseys Authentic . 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Hockey Jerseys China . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday. CALGARY, Alberta -- Sean Monahans split-second decision sent the Calgary Flames to their second consecutive win.Monahan waited out Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk before snapping a shot over his right pad for the shootout winner as Calgary edged the Wild 3-2 on Friday night.I had no idea what I was doing, to be honest, Monahan acknowledged. I thought I was going to come in and go high blocker, but it wasnt there. Hes pretty tall, so I just tried a little move and lucky enough something opened up.Calgary goalie Chad Johnson then stopped Charlie Coyles attempt at the other end of the ice to seal the victory.Its nice when you get the lead, said Johnson, who commended Monahan. If you can get a lead in the shootout, it gives you confidence. You have a little bit more breathing room.Kris Versteeg and Mikael Backlund scored in regulation for the Flames (12-13-2), who are 4-1-1 in their past six games.Johnson made 26 saves for his second straight victory and fifth in the last six starts.Obviously, Johnny stood on his head again for us, made some big saves there in the shootout and in that third period and kept us in that game, Monahan said. Its a lot of credit to him and weve got to build some momentum here at home.Chris Stewart and Mikko Koivu scored for Minnesota (11-8-4), which is 0-1-2 in its past three games.Dubnyk finished with 30 saves, including four in overtime, before allowing goals to Versteeg and Monahan in the shootout.Were not going to overthink the skills competition, Dubnyk said. Id like to make the save, but well work on that. Those are just things you do your best and try to bear down. Obviously it feels better when you get the extra point, but I think in a game that wasnt our best -- we werent as sharp as wed like to be -- to come out with a point and get a big goal in the third is something to build on.ddddddddddddStewart opened the scoring at 3:50 of the first period when he redirected defenseman Jared Spurgeons shot past Johnson.The Flames pulled even at 12:26 when Versteeg backhanded a rebound past Dubnyk, who made a pad save to stop the initial point shot by defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka.Just 1:07 later during a man advantage for the Flames, Backlund tapped a loose puck in the crease into the net behind Dubnyk, who had made back-to-back saves to deny scoring attempts by Mark Giordano and Matthew Tkachuk.Although the Wild outshot Calgary 7-5 in the second, they werent able to get any pucks past Johnson, who made a nice save to stop a one-timer off the stick of Zach Parise early in the period.Koivu scored the equalizer for the Wild at 7:40 in the third when he took a pass from Jason Zucker in the slot and fired a shot to the top corner, glove side, past Johnson.Tkachuk had a great chance to score for Calgary when Alex Chiasson set him up in the slot with 6:18 left in regulation, but Koivu reached back with the shaft of his stick to deflect the puck over the net.The Flames had a power play to start overtime, but werent able to capitalize.Game notes Stewart had gone 14 games without a point and 15 games without scoring before his goal in the first period. ... Monahan extended his points streak to three games with an assist on Versteegs goal. Prior to his streak, Monahan had gone five games without a point.UP NEXTWild: At Edmonton on Sunday night.Flames: Host Anaheim on Sunday night. ' ' '

LOS ANGELES -- One spectacular shot by Jeff Carter kept the Los Angeles Kings rolling on an increasingly impressive winning streak.Carter scored his 10th goal of the season 1:06 into overtime, and the Kings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on Saturday night for their season-best fifth consecutive victory.Alec Martinez scored and Peter Budaj stopped 18 shots for the Kings, who persevered through a back-and-forth game for their third straight win over Chicago at Staples Center.These Kings dont often light up scoreboards, and they arent the same defensive powerhouse without injured goalie Jonathan Quick. Theyre still thriving in coach Darryl Sutters disciplined system -- even against Chicago, the Western Conference leaders.Weve got a good chemistry with the team now, said Budaj, who is 12-6-1 after emerging as Quicks replacement. We have very good personnel here, and a great group of guys. We stick together.Just seven seconds after Los Angeles failed to score on a power play stretching into overtime, Carter fired an exceptional wrist shot past Scott Darling for his fifth goal in five games. Carter also had an early assist, giving him a team-leading 19 points in 22 games.The veteran power forward has been carrying the Kings offense with the absence of Marian Gaborik and the struggles of captain Anze Kopitar, who hasnt scored a goal in 11 games since Oct. 25.Carter is back on the reconstituted That 70s Line with Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, and his teammates are enjoying the view.He definitely has his mojo going right now, Pearson said. Tyler and I are along for the ride, but he is definitely playing his game. This is Jeff Carter, and we know how he plays. He is rolling right now.Gaborik also made his season debut for the Kings, playing in his first regular-season game since Feb. 12. The $34 million Slovak wing broke his foot during the World Cup of Hockey.Patrick Kane scored and Darling stopped 27 shots in his first loss for the Blackhawks, who finished their seven-game circus road trip at 3-3-1.Captain Jonathan Toews missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury, but Chicago nearly swept its two-game stop in Southern California following a win over Anaheim on Friday.I think the last couple of games, weve played better than we have for most of the year, as far as being a team, defenseman Duncan Keith said.Chicago didnt get a shot on goal for the first 11:40, but Kane scored his eighth goal of the season with a redirection on the Blackhawks first shot. Kane scored in his second straight game in Southern California after last seasons NHL MVP failed to score a goal on the first five games of the circus trip.Los Angeles evened it early in the second period when Martinez fired a shot over Darlings shoulder for his fifth goal and 14th point, extending his five-game scoring streak. The defenseman and 2014 Stanley Cup Final hero became the Kings second-leading scorer with that goal.An apparent goal by Toffoli was waved off on video review just 72 seconds into the first period. Officials ruled Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson was shoved into Darling for goaltender interference.Its a long trip and a lot of good teams, LA included, Darling said. I thought we really had quite a good effort ... especially without the best player in the world, Jonathan Toews. The guys stepped up and really filled the gap there.Game notes The Kings are 9-2-0 with six straight victories at home. ... Gaborik missed the first 21 games this season, and he missed the final 28 games of last season with a knee injury. He returned for four playoff games last spring. ... F Andrew Desjardins and D Michal Kempny returned to Chicagos lineup after being scratches Friday at Anaheim. They replaced F Jordin Tootoo and D Michal Rozsival. ... Kyle Clifford was scratched for the second time all season to make room for Gaborik. D Tom Gilbert also replaced D Matt Greene in Los Angeles lineup.UP NEXTBlackhawks: Finally return home to face Florida on Tuesday.Kings: Host rival San Jose on Wednesday. Clay Buchholz Red Sox Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Hector Velazquez Jersey . 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. https://www.cheapredsox.com/2991z-jim-rice-jersey-red-sox.html . Datsyuk will miss Tuesdays game against New Jersey and could be sidelined longer, while Cleary will likely miss at least the next three games. Its been an injury-plagued season for Datsyuk, who has suited up for just 39 games. Andrew Cashner Red Sox Jersey . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames. Josh A. Smith Red Sox Jersey . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. FCS Playoffs First RoundThe Matchup -- Samford (7-4) at Youngstown State (8-3)Kickoff -- 5 p.m. ET Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium (20,630) in Youngstown, OhioCoverage -- ESPN3Series -- Youngstown State leads 3-0Players to Watch -- Samford: QB Devlin Hodges (342 of 479, 3,716 yards, 33 TDs, 8 INTs); WR Karel Hamilton (100 receptions, 1,242 yards, 14 TDs), LB Shaheed Salmon (88 tackles, 13 TFL); Youngstown State: RB Martin Ruiz (1,008 yards, 10 TDs), DE Derek Rivers (37 tackles, 10 sacks, 15 QB hurries), S LeRoy Alexander (50 tackles, 3 INTs)The Skinny -- Youngstown State school president Jim Tressel is the proud papa of the week. The Penguins program that he coached to four FCS national titles in the 1990s is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006. His first title came in 1991 following a 10-0 win over Samford in the semifinals. The Penguins are coming off a blowout win over Missouri State in which they had three rushers gain 166 yards or more (Ruiz, Jody Webb and Joe Alessi). The QB position hasnt been settled for coach Bo Pelini, and Hunter Wells is the better passer and Ricky Davis the more mobile signal caller. The defense features the FCS active sacks leader in Rivers, but the unit is particularly stout against the run. The Penguins also feature place-kicker Zak Kennedy and punter Mark Schuler.dddddddddddd. Samford is regrouping from a surprising loss to East Tennessee State, the Bulldogs third in four games and nearly enough to keep them from an at-large bid. It may not take long for their offense to leave the losses behind because it has produced 30 scoring drives of less than two minutes. Hodges, the Southern Conferences offensive player of the year, dissects opponents with a quick-strike, short passing game. Hamilton has hit the 100-reception mark and Kelvin McKnight and Emmanuel Obajimi have combined for 103 catches. Salmon and defensive ends Ahmad Gooden and Roosevelt Donaldson have gotten into opposing backfields for a combined 41 tackles for loss. Lanky cornerback Omari Williams is tied for second in the FCS with 18 passes defended.Up Next -- The winner plays at No. 3 seed Jacksonville State (10-1) in the second round Dec. 3.Prediction -- Despite last Saturdays results, this is a terrific matchup. Youngstown State was 6-0 at home, but the Missouri Valley Football Conference schedule set up nicely for that to happen. Youngstown State 27-21. ' ' '

BOSTON - Staring down elimination in the Cup Final two years ago, the Bruins returned home from Vancouver to host Game 6 at TD Garden. On that night in mid-June 2011 they blasted three goals behind Roberto Luongo in the opening frame, chasing the Montreal native from the crease before sneaking one more past Cory Schneider to close out the period. They would force an all-or-nothing Game 7 back west with the 5-2 victory, burying the Canucks decisively two nights later to capture the Cup. Faced with an identical situation here in 2013 - down 3-2 after a 3-1 Game 5 loss - Boston will look to repeat history when they host Chicago with the Cup in the building on Monday night. "A desperate team is always a tough team to play against," said Brad Marchand, who scored three goals in those final two games against the Canucks, but has gone pointless in this series against the Blackhawks. "We wanted to make sure we forced a Game 7 last time and thats our focus this time." "Right now our goal is to create a Game 7," Bruins coach Claude Julien echoed, "and to create a Game 7 youve got to win game 6. So thats our approach to it." While his status for Game 6 is not definite, the Bruins may just have the services of do-it-all centreman Patrice Bergeron after all. Bergeron, who is tied for the team lead with nine goals in the playoffs, left Game 5 with an unknown injury but will take the pre-game warmup and is expected to play, this according to Julien on Monday morning. "Itd be a big loss for us if he didnt play," said Marchand, who plays alongside Bergeron on a line that also includes 41-year-old Jaromir Jagr. "Hes one of our best players right now. And hes had a great series, scored a few very big goals. Hopefully thats not the case, but well see [Monday]." Whether he plays or not the Bruins know theyll have to find means to lock down Chicagos blistering top line, the Patrick Kane-Jonathan Toews duo sizzling with four goals and seven points in consecutive victories. Kane has scored three in that span, including a pair on "sneaky" rebounds in Game 5. "I think the biggest thing is weve just got to try to eliminate him when hes around the net, make sure youre aware of where he is," said Marchand of the 24-year-old, who mischievously pounced on a pair of loose pucks, depositing the rebounds behind Tuukka Rask. "Hes very sneaky. Hes always curling around the back-side of the net and things like that. He finds a way to get open and find those loose pucks. Weve just got to find a way to keep an eye on him at all times." Kane and Toews - whom Chicago was "optimistic" about for Game 6 after the captain sat out the third period of Game 5 - alongside Bryan Bickell, have dipped and dived with speed around the Bruins, most prominently the 6-foot-9 captain Zdeno Chara, on the ice for the past eight Hawks goals against. "I dont think Z has been a bad player for us," said Julien. "Again, you look at all the goals, and I keep saying that, just because hes on the ice doesnt mean theyre his fault. I get to watch those games and dissect it, and I cant really tell a single goal thats all Zs fault. He takes a lot of heat because hes on the ice for those goals and what he means to our hockey club." Julien did concede to whats become obvious: the Hawks are doing their absolute best to pester, tire and frustrate Chara. "Its pretty obvious that theyre throwing the pucks in his corner and they want to get him to turn and tire him out," the Bruins coach observed. Boston snuffed the life out from the Hawks in Games 2 and 3, holding them without a goal for a span that surpassed 120 minutes. Chicago would bust out for six, however, in Game 4 before adding three more in a close Game 5 victory. Stifling their attack, while taking better care of the puck, is atop the list of priorities for Game 6. Momentum has proved generally fleeting in this series so while the Hawks hold the upper-hand with a chance to grip the Cup heading into Mondays action, the tide has the potential to turn in an instant with a Bruins victory. "…you dont have to say much to this group," Julien said, questioned on the message hed deliver to his team ahead of Game 6. "They understand whats happening, and they know what they need to do. I dont need to go in there and give this big speech and get these guys riled up because they know whats at stake, and weve proven it in the past, and now we have an opportunity to prove it again [Monday]." Air Max Baratas Falsas .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Air Max 95 Baratas Verdaderas . Defencemen Drew Doughty, Shea Weber and forward Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Canadians, who started their gold-medal defence 2-0. Goalie Roberto Luongo, getting the call in place of Game 1 starter Carey Price, was solid when needed in making 23 saves for the shutout. http://www.tiendasairmaxbaratas.com/ .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. The designation was released Monday after the deadline passed for NFL teams to use franchise or transition tags on players becoming free agents. Tienda De Air Max Baratas . The parade and rally were held to celebrate the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday in the CFLs championship game. Air Max 270 Mujer Baratas . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. Lopez and Lopez have once again beaten Bryan and Bryan at a major tournament.The eighth-seeded Spanish doubles team of Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez defeated third-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals to deny the Bryans their quest for a 17th Grand Slam title. It was a rematch of the French Open final, where the Lopezes also beat the Bryans in three sets.The Lopezes, who are not related, move on to tthe semifinals to take on the winner of the match between Spaniards Pablo Carreno Busta and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and No.dddddddddddd 12 seeds Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Alexander Peya of Austria.Marc Lopez teamed with Rafael Nadal to win the gold medal in mens doubles at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. ' ' '

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Sure, Brandon Moss would like to have more than five hits in his last 40 at-bats. Its not so bad, though, considering all five have cleared the fences. Moss hit a two-run homer and a solo shot for his third career two-homer game, and the Oakland Athletics beat the New York Yankees 5-2 on Wednesday night to win their 10th straight home game. Moss hit his 10th homer in the second inning and 11th with a solo drive in the eighth. He also connected twice April 29 against the Angels. Of his five hits over 40 at-bats in his last 19 games, all are home runs. "Last year in Triple-A, I did it at exactly this time. I had three weeks straight where the only hits I had were home runs," Moss said. "Ill take that. Its not where I want to be, obviously. Id much rather be getting hits also. I said it a long time ago, Ive done it before where Ive sacrificed power for hits. It still didnt turn out well. ... If youre able to contribute and drive in runs when you do connect its definitely better than taking your seat." Moss power stroke helped Dan Straily (4-2) win his third consecutive decision. John Jaso added an RBI double and a run-scoring single for Oakland. The As (40-27) won for the 20th time in 25 games and are off to their best start since 1990. Brett Gardner drew a one-out walk in the sixth to end a stretch of 11 straight Yankees retired by Straily. Robinson Cano singled and Mark Teixeira hit a sacrifice fly. New York missed a scoring chance during an odd sequence in the seventh. Jayson Nix hit a two-out RBI single and stole second. With Nix as the potential tying run, Lyle Overbay came out to pinch-hit with a 1-0 count already against Austin Romine. As manager Bob Melvin then made his own switch, to reliever Sean Doolittle. Chris Stewart came on to pinch-hit for Overbay, who never reached the batters box but was credited for appearing in the game. Stewart struck out on a changeup to end the inning. "Ive never done that before. That was weird," Doolittle said. "I was like, Whats going to happen here? ... I didnt really know what was going on. Ive never, in my short time as a pitcher, come in in the middle of a count like that." Doolittle then pitched a perfect eighth before Grant Balfour finished for his 17th save of the season and 35th in a row dating to April 29, 2012. He retired Nix on a broken-bat comebacker to end it with runners on first and second. Straily, coming off a pair of no-decisions, allowed two or fewer runs for the fourth time in five outings. He gave up two runs and three hits in 6 2-3 innings. Oakland owns its longest unbeaten streak at home since another 10-game run from Aug. 11 to Sept. 1, 2006. The As secured their first season series victory against the Yankees since going 4-2 in 2007. Moss, now batting .228, sent the first pitch he saw from Phil Hughes (3-5) over the right-field scoreboard in the second following Josh Reddicks leadoff single. "It was just a matter of time," Melvin said of Moss finding a groove. "He was such an instrumental part last year." After a 1-2-3 fourth inning, Hughes issued a leadoff walk to Eric Sogard in the fifth. Jasos double one out later and another walk to Seth Smith ended the right-handers night. Hughes walked a season-high five and lost for the third time in four decisions. He allowed three runs on four hits and struck out three in 4 1-3 innings. He hadnt walked more than two batters all season. The Yankees havent hit a home run in a season-high five straight games -- the clubs longest drought since also going five games from May 17-21, 2006. "Its part of the game. You have to fight your way out of it," manager Joe Girardi said. "We know the guys are capable." NOTES: Yankees RHP Michael Pineda, working his way back from shoulder surgery 14 months ago, threw a 75-pitch bullpen session. He had been set to pitch in a minor league game this weekend but instead will throw a simulated game Friday at the teams complex in Tampa, Fla. "This way we can control it," Girardi said. "The other day he had one long inning. If Tampa would have been at home he would have pitched in that game." ... As CF Coco Crisp is nursing a bruised heel -- which happened sometime after his first-inning home run Tuesday before his next at-bat -- and sat out after hitting home runs the previous two games. "He felt it when he got up this morning," Melvin said. "He felt better when he got to the park and got some treatment. We wont take any chances with him but if he comes in tomorrow and feels like hes close to 100 per cent, theres the potential for him to play." ... As LF Yoenis Cespedes also was sidelined because of tightness in his left hamstring that forced him to leave after the second inning Tuesday. ... RHP Jarrod Parker (5-6) pitches the series finale for the As on Thursday afternoon opposite Hiroki Kuroda (6-5). ... Gardner failed to get a hit for just the third time in 19 games since May 24. Tedy Bruschi Jersey . 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. John Hannah Patriots Jersey . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. https://www.patriotssportsgoods.com/Womens-Julian-Edelman-Inverted-Jersey/ . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. Julian Edelman Patriots Jersey . Despite the cost, effort and an improved steroid test, its possible that very few -- if any -- positives will be detected, Dr. Richard Budgett told The Associated Press in an interview. "We just dont know what the results from Torino will be," Budgett said. Julian Edelman Youth Jersey .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. OKLAHOMA CITY -- DeMar DeRozan scored 37 points to help the Toronto Raptors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-102 on Wednesday night.DeRozan, the NBAs leading scorer, made 13 of 22 field goals and 11 of 15 free throws. Kyle Lowry added 19 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds and Patrick Patterson had 13 points for the Raptors.Toronto, which shot 51.8 percent from the field, has won four of five.The Thunder entered the night with the NBAs best record, but they couldnt get their offense going. Russell Westbrook led the way with 36 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, but made just 9 of 26 shots and committed eight turnovers.Victor Oladipo scored 18 points, and Steven Adams had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Oklahoma City.ROCKETS 101, SPURS 99SAN ANTONIO -- James Harden had 24 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds and Houston held off San Antonio to hand the Spurs their third straight home loss.Ryan Anderson was 4 for 6 on 3-pointers in scoring 20 points, and Houston snapped a four-game skid in San Antonio. Eric Gordon had 15 points and fellow reserve Sam Dekker added 12.Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points for the Spurs but missed his final jump shot, which could have tied the game. LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 14 points, also missed a tip-in attempt at the buzzer.Danny Green made his season debut for San Antonio, scoring eight points in his return from a strained left quadriceps.WARRIORS 116, MAVERICKS 95OAKLAND, Calif. -- Klay Thompson hit his first seven shots and scored 18 of his 20 points in the first quarter, and Golden State cruised past undermanned Dallas.Kevin Durant led Golden State with 28 points, Stephen Curry added 24 and Draymond Green had 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Warriors used their outside shooting to build a 19-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back.Harrison Barnes scored 25 points to lead Dallas in his first game against the Warriors since leaving as a free agent last summer.CLIPPERS 111, TRAIL BLAZERS 80LOS ANGELES -- Blake Griffin had 22 points and 13 rebounds, Chris Paul added 19 points and Los Angeles rolled past Portland to improve to an NBA-best 7-1 with its fourth straight win.It was the second time the Clippers beat the Trail Blazers this season.This one was never close.The Clippers stunned Portland from the opening tip, shooting 59 percent in the first quarter. They built a 32-point lead in the first half when Griffin had 17 points.Los Angeles bench opened the second quarter on a 14-2 run to go up 50-18 before extending the lead to 61-32 at halftime.Portlands Damian Lillard, the NBAs second-leading scorer at 32.8 points per game, was held to eight. CJ McCollum, who was averaging 22.9 points, also scored eight.PACERS 122, 76ERS 115, OTINDIANAPOLIS -- Paul George scored seven of Indianas 13 points in overtime and the Pacers beat winless Philadelphia.George finished with 28 points and eight rebounds.Gerald Henderson hit a 3-pointer with 6 seconds remaining in regulation to give Philadelphia a two-point lead. But on the ensuing Pacers possession, George hit a jumper with 3 secondss left to tie it.ddddddddddddOn the Pacers first possession of overtime, George set the tone with a 3-pointer to give Indiana the lead. And it was George who threw down an emphatic dunk that gave Indiana a six-point lead.Jeff Teague finished with 30 points and nine assists, and Myles Turner had with 15 points and nine rebounds for Indiana. Robert Covington led Philadelphia with 23 points.KNICKS 110, NETS 96NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthony scored 14 of his 22 points in the third quarter, and Kristaps Porzingis added 21 in New Yorks victory over Brooklyn.Rookie center Willy Hernangomez had a season-best 14 points, Derrick Rose also had 14 and the Knicks climbed out of a 14-point hole to take the first meeting of the season between the New York rivals.Brook Lopez and Justin Hamilton each scored 21 points for the Nets. They wilted on the second night of back-to-back games after a strong first half. Normally a good fourth-quarter team, they were outscored 38-25 while struggling to run their offense without an experienced NBA point guard.SUNS 107, PISTONS 100PHOENIX -- Eric Bledsoe scored 14 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Phoenix Suns rally to beat Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.Bledsoe added 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Suns. Jared Dudley added a season-high 19 pointsm and Alex Len had 16 points and 14 rebounds.Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Pistons with a season-high 27 points, and Andre Drummond had 18 points and 14 rebounds.WIZARDS 118, CELTICS 93WASHINGTON -- Otto Porter scored a career-high 34 points and Washington beat Boston for its second victory of the season.Porter shot 15 of 19, had 14 rebounds and sparked the fast start with 20 points in the first half. John Wall had 19 points before being ejected for a flagrant foul in the final minutes.Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics with 23 points, and Avery Bradley had 21.HAWKS 115, BULLS 107ATLANTA -- Thabo Sefolosha scored 20 points, Dwight Howard added 18 and Atlanta beat Chicago for its third consecutive victory.Paul Millsap added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks, coming off a victory Tuesday night at Cleveland.Jimmy Butler led the Bills with 39 points, and Dwyane Wade had 25. They have lost four of five.TIMBERWOLVES 123, MAGIC 107ORLANDO, Fla. -- Zach LaVine scored 37 points, Andrew Wiggins added 29 and Minnesota beat Orlando for its first road victory of the season.Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points and 11 rebounds to help Minnesota snap a three-game losing streak. A night after collapsing defensively against Brooklyn, the Timberwolves led by 30 in the first half.Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 24 points and 14 rebounds.HORNETS 104, JAZZ 98CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kemba Walker scored 21 points to help Charlotte beat Utah for its fourth straight victory.Marvin Williams had 19 points, including a big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to help stretch Charlottes lead to four. Gordon Haywood led Utah with 29 points. ' ' '

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Eli Manning threw a go-ahead 15-yard touchdown pass to rookie Sterling Shepard in the third quarter as the New York Giants rallied for their fifth straight win with a 22-16 decision over the Chicago Bears on a windy Sunday.Manning (21 of 36 for 227) also threw a third-quarter touchdown to Will Tye, Rashad Jennings scored on a 2-yard run and Robbie Gould kicked a 46-yard field goal on a day he missed two extra points in a gusty MetLife Stadium.The Giants (7-3) got a second-half shutout from their defense and a game-clinching interception from Landon Collins as injuries on the offensive line finally caught up with the Bears (2-8) and left Jay Cutler under constant pressure.The winning streak is New Yorks longest in the regular season since 2010, while the Bears starts matches their worst since 2002.Down 16-9 at the half, the Giants grabbed the lead in the third quarter, scoring on their first two possessions. The second featured a third-down scramble by Manning and 48-yard pass to Victor Cruz on the next play. Manning ran toward the line on what looked like another run, then found Cruz behind the defense.Shepard split a seam in the middle of the Bears defense three plays later, but Gould missed the extra point keeping things tense.Chicago got to the New York 30 in the final two minutes but Jason Pierre-Paul had a 13-yard sack and Cutler was picked off by Collins, his fifth interception in the last four games.The Bears scored their first three possessions and took a surprising 16-6 lead. Cutler found Miller for a 19-yard TD on the opening possession. A 34-yard pass to Miller set up Barths 40-yard field goal and Langfords short TD lunge put Chicago ahead halfway through the second quarter.A couple of fourth-down gambles got the Giants nine points in the half. A 15-yard pass to Shepard on a fourth-and-2 at the Bears 17, set up Jennings TD run. A 5-yard pass to Jennings on fourth-and-2 at Bears 33 set up Goulds 46 yard field goal with 3:33 left in the half.INJURIES: Leonard Floyd, the Bears first round draft pick from Georgia, was removed from the field on a stretcher with 5:53 to go against the Giants with a neck injury. He gave a thumbs-up to teammates leaving the field. ... Miller had to leave the game early in the second half with a foot injury. ... Giants receiver Roger Lewis Jr. and Bears cornerback CreVon LeBlanc left in the first-half with concussions.ACTIVE-INACTIVE: Cruz returned to the lineup after missing a game with an ankle injury. Tight end Larry Donnell was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. ... Bears right tackle Bobbie Massie (concussion), nose tackle Eddie Goldman (ankle) and defensive end Mitch Unrein (back) were inactive. ... Chicago receiver Alshon Jeffery served the first game of a four-game suspension for violating the NFLs policy on performance-enhancing substances. Bears also were missing guard Kyle Long, who was placed on injured reserve last week with an ankle and shoulder injuries.UP NEXTBears: Host the Titans on Sunday.Giants: Start two-game road trip at Cleveland on Sunday.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Jesus Aguilar Rays Jersey . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. Blake Snell Jersey .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. https://www.cheapraysonline.com/976i-jose-alvarado-jersey-rays.html . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. Michael Perez Rays 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. Trevor Richards Rays Jersey . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands. UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Alex Bentley made three 3-pointers in the final 2 minutes of regulation and scored seven points in overtime to help the Connecticut Sun rally past Minnesota 93-89 on Thursday night, overcoming Maya Moores 40 points for the Lynx.Minnesota was ahead 77-66 with 1:59 left in regulation, but Bentley made three 3s on four Connecticut possessions to pull to 79-77. After a Minnesota turnover, Chiney Ogwumike went coast-to-coast for a layup to tie it and Lindsay Whalen missed a layup at the buzzer.The Sun closed regulation on a 13-4 run.In overtime, Camille Little hit a 3-pointer and had a steal on the other, leading to Jonquel Jones baseline jumper for a 91-87 Connecticut lead. Moore made two free throws to get Minnesota to 91-89 with 31.9 seconds left and had a steal on Connecticuts next possession. After aa timeout, Moore was whistled for an offensive foul and Bentley made two free throws for a two-possession lead.dddddddddddd.Bentley finished with 24 points for Connecticut (5-13), which is ranked 11th in the AP power poll. Ogwumike added 21 points.Moore was just 1 of 9 from the floor for two points in the first half, but she had 15 points in the third quarter and 16 points in the fourth for second-ranked Minnesota (15-4). She made 13 of 27 shots for her third career 40-plus scoring game.Whalen scored four quick points in the first quarter to become the 15th player in WNBA history to reach 5,000 points. Shes the first player in the league to have 5,000 points, 2,000 assists and 1,500 rebounds. ' ' '

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions have claimed defensive end Corey Lemonier off waivers a day after he was released by the winless Cleveland Browns.Detroit made the move Thursday, adding depth at a position that would take a hit if Ezekiel Ansah cant play against the New York Giants. Detroit also released cornerback Adairius Barnes. Ansah hurt his right shoulder in Detroits latest win against the Chicago Bears. He was limited in practice Wednesday.Lemonier had two sacks in eight games, including one start, with Cleveland this season. It was his first season with the team after playing for San Francisco for three years. His highlight this season was forcing Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill to fumble and recovering the ball in a game the Browns pushed to overtime.---For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Jason Williams Jersey . 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. Skal Labissiere Kings Jersey . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. https://www.kingslockerroom.com/Caleb-Swanigan-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Louis Blues teammates who would also be participating in the Olympics, Alex Pietrangelo felt right at home, no different in some ways to the travel experience of any old road trip – save for the length of the journey, that is. Bogdan Bogdanovic Jersey . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. Custom Sacramento Kings Jerseys .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. MEXICO CITY -- The party in the stands started early in the second NFL regular season game ever played in Mexico with loud cheers and chants from before kickoff until the final whistle. The Oakland offense took a little longer to get going, but once they did Derek Carr and the Raiders came out with yet another win.Carr woke up a struggling offense by throwing two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter as the Raiders capped a successful trip to Mexico with a 27-20 victory over the Houston Texans on Monday night.We got punched in the mouth, Carr said. We werent doing things the way we usually want to do things executing wise. But there was no doubt in anybodys mind that wed come back and win the football game.Oakland had been held to 120 yards through three quarters with the running game going nowhere and Carr finding few open receivers downfield. But that suddenly changed in the fourth quarter to give the Raiders (8-2) their fourth straight win for the first time since 2002 .With star receiver Amari Cooper lined up in the backfield, Carr found fullback Jamize Olawale open for a 75-yard catch and run that tied Houston (6-4) at 20.We felt like that was the momentum shifter, Cooper said.Then Oakland took advantage on two questionable spots by the officials to take over on downs at the 15 and drove 85 yards in five plays to take the lead on a 35-yard pass to Cooper to send the Texans to their fourth loss in five games outside of Houston.Very tough loss, defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney said. We should have won the game, we are trying to win every game. You dont leave the game in the refs hands.That set off loud celebrations from the pro-Raiders crowd of 76,743 in the second regular season game ever played in Mexico. What was originally scheduled as an Oakland home game featured Raiders music during stoppages, Tommie Smith lighting the Al Davis torch in a memorable return to Mexico City nearly a half-century after his Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics and frequent RAI-DERS! chants.While the atmosphere was electric, the field was a bit slippery leading to some falls and the high elevation 7,380 feet above sea level played a factor. The Raiders needed to use a timeout on defennse at one point in the fourth to catch their breath and receiver Michael Crabtree was seen gasping for breath at one point.ddddddddddddTo be able to play here was amazing, Carr said. Theres so much history, so much rowdiness. I love soccer and it gave me a kind of soccer feel.CLOSE SPOTS: The Texans were upset on two spots on the fourth-quarter drive before Oakland went ahead. On third-and-2, Lamar Miller was stopped just short of the first down even though Houston believed he got it. Coach Bill OBrien went for it on fourth down but Akeem Hunt was stopped about an inch short on fourth down and the play stood after a replay challenge.LASER SHOW: Houston QB Brock Osweiler had to deal with an unusual distraction during the game as a fan with a green laser frequently shined it on the Houston quarterback as he dropped back to pass in an act more familiar in soccer games played here than in NFL games. That wasnt the only soccer tradition imported for this game. Fans also used a homophobic chant on kickoffs. Mexicos soccer federation has been punished by FIFA in the past for the chant during World Cup qualifiers. Fans threw paper airplanes on the field in the third quarter with Oaklands Sean Smith taking a turn throwing one that reached the field during a break.STREAK BROKEN: Carr had thrown 170 straight passes without an interception before getting picked by A.J. Bouye on a deep ball on the first play from scrimmage in the second half. It was Carrs fourth interception of the season and the first since Kansas Citys Marcus Peters got one Oct. 16.INTERNATIONAL SCORER: With his extra point in the second quarter, Oaklands Sebastian Janikowski scored a point in his third country, having previously done it in the United States and United Kingdom. Joe Nedney is the only other player to score in Mexico, the U.S. and the U.K. Five other players have scored in Canada, the U.K. and the U.S.: running back Steven Jackson and kickers Robbie Gould, Matt Bryant, Dan Carpenter and Jay Feely.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '

The 2016-17 bowl season is set. We know any college football game is better than no college football game, but some of the matchups are more compelling than others, whether thats based on star power, matchup, swirling controversy, coaching intrigue or disappointment.Heres a look at some games that stand out for one reason or another.Most entertaining bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Clemson in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl semifinal is the most compelling game of the postseason. These two talent-laden teams are no strangers to the College Football Playoff, and no one will call it a gimme for Alabama in the final, if the unbeaten Crimson Tide take care of business against two-touchdown underdog Washington in the other semifinal. These teams -- and their distinguished coaches -- have the chops to shock the seemingly unstoppable Crimson Tide.Clemson starts with QB Deshaun Watson, and Ohio State counters with J.T. Barrett. Both surround their QBs with outstanding skill players, such as Buckeyes RB/WR Curtis Samuel and Clemson WR Mike Williams. Both have elite defenses. Both score a lot of points. Its easy to see this one being uncertain deep into the fourth quarter.Least entertaining bowl: First, there are no bad bowl games. Its college football, which is always a good thing. But you could make a case that Eastern Michigan vs. Old Dominion in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl might not be appointment television for everyone.If we sound like were being more soft than snarky, consider that the Eagles are playing in their first bowl game since 1987 and ODU is playing in its first bowl game ... ever.By the way, there are a lot worse things than chilling in the Bahamas with a plate of fried chicken and dirty rice from Popeyes.Best coaching matchup: No offense to Washington, but Las Vegas sees the showdown with top-ranked Alabama, the unbeaten defending national champion, in the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl CFP semifinal as a mismatch. The Crimson Tide are favored by 14 points, the largest margin in the CFPs brief history.The Tide are playing for a place in history -- as in, to be ranked among the all-time greatest teams. They have won 25 games in a row overall and 15 consecutive games against ranked foes, which is tied for the second-longest streak by any team since the AP poll debuted in 1936. Coach Nick Saban, already often rated the greatest college football coach in history, is going for his sixth national championship.Washington went 7-6 last season and was 0-12 in 2008. Yet there is one element that should give observers pause: Huskies coach Chris Petersen. At Boise State, his slingshot was pretty darn dangerous in David versus Goliath matchups, most notably the 2007 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. His ability to outflank, outfox and schematically dissect foes is notorious and celebrated, particularly with extra preparation time. Of course, the Sooners were favored by only 7 1/2. Its going to take more than a few trick plays and fortunate ball bounces to outduel Saban and the monstrously talented Tide.Best coaching matchup II: Wisconsin is going to be a heavy favorite against Western Michigan, but know that Badgers coach Paul Chryst is going to be a 10,000-word underdog to Broncos coach P.J. Fleck in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. Chryst, 51, is friendly but laconic, a highly respected guy who doesnt seek the spotlight and didnt get a head-coaching opportunity until his late 40s. Fleck is just 36, and when he was hired in 2012, he was the youngest head coach in FBS and the first to own a birthdate in the 1980s.Fleck, a hot Power 5 coaching candidate, oozes charisma. Hes prone to dancing and frenetic speeches concluding with his trademark Row the boat! Chryst will lose the news conferences decisively. But know this about both men: They are excellent coaches. Chryst might have an NFL future, and rumors are already hot about Flecks potential landing spots.Something To Prove Bowl: No. 9 USC and No. 5 Penn State both had cases to be viewed among the four best teams in the nation by seasons end, particularly the Nittany Lions. As such, their meeting in the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual is a chance to make a statement. Penn State is the official Big Ten champion -- not second-ranked CFP team Ohio State, which the Nittany Lions beat. USC beat both teams that played in the Pac-12 championship game (No. 10 Colorado and No. 4 Washington). Last year, Stanford blasted Iowa in the Rose Bowl and earned a final No. 3 ranking. Its possible that the winner here will do the same.Anemia Bowl: Maryland and Boston College meet in the Quick Lane Bowl the day after Christmas, but dont expect a lot of flashy offense after the holiday feast. The Turtles rank 92nd in the country, with 25.4 points per game. The Golden Eagles rank 123rd, with 19.1.Disappointment Bowl: Nebraska and Tennessee were both ranked in the top-10 this season, but they will meet in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl as teams down in the dumps. Nebraska started 7-0 but lost three of its final five games. Tennessee started 5-0 but lost four of seven, including a season-ending humiliation at Vanderbilt.Just Happy To Be Here Bowl: Speaking of Vanderbilt, it will play NC State in the Camping World Independence Bowl, the Commodores first bowl appearance since 2013. After losing at Kentucky, Vandy was 2-4 and coach Derek Masons seat was pretty hot. But the Commodores rallied and now will play in the programs eighth bowl game ever. As for NC State, its playing in a bowl game despite at one point losing five of six games.By Land Or By Sea Bowl: Louisiana Tech ranks third in the nation with 359.8 yards passing per game behind QB Ryan Higgins. Navy, with no ocean options in college football, ranks third in the nation with 327.5 rushing yards per game, thanks to its option attack led by QB Will Worth. These two teams meet in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. You could view it as a test of which fighting style is better.Job Interview Bowl: Houstons season seemingly was all about now-former coach Tom Herman and his being coveted by every rich-but-struggling Power 5 program until Texas swooped in and signed him. Yet the Cougars underrated defense under coordinator Todd Orlando also should have been a story, and Orlando can work his way into the narrative in the Las Vegas Bowl Presented by Geico against San Diego State.Orlando is serving as interim coach and will interview to replace Herman as head coach. He could make a big statement with a win, particularly if he finds a way to stop Aztecs running back Donnel Pumphrey, who just became the FBS No. 2 all-time rusher. Stopping Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, Dede Westbrook and Pumphrey all in one season would make for a pretty killer résumé.Recruiting Bitterness Bowl: One wonders how collegial things might be between Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher in the Capital One Orange Bowl. First, Fisher was one of the harshest critics of satellite camps over the summer, and Harbaugh loves him some satellite camps in ACC and SEC territories.Further, Michigan beat Florida State for freshman linebacker Devin Bush Jr.?in recruiting the past February, which is notable because Devin Bush Sr. was a former FSU star. Oh, then Harbaugh hired Senior to a position as a defensive analyst a couple weeks after signing day. It also might be worth noting that Senior was head coach at state power Flanagan (Florida) High School, where more than a handful of top recruiting targets play.Best Offense vs. Defense Bowl: In our annual enjoyment of the irresistible force vs. immovable object postseason matchup, we offer up Louisville taking on LSU in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl. Louisville leads the nation with 45.3 points per game. LSUs defense ranks sixth, yielding just 16.4 points per game.When these teams play Dec. 31, its likely that Cardinals QB Lamar Jackson will have won the Heisman Trophy. He has accounted for 51 touchdowns this year (21 rushing and 30 passing) and ranks ninth in the nation in rushing (128.2 yards per game) and 17th in passing (282.5 yards per game). So, yeah, this is LSUs defense, led by new full-time head coach Ed Orgeron and his coordinator, Dave Aranda, vs. Jackson. That alone is reason to watch this intriguing SEC-ACC battle.Underhyped Stars Bowl: Remember Stanford all-purpose terror Christian McCaffrey? How well do you know North Carolina QB Mitch Trubisky? Well, these two players, who have been mostly off the national radar this season for various reasons, will meet in the Hyundai Sun Bowl. McCaffrey, the Heisman Trophy runner-up last year, finished fourth in the nation in rushing (145.7 yards per game) and No. 1 in all-purpose yards. Trubisky ranked fifth in the nation in total QBR and 15th in passing yards per game (289), as he hurled 28 touchdown passes with just four interceptions. He also rushed for 270 yards and five scores. He and McCaffrey both project as first-round NFL draft picks. Basketball Jerseys For Sale . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. Fake Basketball Jerseys Authentic .ca. Kerry, Just watched the shootout in the Coyotes/Leafs game and I have to ask, why was the James van Riemsdyk goal allowed to count? All of the video replays we were shown on TV were inconclusive about whether the puck had entirely crossed the line or not. https://www.fakebasketballjerseys.com/ . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. Fake Basketball Jerseys Free Shipping . -- 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 . Fake Basketball Jerseys China . Howard Ganz, an MLB lawyer, said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos that Rodriguezs claims do not come "remotely close" to what is needed to overturn an arbitration decision in federal court.Paul Merson believes England need to get in the faces of their Scottish opponents and pressure them with a Premier League tempo on Friday night. The two nations clash at Wembley in a World Cup Qualifier, with the table-topping hosts three points clear of Gordon Strachans side.England have won their previous two meetings with Scotland but struggled to break down Slovenia in their last match and Merson fears slow build-up play could make it a comfortable evening for the visitors. England need to score early and Id love them to go out and play at a really high tempo like a Premier League match, he told Sky Sports News HQ. A look at the two nations records in qualifying - followed by some memorable moments from England v Scotland games over the last 50 years People love how quick and fast the Premier League is, but when they play for England everyone starts playing it across the back and for 10 minutes no-one does anything.If England go out and suffocate Scotland, get in their faces and play in their half, I expect us to win 3-0.But its a massive football match. Any time England play at Wembley, and especially when they play Scotland, its a big game. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. Interim manager Gareth Southgate has been tippedd to start Daniel Sturridge over Harry Kane in attack, with captain Wayne Rooney slightly deeper.ddddddddddddThe Liverpool forward is yet to score a league goal this season, and Merson admits his inconsistent club form is concerning. Daniel Sturridge has been tipped to start up front for England against Scotland Im a big fan of Daniel Sturridge but Im also a believer if youre not playing for your club, you shouldnt be playing for your country, he added.When I played, if you were not playing for your team, you were never getting in the [national] squad in a month of Sundays. Danny Higginbotham discusses tactics with Rob Wotton as they look ahead to the World Cup qualifying clash between England and Scotland at Wembley My problem with Daniel is he keeps coming short to get the ball. If he comes short, who do we have to go beyond? Thats where I think we beat Scotland.I dont think they have a lot of pace so if Rooney and Sturridge keep dropping short, it could be a comfortable night for the visitors. Also See: Rooney more risky than Sturridge Charlies World Cup predictions VOTE: England or Scotland? Key battle: Henderson v Fletcher ' ' '

Englands Under-19s received another harsh lesson from Sri Lanka as they were beaten by 108 runs in the first match of the Royal London One-Day Series at Wormsley.This was Englands first chance to bounce back from the defeat they suffered in the second four-day match against the Sri Lankans in Northampton last week, albeit with a slightly different team.Instead they were dismissed for 149 after restricting the tourists to 257 for 7, losing their last eight wickets for 53 - seven of them shared by Sri Lankas three spinners.England made four changes to the team who had lost in Northampton. Kents Hugh Bernard, Worcestershires Zen Malik and the Somerset pair of Ben Green and Dom Bess came into the team - Malik and Bess making their Under-19 debuts, among seven players who were winning their first one-day caps.Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat, but Bernard gave England the perfect start when he pegged back Dilan Jayalaths middle stump with the third ball of the match.Green then broke a dangerous second wicket stand of 67 when he had Avishka Fernando well caught by a diving Ollie Pope.But Sri Lankas captain Charith Asalanka picked up where he had left off in Northampton, striking 70 from 96 balls with eight fours.The tourists seemed on course for an imposing total but were pegged back in the middle of their innings by Bess, an offspinning allrounder from Devon who had already had Asalanka dropped at long on before taking a sharp return catch to dismiss the Sri Lankan captain himself.Bess ended with impressive figures of 1 for 30 from his 10 overs, and Bernard then claimed his second wicket courtesy of a superb legside stumping by Pope standing up to the Kent seamer.Green also collected a second wicket and there was one for Yorkshire allrounder Ed Barnes, and England seemed to have restricted Sri Lanka to a manageable total.They suffered two early setbacks in their reply when the former Millfield School team-mates George Hankins and George Bartlett, now at Gloucestershire and Somerset respectively, were undone by wiry seamer Thilan Prasan. That left England relying on their captain Max Holden, who was joined by Malik in a promising partnership of 61 in 14 overs.But the loss of Holden was a hammer blow as he fell to the off-spin of his fellow captain Asalanka, well taken by Wanidu Hasaranga at short extra cover after making 40 from 69 balls.That set off a procession, as England struggled to cope with the pressure exerted by Sri Lankas spinners and their excited chatter in the field. Pope ran himself out, Malik chipped a catch to mid-wicket after making 32 from 60 balls, and when Dell gave a return catch to Damitha Silva, England had lost four for 10 to slip to 106 for 6.Green and Bess stemmed the flow slightly but Greens dismissal triggered another burst of four wickets in six overs, with Aaron Beard left unbeaten on 17 from 15 balls - the third highest score of the innings. Silva ended with 3 for 28 from his 10 overs, Hasaranga had 2 for 28 from eight, and Asalanka 2 for 27 from 6.3.England must now win both the remaining matches to take the series, in Chelmsford on Saturday before a day-night match at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence next Tuesday which will be televised live by Sky Sports. Nike Air Max 97 Baratas . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Nike Air Max Tavas Baratas . -- 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. http://www.tiendasairmaxbaratas.com/zapatillas-air-max-90.html . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. Air Max Baratas Falsas . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. Nike Air Max 720 Hombre Baratas . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Brad Keselowski thought playing it safe over two races would slide him into the third round of NASCARs playoffs.Then he wrecked at Kansas Speedway and plummeted to the bottom of the Chase standings.Now Keselowski is facing elimination at Talladega Superspeedway. Also in trouble? Joey Logano, his Team Penske teammate, and at least one driver from Joe Gibbs Racing.Its hardly the scenario Keselowski predicted a week ago when he sat in the middle of the Chase standings with five drivers clumped together facing elimination. By his estimation, the four drivers knocked from the Chase field would come from that group. He figured the fifth would win a race to advance into the round of eight.Keselowski got that part correct: Kevin Harvicks win on Sunday took him from last in the Chase standings into the third round. What he didnt predict: Contact that led to a 38th-place finish at Kansas.Now Keselowski is 11th in the standings headed to Talladega Superspeedway, where the field will be cut from 12 to eight. Although hes suddenly in very dangerous territory, he didnt seem overly worried and doesnt consider this weeks race a must win.Keselowski is a four-time winner at Talladega, including a 2014 must-win victory that pushed him from the brink of elimination into the third round. Hes also the winner of the last two restrictor-plate races this year, at Daytona in July and Talladega in May.I am not worried about it, he said. Talladega has been good to me and I am going to drive my butt off and at the end of the day I have faith that if it is meant to be, it is meant to be. We cant get down. There is a long way to go still.What a bizarre second round this has been, beginning with the opener at Charlotte, where five Chase drivers finished 30th or worse. That included Denny Hamlin, one of the mighty Toyota drivers from JGR, who had an engine failure while running second. He needed a strong recovery at Kansas, but instead had a self-described terrible race in whiich everything went wrong.dddddddddddd Hamlin sounded like a driver frustrated with errors that were out of his control and led to him falling to 10th in the standings.But hes a past winner at Talladega -- if JGR and Toyota can give him the equipment he needs.Ive got confidence I can win every single week on the race track, he said. Its just, this is a team sport, and youve got to have every facet of the car and the team all put together and weve just got to execute.Hamlin of all drivers understands the complexity of Sundays race at Talladega. Only Jimmie Johnson and Harvick, winners of the first two races in the second round, are safe and breathing easy.Even though the standings show only seven points separate Logano and Autin Dillon, tied for eighth, from Keselowski in 11th, anyone in the field can be kicked out after Talladega. Hamlin was second in the standings at Talladega last year, but finished 37th and was eliminated.That means none of the Gibbs drivers are guaranteed anything, and odds are at least one of them will be knocked out on Sunday. Same goes for the two Penske drivers. Considering where they are in the standings, it will be difficult for both Keselowski and Logano to advance out of Talladega.So the stage is set for a walk-off home run that could save the season for the winner at Talladega.Among those who will be swinging the fences is Chase Elliott, the rookie who has found himself in the second round of the Chase but last in the standings. Elliott is 25 points behind the cutoff, and almost certainly must win at Talladega to remain in the playoff field.Should he pull it off, it would be the first Sprint Cup win of his career. He won the pole at Talladega earlier this year and finished fifth, so anything is possible.I will go there and race our hearts out and try to win, I guess, Elliott said. Thats about all we can do. ' ' '

er to become Premier League champions. The Reds have lost