WASHINGTON -- By the time Danny Espinosa hit his two-run homer in the eighth inning, there were only a couple of hundred fans left in the ballpark, almost all of them congregated behind the two dugouts. A couple of times there was an ad hoc chant-off between the ones in red down the first base line and those in blue on the other side. "You can hear every word at that point," Espinosa said. "Its like a back-field spring training game." Anthony Rendon hit a two-run homer in the first inning Monday night, and -- thanks to an odd-moving storm that produced an interminable rain delay -- Espinosa and the Washington Nationals didnt finish off the Los Angeles Dodgers until some six hours later on Tuesday morning, holding on for a 4-0 victory and gaining sole possession of first place in the NL East. Jordan Zimmerman pitched four shutout innings before the game was halted, and five relievers threw an inning apiece after play resumed. In between, there was an interruption of 3 hours, 17 minutes while a narrow, cigar-shaped storm took its time soaking D.C. and not much else. "You certainly wait around that long, you want to win the game," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. Aaron Barrett (2-0) got the win mainly because he happened to be Washingtons first reliever when play resumed. Zack Greinke (5-1) got a hard-luck first loss of the season, and plate umpire John Tumpane became the MVP for calling strikes and getting the game done in a reasonable hurry once the tarp was removed. There were four strikeouts before the delay, 16 after it. "We dont get off to a good start, they get a couple quick runs, and then obviously a three-hour delay in there and lose Zack," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Really, we had chances, we just didnt do anything." The rain limited Greinke to three innings, ending a streak that had been unmatched for a century. He had 18 consecutive regular-season starts of at least five innings while allowing two runs or fewer -- the longest such run in the majors since 1914. "Its not really like its an important streak; no one really cares about it anyway," Greinke said. "If it was like a consecutive win streak or something more important than that, it would mean a little more." Dodgers slugger Yasiel Puig sat out the marathon, still sore after crashing into an outfield wall in the ninth inning of Sundays 5-4 road loss to the Miami Marlins. Manager Don Mattingly said Puig remained day to day and declined to say directly whether a concussion has been ruled out. Nationals left fielder Nate McLouth had his own crash-into-wall injury in the eighth inning, when he made a sliding backhand catch of a foul ball. Both hands and both knees hit the wall hard, and his right hand was bleeding as he walked off the field. Williams said McLouth wasnt seriously hurt. The cut didnt require stitches, although a banged-up knee will almost certainly be sore for a while. Zimmermann held the fort until the middle of the fourth, when the dozens of bags of sands poured on the infield by the grounds crew were no longer a match for the weather. The fans who stayed behind were treated to a scoreboard broadcast of their city-sports-brethren Washington Wizards winning an NBA playoff game. Also shown during the delay was the Atlanta Braves loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, which helped the Nationals vault into first in the division. The fans who remained when play resumed had unusually good odds when it came to chasing a foul ball, or catching a T-shirt tossed into the stands as part of a standard promotion. "Fans are going crazy," Zimmermann said. "Its a game, you have to play no matter how many fans are out there. The place wasnt exactly rocking, but it was a game we had to play." NOTES: Greinke had been unbeaten in his previous 13 starts (9-0) vs. NL East teams. ... The Nationals plan to promote RHP Blake Treinen from Triple-A Syracuse to start Tuesdays game. RHP Ryan Mattheus will be optioned to Syracuse. ... Clayton Kershaw (strained back) is scheduled to come off the disabled list Tuesday and start for the Dodgers. ... Kershaw is expected to take the roster spot held for a day by RHP Pedro Baez, who was recalled Monday from Double-A Chattanooga and made his major league debut in the eighth inning. RHP Stephen Fife, who started Sundays game, was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Mattingly said LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, who missed Sundays start with a sore shoulder, did not need an MRI and would resume throwing Tuesday. ... Washington reinstated OF Scott Hairston (strained side muscle) from the 15-day DL and optioned OF Steven Souza Jr. to Triple-A Syracuse. ... Washington C Wilson Ramos (hand) caught nine innings for Double-A Harrisburg on Monday and could rejoin the team later this week. Brett Rypien Jersey .The surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia.Letestu had three goals and two assists in nine games before being injured in late October.The 29-year-old has 54 goals and 65 assists in 273 career NHL games, including 39 goals and 51 assists in 188 games with the Blue Jackets. Jake Butt Jersey . PAUL, Minn – The clock lingered for what seemed like an interminable two minutes and 51 seconds before Mark Fraser finally escaped to the bench during a wildly one-sided first period of an eventual loss to Boston. http://www.cheapbroncosjerseysauthentic....williams-jersey. Mike Ribeiro had a goal and an assist as Phoenix held on to snap a two-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. Justin Simmons Jersey . Tortorella told The Vancouver Province hell be cheering for Team Sweden to win gold when they take on the defending Olympic champions on Sunday morning. "I hope Sweden wins, cause I dont think Hammer (Dan Hamhuis) is going to play, judging by whats happened. Kevin Hogan Jersey . -- Phil Hughes ended a personal losing streak that dated to last July, pitching into the seventh inning Sunday and helping the Twins top the Kansas City Royals 8-3 to avoid a three-game sweep.TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays will send Drew Hutchison to the mound today and could have closer Casey Janssen available out of the bullpen for the third game of a four-game set against the Los Angeles Angels. The Jays activated Janssen from the 15-day disabled list early on Sunday. The 32-year-old has been out since the beginning of the season with a left abdominal lower back strain. The 23-year-old Hutchison is 0-2 over his last six starts since a victory at Tampa Bay on April 1 in his first start of 2014. Hutchison allowed nine hits and five runs over eight innings of a no-decision against Philadelphia on Tuesday. His only appearance against the Angels came May 6, 2012 in Anaheim when he gave up eight hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings of a 4-3 defeat. Angels starter Jered Weaver is 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA over his last four starts and hasnt lost since April 6 at Houston. The right-hander threw eight strong innings in a 4-1 home win over the Yankees Monday. Weaver escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the top of the eighth. He gave up a run on six hits, walked one and struck out seven. In 10 career starts versus Toronto, Weaver is 8-2 with a 3.68 ERA. In taking the first two of this four-game series, the Angels have won six in a row in Toronto. Their last loss at Rogers Centre came June 30, 2012 and thhey have won nine of the last 10 meetings overall.dddddddddddd Tyler Skaggs spun eight-plus strong frames, C.J. Cron clubbed his first big league homer, and the Angels earned a 5-3 win yesterday afternoon in the second installment of this four-game series. Skaggs (3-1) struck out four while giving up just four hits and three runs -- two earned -- over his stellar outing. "He had some good movement on his fastball," Blue Jays catcher Erik Kratz said of Skaggs. "There werent a lot of hard hits today." Cron stroked a solo shot in the third inning and singled home a run in the second, while Chris Iannetta smacked a two-run homer. "Tyler is really coming into his own. You can really see the maturation process," Iannetta said of his batterymate. "He just keeps getting better and hopefully he just keeps learning how to pitch and learning how to execute." Toronto starter J.A. Happ (1-1) lasted just 2 1/3 innings after giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk. Jose Bautista scored once and also knoc

The Detroit Red Wings are looking to find a quick solution to their recent struggles on the road, and their schedule is offering that opportunity. After losing the opener of this six-game trip, the Red Wings attempt to continue their dominance of the NHL-worst Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Detroit (20-10-9) has dropped three of four games on the road, giving up the first goal in each of the last three. That was the case Saturday, when Jimmy Howard allowed the first two tallies en route to a 4-1 loss at Vancouver. We cant seem to get started on the road at all, coach Mike Babcock told the teams official website. So that responsibility lies with me but also with our leadership group and our whole room. Its not good enough. Its not good enough to be unprepared to do your job. That hasnt been the case anywhere against the Oilers (9-22-9), as the Red Wings are 13-0-1 in their last 14 meetings while winning six straight with an 18-6 scoring edge. Theyve claimed 11 of 12 points in their last six visits to Rexall Place, winning the most recent 5-0 on Nov. 2, 2013. Tomas Tatar was one of five Red Wings to find the net in that matchup, and he converted the only successful shootout attempt in a 2-1 home win against Edmonton on March 14. The left wing has 10 goals in his past 12 road games, getting one in each of the last two. Tatars team-leading 16 goals are three shy of his total last season. Gustav Nyquist is just behind Tatar with 15 goals, but he has just four on the road. The right wing assisted on Tatars tally Saturday, giving him seven points in his past five overall. Howard, who had 20 saves against the Canucks, will likely be back in net since hes won 10 straight starts against Edmonton behind a 1.37 goals-against average. While the Oilers own the fewest points in the league, theyre 7-4-1 against the Eastern Conference and scored three times in the third period en route to a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders on Sunday. Theyre 2-0-2 in four games since interim head coach Todd Nelson took sole possession of the Oilers bench In order for players to play a system thats a bit new to them, they have to have trust in the coach, Nelson said. A lot of these guys Ive worked with before, and I was able to establish that with them. Its following suit with the rest of the players. I like the way were applying the things were trying to teach out there, and its getting better every day. It always pays off when you win. Its only been four games where we got points, but its a start. Jordan Eberle and Matt Hendricks likely share that sentiment. Eberle has a point in three straight games after getting two over the previous nine, while Hendricks two goals Sunday was one fewer than his total over his first 34 contests. Eberle has three goals in five home meetings with Detroit, but none in the past two. Viktor Fasth gets the start in goal for the Oilers. Fran Tarkenton Youth Jersey . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . Alan Page Womens Jersey .J. Ellis have avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year contract. http://www.authenticvikingspro.com/Alexa...vikings-jersey/. The 23-year-old restricted free agent appeared in all 48 games last season, finishing second among all Sabres skaters with 15 goals and 34 points. Alan Page Youth Jersey . He will play 10th-seeded Feliciano Lopez in Sundays final, after the Spanish left-hander defeated Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7), 6-4. Brian ONeill Youth Jersey . New York (16-9-8) took over first place in the Eastern Conference and has the best record in the league with one game remaining. Houstons five-game unbeaten streak was snapped, and the Dynamo (13-11-9) are sixth in the East with one game remaining.OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators have re-signed defenceman Alex Grant to a one-year, two-way contract. Grant, 25, was acquired by Ottawa from the Ducks in exchange for forward Andre Petersson on March 5. Following the trade, he was assigned to Binghamton of the American Hockey League, where he recorded 10 points (two goals, eight assists) and six penalty minutes over 19 games. He was held scoreless and recorded 10 penalty minutes while appearing in each of the clubs four post-season games against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. A native of Antigonish, N.S., Grant aappeared in 52 games with the AHLs Norfolk Admirals, registering 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) and 46 penalty minutes prior to being traded.dddddddddddd His 27 points led Admirals defencemen in scoring and was fifth highest overall on the team. Grant played two games with Anaheim last season, recording two goals and two penalty minutes. Originally selected in the fourth round, 118th overall, in the 2007 draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Grant has record

ches have STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- French wild-card entry Benoit Paire beat second-seeded Milos Raonic 7-6 (3), 6-3 Friday to reach the semifinals of the Stockholm Open. Paire will face seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov on Saturday after the Bulgarian beat left-handed Kenny De Schepper of France 6-4, 6-2. Top-seeded David Ferrer of Spain also advanced when his quarterfinal opponent, countryman Fernando Verdasco, pulled out because of an abdominal injury. Ferrer will face fifth-seeded Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, who had more of a struggle as he advanced with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win over Jerzy Janowicz of Poland in little over 2 hours. Cyrus Jones Jersey . Tortorella told The Vancouver Province hell be cheering for Team Sweden to win gold when they take on the defending Olympic champions on Sunday morning. "I hope Sweden wins, cause I dont think Hammer (Dan Hamhuis) is going to play, judging by whats happened. Tyler Ervin Jersey .Brothers B.J. and Justin Upton each homered and had an outfield assist, and the Braves held on for a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night. http://www.cheapravensjerseysauthentic.c...marshall-jersey. PAUL, Minn – The clock lingered for what seemed like an interminable two minutes and 51 seconds before Mark Fraser finally escaped to the bench during a wildly one-sided first period of an eventual loss to Boston. Patrick Onwuasor Jersey . That was OK with him. He was just happy his team came away with two points. Letestu redirected Jack Johnsons shot from the point with 2:38 left, lifting the Blue Jackets past the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Monday night. DeLance Turner Jersey . The 30-year-old Texas native was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the 2001 amateur draft. Duke spent six years in Pittsburgh and also had stints with Arizona, Washington and Cincinnati.Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The Pittsburgh Pirates signed pitcher Francisco Liriano to a three-year contract on Friday. Financial terms were not released, but multiple outlets reported during the winter meetings that the left-handers contract is worth $39 million, the richest free-agent deall in team history.dddddddddddd Liriano, 31, went 7-10 with a 3.38 ERA in 29 starts this past season with the Pirates. He won 16 games for the club in 2013. For his career, Liriano is 76-72 with a 4.07 ERA in 223 games (196 starts) with the Minnesota Twins, Chica

(SportsNetwork.com) - The top of the NFL marquee will read Peyton Manning versus Tom Brady this week. For the 16th time in their legendary careers the NFLs equivalent to Bird and Magic or perhaps Ali and Frazier will tangle on Sunday when the New England Patriots entertain the Denver Broncos at Gillette Stadium. Brady has generally had the edge in the personal rivalry between the two, going 10-5 against Mannings Colts and now Broncos. Things have tightened up in the head-to-head battle over recent years, however, and Peyton has posted a 5-4 mark in his last nine matchups with Brady, including a 26-16 win in last seasons AFC Championship Game. Manning-Brady XVI will also mark the first game in NFL history where both starting QBs have earned 150-or-more regular-season wins. At the end of the day, its Broncos versus Patriots, Denver head coach John Fox said, trying to downplay the personal issue. Brady, though, understands how others will frame the game. Peyton has been a phenomenal player - so consistent and durable for a long period of time, Brady said. Weve had a great rivalry and this year is no different. Indeed the best record in the AFC will be on the line as Mannings Broncos lead the AFC West with a 6-1 mark and Brady and Co, own the AFC East with a 6-2 record. The Pats have won four straight overall, including last weekends 51-23 drubbing of Chicago in which Brady threw touchdown passes on five of New Englands first six drives. Brady finished 30-of-35 for 354 yards in his best performance of the season. Rob Gronkowski had 149 yards on nine receptions and caught three of Bradys touchdown passes before leaving in the third quarter due to dehydration. Brandon LaFell set career-highs with 11 receptions and 124 receiving yards and had a touchdown grab for New England, which extended its home winning streak to 13 games. The Patriots scored three touchdowns in a 57-second span during a 31-point second quarter. It was good to see the whole team ready to go, playing with that kind of energy and execution, said New England coach Bill Belichick. It was a pretty good day for us out there today. Well have to turn this one around quickly and get ready for Denver. The Broncos, meanwhile, are coming off a 35-21 Week 8 win over AFC West-rival San Diego in which Manning threw three touchdown passes to Emmanuel Sanders. Manning, the reigning and five-time NFL MVP who broke Brett Favres record for most career touchdown passes the week prior against San Francisco, was back it, completing 25- of-35 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns against the Chargers to bring his career TD total to 513. Sanders caught nine passes for 120 yards for Denver, which has also won four in a row. Demaryius Thomas caught eight passes for 105 yards. Every week we dont know where the ball is going to go, Sanders admitted. The defense really dictates that and what Peyton is seeing. Ronnie Hillman carried the ball 20 times for 109 yards and Juwan Thompson rushed for 24 yards and two scores on seven carries. Denver leads its all-time series with the Pats by a 25-19 margin. WHAT TO WATCH FOR Although Manning holds the advantage over Brady in raw numbers when the two clash, the Patriots have won eight of the 11 regular-season games in which the two superstars have faced each other and split four postseason meetings. Brady has completed 249-of-364 passes for 2,790 yards with 23 TDs and 10 picks in his 11 regular-season efforts versus Manning-led teams with Peyton connecting on 267-of-421 for 3,147 yards with 27 TDs and 14 interceptions in those contests. The postseason numbers are 85-of-136 for 890 yards with four TDs and two picks for Brady, and 109-for-179 for 1,224 and four TDs and six picks for Manning. In other words, its razor close between the two meaning the supporting casts are going to be the key to this one. Brady is concerned with getting off to a fast start because Denver likes to play with the lead and pile on, unloading its pass rush on defense which features the explosive DeMarcus Ware and well as the reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Month Von Miller. Theyve played from ahead, which has been a great advantage for them all season, Brady said. Hopefully we can get off to a fast start and make them play from behind for once, because you dont want to get behind these guys too much. (Miller and Ware) are as good as anybody, he continued. Theyre just dominant, explosive players. Ones got nine sacks, ones got seven sacks. Theyre seven games into the year and theyre putting up record numbers. Theyre phenomenal players. Manning is tied for the NFL lead with 22 TD passes and leads the league with a 119.0 passer rating. Sanders was his favorite target against San Diego and this week it may be back to Demaryius Thomas or Julius Thomas or Wes Welker or anyone else suiting up at a skill position for Denver. Peyton uses all of his options, Belichick said. If theyre open, he throws it to them. Always a perfectionist, though, Manning is a bit upset that Denver ranks just sixth in the NFL in offense, amassing 398.4 yards per game. Its still early in the season, Manning said. Were still trying to figure out some things that were doing well and that were not doing well. The Patriots, on the other hand, may not have the horses they once had but remain relevant because of the stewardship at the top, namely Belichick and Brady. After a slow start Brady has picked things up, winning AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors for October after leading New England to a 4-0 record in the month and completing 100-of-144 passes for 1,268 yards with 14 touchdowns and no interceptions. The high-octane explosiveness probably isnt there any longer with the New England offense but Bradys ability to protect the football has helped generate a plus-11 turnover ratio, tops in the league The Pats have also improved offensively over the pass four weeks due to the reemergence of their tight ends. New England got only 188 total yards from Gronkowski and Co. during their 2-2 start and 601 in four games since. Rob, hes a great target, Brady said. Hes got the size, speed. Hes really become a great route runner himself. Hes really been a real key part of our offense for as long as hes been here. Hes effective on all downs but hes just a big, strong, physical presence and really smart football player. Against Chicago, New Englands top three targets -- LaFell, Gronkowski and Tim Wright -- were thrown at 27 times, resulting in a mind-numbing 27 catches. Denver defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, though, has significant talent at all three levels. Theyve got all pros at every level of defense, Brady said of the Broncos D. Theyve got an incredible secondary thats playing great this year with a lot of interceptions, playing with a lot of confidence. Linebackers are all really fast and athletic and then they are one of the best D-lines in the NFL. They really force you to play with great execution. OVERALL ANALYSIS The two narratives here are obviously Brady versus Manning and the fact that the Patriots have won 13 straight in Foxborough. But, this is about the supporting casts and Denver looks like it has a little too much talent on both sides of the ball. Its never just one guy, Fox said. This is a team game. There are a lot of moving parts to offense, defense and the kicking game for that matter. Sports Network predicted outcome: Broncos 28, Patriots 24 Andrew Sendejo Jersey . James scored 25 points against his former team, leading the energized Heat to a 114-107 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night. Dwyane Wade added 24 points and Chris Bosh had 22 for the Heat, idle since a 90-84 loss Tuesday at Indiana. Ryan Bates Jersey . Next years tournament is also within sight for Bosnia-Herzegovina, which has never played in a World Cup, but Cristiano Ronaldo looks destined for the playoffs with Portugal after a night when the qualifying picture in the nine groups became much clearer. http://www.cheapeaglesjerseysauthentic.com/. Dr. James Andrews is to operate next week on the 24-year-old pitcher, who made the AL All-Star team last year. Moore will be the first Rays pitcher to undergo Tommy John surgery since Jason Isringhausen in June 2009. Joshua Perkins Jersey . The league-leading New York Rangers outhit and outmuscled the Maple Leafs during a 3-0 victory on Saturday. Backup goalie Martin Biron stopped all 20 shots he faced to complete a nice workmanlike effort by the visitors. Mike Quick Jersey . The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the confidential nature of the search, confirmed reports by several media outlets. The interview took place in Southern California on Monday.PHILADELPHIA -- Despite a poorly timed losing streak, Maple Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle still believes Toronto can turn its season around before its too late. The Leafs dropped a 4-2 decision on Friday to the Philadelphia Flyers, their seventh straight loss, and remain outside of a post-season berth. Carlyle, however, said that his team just needs to clean up the little things and they should be fine with seven games remaining in the regular season. "Theyve proven to us before that they can play the game at a high level," said Carlyle. "If we can tidy up the turnover situation...we got to win more one-on-one battles for the puck. Those are the things at this juncture in the season thats imperative, that we win those battles. And right now were not winning enough." Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk, who scored his 29th goal of the season on Friday, agreed with his coach. "I think our work ethic has been good, we havent quit," said van Riemsdyk. "Weve played hard to the end, sometimes were just not getting the bounces." Vinny Lecavalier, Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds scored for the Flyers, while goaltender Steve Mason stopped 32 shots for the win. David Bolland also scored for the Leafs and Jonathan Bernier made 25 saves in defeat. Lecavalier opened the scoring for Philadelphia 5:35 into the first period as Toronto tried to kill off 1:36 of a 5-on-3 power play. Leafs defenceman Dion Phaneuf was forced to take the face-off after centre Jay McClement was tossed from the draw. After Phaneuf lost the faceoff to Giroux, Lecavalier one timed the puck past Bernier after being set up by defenceman Kimmmo Timonen.dddddddddddd "They score a five-on-three goal, our centre gets kicked out, I dont know if we could have covered it differently," said Carlyle. Van Riemsdyk responded for Toronto just four seconds into the second period, tying the NHL record for the fastest goal to start a period. After centre Tyler Bozak won the draw forward, van Riemsdyk skated ahead and put the puck past Mason to even the score. "Bozie made the play pretty much, he decided he was going to push it ahead," said van Riemsdyk. "He made a great play and I just fired it on net." "It was a big spark," Carlyle said of the goal. "We had a lot of momentum for our hockey club but we just werent able to carry it through." Hartnell killed any Toronto momentum when he gave Philadelphia the lead back at 11:03 of the second after a backhand tip on a shot from Timonen. Giroux made it 3-1 at 4:55 of the third period when he fired a slapper from the circle over Berniers right shoulder. Bolland brought the Leafs within a goal at 6:18. Simmonds, however, put the game out of reach at 12:39. "I look at it as we came here to work, we worked hard," said Carlyle. "Were we smart enough in some areas? No. But we gave ourselves a chance." Toronto is in a four-way tie for the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference, but sit outside a post-season position because of playing more games than any of the other three clubs. One of those teams is the Detroit Red Wings, who the Leafs will face on Saturday. Carlyle knows a win

DURHAM, N.C. -- The shot that would have beaten No. 8 Duke hung on the rim, bouncing once, then twice. "It felt like an eternity," freshman Jabari Parker said. Once it fell harmlessly off the rim, the Blue Devils finally exhaled. Parker scored 23 points and blocked one of Marylands two shots in the final 10 seconds of the Blue Devils 69-67 victory Saturday night. "That was vintage Cameron, man," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "That was one for the ages." Rodney Hood and Rasheed Sulaimon added 11 points each for the Blue Devils (20-5, 9-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who won their eighth in nine games and started a run of four games in eight nights by giving the Terrapins a hard-to-swallow loss in their last scheduled visit to Cameron Indoor Stadium. The ACCs top 3-point shooting team was just 5 of 24 from long range and shot 23 per cent in the second half. Duke led by double figures for all of about 15 seconds before scratching its way to the 20-win mark for the 18th straight year. "Sometimes the basketball gods fool around with you when youre not shooting, and they say, Youve got to figure out another way to win this thing," Krzyzewski said. "Our effort those last 20 seconds was spectacular." Jake Layman scored 18 points for Maryland (14-12, 6-7) and Dez Wells -- who just about single-handedly beat the Blue Devils by scoring 30 in last years ACC quarterfinals -- had all 17 of his points in the second half. Charles Mitchell finished with 12 for the Terrapins, but missed two hook shots in the final 10 seconds that would have given them the lead. "I dont know how Charles shot didnt go in," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. "Call the Duke gods." Parker gave Duke the lead for good when his authoritative, one-handed dunk over Jonathan Graham made it 68-67 with about 1:15 remaining. Wells missed a jumper over Hood with about 50 seconds left. Duke milked the shot clock before Amile Jefferson missed a jumper that failed to draw iron, giving the Terrapins the ball. The teams traded timeouts with 18.8 seconds left before Maryland worked the ball inside to Mitchell. He had one hook shot blocked by Parker with about 7 seconds left, and another bounced twice on the rim but would not fall through. "The guys kind of willed their way to the basket," Turgeon said. "It just didnt drop." Said Jefferson: "You just hold your breath." The rebound made its way to Jefferson, who was fouled with 1.1 seconds left and hit a free throw to end the scoring. Wells couldnt get off an 80-foot heave before the buzzer, sealing Dukes 30th straight victory at Cameron. That tied Stephen F. Austin for the longest active home streak in the country. Duke missed 17 of its first 19 shots in the second half before Jefferson banked one in to tie it at 54 with 6 1/2 minutes left. About 2 minutes earlier, Wells capped a 12-1 run with a layup that gave the Terrapins their first lead at 54-52, and it was a one-possession game the rest of the way. The Big Ten-bound Terps got quite an early earful from the Cameron Crazies, who taunted Turgeon with their classic "Sweat, Gary, Sweat" chant that had been mothballed since Gary Williams retired three years ago. But once Maryland started chipping into -- and eventually completely erasing -- the Duke lead, those jeers stopped. "Im going to miss (the Duke rivalry) like crazy," Turgeon said. "We played tonight for Maryland. ... We played for all our former coaches, former players ... because we knew we werent getting them at our place. This was our one chance." Jefferson finished with 12 rebounds for the Blue Devils, who have a busy week coming up because their rivalry game with North Carolina was postponed due to a nasty winter storm. That game was rescheduled for Feb. 20 -- two nights after they visit Georgia Tech, and two nights before they host No. 1 Syracuse. "This is a fun time for us and this should really be a good time to see where our team is at, to evaluate it and to get better," Jefferson said. That the Blue Devils missed 11 of their first 13 attempts from 3-point range could have been attributed to rust for a team that entered hitting 3s at a league-best 42 per cent clip. But they also were outrebounded 43-36 by the Terps and certainly looked ripe for an upset. They were unable to take advantage of Marylands drought early in the half, instead matching the Terps missed shot for missed shot. Maryland went 5 minutes between buckets early in the second half. Duke finished at 33 per cent from the field while Maryland shot 41.9 per cent. "We beat a real gutty team today," Krzyzewski said, "and we were a gutty team." Cheap Vans Shoes . According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, Brodeurs agent Pat Brisson has spoken to six teams so far regarding the veteran goaltender. Vans Old Skool White . The Missouri Tigers Defensive End and SEC Defensive player of the year is eligible for the upcoming NFL draft in May. http://www.vansshoesclearancesale.com/va...sale/white.html. "Im proud, obviously. Its been a long day, but now Im a Crystal Palace player, Im very happy," Bannan said. "The seasons been started now for a couple of weeks and Ive not featured at Villa. Vans Sk8 Hi Clearance . Obasi chested the ball past one defender, prodded it past another and then rounded the keeper before scoring from a tight angle in the 16th minute. Seconds after the restart, Obasi set up Klaas Jan Huntelaar for the Dutchmans 11th goal from 13 games this season. Vans Old Skool Pink . His right arm rested in a sling and was encased in a cast from above the elbow to his hand. "Im excited," Fernandez said with a grin.SOCHI, Russia -- Ilya Kovalchuk missed Russias final practice before the qualification round. Russian hockey coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov told reporters Monday that the forward was resting and not injured. Kovalchuk missed the final minutes of the second period in Sundays win over Slovakia after appearing to hurt his right ankle. He returned and played in the preliminary-round game, scoring in a shootout to seal a much-needed vvictory.dddddddddddd The fifth-seeded Russians will play 12th-seeded Norway on Tuesday, needing a win to advance to the quarterfinals on home ice. Kovalchuk took his talents home to Russia last summer, walking away from $77 million and the 15-year contract he signed in 2010 with the New Jersey Devils. The 30-year-old Kovalchuk retired from the NHL to play for

PHILADELPHIA -- Ryan Howard and Cody Asche homered, and A.J. Burnett threw six solid innings to lead the Philadelphia Phillies over the Washington Nationals 7-2 on Saturday night. Jimmy Rollins had four hits and Marlon Byrd doubled and drove in a pair of runs for Philadelphia. The Phillies won for just the third time in 11 games against the Nationals. Adam LaRoche and Zach Walters homered for Washington. The game was delayed for 24 minutes because of heavy rain, lightning and thunder after the sixth. Burnett didnt return after the weather cleared, having thrown 93 pitches. Burnett (2-1) gave up one run on three hits while striking out seven and walking two. The right-hander had seven strikeouts to up his career total to 2,215, moving past Jim Palmer into 52nd all-time. Tanner Roark (2-1) had the poorest start of his two-year career, allowing seven runs on seven hits in four-plus innings. The runs and innings were career-worsts for Roark, who was making his 11th major league start. Howard started the trouble for Roark by hitting an opposite-field, three-run homer in the first. The home run snapped Roarks scoreless streak at 18 innings. Asche connected for a solo shot in the second to make it 4-0. Carlos Ruizs RBI double in the fourth and Byrds two-run single in the fifth gave Philadelphia a 7-0 cushion. LaRoche homered in the sixth. He continued to have success off Burnett, raising his average to .400 (10-for-25) with two homers and six RBIs against the right-hander. LaRoche, who has been slowed by a quadriceps injury, was lifted after hitting the homer. Walters, pinch-hitting in the seventh, homered off Mario Hollands with two outs. 7-2. All three of the rookies hits this season are homers. NOTES: Phillies LHP Cole Hamels (0-2, 6.75) has been scratched from his scheduled start on Sunday because of the flu. Hamels will start Tuesday against Toronto. RHP Roberto Hernandez (1-1, 5.74) now will oppose Nationals LHP Gio Gonzalez (3-1, 3.25) in the conclusion of the three-game series. ... Former Phillies closer Brad Lidge threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Lidge converted all 48 of his save opportunities during Philadelphias 2008 World Series season. ... Third-base umpire Jim Reynolds left the game after the first inning due to an undisclosed illness and was replaced by Toby Basner. ... Rollins had been hitless in his last 11 at-bats. Donnie Shell Womens Jersey .C. - The housecleaning continues for the B. Devin Bush Jersey . Gough finished in fourth, 0.433 seconds behind American Erin Hamlin, who took the bronze medal at the Sanki Sliding Center in Rzhanaya Polyana. http://www.steelerspronfl.com/Youth-Mike...r-Elite-Jersey/. Carey Price made 27 saves for Montreal (30-21-6) for his fourth shutout of the year and second in four games. David Desharnais added an empty netter for the Canadiens. Reto Berra stopped 25 shots for Calgary (21-28-7). Louis Lipps Jersey . That time around, the cage is as much a part of baseballs daily routine as a beer and a hotdog is to a fan in the stands. Coaches, scouts, broadcasters and other media hover, tossing verbal barbs, telling stories and sharing laughs. Occasionally, especially in spring when the atmosphere is relatively laid back, the list of invited guests expands and on this day, Gibbons welcomed two men strongly influential in his life. JuJu Smith-Schuster Jersey . LOUIS -- Alexander Steen scored a power-play goal with 59.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Bulls will resume a three-game homestand Wednesday versus the Brooklyn Nets at the United Center. The Bulls have lost two of three games to begin the month of December and opened the homestand with Saturdays 112-102 setback to the white-hot Golden State Warriors. Draymond Green led the visitors with 31 points and Klay Thompson followed with 24. Chicago was paced by Jimmy Butlers 24 points, while Pau Gasol did all he could with 22 points and 20 rebounds. Joakim Noah had 16 points and Derrick Rose managed nine to go along with six assists for the Bulls, whose 23 turnovers led to 27 Golden State points. Theyre a tough team to match up against, said Gasol, who is one of six players with 12 double-doubles this season. They have a lot of players that can spread the floor, shoot the ball well. They do a good job of moving the ball and finding the open guy. The Bulls will wrap up the stay Friday versus Portland and is 2-5 in the Windy City as opposed to a 10-3 road ledger. Chicago has scored 100-plus points in its last six games, averaging 108.8 ppg in that stretch. Butler has helped the cause and is posting 23.0 ppg in the past 11 contests, leading the team in scoring eight times over that span. On the injury front for the Bulls, Noah is expected to miss Wednesdays game because of a sprained ankle. He is averaging 8.9 points and 9.6 boards. Brooklyn has struggled in recent weeks with two straight losses and nine in the previous 13 tries.dddddddddddd The Nets are coming off a 110-88 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, as Dion Waiters stole the show with 26 points and Kevin Love added 19 to go along with 14 rebounds. LeBron James had 18 points with Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton in the crowd on their trip to the United State. Kevin Garnett paced the Nets with 14 points, Deron Williams chipped in 13 and 11 assists, and Mirza Teletovic added 11 points for Brooklyn, which was outscored by a 35-18 margin in the third quarter. LeBron got aggressive, Williams said. It was a bad third quarter for us. It was a snowball effect. Brooklyn is 4-5 away from the Big Apple and will host Philadelphia Friday. Nets guard Joe Johnson (illness) is expected to miss Wednesdays game, while Teletovic (hip/facial cut) is doubtful and Brook Lopez (back) is listed as questionable. Lopez missed the Cavs game and is averaging 16.1 points per game. Johnson is scoring at 15.7 ppg clip and was sidelined Monday. Chicago defeated Brooklyn, 102-84, on Nov. 30 and Butler posted 26 points. Gasol added 25 points and 13 rebounds in that one for the Bulls, while Williams was held to 10 points and three assists. The Bulls are 11-4 in the past 15 games against the Nets. Brooklyn will visit Chicago on Dec. 30 and will host the Bulls April 13. [url=http://www.authenticwholesalejerseys.net/]Cheap Jerseys[/

Paul Nicholls retained his champion trainer title after saddling the second and the fourth in the bet365 Gold Cup. Final standingsPaul Nicholls - £2,439,559 Willie Mullins - £2,341,7341805pm: Willie Mullins does get his Sandown win, but its all too little too late. McKinley wins the last race of the UK jumps season, pocketing his handler £18,768 and that will pay for the Vroum Vroum Mag fine and some.1740pm: A sixth place for Some Buckle in the 5.20 gets another £348 in the kitty for Nicholls ahead of the final race. Back to Vroum Vroum Mag and the title. Heres the thoughts of Mullins: We came over here to win the championship and we have had a fantastic reception. In the light of the Bet365 Gold Cup we cant win the championship and we are taking Vroum Vroum Mag home and she has a valuable couple of races to run in at Punchestown.She was only here for the championship and Mr (Rich) Ricci very kindly let me bring her over to run in a race of much less value. Now we will do what we were aiming to do all winter. I will probably get fined - theres no such thing as a free lunch.We have had a fantastic year. Im just sorry for punters who came to see Vroum Vroum Mag. But the championship was over and we had to take a different view.The stewards took a dim view of Vroum Vroum Mag being taken out, fining Mullins £1,000 and ruling he had shown a wilful disregard for the interests of racegoers and punters.1700pm: The bandwagon for Nicholls rolled on with Ptit Zig taking full advantage of Vroum Vroum Mags late defection to pocket another £28,475. For good measure, stablemate Silsol was second (£10,685) and also San Benedeto fifth (£1,340). So what started as a £53,000 plus lead can now be counted at a whopping £116,245.04.1650pm: More from a jubilant Nicholls: Tom (Jonason, assistant) is leaving today and he didnt want to leave with us getting beaten.Its great for the whole team, everybody involved - its not about me. Its a big team effort, always has been, always will be.Its been a tough season for lots of reasons, we had a bit of a flat spot and all sorts of gossip and rumours that things werent right, but you have to dig deep and keep going.Weve just kept trying to win as many races as we can. If you get in a position to do so, then great.He went on: Its been brilliant. I thought we had no chance after Aintree and I knew Willie would dig deep and keep finding plenty to run and we needed a few miracles. Vicente in the Scottish National last week gave us a big day and the others have been running well.The first one was special and this one is far and away the best, probably, weve had to fight and you dont want to give it up easily.When Kauto Star and Master Minded were winning, youd win the trainers championship by Christmas. Those horses carry you and possibly it doesnt have that much interest then, but the interest from the public and racing people in this has been good.Theres been a lot of pressure for all of us, but hopefully its been good for racing to get more interest in it.Willie is a fantastic trainer with fantastic horses, I have huge respect for him.1640pm: Maybe the gap wont change too much - Vroum Vroum Mag has been taken out of the Select Hurdle.1639pm: More money to be played for and the margin is likely to change, but after the efforts of Just A Par and Southfield Theatre (fourth, earning £7950), Nicholls took firm control by £75,745.04 and thats unassailable. Congratulations to all involved, in both camps.1635pm: Precise details of winning margin to come later, but £31,800 picked up by Just A Par for his second to The Young Master means its all over - Nicholls is confirmed as champion trainer once more. Swift bit of reaction from the Ditcheat maestro: To get Just A Par back from where he finished in the National (15th) - Harry (Cobden) gave him an awesome ride. Thats been the toughest one because of the ammunition weve had. Its been a big team effort. Its been brilliant for racing.1623pm: And PAUL NICHOLLS is Champion Trainer! Hes just beaten in the bet365 Gold Cup as The Young Master beats Just A Par, but with that second place and Southfield Theatres fourth he cant be caught now.350pm: Wow. That was sensational by Sprinter Sacre. Un De Sceaux second and Dodging Bullets third, but really the winner was in another parish. After some totting up, Mullins now trails by £35,995.04, so its still all to play for as Mullins can still look forward to Vroum Vroum Mag. But before that its the big one of the day, the bet365 Gold Cup. Nicholls is represented by Southfield Theatre and Just A Par. Mullins needs big efforts from Sir Des Champs and Measureofmydreams.325pm: Sounds like Mullins might have thought that was the one, too: It would have been nice to win, but we didnt. Well have to wait and see. Could be a game changer next - the bet365 Celebration Chase (£125,000). Nicholls going with former two-mile king Dodging Bullets plus Solar Impulse and Ulck Du Lin. Mullins sends Un De Sceaux into battle - but Cheltenham conqueror Sprinter Sacre looms large.315pm: Another thriller - and another race without a Nicholls/Mullins winner. Mullins comes closest as Valseur Lido just finds old stager Menorah too strong - ridden appropriately by newly-crowned champion jockey Richard Johnson. With placed horses for both trainers, its a net gain of £4,665 for the Irish champion. But that might have been a big chance gone. Regardless, bringing the pennies into play, the gap is now down to £44,307.54.240pm: Next up is the bet365 Oaksey Chase, worth a total of £50,000. For Nicholls its Saphir Du Rheu, Rocky Creek and Wonderful Charm. Mullins has Valseur Lido and Ballycasey. The testing nature of Sandown might play to the strengths of Valseur Lido and he looks well treated by the conditions of the race. First prize is £28,475.235pm: If thats a sign of things to come it will be exciting - no winner for the big two as Wolf Of Windlesham takes top spot, but hes flanked on either side by Tommy Silver and Voix Du Reve.Voix Du Reve gets the nod for second, picking up £9,240, with Tommy Silver third for £4,620.That makes it a reduced lead of £48,972 for Nicholls. Game on?2pm: The battle for the National Hunt trainers championship has come right down to the final afternoon of the season at Sandown, with Paul Nicholls (£2,329,252) holding an advantage of £53,592 over Willie Mullins (£2,275,660).The latter is bidding to become the first Irish-based trainer since the great Vincent OBrien in 1953-4 to lift the British title and has a host of major chances, although he might need them all to win.Getting things under way at 2.20 is the bet365 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, worth £50,000 and in which Nicholls fields Tommy Silver and Mullins calls on Voix Du Reve, who looked sure to go close when coming to grief at the final flight in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham. The final total for Nicholls stood at #2,439,560.26 to Mullins on #2,341,735.22 - meaning the margin of victory ended at #97,825.04.Shall we do it all again next year, gents? Also See: Live results service Full racecards Get Sky Sports Roy Robertson-Harris Jersey .S. routed Sweden 7-0 Sunday to win its fourth straight title and seventh overall under-18 world championship. Olson earned his third shutout of the tournament and the Americans allowed only four goals in six games to set an International Ice Hockey Federation under-18 record. Kylie Fitts Jersey . Among the teams moves was trading one of the teams two third round picks, no. 83 overall, to the Chicago Blackhawks for Brandon Bollig, a six-foot-two, 223-pound left-winger who had seven goals, seven assists, and 92 penalty minutes in 82 games last season. http://www.cheapbearsjerseyschina.com/jameer-thurman-jersey/. The Redblacks host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (7-9) Friday night in their last home game of the year and as of Thursday afternoon, the team was anticipating a ninth consecutive sellout. You can watch all the action on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5 beginning at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. Taquan Mizzell Sr. Jersey . Last year, Matt Kuchar closed with a 4-under 68 to beat Kevin Chappell by two strokes for his second win of the 2013 season and sixth of his career. Emanuel Hall Jersey . - For years William Gay kept quiet.Liverpool, England (SportsNetwork.com) - Everton put an end to a four-match losing streak across all competitions on Monday with a comprehensive 3-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers at Goodison Park. The Toffees entered Monday having already clinched their Europa League group but coming off a 1-0 loss to Krasnador on Thursday and needing a win in league play to get back on track. The home side opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when Ross Barkley collected a long ball on the end of the box and ripped it just inside the left post and into the top left corner, leaving QPR goalkeeper Robert Green with little chance for a save. Roberto Martinezs side doubled the advantage just one minutes before the intermission when Kevin Mirallas fired a free kick from the right side of the pitch just outside the box that took a wicked deflection off the wall and beat Green into the bottom left corner.dddddddddddd. Just eight minutes into the second half the Blues made it 3-0 when Aiden McGeady lofted a well-placed cross into the area for an unmarked Steven Naismith, who nodded it home with ease. QPR pulled a goal back in the 79th minute when Junior Hoilett worked his way into the box and fired a low strike on goal that was stopped by Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard, but he left the rebound in front of goal and Bobby Zamora finished it off. The fourth officials board showed four minutes of added time, but QPR couldnt make it all the way back and suffered its 10th defeat of the season, while Everton claimed its fift

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Its back to normal for the vagabond Buffalo Bills.Finally.The more than 6 feet of snow from the severe lake-effect storm that paralyzed much of the Buffalo region last week has mostly melted away. So has the Bills two-game skid, following a 38-3 rout of the New York Jets in a home game at Detroit on Monday night.And after a much-needed day of rest Tuesday, the Bills (6-5) can turn their attention to hosting the Cleveland Browns (7-4) in a key AFC playoff showdown this weekend.It was just a busy, hectic week. And really this win was for the city of Buffalo, giving back for everything that theyve been through, receiver Robert Woods said. It feels good, especially after a win. Now weve just got to get another one.First things first, said team president Russ Brandon.Im just happy were home, Brandon said, after the team returned home at 1 a.m. Tuesday, after spending the previous four days in Detroit. Its great to be sitting back in Orchard Park and looking forward to preparing for Sunday.And, yes, Brandon expects the game against Cleveland will be played at Ralph Wilson StadiumFollowing a tour of the facility, Brandon anticipates the stadium will be 100 per cent operational, despite experiencing some minor damage during the storm.The problems ranged from burst pipes, to leakage, to parts of the wall separating the field from the stands being damaged during the snow-removal process. A portion of the wall of the Bills practice facility caved in, but has already been repaired.Brandon said engineers found no structural issues to the stadium itself.A weekend warmup contributed to the speedier than expected cleanup. Crews of about 500 snow-shovelling volunteers did the rest by working three shifts around the clock from Saturday morning to Monday night.If not for the thaw, the Bills projected it would have taken until Friday to clear the 200-acre grounds of the estimated 330,000 tons of snow — enough to fill the teams fieldhouse about 12 times over.The Bills hope to find themselves on better footing, too, after their most lopsided win since beating Indianapolis 38-0 on Sept. 20, 1992.Buffalos defence allowed a season-low 218 yards offence, and had a season-best seven sacks to up its NFL-leading total to 46. The Bills special teams produced a touchdown, when Anthony Dixon blocked Ryan Quigleys punt, which was recovered in the end zone by Manny Lawson.And the Kyle Orton-led offence ended a seven-plus-quarter touchdown drought. Buffalo also produced touchdowns on each of its three red-zone possessions, after going 0-for-6 in its previous two games.Not bad for a snowbound team that didnt have a chance to practice last week until arriving in Detroit on Friday.The storm had a unifying effect.A lot of players have been through a lot, Woods said. And you just realize how much you miss the game, miss your teammates. It was just happy to get back and be able to play football again, and get out of the house, really.The second-year receiver led the way with a career-best nine catches and 118 yards and a touchdown. Woods also made a highlight-reel one-handed grab up the right sideline during which he maintained control by holding the ball to the side of his helmet.Woods acknowledged his catch wasnt as clean or breath-taking as New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr.s one-handed grab for a touchdown in a 31-28 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday night.But Beckhams catch was certainly on Woods mind before the game while he warmed up with backup quarterback EJ Manuel.Every time (Manuel) caught it one hand, it was like, Odell! Odell! Woods said. And it just so happened that I had a chance to make a play like that in the game. I had a little helmet help, but its still a good catch.NOTES: The Bills return to practice Wednesday. ... Buffalo has a winning record through 11 games for only the third time since its 14-season playoff drought began in 2000. The Bills were 6-5 in both 2000 and 2008. ... Buffalo converted 7 of 13 third-down opportunities for a season-best 54 per cent.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Cheap Sneakers On Fire .Y. -- Florida Panthers captain Ed Jovanovski finally has something to show for all the pain he went through in overcoming a string of injuries that kept him sidelined for much of the past two years. Cheap Shoes From China . The seventh-ranked Berdych wants to focus on the ATP Tour after helping the Czechs beat the Netherlands in the first round. Seeking their third straight Davis Cup title, the Czechs will rely again on veteran Radek Stepanek. http://www.cheapsneakersfire.com/. The Raptors have been outscored 88-66 in the opening quarter over a three-game span to begin the month of February. Their most recent loss, 109-101 in Sacramento on Wednesday, was eerily similar to Saturdays defeat at the hands of the Trail Blazers. Nike Sneakers Cheap China . -- Colin Kaepernick insists he just happened to pull on a pair of socks with dollar bill prints all over them Wednesday morning -- before he learned he had struck a new fortune with the San Francisco 49ers. Cheap Wholesale Sneakers Free Shipping .com) - Jeff Teague finished with a game-high 26 points and eight assists as the Atlanta Hawks held off the Utah Jazz, 98-92, on Friday.TORONTO – Since the electric days of his first training camp with the Maple Leafs in the fall of 2009, Nazem Kadri has been a lightning rod in the city of Toronto, a constant source of attention in times both good and bad. "I learned that the first year I came here, not to pay attention to many people outside the dressing room," the 23-year-old said on a noisy Friday afternoon. "All those blogs, newspapers and people saying what they want to say, they have their own opinion, but at the end of the day Im not hearing it." Kadri is trudging through the longest slump of what is, in reality, a brief NHL career. Though he remains on pace for a respectable 19 goals and 47 points, he has just one goal in the past 16 games and a quiet 14 points since the start of November – a stretch of 31 games. "I think its been decent," said Kadri of his season so far, which has him sitting fourth in team scoring with 27 points. "[But] I know I can bring a lot better. Obviously, everyone expects a lot more, which is a little flattering to say the least, because people believe in you and understand that you can give more to the team. No one expects more than I expect from myself." In midst of those struggles is bubbling trade speculation, which Toronto general manager Dave Nonis addressed in an interview with TSN Radio on Thursday. "Theres a lot of interest in Nazem Kadri," said Nonis. "Would we be willing to trade him? Yes, wed be willing to trade him. But theres a big difference between willing to and trying to." Kadri, for one, has no interest in a potential move. "Itd be terrible," Kadri said of a possible trade. "I dont see it happening and I dont want it to happen. This is my home, this is where I want to be and til otherwise Im going to give them everything I have." Though his career seems like its spanned ages in Toronto, Kadri is still just 23 and midway through only his second NHL season. The point is, hes young with plenty of opportunity and time for growth and development ahead. Patience is a virtue often lost, however, on youthful talent in this city. A first round selection of the organization in 2002, Alex Steen, for example, was dealt to St. Louis as a 24-year-old, gradually evolving into one of the games better two-way forwards with the Blues. Nonis has pledged an unwillingness to repeat such mistakes, firm in his stance that young talent only be moved if something was similar was gained in return. Unlike last season, when Kadri totaled a blistering 44 points in 48 games, thee London, Ontario native has suffered through an extended rough patch, facing more difficult competition in light of injuries – including a 12-game stretch as the teams no.dddddddddddd 1 centre – while regressing statistically with some of the luck that made his first full campaign in the NHL so alluring. And unlike October, when he totaled 13 points in 14 games, Kadri and the teams second power-play unit have been unproductive. In fact, he has just one power-play point in the past 19 games. "With him, its back to basics and I thought that he played better [recently], but hasnt had the offensive output," coach Randy Carlyle said of Kadri. "Its up to Nazzie to put his nose to the grindstone, to do the little things, get involved physically, move the puck, keep it simple, and make plays when hes inside the blueline – deep enough that we dont have to risk the turnover." "It just seems like pucks are hitting skates or goalies are just getting a piece of it and theyre hanging on the goal-lines, hitting posts – Ive had the whole nine yards over the past couple weeks," said Kadri, who last scored in New York on Dec. 23. "Hopefully, my lucks going to change because it can only get better from here." His line, which includes Joffrey Lupul and Mason Raymond, has been quiet and kept in in tow. Lupul has gone pointless in 12 of the past 18 games, while Raymond has a mere two goals in 21 outings. "[The] past few games weve been sniffing," said Kadri, confidence dinged but not broken. "I think every single game were up to four, five, six, sometimes seven scoring chances a game – A-plus scoring chances – so its only a matter of time before those pucks start finding the back of the net and we get that confidence and swagger back." It was only last season, albeit in the American League, that Kadri endured similar struggles with the Marlies. He scored just twice in the first 18 games (with the NHL locked out) and was scratched by then-head coach Dallas Eakins in early November. Outside noise was then, like it is presently, loud and sometimes lacking in the realities that come with the development of a young player. Kadri, who emerged from that spell with 10 points in four games, is well sch

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Only two Syracuse teams have won their first 20 games, and C.J. Fair has been a member of both. This current one, he says, is "a hard-fought 20-game winning streak." Not much came easy during the Oranges latest victory. No. 2 Syracuse matched the best start in program history Wednesday night, pulling away to beat Wake Forest 67-57 behind a strong second half from freshman Tyler Ennis. Ennis scored 16 of his 18 points after halftime and Fair finished with 16 points for the Orange (20-0, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), while Trevor Cooney scored all eight of his in the final 1:45. Syracuse remained one of three unbeaten teams in Division I with No. 1 Arizona, which beat Stanford 60-57 on Wednesday, and No. 4 Wichita State. The Orange pulled away late while sidestepping a possible trap with a visit from No. 17 Duke coming up this weekend, and joined the 2011-12 group as the only Orange teams to start 20-0. "Weve got a long stretch ahead of us," Fair said. In their first visit to Tobacco Road as ACC members, they had to work for it against a Wake Forest team that had been perfect at home and tough on visitors in the top five. "It was just one of those games youre just trying to struggle through defensively, and we did just a good enough job defensively to be able to get the win," coach Jim Boeheim said. "You have to find a way to win these games, and this team has been able to do that." Travis McKie scored 12 points for the Demon Deacons (14-7, 4-4), and his free throw with 4:10 left pulled them to 54-49. But while Wake Forest came up empty on its next two trips down court, Cooney caught fire. "We needed one of those timely 3s to go in," McKie said. "If we just wouldve got three more of those 3s to go in, wed be looking at a different outcome." The guard buried a fall-away jumper that he called "the toughest shot I had all day." He followed that with two free throws to give Syracuse its first double-figure lead and streaked down court for an open-court dunk after a steal by Fair to put the Orange up 62-50 with 1:19 left. "I heard C.J. say, Shoot it," Cooney said. "And no one needs to tell me to shoot it." By then, they could look ahead to hosting the Blue Devils at the Carrier Dome in one of the seasons most widely anticipated matchups. Devin Thomas scored 12 points for Wake Forest, which had won 13 straight at Joel Coliseum and had won three straight home games against top-five teams -- a run that included a rout of then-No. 2 Miami last season. Just about all of the Demon Deacons key stats suggested they would be blown out: They shot 34 per cent, were outrebounded 55-35, made just three of their 20 3-point attempts and were 18 of 30 from the free throw line. "Theyre long and athletic, so their zone is definitely a force to be reckoned with," McKie said. "We had great looks. We just didnt knock it down." But some of the Oranges numbers were equally poor -- they shot 36 per cent and were 22 of 33 from the free throw line -- and that allowed Wake Forest to stay within striking distance for much of the game. "For the most part, we did a good job on their shooters, and when they got an open look, they just didnt make it," Boeheim said. "Same as us." Joel Coliseum was buzzing when Wake Forest turned an eight-point deficit into a one-possession game in the span of a few seconds midway through the second half. Robert Morris transfer Coron Williams swished a 3-pointer before Madison Jones swiped the ball from Cooney and hit a quick layup to make it 40-37 with 12 1/2 minutes left. Ennis, who was 0 for 6 from the field in the first half, followed by reeling off eight points -- all on drives down or across the lane -- in about 4 minutes to give the Orange a bit of breathing room. His finger roll helped Syracuse match its largest lead to that point, 48-40, with about 8 1/2 minutes left. Jerami Grant finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Orange. Merril Hoge Youth Jersey . DETROIT LIONS AT ATLANTA FALCONS, 9:30 AM (ET) Detroit - RB Reggie Bush, TE Eric Ebron, TE Joseph Fauria, WR Calvin Johnson, QB Kellen Moore, TE Brandon Pettigrew, OT LaAdrian Waddle Atlanta - CB Javier Arenas, DT Jonathan Babineaux, OT Cameron Bradfield, WR Freddie Martino, QB Sean Renfree, OT Jonathan Scott, LB Tyler Starr SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS, 1:00 PM (ET) Seattle - DT Jordan Hill, CB Byron Maxwell, OT Andrew McDonald, TE Zach Miller, C Max Unger, LB Bobby Wagner, WR Bryan Walters Carolina - CB Bene Benwikere, LB Chase Blackburn, WR Philly Brown, G Amini Silatolu, G Trai Turner, RB Fozzy Whittaker, RB DeAngelo Williams HOUSTON TEXANS AT TENNESSEE TITANS, 1:00 PM (ET) Houston - OT Jeff Adams, DB Josh Aubrey, LB Brian Cushing, DB Darryl Morris, WR DeVier Posey, QB Tom Savage, LB Jeff Tarpinian Tennessee - RB Antonio Andrews, WR Kris Durham, TE Richard Gordon, DL DaQuan Jones, CB Coty Sensabaugh, OT Will Svitek, TE Taylor Thompson BALTIMORE RAVENS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS, 1:00 PM (ET) Baltimore - CB Chykie Brown, LB Arthur Brown, DL Chris Canty, TE Owen Daniels, G/C Gino Gradkowski, RB Bernard Pierce, OT Jah Reid Cincinnati - RB Rex Burkhead, DE Will Clarke, WR A. Devin Bush Womens Jersey . TSN was honoured with several awards, with Rod Smith and James Duthie sharing the win for Best Sports Host for SportsCentre and the NHL: Season On The Brink coverage, respectively. http://www.steelerspronfl.com/Youth-Jack...r-Elite-Jersey/. -- Miguel Angel Jimenez quickly shifted his focus back to the Ryder Cup after winning his first Champions Tour event. L.C. Greenwood Youth Jersey .J. Ward appeared in court Friday on misdemeanour charges that he threw a glass mug at a bartender at a Denver strip club. Devin Bush Steelers Jersey . Neither side would publicly confirm or deny any discussions were taking place, until the near unexpected happened. On Saturday night sources confirmed to TSN, the league and players agreed to terms on a new, tentative CBA, pending ratification by the unions players. A league source confirmed the CFLs board of governors must also ratify any potential agreement.BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns fired their coach after one season. Now theyre sweeping out their front office. Owner Jimmy Haslam announced Tuesday that CEO Joe Banner will step down in the next two months and general manager Michael Lombardi is leaving the team. "Mike and Joe have left us in good position in terms of free agency and cap space as well as this years draft, where we have 10 overall picks and three of the first 35," Haslam said at a news conference. Its yet another stunning development for a franchise that has undergone nearly constant change in the past 15 years. Haslam also said assistant GM Ray Farmer, who was pursued by Miami to be the Dolphins GM this winter, has been promoted and will immediately take the over the teams football operations and lead the Browns during free agency and draft. Cleveland has two first-round picks in Mays draft and is well under the salary cap to spend on free agents. Haslam added that president Alec Scheiner will keep his current role. "Alec Scheiner will run our business side and remain as president, Mike Pettine will be our head coach and Ray Farmer will be our GM," Haslam said. "We will not have a CEO and those three people will report directly to me." The shake-up comes one month after the Browns finally hired coach Mike Pettine. Banner and Haslam had fired coach Rob Chudzinski after a 4-12 season, the teams sixth straight with at least 11 losses. Wisconsin said Tuesday that coach Gary Andersen was contacted by the Cleveland Browns for their coaching vacancy but decided not to pursue the position following a conversation with the NFL team, which spent 25 days to hire Pettine. "Mike will have final say on the 45-man roster-- who plays on Sundays-- and Ray will have final say on the 53-plaayer roster," Haslam said.dddddddddddd Banner, who previously worked in Philadelphia, was hired by Haslam to run the team shortly after his ownership was approved by the league in 2012. "We appreciate Joes contributions to the Cleveland Browns, especially in helping us as new owners," Haslam said in a release. "He was committed to creating a successful organization and bringing in talented individuals. We thank him for his work and dedication. We wish him and his family the best." Banner will transition out of his job over the next two months. "It is bittersweet leaving the Browns organization," Banner said. "I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Jimmy Haslam and helping him set the infrastructure for this franchise. I am proud of the talented individuals we brought in to help lead this team and feel that the Cleveland Browns are in good hands moving forward." Lombardis departure ends a curious second stint with the team. His hiring was widely panned by some Cleveland media members and many fans because of his time with coach Bill Belichick when he was Clevelands coach. Lombardi kept a low profile over the past year in Cleveland and was not in attendance at any major news conferences. "Were also grateful for Mike Lombardis efforts and commitment since rejoining our organization," Haslam said. "He is an experienced and creative NFL executive with a unique ability to see the big picture. He has tremendous instincts and I know hell be a valuable addition to any NFL organization. We simply wanted to give

LONDON -- Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal -- and sometimes both -- appeared in all 10 Wimbledon finals from 2003-12, combining to claim nine of those titles. Neither made it that far in 2013. Not even close. Federer lost his second match at the All England Club. Nadal exited in the first round, a year after bowing out in the second. With play at Wimbledon starting Monday, Federer and Nadal are eager to return to the heights they once reached with regularity at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament. They sound certain that they are prepared to fare better than 12 months ago -- and, as might be expected from a seven-time champion, Federer came right out and called himself "a contender." "I feel like, yeah, if things click here, I should be able to win the tournament," Federer said Saturday. "I feel I have a very good chance again this year. I hope to utilize my fitness, the amount of matches Ive played this year," he added. "So Im really coming in with a much better feeling." Federer tuned up for Wimbledon, where he is seeded fourth, by winning a title on grass at Halle, Germany, last weekend. That showing gave Federer all the assurance he needed that his game is in prime form at the moment, especially on the slick surface he dominated for a decade. Last season, Federer explained, there were "certain things I wanted to do, but I couldnt figure out or couldnt do it." "This year," he continued, "I feel all the options are there. Return, serve, serve and volley, come in, my backhand -- everything is working to my liking. For that reason, I feel Im a bit more relaxed mentally, because I know it is there. I clearly want to do better than last year, theres no doubt about it." So does the second-seeded Nadal, of course. He reached five Wimbledon finals and earned a pair of trophies, including by edging Federer 9-7 in the fifth set in 2008. They met in three consecutive title matches at the All England Club from 2006-08, and could meet in the semifinals this year. First things first, though. Nadal has a test in the first round against big-hitting Martin Klizan, then could face Lukas Rosol, the man who stunned the Spaniard in 2012s second round. The third round could bring a challenge from tough server Ivo Karlovic. For now, Nadal is most pleased with the state of his left knee, which acted up during his 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8), 6-4 loss in 2013 to 135th-ranked Steve Darcis, saying it "hurts less this year than last year." Thats allowed Nadal to put in longer hours than usual on the practice courts this week, a key as the nine-time French Open champion transitions from clay to grass, on which he has lost three matches in a row. A year ago at Wimbledon, a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5) loss to 116th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky ended Federers streak of getting at least to the quarterfinals at 36 consecutive major tournaments. It was Federers earliest Grand Slam defeat since May 2003. Somber that day, at least Federer can joke about it now. He said that when he ran into Stakhovsky on Friday, they kidded around about how they could only meet in the final this year, because they were drawn into opposite sides of the bracket. "So its all good for both of us," Federer said, then paused before delivering the punch line: "For me, at least." Dino Boyd Jersey . A player confirmed to TSN on the condition of anonymity that he received his ballot yesterday. Another confirms hes been told to expect his shortly. "The unions executive committee insists a strike vote does not mean were pushing away from the table," the player said. "But we want the league to know were serious about our position. Byron Pringle Jersey .com) - Richard Shermans two interceptions highlighted a dominant defensive effort, as the Seattle Seahawks routed the San Francisco 49ers in a highly anticipated NFC West Thanksgiving clash. http://www.cheapchiefsjerseysauthentic.com/. -- Caris LeVert had 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, and No. Derrick Nnadi Jersey . Coming off a 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea on Saturday, Arsenal endured another demoralizing result after rallying for a 2-1 lead -- only to concede a fluke equalizer. Damien Williams Jersey . Or take a relaxing vacation somewhere warm. Brayden Schenn and Scott Hartnell scored, Ray Emery stopped 32 shots and the Flyers beat the Calgary Flames 2-1 on Saturday for their fourth straight victory.LONDON - Liverpool forward Mario Balotelli has been suspended for one game and fined 25,000 pounds ($39,000) by the governing body of English soccer for making a racially offensive online post.The Football Association said Friday that Balotelli also has been ordered to attend an education program for the aggravated breach of its rules.Balotelli in early December uploaded on Instagram a picture of the video-game character Super Mario, with whom the Italian national team player shares a nickname.dddddddddddd Text around the image included jumps like a black man an