In the midst of a Norfolk Admirals dressing room that has the demographics of a daycare center, rookie goalie Dustin Tokarski blends right in. Eli Manning Jersey Womens. The 20-year-old is just another young face comfortable speaking up when theres a point to be made, but who also feels just as comfortable letting others have the floor. "Hes got a real good demeanor. Hes cool as a cat," said Admirals coach Darren Rumble. "If we had a bunch of 30-year-olds it may be more of an adjustment. He doesnt carry himself as a rookie." Tokarski doesnt have the typical resume of one, either, which is where the distinguishing characteristics start to come in. Boiled down, Tokarski joins the Admirals as a winner with few matches among his peers. Or, as Rumble notes when asked about Tokarskis gravitas: "It doesnt hurt that the guys know hes won pretty much everywhere hes been." Lets see, which gold medal should Tokarski shine first? The one he won with Team Canada at the 2009 World Juniors? How about the one draped around his neck after Spokane took the 2008 Memorial Cup? If he really wanted to reminisce, he could blow the dust off the bauble earned by leading the Prince Albert Mintos to the Canadian Midget National Championship in 2006. It really doesnt matter. Tokarski, a 2008 fifth-round pick by Tampa Bay, and Norfolk are a perfect match. The Admirals have missed the Calder Cup playoffs each of the last two seasons. His predominant view of life comes from atop a medal stand. PROSPECTS Chelios, Krushelnyski carving own paths Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com Staff Writer Jake Chelios and Alex Krushelnyski hail from NHL families. Now playing in the USHL, both players have developed games that are on display in the USHL. READ MORE › Draft was Bennetts greatest day -- so far Only 16, Ambroz already attracting attention USHL Fall Classic has become a must-see ALL PROSPECTS STORIES › Unbeatable object, meet reclamation project. "I dont know if you can explain it. Its just something that happens," Tokarski said of the winning habit. "Every time playoffs come around your game steps up. You want to be the difference-maker. I want to be that guy." There are many advantages to growing up in a place like Tokarskis hometown of Watson, Sask. (population: 719). Take all the open space and safe roads, for starters. They give Tokarski plenty of room to test out the muscle cars that have become a second passion for him. Tokarski wasnt trying to be showy, its just that he and his dad used to love picking up the odd Duster, Charger or Road Runner and fixing them into working condition. He said his favorite was a 1973 Duster. "When I was looking at cars, at 15, 16, I really liked them," he said. "It stuck with me." Cars gave way to hockey, which is where Tokarskis career blossomed from another hometown perk. When you play youth hockey in a small town, you get to try out all the different positions. Tokarski was the same in that regard, yet a little different. He recalls when it was his turn to play forward, he kept sliding back into his own end. "I was a pretty decent forward," he said, "but I always seemed to be the guy staying back, blocking shots, protecting the defensive zone. I seemed to be extra cautious. It was fun. Back then, shots didnt hurt. There wasnt much worry." From those low-key roots, a big-time goalie was born. It almost seemed predetermined -- his father, two of his uncles, a cousin and a grandfather were netminders at various levels. None, however, could match Dustin, who became one of the most accomplished netminders in recent WHL history. Last season he broke his own franchise records with a 1.97 goals-against average, .937 save percentage and seven shutouts for the Chiefs. He also paced the WHL in GAA, save percentage and shootout save percentage (.860) while tying for first in shutouts and ranking fifth in wins. At 5-foot-11, he doesnt always look textbook pretty in getting it done. But his body and pads are where hard shots seemingly go to die. "Hes a blocker. Hes good at finding ways to let the puck hit him," Rumble said. "My game is simple," Tokarski said. "I dont have to make those crazy saves because Im always in position. Im not the biggest guy in the world. Being on angle or having the right depth in the net can make all the difference." Tokarski has his moments of concern, just like everyone else who sweats out pressure situations. Its just that hes not keen on letting anyone in on that secret. "Every time playoffs come around your game steps up. You want to be the difference-maker. I want to be that guy." -- Dustin Tokarski "You get nervous before (games), but you say to yourself, there are no excuses now," he said. "When you get in the game, you focus on you, the sheet of ice, the players. Its all focus, but at the same time you are doing what you love. Thats what sport is. You want to improve. And you want to help your team win. Im a big-game player." Rumble noted that the self-assuredness of players like Tokarski feeds upon itself, thereby creating a continual cycle of success. "Obviously, hes confident," Rumble said. "When you are good, you need to know that. Sometimes players who are inconsistent lose their confidence quickly." Tokarski is tackling a completely different kind of beast now, one that will test that feel-good mentality over the grind of an 80-game schedule, and, if Norfolk finds some Cinderella slippers, maybe into the playoffs. While that would be a lofty end-game aspiration for the Admirals, it also would mark where the fun really starts in the hungry eyes of Tokarski. "Its pretty overwhelming to be on three championship teams. I want to keep doing that," he said. "Id like to help out the team. Id love to be the guy who starts playing a lot. Its just a process right now." Giants Hakeem Nicks Jersey. Its a difference that will be barely discernible when the two take the ice for the Vancouver Canucks for the start of the Western Conference semifinals. Kenny Phillips Jersey. It was the second straight year that Hanescu has lost in the opening round of the tournament. He was beaten by Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina in 2008. Victor Cruz New York Giants Jersey. Chinas 1990s generation, which has come of age, is a special group different from its predecessors. Eli Manning Youth Jersey. Terrence Williams added 20 points and eight assists, while Stephen Graham and Damion James combined for all 15 of their points in the final quarter. Johnson returns to coaching after a two-year absence and inherits a team that compiled the worst record in the NBA last season at 12-70, which included a history-making 0-18 start. Super Bowl Jason Pierre-Paul Jersey. "Sure. Go for it," Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein confirmed. Youll excuse Scutaro if hes tentative about slipping into a position thats seen little stability since 2004. MONTREAL - Benoit Pouliots career is getting a second wind with the Montreal Canadiens. Pouliot scored the winner and Jaroslav Halak made 38 saves for his second shutout of the season and fifth of his career as the Canadiens beat the Florida Panthers 2-0 on Thursday night. Pouliot, the 2005 fourth overall draft pick acquired Nov. 23 from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Guillaume Latendresse, established a new career high with his sixth goal of the season. It was Pouliots fourth goal in eight games with the Canadiens, putting him nearly halfway to his total of nine goals in 65 career games with the Wild. I didnt get the ice time that I have right now, so thats a plus for me right there, Pouliot said. (In Minnesota) it was a little tougher. I was younger and you didnt want to make mistakes, and when I did I knew I would have to pay for them. Pouliot played 16:53 on a line with Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta, his third straight game with at least 16 minutes of ice time. In 14 games with the Wild this season, Pouliot had two goals and two assists, while only once playing over 16 minutes. You dont want to mistakes, but I know Ive had a few lately in games and he still played me, Pouliot said, referring to Canadiens coach Jacques Martin. I came up with some goals that helped me stay in the game and stay with my linemates. Pouliot came to Montreal with a reputation for having a poor work ethic, but Martin said he hasnt seen any evidence of that thus far. Benoit is a good kid, Martin said. It was probably a good experience for him in Minnesota. Hes getting a second opportunity. We like his speed and his skill, and its a matter of working hard. What I like about his game is I think he goes to the net, he goes into the dirty areas, and a lot of his goals have been scored that way. But what we need from him is consistency. Every night we need that kind of effort. Gionta scored an insurance goal into an empty net for the Canadiens (22-21-3), who snapped a four-game home losing streak. Tomas Vokoun stopped 37 shots to lose for the fourth time in five starts for the Panthers (17-20-7). Florida has dropped five of its last six. You dont get points in this league for playing good games, said Stephen Weiss, the Panthers leading goal-scorer, who failed to find the net in a sixth straight game. We have to fiind a way to put pucks in the net and get points. Ahmad Bradshaw Youth Jersey Halak was facing the Panthers in a second straight start after coming out on the winning end of a 5-4 decision on New Years Eve in Florida. He improved his record to 12-6-0 on the season, and to 8-0-0 when facing teams sitting below the Canadiens in the standings this season. Our guys were skating so we didnt give them many chances, Halak said. But when we gave them, I stopped them. The Canadiens top-ranked power play squandered an excellent opportunity to open the scoring in the first period when Panthers captain Bryan McCabe and Weiss took penalties 20 seconds apart. Montreal managed four shots on goal, though none of them were particularly dangerous and the Panthers escaped the threat still with the game still scoreless. But with only 12.1 seconds left to play in the first, Pouliot gave the Canadiens a lead they would not relinquish. Gomez skated the puck out of the Canadiens end and into the Panthers zone before feeding a streaking Pouliot, who did a nice job of reaching forward to corral the pass before quickly snapping a shot high on Vokouns short side. The second period was a free-flowing, back and forth affair with both teams getting a lot of pucks on net, but not necessarily generating a ton of scoring chances. Glen Metropolit hit the post behind Vokoun on a one-timer off a nice feed from Georges Laraque about seven minutes in, while Halak got across his crease to make a nice save on Cory Stillman just under a minute later. In the third, with Vokoun pulled for an extra attacker, Jordan Leopold took a shot that trickled past Halak and into his crease, but it was cleared away by Jaroslav Spacek. About 15 seconds later, Gionta found the empty net for his 10th goal of the season. Notes: Habs wingers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn remain out with lower body injuries. Andrei Kostitsyn missed his third game with a knee injury, and it was the first time in six games this season the Canadiens won without him in the lineup. Sergei Kostitsyn missed his fourth game with an ankle injury. ...Habs D Ryan OByrne missed his third game while attending to family matters in his native British Columbia. He is expected to rejoin the team this weekend. ...The Panthers were without wingers David Booth (concussion), Kendall McArdle (upper body) and D Dimitry Kulikov (lower body). ' ' '
CALGARY - Bob Gainey ne regrette pas sa décision, prise il y a un an, de démissionner de son poste de directeur général du Canadien de Montréal. Osi Umenyiora Super Bowl Jersey. Gainey, qui a joué pendant 16 saisons à Montréal avant de devenir le directeur général de léquipe pendant sept ans, a louangé Pierre Gauthier pour son travail depuis quil la remplacé. ?Je crois que larrivée de Pierre Gauthier à ce poste lan dernier en février a eu un impact réel sur léquipe, a dit Gainey, samedi, lui qui sest rendu à Calgary pour participer aux festivités entourant la Classique Héritage. Je savais, quand jai quitté mon poste en février dernier, que je laissais de bons morceaux en place, et dautres moins bons.? Gainey a quitté son poste pour des raisons personnelles, mais fait toujours partie de lorganisation en tant que conseiller spécial auprès de Gauthier. Samedi, il a approuvé la décision de Gauthier de garder le gardien Carey Price et déchanger le héros des séries éliminatoires du printemps dernier Jaroslav Halak aux Blues de St. Louis, durant la saison morte. Le Canadien avait fait de Price le cinquième choix au total de la séance de repêchage de 2005, sous le règne de Gainey. ?(Price) a d? oublier les sceptiques et son jeu de lan dernier, a noté Gainey. Je crois quil fait un travail fantastique en faisant simplement ce qui est attendu de lui et en étant professionnel. Montréal est chanceux de compter sur lui.? Le défenseur du Tricolore P.K. Subban a polarisé les joueurs à travers la LNH en raison de son style agressif et de son arrogance sur la glace, mais Gainey ne veut pas voir le jeune espoir du Canadien changer son style de jeu. ?Je crois quil doit samuser et jouer. Certains joueurs devraient se taire et jouer contre lui — garder leur bouche fermée et jouer, a déclaré Gainey. Quiconque la rencontré sait quil est extraverti, bavard et cela na pas changé, même sil est plus mature.? Gainey a même comparé Subban à un ancien défenseur du Canadien qui a connu une longue carrière dans la LNH. ?Un autre joueur qui sétait joint à léquipe et qui avait eu un impact semblable était Chris Chelios, a mentionné Gainey. Je crois que le Canadien est chanceux de le compter dans ses rangs, tout comme la LNH dailleurs. ?Cest un joueur qui est difficile à affronter. Cest le genre de joueur que tu dois constamment surveiller, sinon il va te faire mal.? White Eli Manning Jersey. Ray Allen buried a three-pointer with 11.6 seconds remaining on Sunday, lifting the Celtics to an 87-85 victory over the Knicks. A Carmelo Anthony offensive foul set the stage for Allen, who hit nothing but net on his shot from the left side. Justin Tuck Jersey. Related readings: State of emergency in Kyrgyzstan extended to June 25 UN appeals for $71 million aid for Kyrgyzstan: Ban UN says 400,000 uprooted in Kyrgyzstan Earlier, the Kyrgyzstan interim government has decided to extend a state of emergency in the southern city of Osh and other areas to June 25. Hakeem Nicks Womens Jersey. [PhotoAgencies] LOS ANGELES - Family members and close friends have held a private funeral service for Hollywood doyenne Elizabeth Taylor at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale near Los Angeles Thursday, one day after the movie legend passed away at age of 79. Eli Manning Super Bowl Jersey. - After three days of combing over 38,000 kilometres of ocean, the U. Hakeem Nicks Jersey.4 seconds left to give Boston University its first lead of the game, as the Terriers rallied for a 56-54 victory over Stony Brook in the America East championship game.MADRID, Spain -- Emmanuel Adebayor headed a goal in each half as Real Madrid hammered 10-man Tottenham 4-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday. Adebayor beat Jermaine Jenas to the ball after just four minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium to guide a header past goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes and through the legs of Luka Modric on the line. Tottenham was left with 10 men from the 15th minute when Peter Crouch earned a second booking for a rash tackle. Adebayor added Madrids second by guiding Marcelos cross home in the 57th minute before late goals from Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo ensured a comfortable advantage ahead of next weeks return leg at White Hart Lane. "When I play against Spurs I always have a chance to score," said Adebayor, a former Arsenal striker who is on loan from Manchester City and who has scored 10 goals in as many games against Tottenham. "We just wanted to show that what happened Saturday was an accident," he added, referring to Madrids 1-0 loss to Sporting Gijon -- its first home defeat of the season and coach Jose Mourinhos first loss on home soil in nine years. While Madrid responded firmly on Tuesday, Mourinho felt "sympathy" for Tottenham after it had to battle back with a disadvantage. "I have experience of playing with 10 men in the Champions League and how difficult it is. You have to defend. And when youre losing already and you have to attack its an impossible job," said Mourinho, who remained on good course to becoming the first coach to win the European Cup with three different clubs. Ronaldo, Di Maria and Marcelo were rushed back from injury to start for Madrid, which showed enormous verve as it played in the last eight for the first time in seven years. "Independent of playing against 10, the team played well," Ronaldo said. "The first half was tough for us but in the second we improved a lot." William Gallas passed a fitness test to anchor Tottenhams back line with Gareth Bale starting on the left flank after recovering from a hamstring injury. Aaron Lennon was named in the starting 11, but Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said he felt unwell after warmup and was replaced just before kickoff by Jenas. The speedy England wingers absence was noted as Spurs attack disappeared behind Madrids second half barrage. "To get to halftime like we did, I thought we could hang in there and would have a chance. But then our legs ran out a bit," Redknapp said. Tottenhams first matchup against Madrid for 26 years started poorly as the north London club watched Ronaldo pepper its goal in the early stages before Di Mariaas close shot was deflected for the corner from which Adebayor scored the opening goal. Ahmad Bradshaw Womens Jersey Crouch was booked twice for a pair of reckless tackles deep inside Madrids half -- the England striker scything into Sergio Ramos in the eighth minute before later taking out Marcelo. "He shouldnt take that chance that he might get a red card, so I was disappointed," Redknapp said. "It was an uphill task after that, an impossible task." Madrid kept up the pressure while Tottenham looked to strike on the break. Rafael Van der Vaart -- playing against his former team for the first time -- missed a chance from inside the area in the 28th minute before Bale surged past Ramos to reach a long ball, but his shot past Iker Casillas sliced into the side netting. Pepe took out Bale in the chase for a pass in the 36th minute for a yellow card that will see the Portugal defender miss the return leg. Madrid had four other players within a booking of being sanctioned but Mourinho said that UEFAs decision to suspend him earlier this season kept him from ordering those players to pick up bookings so they could be clean for the semfinals. "Im the only coach in the world who has been sanctioned for doing this," Mourinho said. "For that reason, we didnt do it." Van der Vaart was replaced by striker Jermain Defoe but Spurs never came close to scoring after the restart as Madrid controlled and patiently tried to pick Spurs apart with Adebayor doubling the advantage when left alone inside the box. Di Marias individual effort made it 3-0 in the 72nd as the Argentina forward moved clear from Benoit Assou-Ekotto before unleashing a curling shot from outside the area beyond Gomes into the top corner. Late substitute Kaka, returning from injury to play for the first time since Feb. 26, also made his mark as the Brazil playmaker spotted Ronaldo at the far side with a cross in the 82nd that the Portugal international volleyed low past Gomes inside the near post for his fifth of the competition. Nine-time champion Madrid has never been eliminated over two legs after a 4-0 opening win on home soil but Mourinho warned of overconfidence. "The last time we played at home we won 4-2 and then we were eliminated," the Portuguese coach said in reference to 2004, when Monaco rallied to knock Madrid out before succumbing to Mourinhos FC Porto in the final. Redknapp said it was "impossible" for Tottenham to compete with a big-spending team like Madrid as it faces a difficult task of turning things around in the return leg. "Its going to be very difficult -- we have a mountain to climb," Redknapp said. ' ' '
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Tuesday the NHL is considering trying to negotiate a better lease agreement between the Phoenix Coyotes and the city of Glendale to make the team more attractive to potential buyers. Authentic Victor Cruz Jersey. "Its one possibility of moving toward resolution whereas now all of the potential purchasers have this big elephant in the room," Daly said. "Whats the lease going to look like?" The NHL, which recently paid $140 million to buy the Coyotes out of bankruptcy, would like to sell the franchise and believes a renegotiated lease for Jobing.com Arena could help facilitate the process. "It may be one way to move the process forward by going in and doing our own deal, understanding whats there and then we have something to sell," Daly said. "And either people want to buy it on those terms or they dont. It could make it easier Im not suggesting its the only way to go about it." While the League has maintained it wants to keep the team in Phoenix, it has acknowledged that it might need to be moved if a local buyer cant be found. Material from wire services was used in this report Victor Cruz Youth Jersey. The exit and entry administrative agencies of the ministry had recorded more than 12.55 million foreign visitors to China in the first half of this year, up 23 percent from the same period of last year. Authentic Mario Manningham Jersey. The fire covered an area of over 1,000 square meters in the Red Dragon Chinese market, the largest of its kind in central and southeastern Europe, a Xinhua correspondent at the scene reported. Premier Victor Cruz Jersey. In his first taste of McLarens 2009 car, the 23-year-old Hamilton, F1s first black driver and youngest champion, set a fastest lap time of one minute, 30. Victor Cruz Jersey. Celtic jumped out to a two-goal lead inside of nine minutes with goals from Scott McDonald and Stephen McManus, while Hibs pulled one back in the 17th minute through Robert Jones before McDonald tallied his second goal of the match with 15 minutes to play. Jason Pierre-Paul Youth Jersey. Tonight, Jon Niese tries to get the Mets back on track and win his fifth straight decision in the second test of the four-game set from Nationals Park."As of now, nobody is our captain." Those words made a few headlines and rustled a few more feathers around the NHL last week when San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan announced his team was currently without a captain (or an assistant) heading into training camp. On the heels of McLellans statement, questions arose about everything from the teams direction as a whole to the future of Patrick Marleau, who had donned the "C" for the Sharks since 2004, not to mention the rest of the teams leaders, including Joe Thornton, who previously had an "A" stitched on to his teal blue jersey. It also left Sharks fans wondering about the motivation behind the coachs unorthodox move: was it a clever piece of reverse psychology designed to anger his best players into producing on the ice in a somewhat vengeful state of mind? Or was it an honest attempt to wipe the slate clean and start fresh in San Jose following years of sub-par post-season performances? For Thornton, a member of the team since being traded from the Boston Bruins in November of 2005, there was nothing but positive spin on the news that the Sharks are currently without a defined leadership group. "I think it might be innovative," he said Monday from Team Canadas Olympic orientation camp in Calgary. "I think more teams will probably look at this and say, hey, we cant get by the second round, some teams arent making the playoffs, maybe theyre going to change it too, so I think it might be innovative on San Joses part." The 64, 235-pound forward also said he wasnt phased by the decision and was willing to trying anything that would work. "Its okay. Weve gone a long way as the Sharks and we just want to keep going and we think weve got more on the table so whoevers going to be part of the leadership group, well support and Im sure well be part of that group," Thornton said. He was also quick to dispel the notion that players were certain to lose their roles as captain and assistant, saying rather that it was simply the case that no one technically held those roles currently. "I dont think, necessarily, theyre saying were losing our letters," said Thornton. "I think as of right now nobody has the captain, nobody has the assistant so were just going to wait on that and see what happens after camp and I think right now its still up in the air." McLellans comments last week seemed to be of a similar nature. "I want to see whos stepping up to the front," McLellan told the Mercury News. "Well see as it evolves. I can walk around town and everybodys giving me a suggestion. We can talk about it internally - everybody has an opinion. I believe itll sort itself out." The other assistant last year, Mike Grier, signed with the Buffalo Sabres in the off-season, meaning one "A" was up for grabs regardless. As for Marleau, the move didnt exactly come as a surprise. "We had discussions at the end of the year with Doug (Wilson, General Manager) and Todd (McLellan) and were just looking to get to the next step and this might be one of the ways of getting there and were just excited to get into camp and get the season started," said Marleau, who was drafted second overall by the Sharks in 1997 and has been with the team ever since. "We can kind of put the past behind us and go after that ultimate goal of winning the Cup and if this will do it, then Im all for it." The Aneroid, Saskatchewan native echoed the sentiments of his teammate Thornton; that all of the players were willing to sacrifice personal titles if that move was more likely to achieve a greater good for the team. "Im just here and I want to win so if they think this is what we need to do to win, then Im all for it," said Marleau, who turns 30 in September. "Weve had really good teams there in the past and we havent won it and maybe this will be the thing that takes us over the hump." Marleau registered 38 goals and 33 assists in 76 gamess last season, adding two goals and one assist in a six-game first-round post-season exit at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, the latest in a string of mediocre playoff performances for the Sharks. Antrel Rolle Jersey But despite all the noise about the captaincy (or lack thereof), Marleau said he was not under the impression he was on his way out of San Jose. "It hasnt been expressed to me that way so I cant really speculate on whats happening in the back but as far as I know, no, its not going to transpire that way," said Marleau, who will make $6 million in this, the final season under his current contract. Thornton defended Marleaus tenure as captain and reasserted that, by the time the puck drops on the Sharks regular season on October 1st, Marleau could very well be wearing that same "C" on his jersey once again. "Pattys been a good leader, hes been fine, hes definitely not the problem. Hes been great for us - hes been great in the post-season, hes been great in the regular season, so I think they just want to go in a different direction," Thornton said. "Maybe Pattys going to be the captain, we dont know...right now nobody has the captaincy or the "A"s so its too early to talk about it." In using the phrase "hes definitely not the problem" about Marleau, Thornton is acknowledging that there is indeed "a problem" in San Jose. No one there seems to be doubting that - and maybe honesty is the first step. Thornton, who was selected first overall by the Bruins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, had just seven points in 55 games in his first season in 1997-98. Since then, Thornton, now 30, has put up two 100+ point seasons and three 80+ point campaigns between the Bruins and the Sharks and has tallied 842 points in 836 career NHL regular season games. But a constant thorn in the side of the St. Thomas, Ontario product has been his perceived lack of scoring and passion when it counts. Thorntons critics point to his lack of playoff numbers and the lackluster performance of his teams in the post-season as evidence of an absence of leadership and presence, a missing fire for the game. Contrasting Thorntons impressive regular season numbers with his playoff statistics is definitely an interesting exercise: in 76 games played, he has 12 goals and 41 assists for 53 points - hardly terrible but certainly not on par with his regular season achievements and what many would expect of him in the second season. A glance at the playoff results for Thorntons squads since he joined the NHL 12 years ago also tells a story of disappointment once April hits: 1997/1998 with Bruins - lost in Conference quarterfinals (6 games)1998/1999 with Bruins - lost in Conference semifinals (6 games)1999/2000 with Bruins - did not qualify for playoffs2000/2001 with Bruins - did not qualify for playoffs2001/2002 with Bruins - lost in Conference quarterfinals (6 games)2002/2003 with Bruins - lost in Conference quarterfinals (5 games)2003/2004 with Bruins - lost in Conference quarterfinals (7 games)2004/2005 - no NHL season2005/2006 with Sharks - lost in Conference semifinals (6 games)2006/2007 with Sharks - lost in Conference semifinals (6 games)2007/2008 with Sharks - lost in Conference semifinals (6 games)2008/2009 with Sharks - lost in Conference quarterfinals (6 games, despite winning the Presidents Trophy with a 117-point season) Regardless of this distinct lack of playoff success, the Sharks are obviously dealing with two extremely skilled players in Marleau and Thornton. For some reason, their achievements on the ice during the first 82 games have not translated to post-season accolades. Its a safe bet that everyone in the Sharks organization is trying desperately to figure out why that is. To some, McLellans move is a bold and risky maneuver, a response to that unanswered question, and only time will tell if it will pay off and prove effective in changing the culture in San Jose. Until further notice, though, "nobody is our captain." ' ' '
SEOUL: Chinese tourists traveling to South Korea are continuing to increase its spending during their stay, local media reported Monday citing industry sources. Osi Umenyiora Super Bowl Jersey. Lotte Department Store, the countrys largest retail chain store, saw sales from Chinese tourists grow from 14.6 percent of the chains entire Chinese and Japanese tourist sales in the first quarter of 2009 to 28.9 percent and 40.4 percent in the second and third quarter, respectively, to close at 47 percent in the last quarter, Yonhap News Agency quoted unnamed sources as saying. Related readings: South Korea expects more Chinese holidaymakers New Year gift from South Korea China, South Korea to expand co-op in new situation The trend continued in the month of January this year as spending by Chinese visitors has accounted for 46.2 percent of the retailers sales figures of Japanese and Chinese combined, putting them on a par with the Japanese spending, according to the report. In addition, the average number of Chinese customers at Shinsegae Department Store, one of South Koreas leading retailers, has been some 200 per day, two to three times more than that of the Japanese, spending in excess of 1 million won ($868.21) per person, said the source. The spending hike is largely due to the strengthening Chinese economy, and its currency Yuan, as the spending spree is expected to continue to rise in the foreseeable future based on Chinas upbeat economy, the source added. Brandon Jacobs Jersey. Chad Billingsley (6-6) allowed one run on six hits and two walks through 5 1/3 innings for the win. He also struck out six in the Dodgers third straight victory. Victor Cruz Jersey.0 earthquake on May 12, 2008. In the Third United Nations Conference on the Global Platform for Disaster Reduction on May 11 Swiss local time, the UNISDR granted the Role Model for Resilient Development award to Xie Ruiwu, deputy mayor of Chengdu. Authentic Hakeem Nicks Jersey. to deliberately crash in a race, receiving only a suspended ban from Formula One. Chairman of the Renault F1 Team, Bernard Rey, speaks to journalists after the race-fixing hearing at the International Automobile Federation (FIA)s headquarters in Paris September 21, 2009. Osi Umenyiora Jersey.Y. -- Shawne Merriman is expected to miss a third straight week of practice, and there are concerns of whether the former star linebacker will suit up for the Buffalo Bills at all this season. Hakeem Nicks Jersey. The Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs announced that it has decided to revise up the alert from the second-highest orange to the highest red level, calling on its people to pay closer attention.NEW YORK - Stephon Marbury missed the Knicks game against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night because of a sore left ankle. The Knicks dont believe there was a specific play where Marbury was hurt. The point guard scored 13 points Friday night in a loss to Toronto, then didnt practise Saturday. Marbury has missed 12 games, most coming after his father died on Dec. 2. He is averaging 13.9 points, six below his career average coming into the season. Marbury expressed some frustration with his role in the Knicks offence after Fridays game, but coach Isiah Thomas didnt want to talk about that Sunday before New Yorks 89-65 victory over the Pistons. "I only want to comment and talk about tonights game," TThomas said. Authentic Jason Pierre-Paul Jersey "Hes not playing tonight so well cross that bridge when we come to it if he decides to play again." Marbury didnt watch the game from the bench with his teammates, though Thomas said he didnt even realize that. He also said he wasnt sure when Marbury would return. "Not sure when hell be back, and I was so focused on the game that I didnt know he wasnt on the bench," Thomas said. Marbury also missed a game at Phoenix in November after leaving the team following a clash with Thomas over his spot in the starting lineup. The Knicks fined Marbury one games salary, which he is appealing. Fred Jones replaced Marbury in the starting lineup against Detroit. ' ' '
Tweet VANCOUVER -- Team USA has 14 goals in its first three games at the Olympics. Brandon Jacobs Jersey. Yet, the Americans have not gotten much production for the acknowledged scorers on their roster. Chicagos Pat Kane was expected to be the main sniper for the Americans, but he has only scored once. Zach Parise and Phil Kessel were also brought in for their offense. Neither has a goal yet. Tuesday, moments after Team USA found out it would play Switzerland in Wednesdays quarterfinal (3 p.m. ET), American coach Ron Wilson tried to deflect some of the pressure his marksmen, as well as No. 1 center Paul Statsny, are surely starting to feel. "No, I dont need scoring from them," Wilson said "I just need goals from wherever they come. Were not putting pressure on those guys; just play the best and whoever scores, thats great. Were a team. Its not the first line has to score or anything like that. We just need goals." Certainly, goals will be welcomed from up and down the lineup. But, there is no denying that the Americans will be hard-pressed to reach their goal of winning the goal medal -- a road that was made easier with their top-seed performance in the preliminary line -- without some scoring from a trio that managed 106 goals during the 2008-09 NHL season and already has 74 this year. In fact, you didnt have to read between too many lines to know that GM Brian Burke was targeting some of his scorers Monday afternoon when he talked about having just 10 players pulling on the rope and that this Olympic tournament had to be an all-hands-on-deck affair. Thats the way that Kane took it. "Obviously, what he said is probably all in good intention, but at the same time I knew that, myself, that I have another level," Kane told NHL.com. "Its not that he needs to say it. I know myself I can do it. "Im not worried about it. I love playing hockey, being part of the game and doing good things on the ice. I know Ill be better." But, already, time is running out. At a maximum, the Americans have just three games left if they reach the gold-medal showdown. A three-game drought during a long 82-game NHL season can be pushed aside, but it is not as easy to do that when you havent scored for half a tournament and the stakes are exponentially larger than a run of games during the NHLs dog days. "I feel like I am playing well and getting good scoring chances," Parise told NHL.com. "In the NHL, three games is nothing; but here youre like, I havent scored in half the tournament." And, it is hard to see the pressure from that thought process ratchet up as the stakes get bigger, starting with Wednesdays quarterfinal against a defensively-sound Swiss team. Now, every goal -- or missed opportunity -- could mean the difference between moving another game closer to a gold medal and going home disappointed. "You just focus on the next (game)," said Stastny, who has no points despite entering the tournament with 42 assists this season. "Thats what you do whether youre playing a long season or short season. You always have to forget about what happened before and focus on the next thing." For the Americans, the next thing is a tricky Swiss team, which beat Belarus 3-2 in a shootout Tuesday in the qualifying round. The Americans opened the tournament against Switzerland and struggled to generate offense against a team of talented skaters who are determined to clog up the middle of the ice and slow the transition game against more skilled opponents. In fact, the Swiss also frustrated the Canadian scorers in pool play, dropping a 3-2 shootout decision. "Sometimes in this tournament you have to play a chess match and I know the Swiss are going to want to play that chess match," said American goalie Ryan Miller. "To get this far, you have to put your best game out there to win. Now, the Americans are waiting anxiously for their big guns to find their range as they chase Olympic glory. Kane, for one, was almost defiant in his belief that his time had arrived, despite precious little evidence to back up that assertion. "You know what? I dont think I have been great," he told NHL.com. "But at the same time, I know there is another level I can get to and Im excited about that. "Our team is playing good, obviously, and I even think our team has another level in the tank. To be honest with you, I have expected a lot more of myself and I feel I can be one of the best players in the League. Id like to prove that in the next three games and hopefully bring a gold medal back to the country." Kenny Phillips Authentic Jersey. The former world and Olympic champion cruised into the final yesterday morning in this southern city with a pedestrian time of 13.82 seconds. That is far off his former world record and personal best of 12. Super Bowl Victor Cruz Jersey. The northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has topped the list of all Indian states with maximum number of complaints relating to human rights violation, followed by the national capital New Delhi, said the report quoting NHRC statistics. Victor Cruz Jersey. - Bryan Cameron scored a hat trick and added an assist as the Barrie Colts topped the Guelph Storm 7-5 in the Ontario Hockey League Friday night. Replica Victor Cruz Jersey. If the nation is to effectively rebalance growth away from exports and investment to domestic consumption, more structural reforms, rather than a hasty revaluation of the renminbi, are badly needed. Related readings: High trade surplus likely to remain Chinas trade surplus falls 21. Premier Kenny Phillips Jersey. 1 ranking. By dropping the second-round match at the Porsche Grand Prix, Williams will be overtaken by Jelena Jankovic in Mondays new rankings, the WTA said. Williams gained the top spot when she beat Jankovic in the U. Stockholm, Sweden (Sports Network) - Logan Couture scored the deciding goal midway through the third period, as the San Jose Sharks edged the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-2, in the opener of their season-opening series at the Ericsson Globe. Joe Thornton and Torrey Mitchell also scored for the Sharks, who are coming off a season in which they won the Pacific Division and reached the Western Conference Finals before getting swept by Chicago. Antti Niemi, who played for the Blackhawks last season, made his debut with San Jose and made 30 saves. Joe Pavelski and Ryane Clowe each had two assists. Swede Kristian Huselius scored for Columbus, while fellow Swedes Samuel Pahlsson and Anton Stralman each had an assist. R.J. Umberger had the other goal and Steve Mason turned aside 25 shots for the Blue Jackets, who lost in the debut of new head coach Scott Arniel. It was a close game, a tight game, Huselius said. We showed some character to come back from two goals down. The Sharks took the lead only 2:11 into the game thanks to a mistake by Mason. Mitchell had the puck behind the net on the right side and Mason slid over to seal off the post, but Mitchell stuffed a backhand shot between the goaltenders pads. Thornton made it a 2-0 game nearly nine minutes later, while San Jose was on the power play. His slapshot from the high slot appeared to deflect off a stick and beat Mason high. However, Columbus evened the game later in the period by scoring two goals quickly. The Blue Jackets were on the power play when Huseliuss beat Niemi with 3:05 to go. Justin Tuck Jersey Just 15 seconds later, Ethan Moreau rushed toward the net from the left side, only to have Niemi poke the puck away. But Umberger followed the play and put the puck into the net. Niemi stopped 12 shots in a scoreless middle period, while Mason made 14 saves. San Jose was back on the power play in the third period, after Mike Commodore was called for boarding Sharks forward Jamie McGinn at 8:26. McGinn remained on the ice for several moments before heading to the bench. I dont like to see people crashing into the boards, those are dangerous plays, we talked about it all summer, Commodore said. But if you look at the replay, if hes going to go dead straight into the boards, and then as the puck comes out lean into his stick and go to shoot the puck...I mean, all I did was lift his stick two inches off the ice and he went crashing into the boards. I dont like to see that, but theres nothing else I can do. That isnt a dirty play. He put himself in a bad situation. Nearing the end of the resulting man advantage, Couture wristed a shot from the left side, and it got past Mason to give the Sharks a one-goal edge at the 10:15 mark. Niemi made nine saves in the final period to secure the win. GAME NOTES:The teams will also meet Saturday to complete the series, part of the 2010 NHL Premiere series, in which the league is staging games in three European cities at the start of the season...San Jose was 2-for-6 on the power play...Columbus was 1-for-7 on the man advantage, which included one 5-on-3 and one 4-on-3. ' ' '
Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Michael Cuddyer hit a three-run double to back Scott Bakers solid performance on the mound, as the Minnesota Twins took down the Angels, 4-0, in the rubber match of a three-game series at Target Field. Super Bowl Jersey. Danny Valencia hit a solo homer for the Twins, who ended a nine-game homestand with a 7-2 record. Minnesota is now five games ahead of the White Sox in the AL Central standings. Chicago lost to the Royals on Sunday. "Theyre all big games right now," Cuddyer said. "Youve got to win each and every game. It was a good homestand for us. Hopefully we can go play well on the road." Baker (11-9) pitched seven scoreless innings to win his fourth straight decision. The right-hander also struck out four and walked two to beat Los Angeles for the first time in his career. He came into the game with an 0-5 mark in eight career starts against them. Hideki Matsui and Alberto Callaspo each had two hits for the Angels, who finished a six-game road trip with a 2-4 mark. Jered Weaver (11-9) went six frames in the start, giving up four runs on six hits to suffer his second consecutive loss. He walked four batters and fanned three. "We fell behind," Weaver said. "You have to nit-pick. I tried to battle as much as I can. They got me for four [runs], and we lost." The Angels failed to score after putting men on first and second in the fourth. With two outs, Matsui and Erick Aybar singled. Mike Napoli, though, flied out to end the frame. Minnesota put four runs on the board in the fifth to break a scoreless tie. Valencia led off the inning with a blast into the second deck in right field. Following two outs, Orlando Hudson tripled in front of a pair of walks to load the bases. Cuddyer then cleared the bases with a double to center. He was thrown out between second and third, but not before the Twins took a 4-0 lead. Los Angeles stranded a runner on second in the seventh. Jesse Crain started on the hill for the Twins in the eighth. Callaspo singled and Torii Hunter walked with two outs. Crain, though, struck out Matsui to end the threat. Matt Capps tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the victory. Game Notes Minnesota wins the season series with Los Angeles, 5-2....Weaver fell to 4-2 lifetime versus the Twins...The Angels placed infielder Maicer Izturis on the 15-day disabled list and selected the contract of pitcher Jordan Walden from Triple-A Salt Lake. Walden tossed a scoreless eighth inning. Authentic Jason Pierre-Paul Jersey. Related readings: Caffeine addicts get no real perk from morning cup Caffeine helps you exercise Even a little caffeine may harm fetus, study finds Caffeine doubles miscarriage risk: study A team of investigators from the National Cancer Institute, Harvard School of Public Health, Brigham and Womens Hospital, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill examined genetic variation across the entire genome of more than 47,000 individuals from the US. Jason Pierre-Paul Football Jersey. [Photoscol.com] Two men?driving a van were forced to kneel for one hour with a dead poodle after they ran the dog over in Suzhou, East Chinas Jiangsu province on Sunday, local news portal scol. Ahmad Bradshaw Super Bowl Jersey. Compatriots across the Straits are of the same family and blood bond. We believe only the harmony among family members will benefit everyone, Fan Liqing, spokeswoman of the State Councils Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a regular press conference in Beijing. Super Bowl Antrel Rolle Jersey. Abby Wambach, right, of United States, jumps for the ball with Chinas Yan Bi during their Algarve Cup womens soccer match Wednesday, March 5, 2008 in Albufeira, Portugal. Wambach scored once for U.S. in their 4-0 win. [Agencies] The embattled French woman has been in the hot seat since her rift with Chinese officials became public last month. Ahmad Bradshaw Jersey White. Haywood agreed Thursday to a US$55-million, six-year contract, according to a person familiar with negotiations.MONTREAL - There is no doubt in Calgary Stampeders cornerback Brandon Browners mind that he will play in the Grey Cup on Sunday against the Montreal Alouettes. You can watch the game live on TSN and TSN HD with coverage starting Sunday at 3pm et/Noon pt. Browner suffered a sprained right ankle on the final play of Calgarys 22-18 West Division final win over B.C. but practised Friday and afterwards declared himself fit to play. I think by game time I should be 90 to 100 per cent, Browner said. Im OK enough to play, thats all I can give you. If I need to take a shot so I dont have to feel any pain, thats what Ill do. But Im OK to play. Browner did, however, sit out some of Fridays drills but it was more of a precautionary measure. I didnt want to slip up and have an accident out there, he said. Thats exactly what happened to rookie starting halfback Brandon Smith. Smith got tangled up with a receiver and fell awkwardly into one of the advertising panels on the sideline. It took him several minutes to get up, and he was favouring his left knee when he did. But he said afterwards everything was fine SURPRISING VISITOR: Montreal Alouettes owner Bob Wetenhall was a surprise visitor at the Calgary Stampeders practice Friday afternoon. Wetenhall strolled on to the field while Calgary practised and chatted with former Calgary player-personnel director Jim Barker and Stampeders defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones. Barker was Montreals offensive co-ordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2002 when it won the Grey Cup, while Jones was the Alouettes defensive co-ordinator for five years before joining the Stamps following last season. FOND FAREWELL: CFL commissioneer Mark Cohon paid special tribute Friday to the leagues many familiar faces who passed away this season. Hakeem Nicks Womens Jersey Its been a year for quiet reflection because weve lost a lot of great men who meant so much to this league, Cohon said during his annual state-of-the-league address. And its definitely been a difficult year for the league. Among the high-profile officials to pass away were Ralph Sazio (former Hamilton coach, GM and president as well as Toronto president), former CFL player, coach and broadcaster Ron Lancaster, B.C. Lions president Bob Ackles, former CFL commissioner Jake Gaudaur, Hamilton Tiger-Cats player Jamaica Jackson, Hall of Famer Earl (Earthquake) Lunsford as well as commentators Leif Pettersen and Don Whitman. Don Chevrier, another long-time CFL announcer, died in December 2007. Cohon honoured Lancasters memory by posthumously presenting him with the Commissioners Award for his extraordinary contribution to the league. LUMSDEN HONOURED: Hamilton Tiger-Cats tailback Jesse Lumsden was named the Gibsons Finest top Canadian on Friday. Lumsden emerged the winner following an Internet vote of CFL fans. He will receive a trophy as well as a $10,000 cheque to go to the charity of his choice, which will be the Kidney Foundation of Canada. Also considered for the honour were slotback Jason Clermont of the B.C. Lions; defensive tackle Adriano Belli of the Toronto Argonauts; receiver Arjei Franklin of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers; Calgary Stampeders kicker Sandro DeAngelis, offensive lineman Gene Makowsky of the Saskatchewan Roughriders; Edmonton Eskimos fullback Mathieu Bertrand; and Montreal Alouettes safety Matthieu Proulx. ' ' '
SASKATOON -- The Tim Hortons Brier will return to Saskatoon in 2012. Hakeem Nicks Youth Jersey. The 83rd edition of the Canadian mens curling championship will be played at the Credit Union Centre from March 3-11, 2012, the Canadian Curling Association announced Thursday. Saskatoon will join Toronto, Calgary and Halifax as the only cities to host the Brier on at least six occasions. "The city of Saskatoon has certainly demonstrated its passion for curling with some of the largest attended curling events in history," CCA chief executive officer Greg Stremlaw said in a release. "We felt that the timing was perfect to bring the Brier back to Saskatoon, and we hope that the community embraces this iconic event in record numbers." Saskatoon last hosted the event in 2004. Mario Manningham Super Bowl Jersey. Incoming assistant coach Scott Fankhouser nudged his desk next to boss Jarrod Skalde, and the work pretty much was done. "Were good. We just moved a desk around," Fankhouser said. Giants Victor Cruz Jersey. It will be a stark contrast for the Habs, who have not won a game in New Jersey since Jose Theodore earned a 1-0 victory on Feb. 5, 2002. That win gave Montreal a 1-21-4 record against the Devils since Oct. Authentic Ahmad Bradshaw Jersey. -- Norways Marianne Skarpnord shot a 2-under 70 on Sunday on the Champions Course to take a one-stroke lead over Nicole Jeray and Amanda Blumenherst after the fourth round of the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament. Jason Pierre-Paul Jersey. If you promise yourself to make it a healthy night out at the end of the year, and if you recommend this to others, we are giving lots of prizes, the Ministry of Gender Equality said in an Internet posting. Ahmad Bradshaw Youth Jersey. The Spitfires sent forwards Richard Panik and Austen Brassard, defenceman Paul Bezzo along with netminder Steve Gleeson and picks (Owen Sounds 3rd-round pick in the 2010 OHL Priority Selection, Owen Sounds 2nd-round pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection and Windsors 7th-round pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection) to the Bulls for goalie Philipp Grubauer, defenceman Marc Cantin and forward Stephen Johnston. ARLINGTON, Va. - Theres nothing like juicy bulletin-board material to accompany the announcement of a starting goaltender. Jose Theodore was not only was formally anointed the No. 1 goalie for the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, he also proved he can give as good as he can get when it comes to taking a dig at the opposition. The back-and-forth started when Montreal Canadiens centre Tomas Plekanec was quoted in a Montreal newspaper, talking about the Capitals goaltender situation. Its not as though we are facing Brodeur or Miller, Plekanec said, according to the paper. They dont have a dominant goaltender. When you look at the goaltending matchup in this series it favours our team. I just believe that our goaltending is more solid than theirs. Im not saying their goalies are bad. Im just saying our goalies are better. After Washingtons practice Tuesday, Theodore was ready with a response. Tomas who? Jagr? Theodore said with a smirk. Oh, Plekanec, OK. I thought you meant Jagr. So while its clearly established that neither Martin Brodeur, Ryan Miller nor Jaromir Jagr will be on the ice when the top-seeded Capitals host the eighth-seeded Canadiens in Game 1 on Thursday, the ones who are taking part already have some axes to grind. The reason why we have the record we have is because of Jose, Capitals defenceman Mike Green said. Hes won us more than a handful of games this year just by himself. For (Plekanec) to say that is a little unnecessary. The gibes quickly overshadowed the confirmation that Theodore will indeed be patrolling the net. Washington coach Bruce Boudreau had been playing coy about his starting goaltender and had not planned to announce a starter until Thursday, but he said he was getting tired of being bombarded by the question. Theres no need to ask the question anymore, the coach said. The decision was no big surprise. Theodore ended the regular season on a club-record 23-game streak without a regulation loss (20-0-3), but Boudreau has been known to do the unpredictable with his goalies. A year ago, he benched former league MVP Theodore after just one game in the playoffs and replaced him with playoff neophyte Semyon Varlamov, who anchored the Capitals until a Game 7 loss in the second round. Asked about Plekanecs Brodeur-Miller comments, Boudreau made the case for Theodore. Ill take Joses record the last 23 games over those two guys, the ccoach said. Eli Manning NFL JerseyThe reason quite frankly that I wasnt saying anything was just to keep everybody on their toes, but I told Jose last week and he knew he was going to be the starter and hes earned it. Its quite a different situation than it was from this year to last year. Hes been our guy. What people dont realize was last year, his 10 previous games before going into the playoffs werent anywhere near what his 10 previous games are here, so there is no short leash. Hes the guy were going to go with and see how he goes. Theodore has endured an emotional, tragic 12 months. Getting benched during the playoffs became trivial when he lost his two-month-old son, who died in August from respiratory complications following a premature birth. When Theodore returned for training camp, it was assumed he would be at best a veteran placeholder for the up-and-coming Varlamov. A lot of people counted me out when the season started, for different reasons, Theodore said. It was a big challenge for me to have a solid season. But Varlamov spent much of the season injured, and Theodore showed down the stretch why the starting job should be his. He did it in the face of a lot of adversity this year, Boudreau said. I give him full credit for everything hes done. The series will take Theodore back to Montreal, where he played parts of nine seasons and won the Hart and Vezina trophies in 2002. When he made a relief appearance there in February, he was serenaded derisively with chants of Tay-Oh! In his only start as a visitor in Montreal, he allowed eight goals as a member of the Colorado Avalanche in 2006. He is 2-0 against the Canadiens in Washington since joining the Capitals, and he has never faced the Canadiens in the playoffs. Theodore didnt have much to say about facing his old team and the chanting fans, and Boudreau shrugged it off. We like the song, Boudreau said. They can sing it all they want because theyre always in unison. ... As a player that never affected me. I dont think it should affect him. He should be excited to play there. Notes: Washington C Nicklas Backstrom missed practice with an illness. Boudreau said Backstrom is questionable for Thursday. ... Montreals goaltender will be an unfamiliar face: Carey Price was in goal for all four Canadiens-Capitals game this season, instead of top goalie Jaroslav Halak. Its different, Boudreau said, but were still going to shoot the puck. ' ' '
ST. Victor Cruz Youth Jersey. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain left the team after his father collapsed at home in Nebraska, and the pitcher was placed on the bereavement list. Harlan Chamberlain was hospitalized Monday at St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln. Hospital spokeswoman Jo Miller said the family requested no further information be released. "He is currently in critical but stable condition," Joba Chamberlain said in a statement released by the team. "I also want to thank my teammates and my manager for giving me so much support when I have needed it most. Their actions are the reason I was able to reach my fathers side as quickly as I did." Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Joba Chamberlains sister called and left the pitcher a phone message during New Yorks 8-5 loss at Boston on Sunday night. The Daily News said the reliever spoke with his sister after the game and broke into tears, and Girardi tried to console him. "I talked to him last night and this morning," Girardi said before Monday nights game against Tampa Bay. "His father is still going through tests. "I dont think theyll know everything they need to know for a couple days." Girardi doesnt expect Chamberlain to rejoin the team for at least a few days. "Family comes first," Girardi said. Chamberlain, the Yankees primary setup man, travelled with the team to Florida, where New York started a series against the Rays Monday. Chamberlain then left for Nebraska, teammate Phil Hughes said. "He was a little shaken up at first," Hughes said. "When we got here, he was fine." Harlan Chamberlain had polio when he was nine months old and uses a motorized scooter. He is deaf in one ear and without full use of his left arm. Harlan Chamberlain raised Joba as a single dad. He attended New Yorks season opener this month and was at last weeks series in Kansas City. "You can see the pleasure they get from each other being around each other," Girardi said. "Its a great story." In a flurry of moves, the Yankees recalled right-hander Jonathan Albaladejo from Scranton-Wilkes-Barre of the International League, purchased the contract of catcher Chad Moeller from Scranton and placed infielder Wilson Betemit on the 15-day disabled list with conjunctivitis. Pitcher Humberto Sanchez, coming back from elbow ligament replacement surgery, was transferred from the 15- to the 60-day disabled list to make room on the 40-man roster for Moeller. With Jorge Posadas shoulder bothering him and backup Jose Molina sidelined by an injured hamstring, the Yankees had been without a healthy catcher on their 25-man roster. Kenny Phillips Jersey. The two sides pledged to further enhance bilateral relations. Related readings:China, Spain sign 8 deals worth 1b euros China ready to buy more of Spains bonds Spain insists it is not next in line for bailout Li said the worlds economic recovery is at a critical period and is facing increasing unstable and uncertain elements. Mario Manningham Jersey. FIS course builders arrived in Whistler and laid out the very course athletes expect to see from the starting gate in 2010, just for the Canadian team. Austrian Ski Team members had to peer over the fence, and Swiss skiers showed up at the end of the camp to see a blank hill with any hints of the course covered in a fresh snowfall. Eli Manning Womens Jersey. -- The Denver Broncos have released former first-round pick Jarvis Moss, who tallied just 3 1/2 sacks in 3 1/2 seasons. Osi Umenyiora Jersey. Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run homer, while Kevin Kouzmanoff and Chase Headley each had two hits and an RBI for the Padres, who snapped a three-game losing streak. The club is now 2-7 through most of an 11-game road trip. Brandon Jacobs Super Bowl Jersey. - Really, John Daly insists hes not a beer-swilling, trouble-making guy anymore. DENVER -- When Jim Tracy replaced Clint Hurdle as Colorados manager, GM Dan ODowd said he wasnt expecting miracles. The Rockies were 10 games under .500 and threatening to become irrelevant before June even started. Surprise! The Rockies won 19 of their first 24 under their new skipper, including an incredible 17-1 streak that they extended Monday night with an 11-1 win at Anaheim. The Rockies have set franchise records with nine straight road wins and 17 victories in June. Tracy likes to deflect credit, but theres no hiding that it took him half as many games to win 18 times as it took Hurdle, who was fired with the Rockies in last place in the NL West at 18-28. "I just asked them to play the game correctly. And Ive asked them to play the game unselfishly, and Ive asked them to get a little bit more aggressive offensively," Tracy said. "And weve done an unbelievable job of that." Colorado won eight straight on the road before an 8-1 homestand that was most memorable for Todd Heltons game-winning ninth-inning homer Saturday night against Pittsburgh that recalled his similar shot against the Los Angeles Dodgers that ignited their Rocktober run to the 2007 World Series. After Tampa Bay snapped their winning streak at 11 last week, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki shrugged and suggested: "Well just start another streak tomorrow." A familiar refrain, but about as believable as their contention a month ago that they were really a good team that just happened to be playing bad baseball. Just as Tulowitzki envisioned, the Rockies reeled off five straight wins. "Its nice to show up and go out and expect to win every day," second baseman Clint Barmes said. The Rockies credit their dramatic turnaround to the change in atmosphere that followed the switch in managers on May 29. Theyre not as uptight on the field nor in the clubhouse. They show up at the ballpark expecting to win rather than wondering if theyre in the starting lineup. Thats a welcome change from the days under Hurdle, who constantly juggled his lineup in what sometimes seemed like a frantic search for the right mix that would bring back some of the magic of that memorable month two summers ago when they won their first NL pennant. Tracy benched slumping third baseman Garrett Atkins and replaced him with emerging slugger Ian Stewart. Tracy made Barmes his everyday second baseman and he carved out more at-bats for outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, who came over from Oakland in the Matt Holliday trade that also netted closer Huston Street. "Its a blast right now," said Street, who connverted 16 of his first 17 save chances. Premier Osi Umenyiora Jersey "Twenty days ago, not that it was no fun, but weve been waiting for this. Weve been saying it, almost ad nauseam, to where people were saying, "Uh-huh, you guys are almost there, sure. "But we really felt that and believed it." The Rockies are playing sound fundamental baseball under Tracy. They move runners over. Theyre aggressive at the plate without expanding their strike zones. Theyre driving opposing starters pitch counts high early in games. Theyre fighting off good pitches and when they see a mistake, they make em pay. Defensively, theyre not giving teams extra outs or extra pitches. With their starting pitchers going deep into games, their bullpen has finally settled into a good rhythm. Leading Colorados resurgence is right-fielder Brad Hawpe and right-hander Jason Marquis (9-4), who has reached the playoffs in all nine of his major league seasons and has no intention of seeing that streak snapped this summer. A month ago, it looked like hed have to get traded to keep that streak alive. Now, the Rockies could just as easily end up being buyers as sellers at the trade deadline next month. Ryan Spilborghs said everythings different since Tracy took over and the Rockies started winning. "The food tastes better. The water tastes better. Your family looks nicer to you," he said. "Everything about baseball on and off the field is a lot more enjoyable." Tulowitzki has benefited tremendously from the change at the top. Hes starting to look like the player who led Colorado to the World Series as a rookie in 07 thanks to some tweaking from Tracy, who got his shortstop to stand higher in the batting box and inch his hands up a bit so that he swings down through the ball instead of swooping underneath it. The result is that hes driving pitches between the power alleys with renewed authority, and thats rubbing off on other parts of his game, which in turn, leads the way for his teammates to follow suit. "Were definitely playing with more confidence, with some swagger," Tulowitzki said. Upon his promotion, Tracy said his top priority was to get the Rockies to establish an identity. Theyve done that and more -- theyve established an expectation level. They dont see these past three weeks as an aberration but as a revelation. "Its not like there is a secret magic rabbit that we pull out," Spilborghs said. "We have a group of good people and when you get them playing like they are capable of and not doing more than what they should, you tend to go on streaks like this." ' ' '
Nail Yakupov will be out for an indefinite period of time after the Sarnia Sting forward suffered a left knee injury in the overtime period of Thursdays gold medal game at the World Junior Hockey Championship. Eli Manning Authentic Jersey. The full extent of the injury wont be known for certain until Yakupov gets an MRI done upon his return to Sarnia. Yakupov, a potential first-overall pick for this Junes NHL Entry Draft and ranked first in TSN Scout Craig Buttons monthly draft ranking, had nine assists in seven games at the tournament. In his second season with the Sting, he has 21 goals and 53 points in 26 games. Yakupov joins a long list of of 2012 prospects that have been or still are on the injured list, which includes Sarnias Alex Galchenyuk and Moose Jaw defenceman Morgan Rielly (ACL injuries), Everett blueliner Ryan Murray (high ankle sprain), Halifax forward Martin Frk (concussion), and Peterborough Petes defenceman Slater Koekkoek (dislocated shoulder). Kenny Phillips Jersey. Toyota Motor Corp. Executive Vice President Shinichi Sasaki speaks during a press conference on a US recall for 2.3 million vehicles that need a part for gas pedals fixed at Toyota office in Nagoya, central Japan, Tuesday, February 2, 2010. Kenny Phillips Jersey. Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai. Indias hottest cinema couple have become engaged to be married, ending speculation about their relationship and setting the stage for Bollywoods biggest wedding in years, reports have said. Jason Pierre-Paul Youth Jersey. Forbort, the standout defenseman from the United States National Team Developmental Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., received the loudest ovation Friday night in the opening-round of the 2010 Entry Draft. Antrel Rolle Jersey. Craig Austrie had 15 points and six boards while Jeff Adrien chipped in 14 points and nine rebounds for the Huskies (6-0), who have won their last three games by double-digits. Justin Tuck Jersey. Perhaps the Angels ace can turn things around against the last team he was able to beat. Weaver tries to avoid dropping five straight decisions for the first time in his career this evening when Los Angeles opens up a four-game series with the Oakland Athletics at Angels Stadium.So whats the cost of admission to the League Championship Series this year? How about $100 million? All four of the remaining teams -- Yankees, Angels, Phillies and Dodgers -- have payrolls numbering in nine digits this season. Together, these four clubs have spent more than half a billion dollars on player salaries in 2009. No, really they have. Look, here are the totals (with their rank in Major League Baseball): Yankees - 201.4 million (1st in MLB)Angels - 113.7 (6th)Phillies - 113.0 (7th)Dodgers - 100.5 (9th) Incredibly, each of these four teams is still flawed. Perhaps none more remarkably so than the Phillies with their bullpen. Earlier this year the fledgling MLB Network announced plans for a weekly all-access documentary following the lives of the Philadelphia relievers, called "The Pen." Who knew this reality show would actually become a horror movie? A year ago, the trio of Ryan Madson, J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge were as dominant a back end as youd find anywhere in baseball. Lidge was a perfect 48 for 48 in save opportunities, including seven postseason saves. Philly fans were bullish about their pen. This year the Philly bullpen has been nothing short of awful and Lidge, the man once known as "Lights Out", has, well, been leaving the Lights On with great regularity. In the regular season, he pitched to an 0-8 record with a 7.21 ERA and 11 blown saves. Philly fans now think their pen is bull. Guess where two of Lidges most memorable blown saves occurred? On June 5, Lidge entered Dodger Stadium with a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth. After retiring the first twwo batters, he loaded the bases before giving up a two-run double to Andre Ethier. Antrel Rolle Super Bowl Jersey Dodgers win, Dodgers win! Group hug at home plate! The very next night, more of the same in Chavez Ravine. Lidge entered the game in the ninth with a 2-1 lead to protect. "Lights Out" got lit up by Rafael Furcal who hit a game-tying home run. While he took another blown save, Lidge was spared the indignity of being handed his second loss in as many days. Instead, that loss went to Chad Durbin, another troubled Philly reliever. Ethier hit a 12th inning blast out of Dodger Stadium off Durbin, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 win. In the first round, the Philly pen was surprisingly effective. They logged 12.2 innings over the last three games of the series with Colorado and surrendered just four earned runs (for a 2.84 ERA). Lidge appeared in two games and didnt give up so much as a run or even a hit. But now they have to face a club that had more walkoff wins (12) than any other National League team this season and more comeback victories (42) than all but one other. Just for good measure, the Dodgers added another walkoff win and two more come-from-behind victories in their first round sweep of the Cardinals. That ultimately seems like the deciding factor in this series. Can the Philly pen prove to be mightier than the sword the Dodgers so frequently brandish in the late innings this year? If so, than the Phillies will get a chance to defend their title. If not, the Dodgers will make their first World Series appearance since Kirk Gibson hobbled around the bases against Oakland back in 1988. ' ' '
Chinese soldiers who can practise qigong (breath exercise) show the stunt of breaking bottles with their head in the training’s opening ceremony. Victor Cruz Super Bowl Jersey. [Huang Zhilingchinadaily.com.cn] It was foggy on Friday morning in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, which is known as the city of spring. But onlookers were impressed by the boxing and wrestling demonstration by soldiers of the Chengdu Military Region of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. They were startled when they saw soldiers sitting on the ground, with five bricks on the head of each man. Another man used a big hammer to break the bricks. But none of the men under the bricks were scathed. The demonstration was part of the opening ceremony of the “Friendship Action 2010” Chinese-Romanian mountain troops common training. This is the first time a Romanian land force sub-unit has common training in Asia. “Friendship Action 2010” was the second mountain troops common training between China and Romania. In September 2009, a 26-member Chinese contingent was assigned to Romania for the first China-Romania Mountain Troops Common Training code-named “Friendship Action 2009.” Thanks to the elaborate preparations by the Romanian side as well as the close cooperation between both sides, the common training was a success. “This year, we are continuing the training activities started last year in Romania, in order to develop and improve the skills of military troops of carrying out common military actions, as well as exchange experience between both militaries on branch training,” said BG. Mihai Ciungu, who led the Romanian contingent in the training. “Romanian and Chinese cooperation has a long history, and this common training will show to the world that troops from countries so far geographically are able to organize, prepare and develop common actions, and that the two sides are able to use the same military principles, the same tactics. We are more than friends, we are brothers in arms, ” he said. Major General Ci Guowei, Deputy Chief of the Foreign Affairs office, Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China, said the friendship between the Chinese and Romanian peoples has been deep and enduring. Over 61 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations, the bilateral ties have experienced and withstood the test of time, events and changes in the international environment, and keep progressing in a healthy manner. Thanks to sincere cooperation and friendly exchange, the traditional friendship between the two militaries also keeps advancing, he said. The Romanian military delivered 41.27 million yuan (US$6.2 million) worth of relief materials to China after the devastating Wenchuan earthquake on May 12, 2008. The Romanian friendship will be always remembered by the Chinese people and military, he said. The training will end on November 13. Senior colonial Qin Xiangyou (center) from the Chengdu Military Region who leads the Chinese soldiers in the training asnwers reporters’questions about the training. [Huang Zhilingchinadaily.com.cn] Previous Page 1 2 Next Page Previous Page 1 2 Next Page Brandon Jacobs Jersey. The MiG-23 BN aircraft were bought from the former Soviet Union to counter Pakistans F-16 jets 30 years ago. It will have its last sortie from the Halwara airbase in Punjab, western India, on Friday, said the report. Ahmad Bradshaw Premier Jersey.S. 5-2 Tuesday, overturning an early two-goal deficit in both teams final warm-up game before the IIHF world hockey championship starts Friday. Brandon Jacobs Jersey. A man jogs past the worlds largest observation wheel the Singapore Flyer on December 29. International experts have flown to Singapore to investigate an incident that trapped 173 people on the worlds biggest observation wheel last week. New York Giants Jersey Sale. [PhotoAgencies] BANGKOK - The pro-establishment yellow-shirt Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD) are starting to gather outside the parliament building on Tuesday morning to protest against the governments effort to amend the 2007 constitution. Brandon Jacobs Jersey. Unlike last years Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the Canadian women havent spent months together facing boys midget triple-A teams twice a week in rehearsal of an expected final against the rival Americans. CHICAGO -- Edmonton coach Tom Renney hopes the NHL will take a close look at Daniel Carcillos nasty boarding penalty. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville made it sound like an accident. Everyone agreed it was a crucial play. Ryan Smyth and Taylor Hall scored power-play goals after Carcillo was ejected in the second period, and the Oilers held on for a 4-3 victory over Chicago on Monday night. Jordan Eberle had two assists for the Oilers, including a perfect backhand pass to Andy Sutton for the tiebreaking score in the second. Former Blackhawks forward Ben Eager added an insurance goal in the third as Edmonton snapped a three-game slide. "Thats the way we played at the start of the year," Sutton said. "I dont know whats so complicated about playing that way. Just dont turn the puck over. We were tenacious on the puck and the results speak for themselves." The Oilers trailed 1-0 when Carcillo launched Tom Gilbert into the boards 7:23 into the second, resulting in a major boarding penalty and a game misconduct. "I think the hit speaks for itself and the penalty does as well," Renney said. "At least to this point its been addressed and I hope it will be looked into even further." Gilbert had a step on Carcillo when the well-known agitator pushed the defenceman, sending him into the air and into the boards behind the Edmonton goal. Both went down after the vicious hit and had to be helped off the ice. "I can hear the ref screaming from the other corner to be careful, to lay up on him, and he comes in contact and throws him off balance 5 feet from the boards," Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk said. "I mean, thats got to be one of the most dangerous plays in hockey for sure, and both guys end up injured out of it." Gilbert left with a lower-body injury. The Oilers also lost prized rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to an upper-body injury earlier in the game, and Renney said he wasnt sure when either player would return to the ice. Nugent-Hopkins, the top overall pick in last years draft, began the day leading NHL rookies with 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists). Carcillo appeared to be favouring his left leg when he was helped off. "Im not going to argue the call," Quenneville said. "He beat him to the counter-hit. It wasnt intent. Both guys went for the same type of a play and he beat him, had better position on the guy. Its unfortunate what happened." Jonathan Toews, Andrew Brunette and Jimmy Hayes scored for Chicagoo, which had won three of four and 10 of 13. Eli Manning Jersey The Blackhawks were looking to avenge a 9-2 loss at Edmonton in their previous meeting Nov. 19, but were hurt by Carcillos costly penalty in the second. "Not happy, thats for sure," Chicago star Patrick Kane said. "Its a team we should beat. Giving up two on the 5-minute penalty kill changed the momentum of the game. But we still shouldnt (have) lost to a team like that." Hayes first career goal in his second game trimmed Edmontons lead to 4-3 with 3:49 left. The Blackhawks then got a power-play opportunity when Ryan Jones was sent off for goalie interference, but Dubnyk made a couple of big stops to preserve the victory. Dubnyk finished with 39 saves. Corey Crawford had 26 stops for Chicago. "Its one where we think we should have gotten points out of," Crawford said. "It didnt happen." Smyth tied it at 1-1 just 16 seconds into the five-minute power play, whacking the puck in from the right post for his 15th goal. Edmonton then caught a break when Hall appeared to knock down Blackhawks defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson with a stick to the face minutes later. Hjalmarsson appeared to be disoriented while he scrambled to find his stick, and Hall skated to his side and beat Crawford to give the Oilers a 2-1 lead with nine minutes left in the period. Hjalmarsson got a measure of revenge when his slap shot from just inside the blue line was tipped in by Brunette at 12:39, but the Oilers went in front again four minutes later. Eberle made a nice move to find a wide-open Sutton, whose shot from right in front of the goal went into the upper left corner for his second goal. Chicago dropped to 14-1-1 when scoring first. It also was the fourth regulation home loss for the Blackhawks this season. The Blackhawks struck first during an evenly played first period. Carcillo stole an Edmonton pass just outside the blue line in the Oilers end and fed Toews, who slid the puck past a screened Dubnyk for his team-leading 22nd goal at 12:54. Jones had a breakaway opportunity late in the period, but Crawford made a pad save to keep Chicago in front. NOTES: The Blackhawks signed first-round draft picks Mark McNeil and Phillip Danault, announcing the three-year deals with the 18-year-old centres before the game. McNeil was the 18th selection in last years NHL entry draft, and Danault was the No. 26 pick. ... Blackhawks D Steve Montador was scratched with an upper-body injury. He had played in every game this season. ' ' '
Wang Yun, a student striving for admission into one of Chinas top performing academies, refuses to turn toward the camera, saying it is not time yet. Giants Mark Bavaro Jersey.?[PhotoChina Daily] ? Candidates look at an information board on Monday to see who have made it into the final round of interviews for the Performance Institute of Beijing Film Academy. Th is year, 4,392 applicants competed for 30 openings at the institute, which is one of the best in China. Showbiz hopeful dreams of hitting the big time BEIJING - Wang Yun forced himself out of bed at 8 am on Monday. Although the 18-year-old had only slept for six hours, the young man with silver screen dreams had an even busier day ahead of him. Wang practiced his comic skit for a while before heading to the Beijing Film Academy to find out the results of the preliminary test arranged by the academys drama institute. He would go with his parents, who had accompanied him to Beijing for the crucial interviews with the countrys top performance academies. Wang heaved a sigh of relief knowing that he had passed the preliminary test and rushed to a shopping center to buy clothes for another interview on Wednesday. Later in the day when he arrived at his tutors home, another four students were already there, rehearsing for their interviews. The countrys drama academies are holy lands to tens of thousands of showbiz hopefuls like Wang. Getting into the academy is essentially getting into the industry, Wang said. Without training to develop certain skills, you will lose your wits onstage. An academy education is to acting what a drivers education is to driving, he continued. And you get the inside scoop on the business if you enter the academy, because all of your classmates will seek film roles after graduation. The Central Academy of Drama has, for example, produced such superstars as Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li and Jiang Wen. Wang took leave from high school in Northeast Chinas Jilin province six months ago to prepare for and take the academy interviews. That means he will have to cram all the harder for the university entrance examination, which will be held in early June and is also required by the academies. Over the past half year, Wang has been staying with a relative in Beijing. He commits his waking moments to preparing for the interview, which will include some improvisation. His life orbits around a large mirror in his bedroom. He has stacks of scripts downloaded from the Internet, which he recites to his reflection to hone his skills. I adjust my tone, facial expressions and every small movement, he said. You may have seen someone light a cigarette in a movie, and it might seem like a casual, natural move to you - no big deal. But that motion was meticulously designed and honed by the actor. Wang said he usually has to practice alone. With nobody actually talking to you, you have to use your imagination to picture your dialogist - say, for example, if he is glowering at you. Then, you have to devise responses to his fictive actions. Wang has also hired three tutors from an academy to help him discipline his performance. He often cannot get right the portrayals his tutors demand, which severely depresses him. I once played a soccer team member who was scolding his opponents after a match, he recalled. I did so badly, I slapped myself later, when I was alone. You have to really believe youre the person youre pretending to be. Central Academy of Drama teacher Luo Yu explained that not everyone has this inherent talent. If you dont have the natural potential for things such as a vivid imagination, you wont act well, no matter how youre trained, Luo said. But while more people are applying for drama academies, few are admitted, which is irrational, she said. This year, 30 of the 4,392 applicants to the Performance Institute of the Beijing Film Academy will get a spot. And 4,400 people are competing for 60 openings at Central Academy of Drama. Wang had applied to three drama colleges in Beijing. Wang said he had not decided whether to apply again if he failed this year but did say his childhood dream deserved his best try. But Luo said candidates lose the chance to compete for other university enrollment the moment they go to Beijing, because they had missed the six months that are most important for the exam preparation. They have only one choice if they fail the interviews - try again next year, she said. Although he is striving to bask in the limelight in the future, Wang is reluctant to show his face on camera now. It is not time yet, he said. Super Bowl XLVI Jersey. Résultat: ils sont passés du 12e au deuxième rang dans lAssociation de lOuest. Après avoir été frustrés t?t dans le deuxième match de leur série de premier tour contre les Kings de Los Angeles, ils ont retrouvé leurs mauvaises habitudes, qui avaient mené à une série de six revers et un début de saison difficile. Super Bowl Giants Jersey. Federal court documents show Dykstra filed for Chapter 11 status on Tuesday. He listed assets of $50,000 or less and liabilities of between $10 million and $50 million. New York Giants Jerseys. Its been hard to understand the Flames pratfalls in recent weeks, considering that the team had six marquee players in Miikka Kiprusoff, Jarome Iginla, Olli Jokinen, Robyn Regehr, Dion Phaneuf and Jay Bouwmeester. Super Bowl Victor Cruz Jersey. That certainly extends to starter Gavin Floyd. Floyd will try to win a fourth consecutive start and pitch Chicago to a 10th straight victory this evening in the continuation of a four-game series at Target Field against the Minnesota Twins, who hope Francisco Liriano can bounce back from one of the worst starts of his career without the benefit of having Justin Morneau in the lineup. Ahmad Bradshaw Authentic Jersey. Marshall, 24, returned from an injury-plagued 2007 season to start 29 games in 2008 and help the Crew capture the Supporters Shield trophy, awarded to the team with the best regular season record.RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Ronaldo went into hiding Tuesday after a run-in with cross-dressing prostitutes that prompted police to investigate whether to charge one with trying to extort money from the striker. The AC Milan player, in Brazil recovering from a knee surgery, cancelled two TV appearances, and local media said he will continue physiotherapy at his home. Police said Ronaldo committed no crime, but he was accused by one prostitute of using drugs and not wanting to pay. Prostitution is legal in Brazil. "It is necessary to clarify that no formal accusations were made against Ronaldo," read a statement on the players website. "An advocate of social causes, Ronaldo has never used drugs and has always been admired by children in Brazil and around the world. There are indications of an extortion attempt in which the Milan striker is the only victim." Ronaldo, a three-time FIFA player of the year, acknowledged to police he knew they were prostitutes but did not realize they were cross-dressers until getting to a motel early Monday morning, according to police. Police released more details Tuesday, and the AP reviewed witnesses accounts to authorities. The motel manager - identified only as Luisa - said Ronaldo, who was dressed and appeared to be sober, tried to get rid of the prostitutes after realizing they were men. She told police Ronaldo offered the prostitutes $600 to end the incident but they would not accept dollars. The manager then converted the money into reals for Ronaldo, but before he made the payment one prostitute asked for 50,000 reals ($30,000) to keep the story from the media, according to the police document. A motel waiter, who was not identified in the police documents, told police the prostitute went to the street and yelled "the Phenomenon didnt want to pay." Witnesses also told police the prostitute who asked fro 50,000 reals ripped out the phone wires to keep Ronaldo from calling for help, and broke into his car to steal his beelongings, according to police documents. Cheap New York Giants. That prostitute later showed local media a car document belonging to Ronaldo. Police inspector Carlos Augusto Nogueira said there was no evidence drugs were involved in the incident. But he said Ronaldo and the prostitutes must return to the police station for further questioning next week. Nogueira added the one prostitute might be charged with extortion. Ronaldo will not be charged, Nogueira said, unless he threatened to physically assault the prostitutes, as one hinted. The case made front-page headlines in several Brazilian newspapers Tuesday. And a brief video clip of Ronaldo at the motel, apparently taped by one of the prostitutes, became a big hit in Brazil after being uploaded on YouTube. "Its really a soap opera," said 48-year-old Luiz Mendes, a private chauffeur. "Ronaldo has money to fill mattresses. He can afford the best and most beautiful women in the world. Why would he want to go out with these (prostitutes)." Some Brazilians defended the star. "Its no surprise they are on the front page of all newspapers," said 27-year-old Catia Lopes, a bakery-shop worker. "But I dont think Ronaldos image was hurt. For me he is still the same person." Ronaldos spokesman did not immediately return an e-mail from The Associated Press. Ronaldo went out Sunday night reportedly to celebrate Flamengos 1-0 victory over rival Botafogo in the first leg of the Rio de Janeiro state final. Ronaldo is a fan of Flamengo and has said he wants to play for the Brazilian club before retiring. He was at Maracana stadium to watch Sundays match. The player told reporters during the match that he could be back in action in six months if his recovery continues to go as planned. Ronaldo has won two World Cups with Brazil, including in 2002 when he scored eight goals, including two in the final against Germany. Associated Press Writer Tales Azzoni in Sao Paulo, Brazil, contributed to this report. ' ' '
TORONTO - The Toronto Marlies couldnt muster up enough offence to dig themselves out of an early hole. Kenny Phillips Super Bowl Jersey. Toronto was defeated 2-1 by the Rochester Americans in American Hockey League action Thursday night in front of 3,792 fans at Ricoh Coliseum. Michael Duco and Triston Grant scored for the Americans (16-16-3), while Christian Hanson got the lone marker for the Marlies (17-14-5), who dropped their second straight contest. Jussi Rynnas faced 24 shots in the Marlies crease, while Toronto fired 30 at Tyler Plante. After allowing the Americans to jump out to a 2-0 lead, Toronto closed the gap when Hansons shot from just above the faceoff circle squeaked through Plante and rolled over the goal line. The goal was the second in as many games for Hanson. The Marlies had a glorious chance to equal the affair late in the game when former Marlie Bates Battaglia was given a four-minute penalty for high-sticking Danny Richmond with three minutes remaining. Even with Rynnas on the bench for a sixth skater, Toronto couldnt find the mark. Rochester opened the scoring with just over five minutes remaining in the opening period. The Marlies were already down a man when Alex Foster sent a clearing attempt over the glass, providing the Americans with an extended two-man advantage they cashed in on when Duco tipped in a hard point shot from Clay Wilson. The Americans took a two-goal lead just 38 seconds into the second when Grant made a quick shift to his backhand at the side of the net and slid the puck past Rynnas into the corner of the net. The loss means the Marlies, who sit second in the North Division, are now under .500 at home with a 7-8-2 mark. Notes: Marlies rookie Nazem Kadri served the second game of a two-game suspension and will be back in the line-up Friday when the Marlies travel to Grand Rapids to face the Griffins. The Marlies visit to Grand Rapids kicks off a 21-day, nine-game road trip. . . With centre Darryl Boyce called up to the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier in the day, two players who typically play defence -- Josh Engel and Simon Gysbers -- played forward. . . Forward Matt Caruana played his first game of the season with Toronto after being called up from the ECHL. Brandon Jacobs Authentic Jersey. Maria Sharapova is seen in action at Wimbledon on 04 July 2007. Sharapovas hopes of playing in the Beijing Olympics suffered a major blow after she was told that she would not be considered for the Russian Fed Cup team to face Italy in Septembers final. Victor Cruz Super Bowl Jersey. 8-placed ATP 2008 Race rival Gilles Simon of France 6-3, 7-5 Thursday for a place in the Paris Masters quarterfinals. Victor Cruz Jersey. From the moment he stepped on the Heinz Field ice surface -- last among the 50 players to take part in the alumni game that kicked off the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic weekend -- to the moment he reluctantly ducked his head into the tunnel leading to the dressing room with the screams of the fans still ringing in his ears, Lemieux was once again in his preferred element, playing the game he loves with his peers. Super Bowl Giants Jersey. Evgeni Malkin gets to center Alex Ovechkin. And we all get to see whether the much-anticipated Russian superstar offensive explosion is ignited by the combustible mix that is always Czechs vs. Mario Manningham Super Bowl Jersey. Evgeni Dadonov also scored and Michal Repik had two assists for Florida (3-3). Clemmensen, signed as a free agent in the off-season as the backup to Tomas Vokoun, smothered a point-blank shot by Dallas rookie Jamie Benn 25 seconds into the final period. Nov. 6 - Hall of Fame Game (Buffalo at Toronto). Nov. 8 - Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Toronto. Dec. 26-Jan. 5, 2011 - IIHF World Junior Championships, Buffalo, N.Y. Jan. Cheap Mario Manningham Jersey 1 - NHL Winter Classic. Washington at Pittsburgh (Heinz Field). Jan. 30 - All-Star game, Raleigh, N.C. April 10 - Regular-season ends. April 13 - Stanley Cup playoffs begin. ' ' '
Copper imports by China, the worlds largest consumer, climbed for the first time in four months as arbitrage traders sought profits by buying the metal in London and selling it in Shanghai. Justin Tuck Jersey. Shipments of copper and products gained 4.5 percent in July from June to 342,901 metric tons, the customs office said Tuesday. Imports were 16 percent below the same month last year, according to Bloomberg calculations. Buyers have reduced shipments since April as they drained domestic inventories. Stockpiles at warehouses monitored by the Shanghai Futures Exchange dropped to the lowest level in six months as of July 30, according to the bourse. Copper is used to make wires and pipes for construction and manufacturing. Related readings: Chinas copper demand may expand 12%, Wanxiang says Chinas copper stockpile may slow imports Codelco sees copper demand slowing in China Copper imports increase by 53% in March The slight gain is in line with market expectations, said Pang Ying, an analyst at Shenzhen Rongtuo Trading Co The arbitrage window opened for a while, encouraging some traders to make use of it. Arbitrage had been profitable from the end of May to early July, and shipping usually takes up to one-and-a-half months, Pang said. Copper stockpiles monitored by the Shanghai exchange fell to 104,507 tons in the week ended July 30, the lowest since January, bourse data showed. Stocks rose 1.8 percent to 106,368 tons last week. Copper for three-month delivery on the London Metal Exchange settled at $7,425 a ton?Monday before release of the trade data, and declined 1.2 percent to $7,338.25 a ton at 3:38 pm in Shanghai. Window Closed The arbitrage window has closed since late July, so imports in August will probably be steady or fall a little, if it remains shut, said Lu Chenghong, an analyst at Giger Capital Management Ltd. Copper supplies may not be able to catch up with demand next year for the first time in four years, as China sustains buying while ore grades decline, said Pan Pacific Copper Co, Japans largest smelter. Hidenori Kamoo, general manager of the marketing department of the company, forecast the market to be balanced this year because of Chinas higher-than-expected first-half demand and a 300,000-ton surplus next year. China also imported 380,000 tons of scrap copper in July, compared with 350,000 tons in June, the Beijing-based customs said. Imports of aluminum and the metals products fell 9.6 percent to 67,462 tons from 74,582 tons the previous months, the figures show. Premier Hakeem Nicks Jersey. Long before the Government announced its coming ban on plastic shopping bags, the savvy senior launched her own one-woman campaign against the landfill hazard they represent. Super Bowl Brandon Jacobs Jersey. Related readings: China hit by imported inflation ADB expects lower inflation rate in China China likely to fulfill full-year inflation target: NDRC China to further boost farm produce distribution Prices of Chinas farm produce end 16-week consecutive rises The rise in food prices, which have a one-third weighting in the calculation of Chinas consumer price index (CPI), has added to inflation concerns as the index rose to a 23-month high of 3. Premier Hakeem Nicks Jersey.J. Barea says he doesnt hold any animosity toward Lakers centre Andrew Bynum after their ugly collision. Cheap Ahmad Bradshaw Jersey. - Tony Sparano has been known to jog around the Miami Dolphins complex before the sun rises. Victor Cruz Youth Jersey.[Reuters]The Rafael Nadal claycourt bandwagon rolled on to a record 69 consecutive wins on Thursday as the Spaniard cruised to a 6-1 6-4 victory over Swede Thomas Johansson to reach the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open. CHICAGO (AP) -Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman expects to learn on Saturday whether his salary cap-squeezed team will be able to keep restricted free agent goaltender Antti Niemi, who backstopped Chicago to its first Stanley Cup in 49 years last spring. After Bowman and Niemis agent, Bill Zito, were unable to reach contract terms for the 26-year-old netminder, the case advanced to an arbitration hearing Thursday in Toronto. Both Bowman and the NHL Players Association presented their cases and undisclosed one-year salary figures to an arbitrator, who has 48 hours to make a decision. The arbitrator can choose either sides offer, or any amount between the two, per the NHLs collective bargaining agreement. The arbitrator will make the ruling, I believe, sometime on Saturday, Bowman said during a conference call Thursday evening. At that point we have 48 hours to accept or walk away from the award, or trade the award. To be simple, it will depend on what the number is, he added. Im not going to get into the dollar amount. Our cap situation is tight. Depending on where it is, it will drive the boat. Niemi earned $826,875 last season as a rookie. He played all but one period of the Blackhawks postseason run to the championship, going 16-6 with a 2. Jason Pierre-Paul Youth Jersey63 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and two shutouts, To remain under the NHLs $59.4 million salary cap, the Blackhawks may have offered as little as $2 million to Niemi, who has played in just 42 regular-season games in his career. He took over as the teams top goalie last year, appearing in 39 regular-season games, and went 26-7-4 with seven shutouts, a 2.25 goals-against average and .912 save percentage. Bowman characterized the hearing as calm and routine. It wasnt a contentious thing at all, truthfully he said. Both sides were there arguing the merits of their case and highlighting the benefits of their side. Obviously, Antti was a successful player and a big part of out team. But when it comes down to the business side, you have to look at comparable players and their situations. Since winning the Cup in June, the Blackhawks have shed seven players from their roster, either via trade or free agent signings, to remain under the cap next season. Their situation is complicated by some $4 million in player performance bonuses that were earned last season but will be charged against their 2010-11 cap limit. ' ' '
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. Kenny Phillips Super Bowl Jersey. - This time, Devante Smith-Pelly and the Mississauga St. Michaels Majors made sure there would be no miracle comeback for the Kootenay Ice. Smith-Pelly scored twice as Mississauga dispatched a pesky Ice squad 3-1 on Friday night to advance to the Memorial Cup final before an enthusiastic Hershey Centre sellout of 5,429 spectators. For the third straight game, Kootenay fell behind 2-0 and again appeared poised to mount yet another improbable comeback, pulling to within 2-1 with a dramatic goal at 19:59 of the second period. But after twice rallying for the victory, the Western Hockey League champions fell short against a Majors squad that was a stellar 50-0 during the Ontario Hockey League campaign after leading through two periods. Pelly-Smith said Majors coach Dave Cameron had a simple message for his team in the second-period intermission. Just to relax, we were still up by one and playing great, he said. All that was said was relax, take it easy and keep playing our game and wed come out on top. We did a good job of that. Especially with veteran JP Anderson cooly turning away all 14 Kootenay shots he faced in the third period as the Majors didnt cement the win until Chris DeSousas empty-net goal with 55 seconds left in the game. It was two teams that play the right way and when that happens its going to come down to a bounce here or a bounce there, Cameron said. I thought we had good energy and were able to force some things and were lucky enough to come out on top. Despite his offensive output, Smith-Pelly credited Anderson, who stopped 28 shots, with the win. Without him we dont get this far, he said. He doesnt get a lot of the credit he deserves since were a pretty good defensive team but he is the backbone of our team. After the game, Smith-Pelly and his teammates gathered at centre ice to salute their fans, who Smith-Pelly says definitely will give the Majors (3-1) a big advantage when they face the QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs for the Memorial Cup on Sunday. Were here at our rink so there should be no nerves for our guys because this is an environment were used to, he said. Anytime you have the crowd behind you its huge and going into Sundays game were going to try to use it to our advantage, be it with big hits or scoring a goal. But Mississauga will likely have to go without forward Gregg Sutch. The Buffalo Sabres prospect appeared to suffer a shoulder injury making a check and Cameron said Sutch is a longshot to play Sunday. Saint John handed the Majors their only loss of the round robin, a 4-3 decision that was marred by a missed offside call on the games winning goal. The Sea Dogs, who came in as the CHLs top-ranked team, then clinched a berth in the Memorial Cup final with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Owen Sound Attack before losing a 5-4 overtime decision to Kootenay. I thought the game against Saint John we deserved a better fate, Smith-Pelly said. Weve let that (missed offside call) go and put it behind us. If we play then the way we played tonight weve got a pretty good chance of coming out on top. Joe Antilla had the lone goal for the Ice (2-3), who finished fourth in the Western Hockey Leagues Eastern Conference before posting a 16-3 playoff record to capture the league title and a trip to the Memorial Cup. But twice here Kootenay lost to the Majors, also dropping a 2-1 decision in the round robin. Its a tough one to swallow with your season being finished, said rookie head coach Kris Knoblauch. I think they have more depth than us and rolled four lines a little more than we did. I felt in the third period we did have some opportunities . . . but theyre a good hockey team. In our two games against them we didnt have much success scoring and I dont think its a coincidence, it has a lot to do with the way they play. Mississaugas win gives both Cameron and Majors captain Casey Cizikas a third opportunity this year to taste success in the hockey spotlight. Cameron was the coach and Cizikas a player for the Canadian team that blew a 3-0 lead en route to a heart-breaking 5-3 decision loss to Russia in the final of the world junior tournament. Then came the Majors squandering a 2-0 series lead to Owen Sound en route to a gut-wrenching overtime loss in the seventh and deciding contest. Im hoping so, Cizikas said when asked if the third time was the charm for both himself and Cameron. You can talk about it and draw it up all you want. It just comes down to how you play on the ice and I think were going to be ready when Sunday comes around. Cameron admits Mississaugas psyche was very fragile entering this tournament because the squad was having difficulty coming to grips with its bitter OHL championship loss. Now that the Majors have been able to do so, Cameron figures the team can play better Sunday than it did against the Ice. A lot of it had to do with getting over the psyche of losing games where you werent terrible but you werent getting any bounces and just played well enough to lose, Cameron said. Weve spent the last little while talking about energy and if we have energy we can play our way. Were not dynamic in terms of high-end guys but we are efficient and thats our game. Once we dealt with the disappointment weve been getting better and I still think were going to be a little bit better Sunday. Hakeem Nicks Jersey. Both of these teams were considered Super Bowl contenders after both made the playoffs last year, but they stumbled out of the gate to identical 1-3 records. The Vikings (2-3), who beat the Cowboys (1-4), 34-3, in a divisional playoff game last year, scored on special teams and two short fields to squeak out the victory. Osi Umenyiora Jersey. The Canadiens claimed 30-year-old defenceman Jay Leach off of re-entry waivers on Friday from the New Jersey Devils. In 12 games with the AHLs Lowell Devils, Leach has recorded three assists and 10 penalty minutes in 12 games. Antrel Rolle JerseyEli Manning Youth Jersey. 17 Georgetown at Fifth Third Arena. Sean Kilpatrick and Yancy Gates both supplied 13 points for the Bearcats (24-7, 11-7 Big East), who earned a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Cheap Jason Pierre-Paul Jersey.3 billion yuan. A $236 million worth of import-and-export trade and 280 million yuan worth of domestic trade were dealt on the spot of the wine festival. Wine-related organizations from more than 30 countries and regions including France, Germany, Australia and Spain attended the wine festival.EDMONTON - The Edmonton Oilers may not have made any ground in their quest for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, but head coach Craig MacTavish isnt worried that time is running out on his team. Andrew Cogliano scored a pair of goals as the Oilers continued their unlikely playoff push, defeating the Minnesota Wild 5-3 on Monday night. It was the sixth win in their last seven games and 12th in their last 15 for the Oilers (39-33-5), who leapt past idle Nashville into ninth place in the Western Conference. They remained three points back of eighth place Colorado, which won 2-0 at home against Calgary on Monday. "The bottom line is that it could be anybody that falls," MacTavish said. "These are tough games. If somebody goes on a stretch in the last five games where they only win a game, then even the top teams are vulnerable. Its unlikely but this whole thing has smacked of unlikely-ness right from the outset. Something strange is going to happen." Curtis Glencross, Dustin Penner and Kyle Brodziak also scored for Edmonton. "It was another real solid game," said Oilers assistant captain Steve Staios. "We just keep going. We have to be really happy with that effort, that was a really good team that we played today. We got some goals early and took away their momentum." Oilers goaltender Dwayne Roloson says something pretty special has happened with this team down the stretch. "Especially with the experience we have in here," he said. "We have a lot of young guys and they are playing unbelievable. They are playing like veterans. Its a breath of fresh air when we come in here and they are all excited." Nick Schultz, Sean Hill and Todd Fedoruk replied for the Wild (40-28-9) who have now lost three of their last four but stayed in the Northwest Division lead, one point up on Calgary. It was little comfort for Wild coach Jacques Lemaire, who was not pleased with his teams performance. "It didnt look good eh?" he said. "It didnt look good from behind the bench either. We were not ready to play. Period. Not ready to play. We played a little bit in the third because some of the guys were upset and they had to do something. "We probably had the record for turning the puck over tonight. I didnt count it but we probably had the record." Edmonton got off to an blistering start, scoring three goals on their first four shots on Minnesota goalie Nicklas Backstrom. The Oilers kicked off the scoring just two minutes in as Wild defender Martin Skoula pushed Edmontons Zack Stortini into Backstrom, giving Glencross an easy goal into an open net. Victor Cruz Jersey Edmonton made it 2-0 at 4:44 as the Wild got caught on a bad change, giving up a two-on-one break. Robert Nilsson fed it to Cogliano who outwaited Backstrom as he slid across the crease. Just 18 seconds later it was a three-goal Oiler edge as Ales Hemsky hit Penner in full flight, and he fought off Brent Burns before putting home a backhand goal. Josh Harding came in to replace Backstrom in the Minnesota net. The move ended up paying immediate dividends as the Wild caught a break just 39 seconds after the third Edmonton goal as Nick Schultzs point shot went off defenceman Ladislav Smid, and past Roloson. Edmonton went ahead 4-1 four minutes into the second as Harding made a clumsy clearing attempt. Brodziak picked it off and patiently waited the Wild goalie to go down before scoring. A minute later it was a two-goal game again as Wild blue-liner Hill blasted a bullet from the point that went through a sea of legs and into the Edmonton net for his first of the season. But Edmonton continued to pour on the pressure and got another one before the midway point of the period as Sam Gagner made a great feed in front to Cogliano, who snuck his second of the game between Hardings skate and the post on the backhand. "It was two nice passes from Sam (Gagner) and (Robert) Nilsson," Cogliano said. "They are world-class passers." Minnesota got one back seven-and-a-half minutes into the third just as a power play expired when Fedoruk tipped a Martin Skoula point shot past Roloson. The Oilers and the Wild will play part two of a home-and-home affair on Wednesday in Minnesota. Notes: It was the seventh meeting between the two teams. The Wild led the seasonal series 4-2 coming in Minnesota forward Mark Parrish dressed after being a healthy scratch the two previous games after being held scoreless in his past nine games. Pavol Demitra sat out. Wild centre Eric Belanger, who suffered a broken toe March 7 in Atlanta, made his return to the lineup Edmontons Marc Pouliot continues to play much better in his most recent call-up to the Oilers. During his first stint early in the season, he was held pointless through nine games. In his last 10 games during his latest call-up, Pouliot has a goal and five assists for six points The Canadian national anthem was sung by the daughter of three-time world champion Canadian curler Dave Nedohin, five-year-old Halle. ' ' '
DOHA, Qatar - Gael Monfils stunned Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals of the Qatar Open on Friday to line up an unexpected all-French final against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga after Roger Federer pulled out of the tournament with back spasms. Antrel Rolle Jersey. Monfils, who had only beaten Nadal once before in nine meetings, started well with a strong first serve and an ability to chase down nearly every shot. The 25-year-old Frenchman broke Nadal to go up 4-2 in the first set. Nadal recovered to lead 4-1 in the second set but Monfils stepped up his game. He won 16 of 21 points -- including several jump volleys -- and broke twice to go 5-4 up before closing out the match when Nadal hit a return wide. "I just played my game," said Monfils, who swept aside Viktor Troicki of Serbia to reach the semifinals. "I think last night I played a good match and felt very good about it. I knew today if I did it in same spirit against Rafa it would be great because you need to take advantage of every shot you can make. So I just focused on my game and be aggressive. Then today everything worked." Nadal praised Monfils for his performance, saying he had "fantastic shots with very good backhands, good forehands, his movements were fantastic." But he also blamed his defeat on being too aggressive in the first set and then some poor play -- losing two serves in a row -- and some bad luck in the second. "I didnt play the right way tactically in the first set, in my opinion. I wanted to play more aggressive than usual, playing more inside, dont wait," he said. "So to play against him, I know that I cannot play like I did in the first set. I need to wait a little more. I need to play a little bit, you know, slower and wait my chance." The second-ranked Spaniard said the second set turned when he had the chance to go up 5-3, but hit a forehand into the net to allow Monfils to break and even the set at 4-4. He said he "lost his concentration" after it appeared Monfils was going to challenge the previous shot but then returned it instead. "He stopped playing, and, yeah, I lost the concentration, because (it) seems like he was trying for a challenge, no, at that moment," he said. "That was a big mistake for me, because with 5-3 on serve, the normal thing is that I hold the serve, and once I do that, I feel confident to win the match." The match was overshadowed by Federer withdrawing only 30 minutes before his match against Tsonga. The 16-time Grand Slam winner said his back had not improved since beating Andreas Seppi in three sets on Thursday. Federer, who was looking for his fourth title in Doha, apologized to organizers but said he didnt want to risk further injury ahead of the Australian Open, which starts Jan. 16. It is only the second time the 30-year-old Swiss has pulled out of a tournament due to injury in his illustrious career. He withdrew from the quarter-finals at the 2008 Paris Masters, also because of a back injury. "I dont feel a whole lot of improvement for today, and I just dont think its the right time to risk anything more right now," said Federer, who has tried several treatments. "I still have pain and thats why it was the only right decision, a difficult one for me ... so its a sad moment for me and for the tournament and for the fans, but health goes first. "It came throughout two points against (Grega) Zemlja in the beginning, 2-1 in the first set (of the second-round match), and then I wasnt able to serve properly anymore. Had the same thing yesterday. I was really playing with the hand brake on, and I was just trying to manage the situation, really. So it wasnt very easy to deal with." Federer plans to fly out of Doha on Saturday as scheduled and is hopeful he will recover with rest and further treatment by the end of the week. "For Australia, Im optimistic, just because its not very good but it isnt crazy bad," Federer said. "I have had bad backs in the past. This is definitely not very good, otherwise I would be playing. But I feel without play and the right treatment, I will get through it in the next few days." The 16th-ranked Monfils is showing signs he may be rediscovering the form that saw him reach a career high of No. 7 last year. Among the most athletic players on tour with a willingness to dive and slide, the Frenchmans lapses in concentration has often let him down in big matches, such as losing to Nadal at the U.S. Open two years ago despite leading by a set. Monfils said what was key to Fridays win was never becoming rattled, even when down 4-1 in the second set. "It was just a break, so I was just trying to adjust the way I played," he said. "I was just thinking its one break and I know I can break him." Nadal, for his part, dismissed suggestions that the loss was a setback to his preparations for the Australian Open and his bid to put behind him a year in which was lost to Novak Djokovic six times including the U.S Open and Wimbledon finals and gave up the No. 1 spot to the 24-year-old Serbian. "I go to Australia very happy about what I did here. For sure I would love to win the tournament, win today, have another match tomorrow," Nadal said. "I am not lying to you, and my feeling is very positive... So seriously, the only negative thing of today is to lose. For the rest of the things, I am satisfied." Monfils said that Tsonga, one of his good friends, had been a "bit lucky" in getting the walkover and worried about the two having such contrasting styles. Tsonga has won two out of three matches against Monfils. "Its really always tough to play against Jo because he have a powerful game and kind of game, you know, its tough to manipulate him from the baseline," he said. "So I need just to focus also on my game and focus on my mind." Cheap Hakeem Nicks Jersey. Dansby has a toe injury that forced him to miss last weeks game against Detroit. Fasano is missing Sundays game because of a knee and Murtha is out with a head injury. The Dolphins filled Dansbys spot on the roster by signing receiver Julius Pruitt off their practice squad Friday. Eli Manning Authentic Jersey.9 million) in a single year, according to an annual survey of the richest soccer clubs by accountancy firm Deloitte. Premier Antrel Rolle Jersey. After sitting out 50 games while recovering from surgery to repair a torn distal biceps tendon, Brodeur was back in the Devils lineup when the team hosted Colorado last Thursday and promptly posted a shutout. The four-time Vezina Trophy winner has also been stellar in the two games following that victory, and New Jersey has won all three times since their longtime netminders return. Hakeem Nicks Authentic Jersey. Posters, t-shirts, banners and signs are all over La Vieille Capitale. Hakeem Nicks Super Bowl Jersey. If the nation is to effectively rebalance growth away from exports and investment to domestic consumption, more structural reforms, rather than a hasty revaluation of the renminbi, are badly needed. Related readings: High trade surplus likely to remain Chinas trade surplus falls 21. (Sports Network) - The Milwaukee Brewers will try to add to their season-high five-game winning streak today, as they continue a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners at Miller Park. Last night, Jonathan Lucroy hit a three-run home run as the Milwaukee Brewers downed the Seattle Mariners, 8-3, in the first of a three-game interleague set. Carlos Gomez and Alcides Escobar each drove in two runs while Prince Fielder added an RBI for the Brewers, whose winning streak has helped them make up 2 1/2 games in the standings on NL Central-Leading St. Louis. Milwaukee though, still trails the Cardinals by 7 1/2 games. Dave Bush (3-5) won his second straight start as he was charged with three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits with three strikeouts over six innings. Milton Bradley, Franklin Gutierrez and Mike Sweeney each drove in a run for the Mariners, who have dropped their past two after winning a season-high six in a row. Ryan Rowalnd-Smith (1-7) gave up five runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings of work. You can take this back to two pitches in the fourth, said Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu. The fastball up to Lucroy and the changeup to Gomez for the bback-to-back home runs. Jason Pierre-Paul Womens Jersey We looked good early with the three-run lead, but then it turned around in a hurry. The Mariners are hoping for a better performance from todays starter Doug Fister, who was just activated from the 15-day disabled list. Fister was last on the hill on May 31st, when he allowed five earned runs and eight hits in 7 2/3 innings of a 5-4 loss to Minnesota. He was placed on the DL with right shoulder fatigue following that start. The right-hander, who is making his first interleague start, made one rehabilitation outing for Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday, giving up two runs in four innings of work. Randy Wolf will counter for the Brewers and he has posted a 1.93 ERA over his last two starts. The left-hander was last on the hill this past Sunday, giving up just one earned run and three hits over seven innings of work at Colorado. He left without receiving a decision in the teams eventual 6-1 triumph. The veteran dropped his only two career starts against Seattle, both of which came in 2008, posting a 4.66 ERA over those outings. This is the first series between Seattle and Milwaukee since the Brewers won two of three matchups back in 2004 at Miller Park. ' ' '
TORONTO - It was a step in the right direction for David Purcey, but one bad inning took the shine off an improved performance by the Toronto Blue Jays rookie left-hander. Jason Pierre-Paul Womens Jersey. A three-run fourth against Purcey (1-3) proved to be the difference in his fifth major league start as the Cleveland Indians (50-64) beat the Blue Jays 5-2 on Friday night before a crowd of 31,627 at the Rogers Centre. "Hes getting there, he kept us in the game," Jays manager Cito Gaston said after his teams four-game winning streak came to an end, dropping Torontos record to 59-57. "Weve got to try to be patient with him and hope he learns something every time he goes out there and hope he becomes one of our every five-day starters." After giving up three home runs - the only hits he allowed in his previous start - in an 8-4 loss to the Texas Rangers last Sunday, Purcey kept the ball in the park and used a deceiving fastball to record many of his career-high eight strikeouts against the Indians". But the former first-round pick made a few key mistakes in the fourth, leading to another loss. Ben Francisco and Shin-soo Choo ripped Purcey sliders for RBI doubles before Franklin Gutierrez made it 3-0 with a run-scoring single. That was pretty much game, set and match as the shaky Jays offence failed to do much damage against Indians starter Anthony Reyes (1-0), who notched the win in his American League debut on the day he was called up from triple-A Buffalo. "Im getting a little bit more comfortable," said Purcey, who gave up six hits, four of them in the fourth, and three runs in six innings. "Im kind of realizing how I have to pitch and how the hitters are and Im kind of watching a lot of the older guys, watching the way they pitch and watching which pitches work for them and which dont. Im just trying to get my feet wet. Every time out, I feel like Im getting a little bit better and a little bit better." Despite the loss, the Jays remained seven games back of wild-card leading Boston as the Red Sox lost 5-3 against the Chicago White Sox on Friday. The Jays bats returned to ugly form after the offence recorded some timely hits in a four-game sweep of the free-falling Oakland As. The Jays left 10 runners on base to make a winner of Reyes, who was acquired by the Indians in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals last month. A first-round pick of the Cardinals in 2004, Reyes was once considered one of the teams top prospects. He won Game 1 of the 2006 World Series for the Cardinals, but went on to finish 2-14 last year and was 10-24 for his career in the National League. "We had some situations where we could have scored some big runs and he got some big outs when he needed to," Gaston said of Reyes, who allowed a run and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings. "We just didnt hit the ball well and he made some good pitches." The Jays best chance to make some offensive noise came in the fourth after Matt Stairs of Fredericton had cut the deficit to 3-1 with a run-scoring single. But with the bases loaded, John McDonald flew out to centre to end the inning. Francisco and Choo doubled their RBI totals for the night with hits off Jays relievers Shawn Camp and Jesse Carlson, respectively, in the eighth to give the Indians a commanding 5-1 lead. After Jays pinch-hitter Kevin Mench made it 5-2 with a single off Rafael Perez, Indians righty Jensen Lewis entered in the ninth to pick up his first save of the season. Notes: The Blue Jays have a new plan to help 3B Scott Rolen deal with a lingering left shoulder injury. Instead of playing him for two days and then giving him two days off, Rolen will be off for day games that take place after night games, meaning he will be out of the lineup for Saturdays matinee. Rolen made his fourth consecutive start on Friday . Blue Jays SS John McDonald, who had two hits on Thursday and was stellar in the field all series against Oakland, made his season-high sixth consecutive start on Friday . Blue Jays CF Vernon Wells, out since July 10 with a left hamstring injury, went 0-for-4 in his first rehab appearance as a DH on Friday with triple-A Syracuse . Two top Jays prospects enjoyed strong debuts in their first game after promotions on Thursday. OF Travis Snider, a first-round pick in 2006, went 2-for-3 and had the games only two RBIs for Syracuse, while 1B David Cooper, the Jays first-round pick this year, went 2-for-5 with a double and had the game-winning RBI in the ninth for class-A Dunedin . Along with Reyes, the Indians brought up RHP Brendan Donnelly from Buffalo. The reliever underwent reconstructive surgery on his right elbow last August after pitching in 2007 for the Boston Red Sox . Indians DH/1B Ryan Garko, who was pulled from the teams previous game in Tampa Bay on Wednesday after not running out a ground ball, remained on the bench on Friday. Victor Cruz Authentic Jersey. Rescuers are searching for two more mine workers who are believed to be trapped in the pit of the Wangjialing Coal Mine, which straddles Xiangning County, of Linfen City, and Hejin City, of Yuncheng City, according to the rescue headquarters. Cheap Hakeem Nicks Jersey. Lattaquant de quatrième trio disputera une troisième saison avec les Sabres après avoir établi des marques personnelles de 13 points (3-10) et 72 matchs disputés lan dernier. Jason Pierre-Paul Super Bowl Jersey. After splitting two gut-wrenching overtime games in Vancouver, the Los Angeles Kings are back for Game 3 in their first playoff series since 2002. The youthful Kings inexperience was expected to be a liability in this series against veteran Vancouver, yet theyve twice risen to the challenge of sudden-death playoff hockey. Premier Victor Cruz Jersey.C. -- Top-seeded Elena Dementieva advanced to the Family Circle Cup semifinals when Dominika Cibulkova quit in the second set Friday because of a leg injury. Hakeem Nicks Super Bowl Jersey. Mirren in the League Cup final after beating St. ROME: Irish singer and anti-poverty campaigner Bob Geldof grilled Silvio Berlusconi in an interview published on Sunday, telling him that Romes failed pledges on aid put his credibility in doubt as he chairs a G8 summit this week. How can you lead the G8? Where is your credibility? Geldof asked the conservative Italian Prime Minister in the interview, printed in La Stampa newspaper ahead of the July 8-10 Group of Eight summit in the central city of LAquila. Here we have the signature of a country and the honour of a man, Geldof told Berlusconi, showing him the written commitment to increase aid to Africa signed by him and his G8 colleagues at a 2005 summit in Scotland, La Stampa said. Full coverage: G8 Summit Related readings: Berlusconi: G8 wont write new finance rules Italy hopes for quake reconstruction pledges at G8 Oxfam calls on G8 to increase aid to poor farmers Berlusconi hosts G8 as scandals weaken credibility Quake shakes G8 summit venue in Italy He said Italy had cut aid instead by 400 million euros ($560 million). I am sorry, we made a mistake, Berlusconi responded, saying Italys public debt mountain and the global economic crisis had forced it to cut spending. We are sorry we also reduced aid to Africa ... Our Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti has made a commitment to readjust in line with our undertakings within three years. Development is one a major theme at the summit which on the final day will be broadened to include some African naations. Jason Pierre-Paul Jersey EMPTY PROMISES Geldofs ONE campaign group said in a damning report last month Italy was trailing far behind other G8 nations in making good on their collective promise to more than double aid to Africa by 2010. It said Rome had delivered only three percent of the aid increase promised by Berlusconi four years ago and that Italys shortfall risked undermining the performance of the whole G8. A government adviser told Geldof at the interview Italy would raise aid spending to 0.33 of its gross domestic product by 2010 and to 0.51 percent in 2015 - still short of the 0.7 percent target pledged at the 2005 G8 summit. I dont believe this. To achieve this plan you would have to do an unbelievable job. And we dont need plans, we need actions, Geldof retorted. Berlusconi said Italy was ready to back US President Barack Obamas plan to double US funding for agricultural development aid to $1 billion by 2010, with an additional $1 billion expected to come from his G8 partners. La Stampa said the interview at times resembled a boxing match, with Berlusconi clenching his fist, Geldof shaking his head and interrupting him, and the prime ministers aides intervening to soothe tempers. We were knocked back by all the things that happened to us. The crisis, the earthquake. We also have a situation of strong confrontation with the opposition, and magistrates attacking us, Berlusconi said at one stage. Geldof snapped, This is not a debate about the media or the judiciary system. We are talking about poor, defenceless people. ' ' '
PHILADELPHIA - Terrell Owens should set aside part of his roster bonus from Dallas to pay his old team a debt. Ahmad Bradshaw Youth Jersey. An arbitrator ruled in favour of the Philadelphia Eagles last Friday on a grievance that was filed by the NFL players union on Owens behalf in 2005. A team spokesman said the Eagles would not comment. Owens agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not return a phone message. The union disputed the Eagles effort to recover US$1.725 million of the $2.3 million signing bonus the team paid the wide receiver when it signed him to a seven-year, $48.97-million deal in 2004. Owens was kicked off the team seven games into the 2005 season for a series of infractions, including repeated criticism of quarterback Donovan McNabb and lashing out against management. He was suspended four games without pay and the team withheld his final five paychecks, totalling $955,880. That means Owens still owes the Eagles $769,120. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said this month he plans to pay Owens a $3-million roster bonus, so the all-pro should have some extra cash to pay the Eagles. The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing a league source, first reported arbitrator Shyam Das ruled against Owens. An NFL spokesman confirmed the report to The Associated Press. Brandon Jacobs Jersey. Manu Ginobili had 19 points and Roger Mason nailed a clutch three-pointer in the waning moments, finishing with 11 points as the Southwest Division-leading Spurs moved to 2-1 on their eight-game road trip and have won nine of the last 11 overall. Authentic Victor Cruz Jersey. Rafael Nadal [R] poses with Roger Federer after lifting trophy at Roland Garros in Paris June 8, 2008. [Sina] Federer saw the ball land out, punched the air and yelled. Neither the exact words _ English? French? Swiss German? _ nor the precise sentiment _ delight? relief? _ could be discerned. Ahmad Bradshaw Youth Jersey. Jeter went 3-for-4, while Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano each drove in a run in New Yorks third straight victory. Alfredo Aceves (2-0) was credited with the win after getting Carlos Quentin on an inning-ending lineout with two on in the seventh, preserving a tie game. Kenny Phillips Jersey. What is often over-looked by some is that progress in human civilization is always achieved in a society that enjoys a long period of peace. No one can tell what will be the outcome of the current political and social turmoil that has erupted in some countries in North Africa and Middle East. Hakeem Nicks Authentic Jersey. Raul turned in Sergio Ramos low cross with the inside of his left foot in the 15th minute to surpass Alfredo di Stefano and become Madrids all-time leading scorer with 308 goals in official competitions. Tweet NEWARK, N.J. -- Ilya Kovalchuk couldnt come up with the words to sum up his whirlwind last few days. "Its not easy," the newest New Jersey Devil said. Now it doesnt really matter either. The history books will detail Kovalchuks final days in Atlanta, how he couldnt reach an agreement on a new contract and eventually was traded from the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2001. They will document his first few hours as a Devil, from the time GM Lou Lamoriello picked him up in Washington, D.C., on Thursday night to the time he took his first shift 46 seconds into Friday nights game. Kovalchuk, though, cares only about what matters most. How did his first full day as a Devil end? Well, that hell never forget. New Jersey came back to beat Toronto 4-3, scoring three goals in the final 3:04 -- including two in the final minute. Kovalchuk, who finished the night with a pair of assists in nearly 22 minutes of ice time, was heavily involved in the game-tying goal. With the Devils on a power play that turned into a 6-on-4 advantage when Martin Brodeur left the ice for the extra attacker, Kovalchuk got the puck back from Dean McAmmond at the top of the zone, just inside the blue line. He saw Torontos Rickard Wallin cheating up on him, so he quickly tapped the puck back to McAmmond, who rifled it across the zone to Travis Zajac for a one-time blast from the left circle that beat Jonas Gustavsson. Twenty-five seconds later, Jay Pandolfo banged home a juicy rebound and the Devils were 19 seconds away from celebrating what has to be their most improbable win in quite some time. "With the Thrashers we got quite a few (comebacks) this year, but its great to play with that kind of crowd," Kovalchuk said in reference to the 15,204 inside Prudential Center. "They supported us all game long. Nobody left the building, and it kept going for us." As Kovalchuk pointed out, Zajac scored the tying goal from the same spot on the ice where he usually played when Atlanta was on the power play. However, he talked with Devils coach Jacques Lemaire before the game and was told he was going to be on the left point. "Oh yeah, Im very comfortable (on the point)," Kovalchuk said. "(Lemaire) told me Im going to play on the point, and he said just do whatever you do all the time." He was winding up for the one-timer when McAmmond passed the puck back to him, but he pulled back and quickly sent the puck back the other way. NHL INSIDER Ovi wishes Kovy well in Jersey Dan Rosen- NHL.com Sstaff Writer Alex Ovechkin never got a chance to talk to Ilya Kovalchuk over the past few days as the trade rumors swirled around the other Russian sniper, but the Capitals captain knew almost immediately after Thursdays game that his buddy was on his way to New Jersey. READ MORE › Waddell says trade was tough but necessary Blockbusters are rare for a reason Kovalchuk made impact on and off the ice in Atlanta MORE NHL INSIDER STORIES › "I saw the guy coming right on me, and we dont want to give the puck out of their zone with 30 seconds left or whatever was left on the clock," Kovalchuk said. The respect Kovalchuk got on that play in particular is another reason why the Devils are thrilled to have this guy in their lineup. Wallin cheated, leaving a huge chunk of open ice in the middle of the zone that McAmmond used to get the pass across to Zajac. If hhe doesnt cheat, maybe Kovalchuk is forced to shoot and then who knows what happens. Giants Super Bowl Jersey "We wish people dont respect him, but that opens up so much having him there," Brodeur told NHL.com. "With his shot from anywhere in the zone he can score, so people have a lot of respect and they go to him quick. Thats what happened on the game-tying goal. If the guy doesnt run up there, he might block his one-timer, but who wants to block that one timer? And, the pass went across because the guy jumped and didnt want to give him space. Thats what he is going to bring. Its not just goal scoring, its what he does for the entire hockey team." Kovalchuk admitted that at the start of the game he was a tad nervous. "First shift maybe," he said, "but the guys started supporting me really well and it felt like I played here all along." He skated mostly as the left wing on the second line with Dainius Zubrus and Jamie Langenbrunner, though there were times in the game where he was with Zubrus and Vladimir Zharkov or McAmmond and Brian Rolston. He didnt seem to mind the line shuffling because it was Lemaires attempt to find the right combinations. Lemaire actually said after the game he thinks the best combination for Kovalchuk might be to have him with Zach Parise and Zajac. That trio didnt play together once during Fridays game, but it could debut Saturday when the Devils go across the river to play the Rangers. Both Parise and Kovalchuk are left wings and Lemaire wouldnt divulge who would move to the right side. "Thats a great line," Kovalchuk said smiling. "If we will play together, maybe tomorrow, they are great guys and they are great competitors. It will be a lot of fun." "With the Thrashers we got quite a few (comebacks) this year, but its great to play with that kind of crowd. They supported us all game long. Nobody left the building, and it kept going for us."" -- Ilya Kovalchuk Kovalchuk picked up his first point as a Devil 13:20 into the first period when he got the primary assist on Zubrus fourth goal of the season. It gave the Devils a 1-0 lead. He picked up his first penalty minutes in red and black 8:38 into the second period when he was whistled for interfering with Fredrik Sjostrom. The Leafs scored on the power play to take a 2-1 lead that eventually ballooned to 3-1 before the second intermission. "I took that penalty in the second period and they scored," Kovalchuk said. "I felt we had to do something because it would be too good if we didnt." There were times in the first two periods when it appeared that Kovalchuk was trying to feel out the system and his new linemates. All three of them said they were guilty of being too cute and trying to find each other instead of seeking out shots. "I think in their zone especially, we got some chances to shoot the puck but Zubie and Langenbrunner were looking for me and I was looking for them, so we missed a couple of opportunities to put the puck on the net," Kovalchuk said. However, in the third period, especially late, Kovalchuk showed more drive and determination to have the puck and make something happen with it. It was just enough to help his new team pull off a miraculous win. "It wasnt my best game, but I think we did alright for the first game," he said. "We got the two points, so it doesnt matter who played how. We got two points in the bank and well move on." Contact Dan Rosen at drosen@nhl.com ' ' '
The Anaheim Ducks traded forward Brian Sutherby to the Dallas Stars for the rights to collegian David McIntyre and a conditional draft pick. Antrel Rolle Jersey. Sutherby is playing his seventh season in the NHL, putting up 29 goals and 39 assists in 321 career games played between the Ducks and Washington Capitals. The Edmonton native was a first round selection (26th overall) by the Capitals in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Hes missed the last 10 games with Anaheim since straining his groin, but has been skating with the team. McIntyre is a member of the Colgate Raiders at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, where he leads the team in points; five goals and seven assists in 14 games. The Oakville, Ontario native was the Stars 5th round pick (138th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Super Bowl Jersey. The Tigers took over sole possession of first place in the division for the first time since last July behind a spectacular effort from Justin Verlander in Tuesdays opener, as the right-hander had a no-hitter going through 7 1/3 innings until Orlando Cabrera laced a single into center field to break it up. Hakeem Nicks Replica Jersey. Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said in a statement that the International Criminal Court (ICC) was dependent on media reports to evaluate the situation in Libya. Victor Cruz Super Bowl Jersey. If Campbell isnt up to the challenge, the Redskins have 37-year-old Todd Collins, who hasnt played more than five games in a season at any point in the last ten years, and second-year pro Colt Brennan, who has yet to see NFL game action. Working in Campbells favour is a strong running game, led by veteran Clinton Portis, who has topped 1,200 yards rushing in six of his seven pro seasons. Osi Umenyiora Jersey. In 13 major league seasons, hes seen this before. With each quality start, clutch hit and win, the Indians confidence grows. Mario Manningham Super Bowl Jersey. Petersburg where the New York Yankees open a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Rodriguez remained stuck at 599 on Thursday, but drove in three runs while both Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson added two RBI in the Yankees 11-4 win over Cleveland.Hockey fans and budding rock stars unite! TSNs The Hockey Theme is now available in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and Wii. The popular video game will now feature the rock version of the iconic song that legendary Rush drummer Neil Peart recorded for TSN last year. Fans can purchase The Hockey Theme for their Rock Band Music Library in their consoles store of downloadable content as an individual track on Xbox 360 ($.99 or 80 Microsoft Points), PlayStation 3 system ($.99) and on Wii ($$1 or 100 Wii Points). Brandon Jacobs Jersey View the Rock Band version of The Hockey Theme here. Arranging and performing this version of The Hockey Theme was one of the great musical experiences of my life, said Peart. Knowing what a big part of Canadian culture it is, our second national anthem, I felt honoured to be asked to remake it. I hope everyone has as much fun playing it as I did! Already a cult classic and YouTube sensation, Pearts popular version of The Hockey Theme debuted on TSN in January 2010. Pearts version of the song is also available for digital download at the iTunes Canada store. ' ' '
