CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Determined to learn exactly what caused his mystery illness in 2011, Trevor Bayne made repeated visits to the Mayo Clinic over the last two years, asking questions about his health and medical history. The youngest winner in Daytona 500 history wasnt sick and he wasnt suffering from any of the symptoms -- nausea, fatigue, double vision and numbness in his arm -- that had sidelined Bayne for five races in 2011. He just wanted an answer. Bayne finally got it in June when doctors confirmed that the 22-year-old Bayne has multiple sclerosis, a diagnosis he revealed publicly Tuesday. "I think MS takes time to diagnose and, as a doctor, you dont want to jump right in and give a diagnosis to somebody," Bayne said. "I think a smart doctor is going to continue to do things. Obviously, its a different kind of condition than something where you can just see it immediately, so over time they just evaluate you and the doctors just run a bunch of different tests." Bayne, who was 20 when he won the Daytona 500 two seasons ago, will compete as scheduled at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series finales. He will also run a full Nationwide schedule next season for Roush Fenway Racing and a partial Cup schedule for The Wood Brothers. Baynes younger sister, Sarah, also has MS, but he said the disease wasnt something doctors were particularly looking for when he was hospitalized in 2011. "MS is not a hereditary or family kind of condition, so its something that is an individual basis," he said. "They dont connect them at all because its not a family kind of thing." Bayne first felt numbness in his arm during a race at Texas in 2011, six weeks after his Daytona 500 victory. At the time, he assumed it was related to an insect bite on his elbow that had become irritated and developed a rash. He was admitted to the Mayo Clinic three weeks later for nausea, fatigue and double vision. Bayne underwent a spinal tap, doctors ruled out Lyme disease, and ultimately discharged him with a diagnosis of an "inflammatory condition." It was never made clear if it was related to the insect bite, and Bayne said in later interviews he believed he was suffering from Lyme disease. Now hes not sure, and says the 2011 illness "is what led to my eventual diagnosis this year." "Obviously, Ive been going to the Mayo Clinic regularly for checkups and evaluations, and they started checking on me and researching," he said. "We didnt have a diagnosis then, so this is what has led to the diagnosis." MS is a potentially disabling disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Symptoms can be mild, such as fatigue, or severe, including paralysis or loss of vision. There is no cure, but treatment can help manage symptoms and reduce the progress of the disease. MS is not technically hereditary, but having a relative such as a parent or sibling with MS can increase an individuals risk of developing the disease over the general population. Studies have shown there is a higher prevalence of certain genes in populations with higher rates of MS, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Roush Fenway Racing President Steve Newmark said Bayne was dogged in his push for a definitive diagnosis. "I think that it was refreshing that he actually got a diagnosis because there had been some uncertainty about what had unfolded previously, so I know it was comforting to him and thats why he pursued it so strongly," Newmark said. "The reality of it is if Trevor wasnt a race car driver and didnt have the means, he probably would never have been diagnosed at this point. It was through his determination of just regularly getting checked that it came to light." Bayne, who competed in his first triathlon last December, said hes not taking any medication and suffers no symptoms. He was diagnosed during a whirlwind three weeks in June in which he was married, making frequent trips to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and won his only Nationwide race of the year at Iowa. He said he needed time to accept and process the diagnosis, and chose now to go public with his disease because hes doesnt want to hide from it. Bayne is a devout Christian, and often gives motivational speeches. "I think anybody that gets a diagnosis is going to sit back and think about it, What does this mean? What does it mean to my family? What does it mean to me and my partners? Our team? The more and more I thought about it, and the more and more I realized that I was fine, the more and more it sunk in that everything is going to be OK," Bayne said. "Why not help other people through their struggles and point them in the right direction? For me, I feel like thats what Im called to do, so why be silent about it and why just sit back on our heels and not do anything? Im a race car driver, thats what I do, but its not all of who I am." Stitched Patriots Jerseys . Neither player was available Saturday for the Knicks 107-98 loss in Atlanta. "Were going in a different direction and weve got to figure out another spot or two for our ballclub," coach Mike Woodson said before the game. Wholesale Patriots Jerseys . "I wouldnt read anything into what happened Saturday at Torrey Pines," Woods said Tuesday after an 18-hole exhibition for past winners of the Dubai Desert Classic. https://www.patriotsjerseysale.com/. -- J.R. Sweezy was the one part of the Seattle Seahawks offensive line that had avoided injuries or having to change positions this season. New England Patriots Store .C. -- Gleason Fournier scored the shootout winner as the Grand Rapids Griffins defeated the Abbotsford Heat 4-3 Friday in American Hockey League action. Fake Patriots Jerseys . -- LeBron James warned the Orlando Magic to stop double-teaming him and ignoring James Jones.No decision was expected on Monday from Leicester forward Jamie Vardy over his proposed move to Arsenal, according to Sky sources. Widespread reports in the national press had claimed that the 29-year-old would make a decision on whether to leave the Premier League champions and join Arsenal before flying out with England for Euro 2016 on Monday morning. But Vardy flew out with the rest of the England squad to France from Luton Airport, with his club future still unresolved. Would Vardy suit Arsenal? We explore the pros and cons of signing the Leicester striker... Sky sources understand Vardy held talks with Arsenal over a move to the Emirates Stadium after the Gunners triggered a release clause in his contract with a £20m bid. Olivier Giroud says hes been told Leicester striker Jamie Vardy wants to join Arsenal Leicester, according to the Daily Telegraph, have offered Vardy an improved contract in a bid to keep him at the King Power Stadium, just four months after he signed a new four-year deal at the club. Vardy scored 24 times in all competitions as Leicester won the 2015-16 Premier League title Vardy enjoyed a sensational 2015-16 season, scoring 24 goals in all competitions as Leicester claimed an unlikely Premier League title, with Arsenal finishing 10 points behind in second.dddddddddddd Our reporter Andy Burton talks us through Englands plans once they land in France for Euro 2016 The former Stocksbridge Park Steels, Halifax Town and Fleetwood Town player would become Arsene Wengers second signing of the close season following the acquisition of midfielder Granit Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach. Is Wenger changing? Does Arsenals interest in Jamie Vardy suggest a change of approach by Arsene Wenger? Leicester have so far not been available for comment when contacted by Sky Sports News HQ. Also See: Giroud: Vardy keen on Arsenal Arsenal finally spending big? Gazidis: Wenger going nowhere Would Vardy suit Arsenal? ' ' '

Turin, Italy (SportsNetwork.com) - Juventus was held to a 1-1 draw by Inter Milan at Juventus Stadium on Tuesday to see its lead atop the Serie A table dwindle to just two points. AS Roma had claimed a 1-0 win over Udinese thanks to Davide Astoris first- header, sending the Romans level with Juve on 39 points apiece earlier in the day. The Old Lady responded by making a bright start on home soil as Carlos Tevez opened the scoring within the first five minutes. Arturo Vidal was the architect of the goal as the Chileans nifty turn in the box resulted in a square pass in front of goal where Tevez was arriving to tuck home his league-leading 11th strike of the season. Juventus continued to dominate and nearly doubled its advantage in the 35th minute when Paul Pogba penetrated the Inter defense with a silky move, but the Frenchman was unable to beat Samir Handanovic with his ensuing attempt. The hosts were made to pay for their wasted chances as Inter climbed level in the in the 64th minute. Fredy Guarin threaded the needle to find Mauro Icardi on the right side of the penalty area and the Argentine made the most of Inters first shot on target, slipping his attempt past the on-rushing Gigi Buffon from a tough angle. The equalizer opened up the match as both sides pushed in search of a go-ahead goal. Juventus fancied its chances after Mateo Kovacic was sent off for his part in a minor skirmish four minutes from time, but the Old Lady failed to find a breakthrough, putting the club on 40 points through 17 games. AC Milan squandered an early lead at the San Siro to suffer a 2-1 loss to Sassuolo. Andrea Poli struck in the ninth minute to give the hosts the lead, but Sassuolo stole all three points thanks to Nicola Sansones equalizer in the 28th minute and Simone Zazas winner in the 68th. Atalanta also let a lead slip as the club wasted a two-goal advantage to settle for a 2-2 draw at Genoa. Davide Zappacosra and Maxi Moralez had given Atalanta a comfortable lead, but Iago Falque converted a 51st-minute penalty to cut the deficit in half before Alessandro Matri brought Genoa level in the 69th minute. Palermo claimed three points in convincing fashion as the club ran out to a 5-0 home win over 10-man Cagliari. Michel Morganella and Ezequiel Munoz netted a goal apiece inside the opening 10 minutes, but it was Daniele Contis red card in the 26th minute that allowed the hosts to put the victory beyond any doubt. From there, Paulo Dybala produced a brace and Edgar Barreto tacked on a fifth to see Palermo complete the rout. Andrea Costa scored the lone goal for Parma at the Stadio Ennio Tardini to grant the club a 1-0 victory over nine-man Fiorentina. The goal came 11 minutes into the match, and it held up as the winner as Mario Gomez failed to a convert a penalty in the 34th. Late red cards to Gonzalo Rodriguez and Stefan Savic left Fiorentina with no way back into the match. Cesena sunk to the bottom of the Serie A table after a 4-1 home thrashing at the hands of Napoli. Jose Callejon got the visitors off the mark in the 29th minute while a brace from Gonzalo Higuain and an own goal from Daniele Capelli put Napoli in cruise control. Franco Brienza pulled on back for Cesena in the 75th minute, but it was nothing more than a consolation goal. Wholesale Yeezy China . -- Crystal Webster avoided elimination at the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar Olympic pre-trial curling tournament with an 8-5 win over Amber Holland on Thursday. Wholesale Yeezy Shop . Sami Vatanen had a goal and an assist and Anaheim used a four-goal first period to extend their winning streak to six games with a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. https://www.yeezychina.us/. The Broncos quarterback earned the offensive award Wednesday after passing for 374 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-21 win over the Raiders Monday night. Manning completed 32-of-37 passes and had a passer rating of 135. Clearance Yeezy For Sale . They were expecting him there all along. The Pacers announced Friday night that George has been cleared "to return to normal basketball activity," a decision made three days after he was concussed in Game 2 of the Indiana-Miami series. Cheap Yeezy Free Shipping . The Braves optioned outfielder Jose Constanza to Triple-A Gwinnett. As expected, the Braves also called up right-hander Julio Teheran from Gwinnett to start Sundays game and optioned backup catcher J.East Lansing, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Bragging rights in the Wolverine State once again belong to the Spartans following a blowout win on Saturday. Jeremy Langford ran for 177 yards and three touchdowns as No. 8 Michigan State continued its recent dominance over Michigan with a lopsided 35-11 win. The Spartans (7-1, 4-0 Big Ten) have beaten their in-state rival six of the past seven years by a combined score of 197-101. Connor Cook threw for 227 yards in windy conditions, with a big chunk of that yardage coming on a third-quarter scoring strike to Tony Lippett that essentially made sure the Paul Bunyan Trophy stayed in East Lansing. Even with an extra week of preparation, the Wolverines (3-5, 1-3) managed just 186 total yards to Michigan States 446. One of the two interceptions Devin Gardner threw was returned for a touchdown, and the embattled quarterback completed a mere 13-of-28 passes for 121 yards. The only solace for Michigan came with 3:40 left in regulation, as DeVeon Smith ran for a score to end the Wolverines touchdown drought against the Spartans. It stood at 11 straight quarters prior to the 1-yard plunge. Rather than take a knee and run the clock out after Smiths touchdown, Michigan State gave the ball to Langford seven straight times, and the talented senior punctuated the rout with a 5-yard TD run. The Spartans started off on the right foot as Langford punched one in from two yards out to cap an 8-play, 75-yard opening drive. Their next three possessions, however, resuulted in a punt, a missed Michael Geiger field goal and a turnover on downs, respectively, and their fourth saw Josiah Price lose a fumble at the MSU 32-yard line.dddddddddddd The short field helped the Wolverines stagnant offense put points on the board as Matt Wile snuck a 48-yard field goal just over the crossbar with 3:30 left in the opening half. Michigan State ended the half the same way it started, as Langford finished off a balanced attack with a 1-yard plunge over the goal line. Midway through the third quarter, RJ Williamson stepped in front of a Gardner pass and bobbled it for a second before taking it 29 yards the other way for a 21-3 Michigan State lead. Another empty Michigan possession gave the ball right back to the Spartans, and on the first play of the next series, Cook completed a back-shoulder throw to Lippett, who turned his defender around and sprinted down the sideline for an easy 70-yard score. Game Notes Michigan has lost 12 straight games against ranked opponents on the road, the last six coming with Brady Hoke as head coach ... The Spartans have won 13 straight games in the Big Ten ... With his 71st victory at MSU, head coach Mark Dantonio moved into sole possession of second place on the schools all- time wins list behind Duffy Daugherty (109) ... Langford has rushed for 100 yards in 11 straight conference regular season games ... Michigan State has a bye next week before hosting nationally-ranked Ohio State on Nov. 8. ' ' '

VANCOUVER -- Once the Chicago Blackhawks got rolling, there was little the Vancouver Canucks could do to stop a team determined to get back to its winning ways. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad each had a goal and an assist in the second period Wednesday as Chicagos quick-strike offence turned a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead in a span of 7:41 to snap a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over Vancouver. "We kind of lost ourselves there a little bit in the second period. It turned into a little bit of a track meet," said Canucks assistant coach Mike Sullivan. "It wasnt from a lack of chances on our part. We had a 4-on-2 and 3-on-1 that we dont convert, then shortly thereafter one ends up in our net." Marian Hossa had the other goal for Chicago (33-10-13), while Saad added an empty netter late. Corey Crawford made 29 saves to get the win. "Theyre a good team. They havent won a couple of Stanley Cups for no reason," said Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, who finished with 36 saves. "Its disappointing being up 2-0 and losing the lead so quickly like that. "Weve got to play 60 minutes against teams like that. For the majority of the game I thought we played really well but we had a little bit of a lapse and its game over." The Blackhawks four goals in that 7:31 barrage -- which came on just five shots -- helped end Chicagos recent 0-2-2 run. "They had a few chances early in the game and they kept on pressing," said Luongo. "Once they got one I felt like it deflated our team and they kept scoring." With the victory, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville passed Dick Irvin to move into the sole possession of third place on the all-time NHL coaching wins list with 693 as Chicago improved to 10-1-3 in the second game of back to backs this season. "Im fortunate and happy with the places Ive been," said Quenneville. "Took a little while to get this last one, but certainly its been fun and well keep pushing forward." Chris Higgins and Tom Sestito had the goals for Vancouver (27-19-9), which dropped its second straight. The Canucks hold down the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, but the ninth-place Phoenix Coyotes are three points back with two games in hand. Vancouver is 2-3-0 in the absence of suspended head coach John Tortorella, who will sit out one more game after he tried to get into the Calgary Flames locker-room after that infamous line brawl on Jan. 18. The Canucks have been held to two goals or fewer in nine of their last 10 games and have just four wins in 15 outings. "We have to fight through this," said Canucks forward Daniel Sedin, whose goal-scoring drought is now at 14 games. "Weve got to believe in what we do out there and start making plays -- I think thats the main thing. When we have the puck I think were too passive. "I think when we have the puck we have to start believing in what were doing." Things were looking good for the home side early in the second period after Sestito doubled the Canucks 1-0 lead with his fifth of the season at 2:44. But the Blackhawks fifth-ranked power play finally made a breakthrough against the leagues No. 3 penalty kill when Hossa finished off a pretty tic-tac-toe passing sequence for his 23rd at 6:30. Chicago then tied things 3:39 later when Saad scored his 15th of the season on a nice deflection. A couple of Luongos Canadian Olympic teammates then conspired to give the Blackhawks a lead they wouldnt surrender. Toews scored his 18th at 10:47 before Sharp rounded out the blitz at 14:27 when he wired a shot farside for his 27th. "They had a few chances early in the game and they kept on pressing," said Luongo. "Once they got one I felt like it deflated our team and they kept scoring." Vancouver had a chance to get back in the game later in the period, but the leagues 29th-ranked power play, which entered the night on a dismal 2-for-36 run, failed to generate anything. Needing a big third, the Canucks were unable to find a way past Crawford on another man advantage midway through the period as Toews sprawled on the goal-line to keep Higgins effort out. Saad then iced it with 38 seconds left into an empty net. "I think guys are discouraged," said Sullivan. "Weve hit a bump in the road here and weve got to try and dig ourselves out of it. For me, theres no sense putting your head down and shrugging your shoulders. This is an unforgiving league." The Blackhawks grabbed sole possession of first in the Central Division with the victory and sit second in the conference. "Things went smoothly for us the first part of the season and going through what were going through right now is when you find out about everyone," said Quenneville. "(I) still think that stretch hasnt been bad, but it feels so much better when you have that type of effort and get a result as well." With the Canucks set to begin a five-game road trip on Friday night that will take them into the Olympic break, players from both teams heading to the Games in Sochi, Russia, were honoured before the opening faceoff. Fans at Rogers Arena were just settling into their seats after the national anthems when Higgins opened the scoring just 16 seconds into the first. Canucks forward Ryan Kesler shovelled a puck towards the Chicago goal that Higgins sent through Crawfords five-hole for his 15th goal of the season and third in the four games. "Getting scored on the first shift is never a good feeling but we knew that wasnt going to be the difference," said Toews. "We had a great momentum swing in the second scoring four goals like that. It was huge for us." After taking that early punch, the Blackhawks carried the play for much of the rest of the period but couldnt find a way past Luongo or his posts. Blackhawks defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson saw his shot from the point deflect off a stick and hit the crossbar before Hossa also found iron moments later. "Im sure (the teams confidence) is not at an all-time high," said Sullivan. "The greatest thing about confidence is its fleeting. You can get it back just as quick as you lose it. It all starts with a good shift and it grows from there. Weve got to get that snowball going." NOTES: Canucks defenceman Christopher Tanev was added to Vancouvers sick bay prior to the game, missing his first game of the season with an upper-body injury. Also on the shelf at the moment is captain Henrik Sedin, who missed his fourth straight game, while fellow forward Mike Santorelli sat out his sixth straight contest. ... Before the game, a banner honouring both the mens and womens hockey gold medals at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver was unveiled in the rafters at Rogers Arena. Hall of Fame defenceman Scott Niedermayer -- who captained Canadas gold-winning mens team in 2010 -- and former womens national team member Tessa Bonhomme, who also won gold four years ago, performed the ceremonial faceoff before the game. ... The Canucks five-game road trip will take them to Winnipeg, Detroit, Boston, Montreal and Toronto. ... Vancouvers next home game is Feb. 26 against the St. Louis Blues. ... The Blackhawks continue their six-game pre-Olympic road trip on Saturday in San Jose. Fake Yeezys For Sale Fake Yeezys Online .Y. - DeMarre Carroll felt as though he couldnt miss in the second quarter as he outscored the Brooklyn Nets 14-13 all by himself. http://www.fakeyeezysforsale.com/. "There are a lot of things that are going very well in this organization. Im not coming in here to rip things apart," Nicholson told reporters Friday. "I know what Hockey Canada was when I started, and I know where this (Oilers) organization is today. Cheap Fake Yeezys . Canada was placed in one of the easiest groups during Saturdays live televised draw in Montreal. Fake Yeezy Boost 350 V3 . "Uuufff," was all shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria could come up with after Stantons latest mammoth shot.ARLINGTON, Texas – By the time the Blue Jays leave town after Sundays game, the Rangers will have seen enough of Anthony Gose. His speed has created runs for Toronto and prevented runs for Texas in this series. "Hes really good," said outfield coach Tim Leiper. "He just covers a lot of ground. Hes into the game. You watch him, too, hes hungry. Hes come up here with something to prove." In Friday nights 2-0 win, the Blue Jays were stifled by Rangers ace Yu Darvish for seven innings. In the eighth, Erik Kratz surprised third baseman Adrian Beltre by laying down a leadoff bunt single. Gose followed with a drag bunt down the first base line, beating out a bang-bang play at the bag. One out later, Gose scored from first on a Melky Cabrera double, tearing around the bases. In Saturday nights 4-2 win, with the game tied 1-1 in the seventh, Gose led off with an opposite field double. He stole third and with one out, scored on a Cabrera chopper to Beltre. Gose was going the moment he saw Cabreras ball wasnt hit hard and Beltre, one of the games best defensive third baseman, didnt attempt a play at the plate. Mark Buehrle was the beneficiary of the run on Saturday but when asked about Goses offence, he quickly changed the subject. "I dont even want to talk about the scoring runs, I want to talk about the defence," said Buehrle. "Hes been out there the last couple of days, balls have been hit and this isnt a knock against Colby (Rasmus) because hes pretty fast but there were some balls hit in the gap and youre like, Damn, thats a double and then all of sudden, here comes Gose catching the ball." Gose has made two standout catches this series, both on Friday night. He robbed Mitch Moreland of extra bases in the left-centerfield gap, crashing into the wall on the run as he hauled in the ball. He went into right-centerfield to take away at least a double, likely a triple, from speedster Leonys Martin. "He made those look somewhat easy but off the bat, you dont think theyre going to get caught," said Leiper. Goses speed is one reason hes an elite defender. "Theres plenty of guys with speed and obviously hes got above average speed for anybody," said Leiper. "It comes down to he gets the jumps. For guys who are slower and they definitely need the foootwork to make up for their lack of speed, hes got both.ddddddddddddquot; Theres another reason, one his coach appreciates just as much: Gose has impressed Leiper with his interest in pre-game preparation. Its not always noticeable, unseen on TV and likely not a fans focus while watching a game live, but Leiper notices the results pitch by pitch. "Its subtle but, for me, Im so one-dimensional now, Im just focused on what hes doing and how hes moving and where these guys are," said Leiper. "To watch him take charge with the other two outfielders, too, its impressive to watch. Hes got a good feel for the position." Pillar is Goses Platoon Partner Right-handed hitting Kevin Pillar will start in centrefield against left-handed pitchers during Colby Rasmus absence with a hamstring injury. Anthony Gose, a left-handed bat, will start against right-handers. Pillars first big league experience, late last season, was a struggle. He feels better now, knowing his role is defined. "I definitely think, knowing what your role is, whether its platooning or playing everyday, but having some sort of conversation with the manager, and knowing what your role is going to be is comforting," said Pillar. Pillar picked up his first two big league hits of 2014 in Saturday nights victory. Hes 2-for-11 during his brief stint with Toronto. He was off to a great start at Triple-A Buffalo, hitting .305/.344/.461, which included an 18-game hitting streak. The book on Pillar is off-speed, typically breaking sliders, down and away. Hell continue to be pitched that way, especially with two strikes, until he shows he can lay off. "I think its more mental than anything," said Pillar. "Mechanically, its trying to simplify a little bit, letting the ball travel a little deeper before I make a decision to swing. My second at-bat last night, I fouled off a lot of pitches, letting the ball get deep and thats a testament to staying with my approach, letting the ball get a little deeper, allowing myself to see the pitch before I swing. I think last year, part of it was trying to do too much, trying to get hits, not really seeing the ball out of the hand and this year I promised myself I wouldnt try to get hits, I would try to get good pitches to hit, and thats allowed me to lay off pitches down and away." ' ' '

"You cant win with Jason Spezza as your captain."I have heard that phrase uttered countless times over the past few months, as the Ottawa Senators season has slipped away. In his first season as captain, Spezzas club has been a major disappointment. The Senators fell well short of expectations and predictably, Spezza is taking the lions share of the blame from his harshest critics. I have always said that the Spezza debate in this town is like Coke versus Pepsi. If you are a Coke drinker, its very hard to convince you that Pepsi is superior. The same goes for Spezza - those people who hate him cant be convinced otherwise. Its a black-and-white argument and its virtually impossible to sway someone from one side to the other.Anybody who has read or listened to me over the years knows that I fall into the camp of people who believe the Senators are a better team with Spezza down the middle. But in todays blog, I am not trying to convince anybody about Jasons ability as a player. You can judge that for yourself. What I do want to bring up is the idea that a captain is the person who sets the tone for how his team plays.The critics of Spezza will argue that because he has a penchant for turning over the puck and does not play as well defensively as some other players, he causes his entire team to play with a loosey-goosey mentality. If the guy wearing the "C" is taking risks with the puck, that is setting the tone for the 17 other skaters.Those people say that if Spezza was a real leader, he would play the game the right way in all three zones. He would be a rugged leader, who was more physical. He would be someone like Andrew Ladd of the Winnipeg Jets.If you were to write down all the characteristics you would want in a captain for a Canadian team, Ladd would meet all the criteria.• He is from Maple Ridge, B.C.• He plays the game the right way• He has Stanley Cup rings with two different teamsAnd yet, the Winnipeg Jets are a team that is a mess defensively. They have given up 234 goals – second-worst in the Western Conference.Their captain is there every night supposedly playing the game "the right way". His teammates see how he conducts himself on and off the ice. So why are they so bad defensively?Its because the captain can only do so much. And many times, we overrate the role of a captain on a hockey team. We assign certain characteristics to people and we have a hard time deviating from our original stance. In our minds, Ladd is a great captain – so the problem is with his Winnipeg teammates.But if Ladd escapes the criticism in Winnipeg for failing to get the Jets to play a more structured game, why does Spezza take the heat in Ottawa for the exact same thing?The tricky thing for Spezza is that he is also trying to fill the skates of the previous captain Daniel Alfredsson, who had a mythical status in this town.But before Alfredsson had his breakthrough moment as captain in 2007 in leading the Senators to the Stanley Cup Final, he had just as many detractors in Ottawa as Spezza does now. There was a prevailing sentiment that "you will never win with Daniel Alfredsson as your captain." Those echoes reached a crescendo when Jason Pominville walked around him for the series-ending goal against the Buffalo Sabres in the 2006 playoffs.However, after Alfredsson won over his critics in 2007, he was good for life in Ottawa and was never blamed for any of the problems.When it comes to the team that fell off a cliff in 2007-08 with one of the great collapses in NHL history?"Dont blame Alfredsson, that was all Ray Emerys fault."How about the team that missed the playoffs in two of the next three years?"Lets blame Hartsburg and Cory Clouston. Alfie is a great leader."When the Senators made the playoffs in 2011-12, they did so with the worst goals-against average of any of the 16 teams to qualify for the playoffs. They were kind of a mess defensively that year, but did anybody blame Alfredsson?Of course not.Because they had made up their minds that he was not the problem. Being the captain is all about perception. Alfredsson was always a good leader in Ottawa. He didnt radically change his approach in 2007 when they went to the Stanley Cup Final. Things just finally worked out in his favour and as a result, all of the questions surrounding his leadership vanished overnight.Spezza probably needs time to grow into the captaincy in this town, so he can experience his own defining moment as the leader of this hockey team.Whether he gets that opportunity or not is an entirely different question. Wholesale NCAA Jerseys . Garcia had eight birdies overall to go with a lone bogey on the fourth to move to an 18-under total of 198 at the Asian Tour event. "I was able to hit some really nice shots and then was able to roll two or three really good putts in and it was nice to be able to finish birdie, birdie on this difficult finishing stretch," Garcia said. Cheap Football NCAA Jerseys .J. Ward appeared in court Friday on misdemeanour charges that he threw a glass mug at a bartender at a Denver strip club. https://www.chinajerseysncaa.us/. -- James Harden scored 31 points, including 25 in the second half, and the Houston Rockets dug out of a double-digit, first-half hole to beat the Orlando Magic 101-89 on Wednesday night. NCAA Jerseys Outlet . They started shooting the puck. Joe Pavelski had a hat trick to move into a tie for second in the NHL in goals and the Sharks beat Philadelphia 7-3 Thursday night in the first game for both teams following the Olympic break. Replica NCAA Jerseys . The 49ers, 6-2 and riding a five-game winning streak following the bye week, also waived cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and activated cornerback Eric Wright from the reserve/non-football injury list. Manningham made 42 receptions for 449 yards and one touchdown in 12 games and 10 starts last season before injuring his left knee in a loss at Seattle Dec.Burnley manager Sean Dyche is not in the running for the Aston Villa job, Sky Sports News HQ understands. A number of leading bookmakers slashed the odds on Dyche succeeding Roberto Di Matteo at Villa Park on Tuesday afternoon, with the 45-year-old installed as the second favourite behind former Hull City manager Steve Bruce. WATCH NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. However, SSNHQ understand Dyche is keen to stay at Burnley and remain in the Premier League rather than drop back down to the Sky Bet Championship. Villa owner Dr Tony Xia is understood to be considering the final shortlist of candidates, which is thought to include Bruce and interim boss Steve Clarke. Villa are searching for a new manager following the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo Bruce revealed on Goals on Sunday that he haad held preliminary discussions with Villa over their vacant managerial position, while Clarke will be in the dugout for Saturdays match against Wolves, live on Sky Sports 1 HD.ddddddddddddDi Matteo was sacked as Villa manager last week following their poor start to the new season, having won only one of his 12 matches in charge. A 2-0 defeat away at Preston on October 1 proved to be Di Matteos final match at the helm, with the Italian leaving Villa 19th in the Championship and just two points above the relegation zone. What went wrong for Di Matteo? We take a look at Roberto Di Matteos short spell at Villa. You can watch Englands tour of Bangladesh, plus Premier League football and the British Masters on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy three months at half price! Also See: Bruce: Ive held Villa talks Bruce in line for Villa job Wagner not on the way out Johnson plays down Villa link ' ' '

PHOENIX -- Chase Anderson said the perfect start to his major league career "feels amazing," and the Arizona Diamondbacks feel the same way about the young right-hander. Anderson pitched seven innings to become the third pitcher since 1998 to win his first five major league starts, leading the Diamondbacks to a 6-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. David Peralta and Paul Goldschmidt each hit a two-run homer in Arizonas six-run seventh inning. It was Peraltas first major league homer. Anderson (5-0) had a career-best eight strikeouts. He allowed two runs and five hits on his way to becoming the first pitcher to win his first five starts since Jered Weaver won seven straight in 2006. "Words dont describe that," Anderson said, "just going 1-0, 2-0. Each time I go out there Im just trying to give the team a chance to win. ... 5-0 feels amazing." The Diamondbacks have scored 45 runs in Andersons five wins. "Geez, when you get that kind of run support its not too hard to go out there and win games," he said. Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said Anderson "really threw one of his strongest games for us. He made a mistake to (Justin Upton). ... But other than that, very good." Upton, Freddie Freeman and Ramiro Pena homered for the Braves, who lost two of three in Arizona. Aaron Harang (4-5) issued six walks in six-plus innings, and was charged with three runs and four hits. Brad Ziegler, closing instead of home run-plagued Addison Reed, gave up a leadoff homer to Pena but retired the next three for his first save of the season. Gibson said Reed "has a tired arm, nothing serious." Harang (4-5) was working on a two-hitter before Aaron Hill led off the seventh with a single. Peralta then drove the next pitch over the wall in centre, tying it at 2. "He threw me a curveball. He just was hanging it," Peralta said. "I just made my best swing. I saw the ball flying and I was just OK, I got that one. It feels good. I couldnt stop laughing or smiling." Peralta went 2 for 4 and is batting .429 in seven games since being called up from Double-A Mobile. Harang then walked Cody Ross and was through for the day. Chris Owings added a two-run single off right-hander David Hale, and Goldschmidt hit one far above the 413-foot sign in left-centre for a 6-2 lead. Owings was hitless in nine at-bats in the series before his base hit. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez let Harang bat in the sixth. "You have to let him back out there (in the seventh)," Gonzalez said. "Yeah, he had some walks but we felt comfortable that he could manoeuvr through the lineup. A base hit and a two-run homer ties it. That seventh inning just unraveled on us." The Braves responded with two in the eighth, but lost out on an opportunity for more. Freeman connected against Joe Thatcher, and Tommy La Stella had an RBI single. Andrelton Simmons walked to load the bases before Evan Marshall struck out Gerald Laird to end the inning. Atlanta jumped in front on Uptons two-run drive in the sixth, and that looked as if it might be enough for Harang for a while. Peraltas leadoff single in the fifth was Arizonas first hit of the game. The Diamondbacks went on to load the bases on Andersons bunt for his first major league hit, but failed to score. Anderson got some help from his defence in the fifth. Third baseman Martin Prado made a diving stop of Lairds grounder, and then falling backward threw from his right knee to first, where Goldschmidt snagged it on one bounce for the out. NOTES: Atlantas Jason Heyward went 0 for 5, ending his 11-game hitting streak. ... On Monday, Arizona begins a four-game set with the Astros, the first two in Phoenix, the last two in Houston. Josh Collmenter (4-2, 3.63 ERA) starts the opener for Arizona, Jarred Cosart (4-5, 4.16 ERA) goes for the Astros. ... Atlanta moves on to a four-game set in Colorado. On Monday, the Braves send Gavin Floyd (0-2, 2.80 ERA) to the mound against the Rockies Christian Bergman in his major league debut. Custom Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys . The 23-year-old McNabb was an All-Star with the American Hockey Leagues Rochester Americans this season, posting seven goals and 22 assists in 38 games. In 12 games with the Sabres this season, McNabb has accumulated six penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating. He has scored one goal and seven assists in 37 career games with the Sabres, who originally selected him in the third round (66th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Pittsburgh Penguins Store . - This is just the warm-up act for 18-year-old William Nylander. https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/. Weise left the arena with a splint on his wrist and underwent tests to determine whether the tendon is torn. Winger Travis Moen will also miss some time after suffering a concussion in Mondays contest. Fake Penguins Jerseys .ca contributor Grant McCagg provides a look at some risers and fallers on the prospect watch. Pittsburgh Penguins Pro Shop .Y. -- A month ago, Syracuse was unbeaten, ranked No.MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Florida Gators are back where their last three seasons have ended with yet another chance to go to the Final Four. Being in the Elite Eight again, though, simply isnt enough. Michael Frazier II hit five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points as the Gators beat UCLA 79-68 Thursday night to reach its fourth consecutive NCAA regional final. "We just talked about it, and its not enough for us," Florida senior Will Yeguete said. "We have two days to get ready for a good team, and were just going to go for it on Saturday." The Gators (35-2) also extended the best winning streak in school history to 29 straight in reaching the South Regional final. "From a team aspect, I think weve done a great job of just staying in the moment and just trying to chase greatness," Frazier said. "When you do that, complacency isnt a factor so I think weve done a great job all year of just staying in the moment and chasing greatness." The tournaments overall top seed will play 11th-seeded Dayton on Saturday night for a trip to the Final Four. Dayton beat Stanford 82-72 earlier Thursday night. "Right now we got to put this game behind us and get focused on Dayton," Florida senior Scottie Wilbekin said. "Theyre a great team. Everybody is at this point in the season, and so we got to be locked in and ready because its going to be a battle." Wilbekin added 13 points for Florida. Casey Prather had 12 points, and Dorian Finney-Smith had 10. Kasey Hill had 10 assists. The Gators have not lost since Dec. 2. The Gators lost to Michigan a year ago in a regional final. "But its a new team that we have, and were playing a new team so its a totally different situation," Wilbekin said. "Were just excited to get this win and move onto the next game. Were totally focused on that. The past has no impact." UCLA (28-9) was back in a regional semifinal for the first time since 2008 under first-year coach Steve Alford. But the Bruins just couldnt match Floridas physical defence or outshoot the Gators. UCLA now is 0-4 against Florida coach Billy Donovan all-time -- all in the NCAA tournament..dddddddddddd "They played very well," Alford said of the Gators. "They are an outstanding basketball team." Florida shot 50 per cent for the game (29 of 58), including 59.3 per cent in the second half. UCLA finished 42.2 per cent (27 of 64) shooting in only their fifth game scoring under 70 points this season. The Bruins were a cold 1 of 12 beyond the arc in the second half. Jordan Adams led the Bruins with 17 points, Kyle Anderson had 11 and five assists with nine rebounds. Travis Wear added 14. Frazier showed off the Gators shooting skills. He had hit only 3 of 13 beyond the arc through the Gators first two tournament wins but hit five of his first six against UCLA. The Gators led 36-30 at halftime and clicked on a different level in the second half. They hit their first six shots and eight of their first 10. Every time UCLA tried to make a run, Florida answered. First, it was Frazier hitting consecutive 3-pointers as UCLA pulled within 43-39. When the Bruins pulled within 56-55 on a layup by Norman Powell midway through the half, Finney-Smith hit a jumper for the first of 10 straight points. The Gators had UCLA running up and down the court so much Adams couldnt even hit the rim with a jumper despite having an open look at the basket. Wilbekin finished off the run with a three-point play that had the Gators solidly in control, up 66-55 with 5:34 left. "He hit two big shots down the stretch," Anderson said. "Thats what you expect out of your senior point guard. Hes been here in the Sweet 16 four years. He made big shots. Credit to him." For all the talk of Floridas stingy defence, UCLA opened the game blocking the Gators first two shots. The Bruins only blocked two more shots the rest of the game. The Bruins came in as one of the nations best scoring teams, averaging 81.5 points a game. Florida showed early it could shoot too, hitting 5 of 8 beyond the arc in spurt that turned a 14-11 deficit into a 20-16 lead. Back-to-back 3s from Frazier put the Gators ahead to stay. Every time Anderson got the ball near the UCLA basket, he found himself with at least two Gators trying to smother him. ' ' '

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre has become only the fifth player in major league history to hit 100 home runs for three different teams. Beltre, in his fourth season with Texas, hit his 100th homer for the Rangers on Wednesday night against the Colorado Rockies. It was his second this season, after hitting his first Tuesday night. Before joining the Rangers, Beltre hit 147 homers for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2004) and 103 homers for Seattle (2005-09). The other players with 100 homers for three different teams are Darrell Evans (Atlanta, San Francisco and Detroit), Reggie Jackson (Kansas City/Oakland, New York Yankees, California), Alex Rodriguez (Seattle, Texas and Yankees) and Jim Thome (Cleveland, Philadelphia, Chicago White Sox). Air Max 90 Mens Outlet . The pair ended pointless droughts when they each scored two goals in a 6-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets that halted a two-game losing skid for the Stars (15-11-5). Fake Air Max 90 Mens . -- Ricky Romeros comeback bid hit another road bump Tuesday in an ugly 18-4 Jays loss to a Detroit Tigers split squad. http://www.outletairmax90cheap.com/outle...onze-cheap.html. 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell. Off White Air Max 90 For Sale . Paul, MN (SportsNetwork. Cheap Air Max 90 Ultra China . Mohamed Diame put West Ham ahead in the 47th minute before goals by substitutes Carlton Cole and Joe Cole condemned Fulham to a fifth straight defeat, keeping the visitors in the bottom three. DALLAS -- Brandan Wrights season debut just happened to come on a night when Dirk Nowitzki was home sick. The trade-off worked out just fine for Dallas. Wright led the Mavericks with 19 points, Jose Calderon got the offence going early and finished with 18, and Dallas shrugged off the absence of Nowitzki and coach Rick Carlisle to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 106-93 Saturday night. Nowitzki and Carlisle missed the game with an undisclosed illness. Carlisle has been fighting an upper respiratory problem since before a four-game road trip that started last week. Wright, who missed the first 23 games with a shoulder injury, scored seven straight points in a 19-5 run that put Dallas in control, 43-26, early in the second quarter. "Im going to be aggressive either way it goes," said Wright, who was 9 of 10 from the floor and added six rebounds in 19 minutes. "If Dirk plays or Monta (Ellis) plays or none of those guys play, Ive got to play the same way. Ive got to play hard." John Henson had 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Bucks, who fell behind by 34 late in the third quarter before rallying in the fourth to make the final score respectable. O.J. Mayo, who played despite the recent death of his grandmother, had four points on 1-of-6 shooting in his first game in Dallas against his former team since signing with the Bucks as a free agent last summer. "We came in here and laid an egg," Milwaukee coach Larry Drew said. "We didnt play well. We had very low energy, which was disappointing." Nowitzki and Carlisle missed the shootaround earlier Saturday and werent at American Airlines Center for the game. The Mavericks dont play again until Wednesday, so they should have plenty of time to recover. Even without their star and their coach, the Mavericks were never in much trouble with assistant Monte Mathis in charge. Dallas didnt even need much from Ellis, the teams leading scorer. He had seven points and five assists and essentially deferred to Calderon, who had 16 points at halftime on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. "Very important, especially with Monta kind of feeling things out and not getting some of the opportunities that he typically has, its good for another guyy to step up and be aggressive," Mathis said.dddddddddddd The biggest decision for Mathis was whether to bring back any other starters after the Bucks went on a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter and eventually got within 13 in the final 2 minutes. Mathis did reinsert DeJuan Blair after Wright had returned, and the Mavericks kept the lead in double digits. "One or two more baskets," Mathis said of how tempting it was to go with Ellis and Calderon again. "We didnt want to get them in there. We wanted our other guys to finish it out." Shawn Marion had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Mavericks. Vince Carter had 15 points and a game-high nine assists. Brandon Knight scored 16 for Milwaukee, but only four after the first quarter. "We came out flat," Henson said of the Bucks, who lost by a point to Chicago at home a night earlier and have played five sets of back-to-back games in their last 10. "The combination of these games and the travel, I think we kind of hit that wall." Wright grabbed two quick rebounds after coming in midway through the first quarter and finished the first half with 11 points and five rebounds in 10 minutes. The highlight for Wright was a putback dunk for a 79-51 lead in the third. Just 3 minutes later, Blair gave the Mavericks their biggest lead at 90-56 on a jumper. Blair had 11 points and nine rebounds. Samuel Dalembert, signed in the off-season to be the starting centre for the Mavericks, was the only Dallas player who didnt get off the bench. For Dalembert, it was something of a replay of his one season with Milwaukee, when he went through a long midseason stretch without playing and got into just one of the last 11 games. NOTES: Bucks G Carlos Delfino had surgery on his right foot performed by Dr. Donato Villani in Argentina. There is no timetable for the 31-year-olds return. ... Carlisle missed a game for the first time since the franchises only championship season of 2010-11. He missed a Dec. 27 victory at Oklahoma City a day after having arthroscopic knee surgery. Assistant Dwane Casey, now the head coach in Toronto, filled in then. ... Bucks G Gary Neal left late in the second quarter with plantar fasciitis and didnt return. ' ' '

WINNIPEG -- Rookie Sean Monahan admitted he wasnt very good in the shootout while playing junior last season. But now that hes in the NHL, the Calgary Flames centre showed big improvement in that department by scoring the winner in the eighth round of a 5-4 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. It was a goal that halted Calgarys (7-11-3) six-game winless streak, and it marked the first shootout goal -- on the first shootout shot -- of Monahans young NHL career. "My first year in junior, I was alright (in the shootout)," said Monahan, who had played with the Ottawa 67s. "Last year, I wasnt too good so I was kind of nervous there, but I felt good once I got off the ice." Monahan, who also had an assist, scored low on goalie Al Montoyas blocker side. "I went down the wide side and its a move I usually try to do in practice and fortunately enough it worked," he said. Juri Hudler had given Calgary a 4-3 lead with less than four minutes left in the game, but the Jets didnt let up as centre Bryan Little tied it 4-4 with six seconds left. With Montoya on the bench for the extra attacker in the final 30 seconds of regulation, the Jets (10-10-3) swarmed goalie Reto Berra and Little put a rebound in an open side of the net. Montoya, who was playing so starter Ondrej Pavelec could have a break, stopped 24 shots in regulation and five in overtime. Berra was barraged by 47 shots, including three in overtime, for his second win of the season. Michael Cammalleri scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season on the power play for Calgary and added an assist. T.J. Brodie also had a goal and assist and Lance Bouma scored shorthanded. Michael Frolik, Olli Jokinen and Dustin Byfuglien also scored for Winnipeg. Byfuglien added an assist and Grant Clitsome and Blake Wheeler each had a pair of assists. Winnipeg saw a four-game home winning streak halted, but are 4-2-1 in their last seven games. "That was a pretty strange game in my books," Jets coach Claude Noel said. "I thought either team could have won it any time. We chased the game, not only from a goals standpoint, but I thought it was pretty wild in a lot of ways. "I was wondering how it would go. I wasnt settled all night. There was no point that I was comfortable." Calgary coach Bob Hartley echoed his bench counterpart. "If that one was not exciting for them, it sure was for me," Hartley said of the capacity crowd of 15,004 at the MTS Centre. "We made it interesting, we made it tough on us, but at the end we found a way to win so big two points." After Boumas short-handed goal at 11:17 of the third period made it 3-2, Byfuglien tied the game with 7:50 left, scoring his fifth goal in as many games on the power play off a rebound. But Calgary regained the lead when Hudler blasted a shot from the top of the face-off circle that cut by Montoya with 3:26 left in regulation. "I think we gave up some point-blank opportunities, way too many quality chances," Jets captain Andrew Ladd said. Hartley was impressed with the way Berra reacted to Littles late tying goal. "Hes a very proud young man," Hartley said. "And despite the fact that he gave the equalizing goal late in the game, he never lost his focus. "What to say about his performance? I rarely saw a goalie give four goals and play that well." Calgary hosts Columbus on Wednesday and the Jets take on the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. Fake Nike MLB Jerseys . The team of Lars Nelson, Daniel Richardsson, Johan Olsson, and anchor Marcus Hellner cruised to victory in the 4x10 km event, winning in a time of one hour, 28 minutes, and 42. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic . -- Josh Smith made a 3-pointer as time expired and finished with 20 points to lift the Detroit Pistons to a 99-98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night in both teams exhibition finale. https://www.mlbjerseyschina.us/. Jackson Houck added a goal and two assists for the Giants (28-23-10), who halted a five-game slide, while Tyler Morrison, Mason Geertsen and Dominik Volek each scored once. Matt Bellerive scored both goals for the Blazers (12-43-5), who are 1-9-0 in their last 10 outings. Cheap MLB Jerseys Nike 2020 . Left-handed reliever Boone Logan agreed to a $16.5 million, three-year contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. Clearance MLB Jerseys . -- The Grand Rapids Griffins scored three goals in 33 seconds of the second period en route to defeating the Hamilton Bulldogs 6-1 in American Hockey League action on Friday.Danny Drinkwater insists he is ready to take his club form onto the international stage and make a late push for a place in England’s Euro 2016 squad. The midfielder has been a reliable presence in the heart of Leicesters table-topping team this season, and believes he can make the necessary adjustments to adapt to international football in time for this summers tournament in France.Ive been given a small chance here to show what Im capable of, so it is up to me to take it, Drinkwater told the media at a press conference at St Georges Park, having taken part in his first training session with the England senior team. Obviously international football is different, I understand that, but its just about doing your job, screening the defence, and as the ball turns over youve got to keep it. Im looking forward to the challenge.Respectfully acknowledging the competition for places in central midfield, with the likes of Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson and others all pushing for a place in the side, Drinkwater added: I dont think England have ever been short of quality in midfield, or anywhere else on the pitch for that matter, but having competition for places always helps. Push yourself, and it can only benefit the country.Drinkwaters call up to the national team for the fixtures with Germany on Saturday and the Netherlands on Tuesday has capped a remarkable 12 months for the midfielder. England midfielder Danny Drinkwater takes a break during training This time last year he was not even a permanent fixture for his club, battling to find a place in a position dominated by the presence of Esteban Cambiasso, and also saw Matty James ahead of him in the pecking order.This season his form - alongside NGolo Kane - has been a major contributing factor in Leicesters push for the Premier League title, and rightly caught the eye of England manager Roy Hodgson.Asked if his England call-up was the icing on the cake after Leicesters incredible season, Drinkwater kept an important sense of perspective, with seven Premier League games remaining in which the title will be decided: There is a long way to go yet, so I dont think the cake is baked yet! Vardy (left) is put through his paces by England boss Roy Hodgson (right) Drinkwater was flanked at the press conference by his club team-mate Vardy - it is rare for two players to attend England press conferences together but the midfielder apparently felt more comfortable with a familiar face alongside him - and naturally, the subject of Leicesters Premier League chances arose on more than one occasion.It seemed as though both were enjoying the opportunity to take their minds off the pressure of the title race.My concentration now is England, and it willl be now until the game has finished on Tuesday, Drinkwater insisted.ddddddddddddEverything back at Leicester is good, weve left it in a good place, and for now well focus on the Three Lions. England is all the focus we can have. After next Tuesday is finished, then well go back to thinking about Leicester. Jamie Vardy Vardy echoed the point: Its been unbelievable obviously, but in all fairness we do talk about this every week. Its not going to be hard at all [to focus on England this week], thats what we are here to do.England is all the focus we can have. After next Tuesday is finished, then well go back to thinking about Leicester.We understand people are going to ask about it when we are with our clubs, we are doing well at the top and we know people are going to keep asking - thats not a pressure, its something you cant get away from.Its just nice to have a week away and focus on England. Statistical Euro squad Who is in the Euro 2016 squad according to the stats? While Vardy is more accustomed to England duty than Drinkwater, he is still a relative novice at this level, having received his first call up to the national team last June.Despite the fact he has scored 19 Premier League goals this season, he is still not taking his place in the England squad for granted.I think Ive always got something to prove, Vardy admitted, when asked of the competition for places provided by Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck. Drinkwater (left) has been rewarded for his club form with an international call-up Theres quality throughout the team, and its down to each individual to put themselves in the gaffers mind, and see who he picks for the games.Youve always got to feel confident, it doesnt matter what position youre in, if youre picked for the squad youre in there for a reason, for the job youve been doing during the season, so Ive just got to keep doing that and keep working as hard as I can.Its going to be difficult for everyone, but having the competition that we have got, it can only benefit us and make us even better going forward. Well have to see how things go on the training pitch and when the gaffer picks the team its up to them to keep the shirts. Also See: Bertrand misses England training Ibra ended my England career Euro 96 v Euro 2016 combined XI England fixtures ' ' '

SOUTHAMPTON, England - Japan defender Maya Yoshida has signed a new three-year contract with English Premier League club Southampton before heading to the Asian Cup.Southampton says the 26-year-old Yoshida, who has made 60 appearances since arriving in 2012, is now under contract until 2018.With Japans Asian Cup opener on Jan. 12 and the tournament running in Australia until Jan. 31, Yoshida might not return to action for Southampton until Feb. 7 against Queens Park Rangers.The south-coast club is surprisingly in fourth place — the final Champions League qualification spot — at the start of the second half of the season. Buy Shoes Black Friday . Russell Wilson against Darrelle Revis, former teammate Brandon Browner and whatever schemes Bill Belichick dreams up. Wholesale Shoes Black Friday . The 23-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., defeated Germanys Benjamin Becker 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday in the fourth round of the Sony Open in just 89 minutes. https://www.cheapshoesblackfriday.com/. The 7-foot-1 Hawes, who is in the final year of his contract, is averaging 13 points and 8.5 rebounds, both career highs, and shoots 40 per cent from 3-point range. The 25-year-old Hawes is in his seventh NBA season. Cheap Shoes Black Friday . There was little fanfare, though, when the Yankees captain was taken out of his final regular-season Subway Series game in the eighth inning. Jeter watched the last four outs from the bench, pulled off the field during a double switch Thursday night as the Yankees held off the Mets 1-0. China Shoes Black Friday . -- Ryan Millers debut for the St.LOS ANGELES -- The short-handed San Antonio Spurs have been playing slightly better than .500 ball against teams with winning records, so they needed a huge lift from somebody Tuesday night in a matchup of division leaders. They got one from Patty Mills, who scored 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter as the Spurs charged out of the All-Star break with a 113-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. San Antonio is a league-best 21-7 away from home, poised to extend its NBA record for consecutive winning seasons on the road to 17. "Down a couple of guys, not being able to practice yesterday, and to be able to come in here and put together a 48-minute performance like this was great for us," said Tim Duncan, who had 19 points and 13 rebounds during a foul-plagued 38 minutes. "It was a big win for us, especially on the road against a very good ballclub." The Spurs played without six-time All-Star Tony Parker, who will be sidelined "for the foreseeable future" because of numerous aches and pains (including a bruised shin, groin strain and lower back spasms), coach Gregg Popovich said. The 13-year veteran point guard, who played 11 minutes in Sundays All-Star game, is the Spurs leading scorer and their only player averaging at least 30 minutes. "Were just trying to get him healthy," Duncan said. "I mean, players being healthy is so underrated. When people play through things and they arent 100 per cent, the season becomes a grind. So we want to be 100 per cent so that down the stretch and in the playoffs, when we ask him to do all that we need him to do, hes ready to go and carry that load on his shoulders." Blake Griffin had 35 points and 12 rebounds, Jamal Crawford scored 25 and DeAndre Jordan grabbed 18 rebounds for the Clippers, who ended a run of five consecutive home games that began with a four-point loss to two-time defending champion Miami. "Weve got a lot of work to do to get where the Spurs are and accomplish what theyve accomplished," Griffin said. "They kind of have the model of the NBA and how you want to run things. Guys can be sitting out with injuries, and it doesnt matter. Other guys are going to come in and do exactly what theyre supposed to. Its impressive." Corey Joseph started for the 13th time this season and had seven points in Parkers place. Backup shootinng guard Manu Ginobili returned to the lineup and scored nine points in 14 minutes after missing eight games since Jan.dddddddddddd 28 because of tightness in his left hamstring. But centre Tiago Splitter was sidelined for the fourth straight game with a bruised right shin, and forward Kawhi Leonard missed his 12th in a row due to a broken bone in his right hand. All those injuries have presented a stiff challenge for the Southwest Division leaders, who are 8-7 since a five-game winning streak last month. They lead the Clippers by three games for the second-best record in the Western Conference and have two games left on their nine-game rodeo road trip. The Spurs, who came in leading the NBA in 3-point shooting at 39.1 per cent, took a 73-69 lead when Marco Belinelli drained one from in front of the San Antonio bench with 3:18 left in the third quarter. Duncan picked up his fourth foul less than 2 minutes later, but the Clippers never could regain the lead as Mills scored 11 consecutive Spurs points during a 2:26 span to help San Antonio build a 93-81 cushion with 8:46 to play. "He was great for us," Duncan said. "That fourth quarter, he really took over for that 5 minutes and gave us the lead that we needed. We were struggling trying to find points and keep the pressure on them, and he just completely took the ballgame over." Duncan got his fifth foul with 7:03 left, but Popovich kept him in there and the two-time MVP responded with a short hook shot and a 15-footer before Mills added a 3-pointer for a 102-92 lead with 4:35 remaining. "I think my fourth and fifth ones were not very smart. I didnt realize where I was, foul-wise, and I kind of got myself in trouble there," Duncan said. "But they werent able to take advantage of it, luckily, and we all played through it after Pop left me in there." NOTES: Griffin is averaging 35.3 points over his last six games and has scored at least 25 in each of the past nine. ... The Clippers have dropped their first game following the All-Star break in each of the last six years, including a 26-point loss to the Spurs last season. ... The Spurs are 29-1 when leading after three quarters. Their only loss came on Jan. 17, when Portland turned a one-point deficit into a 109-100 victory. ... Clippers F J.J. Redick missed his fifth straight game with a sore right hip. ' ' '

MILAN -- Morocco international Adel Taarabt is on the verge of joining AC Milan after landing in the Italian city for a medical. Taarabt said Thursday that "I am honoured to be able to play at the best club in the world. I spoke with (Milan coach Clarence) Seedorf and we are both happy." Taarabt joins Milan on loan with the possibility of a permanent move in the summer. Milan has taken over Fulhams loan of Taarabt from parent club Queens Park Rangers. The 24-year-old joined Fulham after QPR was relegated from the Premier League. Keisuke Honda, Adil Rami and Michael Essien also joined Milan this month. Fake Nike NFL Jerseys . -- Patrick Kueng of Switzerland was nearly flawless as he captured his first World Cup and halted Aksel Lund Svindals streak of four straight super-G victories on Saturday. Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap . It was the quickest three-goal sequence in Olympic history, with the latter two coming just eight seconds apart. Kessel, Lamoureux and Kendall Coyne all scored twice for the Americans, and Molly Schaus made 10 saves in her Sochi debut. https://www.chinajerseysnfl.us/. The Brazil defender was substituted 13 minutes into Wednesdays 2-1 Copa del Rey win at Athletic Bilbao because of a right hamstring problem. Scans revealed a second grade tear which could keep him out for a reported four to six weeks. Wholesale NFL Jerseys China . 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. Nike NFL Jerseys Outlet . Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch the game on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt and listen on TSN 690. The Canadiens have won three in a row and four of their last five games and recently put the finishing touches on a 3-1-0 road trip.TORONTO -- Toronto FC fans got to see the man of the moment, England forward Jermain Defoe, wear the captains armband against his old club, and perhaps a glimpse of the future in Canadian teenage striker Jordan Hamilton. It was the 18-year-old from Toronto who got on the scoreboard in a losing cause as Tottenham defeated Toronto 3-2 in a soccer friendly Wednesday on the strength of an 85th-minute goal by Andros Townsend. Andrew Wiedeman and Hamilton had scored second-half goals to pull the home side even before a sellout crowd of 22,591 on a warm evening at BMO Field. Lewis Holtby set the table for the Spurs winner, driving towards goal before finding Townsend who curled a shot past Quillan Roberts, another homegrown teenager. Argentine midfielder Erik Lamela scored twice for Tottenham in the first half before Toronto shot back in a far more competitive and entertaining second after the teams combined for 17 changes at the break. "It was a different game," Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said of the second half. It was only the second pre-season game for Tottenham, with Pochettino reminding his post-game audience that "for me, its another training session and its game that was good for our supporters, to show our improvement." In the first half, Toronto seemed to have one eye on its weekend league match with defending MLS champion Sporting Kansas City. Defoe got virtually no service from his teammates and found himself having to take up the role of playmaker to get something going. The England star was substituted at halftime, one of seven changes by manager Ryan Nelsen. Veteran Dwayne De Rosario took over as captain and told his crew that change was needed. "I just told the guys we didnt come here to spectate," De Rosario said. "This is our field, this is our home. We have to take it to them. I think we did that in the second half and we were able to put them under pressure and force them to cough up the balls where we could attack and counter-attack. We started to build confidence from that." Said fellow second-half substitute Nick Hagglund: "We came in with the mentality to really press them and make them play well. And I think when we did that, we showed that theyre human, that they make mistakes, just like us." On a night where he was on the marquee, Defoe was largely on the outside looking in. Defoe, 31, played 362 times in two stints with Tottenham before departing for Toronto FC in January. He scored 142 goals for Spurs, fifth on the clubs career scoring list. Ironically Defoe just hit No. 5 on Toronto FCs all-time MLS scoring chart with 11 goals in 14 MLS games -- evidence of the franchises past scoring woes. He said playing Spurs was strange but enjoyable. "I suppose when I finish football and I look back on these memories and really reflect and think You know what," (about) all the years at Tottenham -- its a special club with special fans. A good bunch of players. Nice people," he said. Defoe, balancing a plate of salmon, chatted with old Tottenham friends after the match before returning to the Toronto locker-room to do his media duties. The game was part of Defoes transfer agreement, which also featured a marketing deal between the two clubs. Its attention that the England striker clearly wouldnt mind doing without. "I just love playing football," he said. "I always have done. I think at the age of 31 to still wake up in the morning and still enjoy training and look forward to every game, I still get the same buzz. And to me thats importaant.dddddddddddd" Then again, he is making US$6.18 million this season, with the two cellphones sitting in his locker proof that he is by no means a hermit. Spurs controlled the first 45 minutes against a makeshift Toronto lineup, controlling possession for long stretches and then dispossessing Toronto when the home side got it back. Tottenham outshot Toronto 10-0 (3-0 in shots on target) in the first 45 minutes. Toronto, with six Canadians on the field, had a much stronger second half. Spurs again had more shots (10-5) but the home side had more on target (3-2). Wiedeman cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 65th minute. Rookie winger Daniel Lovitz, one of the bright spots for Toronto, made the goal by pouncing on a Tottenham turnover and driving towards goal before opening up the defence with a through ball to Wiedeman. Hamilton tied it up in the 73rd minute, capping off passes from Hagglund and Wiedeman with a clinical left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty box. It was the first goal for Toronto for Hamilton, who has been playing for the Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Pro league this season. "Hes someone who impressed me from Day 1," said Defoe. "Strong, has a nice left foot and he can score goals." Nelsen said the loan to Wilmington has done wonders. "Weve seen a change ... Hes acting like man not a boy and he played like it today." Hamilton was humble afterwards when asked about his performance. But he clearly believes he has more goals in him. "I hope I have a lot more and a lot bigger ones. It was just a friendly but it was great to score my first goal for Toronto," he said. Lamela, who had one goal in a disappointing injury-shortened 2013-14 season, was one of 10 players withdrawn at halftime by Tottenham. The 22-year-old former Roma player reportedly cost Spurs a club-record 30 million pounds (C$55 million). The game came at an inopportune time for Toronto, squeezed between league games against Houston and Sporting Kansas City and in a month packed with eight contests. Toronto, already missing defenders Steven Caldwell and Mark Bloom and Brazilian winger Jackson through injury, essentially fielded just four regulars -- defender Doneil Henry, midfielders Dominic Oduro and Collen Warner, and Defoe -- in its starting 11. Goalie Joe Bendik didnt dress and star midfielder Michael Bradley did not stray from the bench. Goalie Chris Konopka, defenders Jeremy Hall and Ashtone Morgan and midfielder Lovitz have a combined two MLS starts between them this season. Konopkas MLS log reads two games in five seasons with four teams and he looked rusty. The 29-year-old was replaced by 19-year-old Roberts, who has also been playing for Wilmington. Roberts, who has yet to see MLS action but has now played against Roma, Liverpool and Tottenham, made several good saves. Lamela opened the scoring in the 16th minute on a pass from Roberto Soldado and a nice dummy from Aaron Lennon that froze the defence. The Argentine midfielder, who showed his flair from the get-go, then beat Konopka with an angled shot into the corner. Lamela made it 2-0 in the 40th minute from a similar spot after slick passing from Lennon and Soldado sliced open the home defence. Spurs opened their pre-season last Saturday with a 3-3 tie with the Seattle Sounders before 55,349 at CenturyLink Field. Their North American trip wraps up with a Sunday game in Chicago against the MLS Fire. Tottenham finished sixth in the Premier League last season with a 21-11-6 record. It kicks off this season Aug. 16 at West Ham. ' ' '

ST. LOUIS - Jake Allen was a little more than 3 minutes from his third straight shutout Thursday night.In the end, the St. Louis Blues goalie had to hold on just to win. The New Jersey Devils scored three times in a span of 2:34 late in the third period but came up just short as the Blues extended their winning streak to seven games with a 4-3 victory.Allen would have enjoyed another shutout, but said the main thing was getting two more points.I think shutouts are bonuses, he said. If I got that third one, great, Ill enjoy it for a little bit. But Im just focusing on wins right now. Definitely a couple of things to learn from the last few minutes, but all in all, we got the win and well move on to Saturday.Allen made 24 saves and ran his shutout streak to 184 minutes before giving up his first goal in two weeks.Vladimir Tarasenko stretched his goal-scoring streak to four games — he and Blues linemate Jaden Schwartz each had a goal and an assist. Tarasenko has scored five goals during his four-game streak and eight in his last six games overall.Its not about the scoring; its about the wins, Tarasenko said. We have seven in a row. So lets make it eight and prepare for the next game.Alexander Steen and David Backes also scored for St. Louis. Jori Lehtera had two assists.Allen, who stopped 26 shots in blanking the Devils 1-0 Tuesday night in New Jersey, had his shutout streak snapped at 184:01 when Michael Ryder beat him with a wrist shot at 16:35 of the third period.Prior to that, Allen had not allowed a goal since Vancouvers Linden Vey scored on him at 11:57 of the third period on Oct. 23.I think he gets a lot of help from their team, New Jerseys Patrik Elias said. Their defencemen are some of the best in the league, if not the best, and they move the puck and dont give the other team great chances. When they do give up some, obviously hes played well for them. Marek Zidlicky then scored at 18:09 for New Jersey and Ryder added his second of the game with 50.5 seconds left to make it 4-3.Its tough, Allen said. I just wanted to bear down and give them nothing. You had 1 minute left to get two points and lay it on the line. We got it. We squeezed it out.Blues coach Ken Hitchcock felt the team let Allen down the last few minutes.I feel bad for him, Hitchcock said. Its a win but it feels a little bit like a loss because we let the guy down because he was so good. Jersey came in with real purpose; they really pushed us hard.Cory Schneider made 22 saves for the Devils. He was pulled in favour of Keith Kinkaid after Steen scored on a power play at 7:10 of the third period.Tarasenko got the Blues on the board just before the end of the first period with another highlight-reel goal. He got the puck from Schwartz in the slot, manoeuvred to his left through three Devils, then pulled Schneider out of position before lifting the puck over him at 19:55.Hes probably the hottest player in the league right now, Schneider said. You cant deny his skill. I tried to out-wait him but hes real patient and got it up at the end which I wasnt sure he was going to be able to do. It was another nice goal from him.Schwartz made it 2-0 at 11:05 of the second when he took a long clearing pass from Barret Jackman and skated in alone on Schneider. Schwartz put a wrist shot over Schneiders right shoulder for his sixth goal.NOTES: New Jersey began a stretch of playing 15 out of 20 on the road. ... Schneider has started all 13 games for the Devils. Cheap NCAA Jerseys Authentic . -- DeMarcus Cousins had 25 points and 16 rebounds to help the Sacramento Kings snap a seven-game losing streak by defeating the Chicago Bulls 99-70 on Monday night. Wholesale NCAA Jerseys China .ca has you covered for whos in, whos out and what to expect from all 30 teams. https://www.chinajerseysncaa.us/. Some teams got significantly better, some teams divested themselves of talent and some teams had quiet afternoons, keeping the status quo. Cheap Football NCAA Jerseys . The team sent out a press release on Friday stating Poile was resting and recovering and that he will remain in hospital for further observation. The Predators were preparing for the game against the Wild when Poile was hit by a puck that flew off the ice at him where he was standing in a tunnel behind the bench. Fake NCAA Jerseys .Dawson also birdied two of the last four holes to reach 12-under 132 on TPC San Antonios AT&T Canyons Course. He won his only title in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event in 2002 in the Web.com Tours LaSalle Bank Open.Im not going to lose any sleep, believe me, Dawson said. I used to be a perfectionist, but my attitude now is to play like Im in the pro-am.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Hi Kerry, What are your thoughts on the NHLs recommended rule changes from Monday? Do you think theres a way to make goaltender interference - or other on-ice rulings - more clear by going to video review? Does video review help the officials on the ice or take some of the decision making away from them? Which of the recommended rule changes do you think can really help the stripes in a game? Steve Wishie, Toronto Thank you for submitting these very important questions following the competition committee meeting that took place on Monday in New York. The General Managers will be convening sometime in the very near future to discuss these issues. Since it would appear there was little or no input from a knowledgeable officiating mind in attendance, I wish to address the General Managers directly with the following comments specifically related to implementing an expanded video review. I had the pleasure of developing a professional working relationship with each of you; in some cases that relationship began during your playing career and prior to your move into the role of general manager. While it is safe to say that we didnt or wont always agree, please know that I have great respect for the knowledge and care for the game that each of you demonstrates. Having been on that goal-line far too many times to count during my 30-plus year NHL officiating career I know, better than most, the demands, expectations and difficulties that the current crop of referees are experiencing. Goalkeeper interference is the most difficult decision that any referee has to make. The referees, like no time ever before, require your most thoughtful assistance to equip them with the necessary tools to achieve success and uphold the integrity of the game. The time has now come to step outside of any traditional comfort zone and implement video review technology that is available to the rest of us that watch the game on a television monitor, but who are not charged with making a split second decision on these potentially game changing plays. Based on Mathieu Schneiders quote below it would appear that the expectation of "certainty" must be met in order for video review to be expanded beyond the current allowances contained within the rules. "I think the underlying fundamental here is that if youre going to go to video review in a given area, there is the expectation of certainty," said Mathieu Schneider, the NHLPAs special assistant to the executive director. "And its just not there. Its very difficult. The type of things that were talking about, a possible coachs challenge, are things that we might be able to be certain on. But theres still a ton of grey area." I would respectfully submit that language contained throughout the rule book provides the referee(s) with the authority and latitude to exercise his individual judgment in the enforcement of the rules. Phrases such as "In the judgment of the Referee; There is an enormous amount of judgment involved in the application of this rule by the Referees; The Referee, "at his discretion" may assess; The Referees are provided very wide latitude in the penalties with which they may impose under this rule; The discretion provided (to the Referees) should be exercised realistically…" The referees do not apply a mathematical equation to problem solving.dddddddddddd Instead, with your direction provided to them as to the expected standard of enforcement, the referees exercise their individual judgment to try and make the "correct call" from a position and vantage point that they occupy on the ice in that moment. This does not always achieve "certainty" and the referees perception of the play can quickly be changed if he is provided with a different angle or more precisely through video review. The current process and follow-up protocol of a conference conducted by the four on-ice officials (when utilized) does not achieve any "certainty" that the correct call is ultimately made. Gentlemen, one of the challenges that await you at your next meeting is to achieve some consensus among your group as to what actually constitutes a violation of rule 69—goalkeeper interference? Based on another quote following the competition committee meeting you have your work cut out for you. Even the Game 2 situation brought what Schneider called a "split room" on whether it should have counted or not. "Theres a lot of instances where you have two reasonable people looking at the same video and have two different interpretations, and goalie interference is certainly one of those," Schneider said. "I think the education process is whats going to be most important for the officials, for the players, and I think Colin alluded to, we want to maybe err on the side of the goalie more often. Well, thats the direction we have to give to the officials. "The education process is going to be key. And to have certain telltale signs." Your room cannot be "split" on this crucial issue of players interfering with the goaltender. The players and officials are in need of more concrete direction. Empowering the referee to take a second look at a play with a quick video review, perhaps through a coachs challenge, will help improve these game altering decisions. I also agree that "the education process is going to be "key". The officiating brotherhood can never stop learning, evolving or improving. Give them the tools they need to develop better positioning philosophies so that they consistently know where to go when a player is coming at them or where to go to find the best site line to the goal. A well officiated game is also incumbent upon the utilization of a referees sound judgment. He cannot be stripped of that yet again by a non-official making the call for him from an off-site location. The referees want to get the call right! The couple of minutes it will take for the referee to review the suspected presence of goalkeeper interference, along with some good coaching, will lead to a new age of officiating. ' ' '