Sochi Olympic organizers say the Russian worker struck by a speeding bobsled has undergone surgery and is conscious and in stable condition. A forerunning sled crashed into the worker Thursday at the Sanki Sliding Center. The unidentified worker broke both legs and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Sochi organizing committee spokeswoman Alexandra Kosterina says Friday the injured worker is Russian. She says the operation went "successfully" and "hes conscious, hes stable and hes good right now." IOC spokesman Mark Adams says "we all wish him a speedy recovery." Adrian Peterson Jersey . You can see all the action on TSN2 beginning at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. Chicago won two of three games during its stay at the United Center. The club began the homestand with a 5-1 win over Pittsburgh on March 1 and fell to Colorado on Tuesday before posting another blowout win in Thursdays tilt against Columbus. Aviante Collins Jersey . Not because it was right, but because referees werent allowed to determine it was wrong. http://www.cheapvikingsjerseyselite.com/...-doleman-jersey... as usual. Even with the salary cap being set lower than many general managers expected and hoped for at $69 million and whats considered a shallow pool of top-end players available, this unrestricted-free-agent period figures to follow the familiar script of teams bidding up prices to keep up with each other. Mike Hughes Jersey . -- Green Bay wide receiver Greg Jennings will be on the sideline as the Packers make their push for a perfect regular season. Wholesale Vikings Jerseys . According to the Red Wings Twitter feed, Zetterberg plans to practice with the team on Thursday and is aiming for a second round comeback.Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week, they discuss Richard Sherman, Kevin Durant, the NFL Draft and the MLBs review system. Dave Naylor, TSN 1050 My thumb is down to Seattle Seahawk Richard Sherman for his view that the NFL would not have banned LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life because the NFL is "more of a bottom line league." Richard, youre known as a smart guy, so surely you can understand that the NBAs decision to ban Sterling was as driven by its bottom line as it was by its moral convictions. Yes, Adam Silver did the right thing, but the NBA commissioner was also doing the one and only thing that would ensure Sterlings racist words wouldnt carve into the NBAs annual $5 billion revenue pie. Youre right about the NFL being a bottom-line league. But thats precisely the reason Roger Goodell would have done the exact same thing that Adam Silver did. Steve Simmons, Sun Media My thumb is up to Kevin Durant, here on Mothers Day, for making the greatest MVP speech maybe any athlete has ever made. In winning the MVP of the National Basketball Association, Durant made a modest, heartwarming, thoughtful, emotional speech, thanking his mom, bringing tears to his eyes - and with that to the eyes of many, including his mother. Durant thanked every teammate individually, saying something special and personal about each, along with mentioning his coach and his general manager and the support staff of the Oklahoma City Thunder. If you didnt like Durant before, you do now. If you havent heard thiis - and the way the NBA presents awards between playoff games you might have missed it - please go to your computer, take the time, go to Youtube and find it online.dddddddddddd Make that your gift to yourself today. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated My thumb is down to the NFL Draft, not because, like all drafts, it mocks free-market principles, but because it is so staggeringly long. Three days of non-stop, non-action - men in suits calling the names of younger men in more stylish suits. Instead of gazing at Mel Kiper Jrs remarkable hair, you could have driven from Halifax to Vancouver and back to Calgary, enjoying this land and making several doughnut stops. You could have been reading Catch 22 instead of been obsessing over who went 22. Yeah, I get it. The NFL rules the world. But its draft needs an editor worse than the Browns need a quarterback. Dave Hodge, TSN My thumb is down to one part of baseballs video review system, and one part only - like the NFL Draft - it takes too long. Otherwise, its fine, bad calls by umpires that would otherwise stand are corrected. The absence of childish rants by managers enhances the game. The opportunity for fans in the stands to study the play in question is a real breakthrough, but the length of time it takes for umpires and the MLB war room to make th

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Pirates have designated first baseman Ike Davis for assignment and have added pitcher Jameson Taillon to the 40-man roster.Davis hit .235 with 10 homers and 46 RBIs in 131 games with Pittsburgh after he was acquired in an April trade from the New York Mets. The left-handed Davis served as part of a platoon at first base with right-handed Gaby Sanchez but found himself out of a job with the Pirates likely moving Pedro Alvarez to first in 2015.Pittsburgh has 10 days to trade Davis or release him. Had he remained on the roster past Dec. 2, he would have been eligible for salary arbitration and in line to receive a large raise from his $3.5 million salary.Taillon, the second overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft, missed the 2014 season after Tommy John surgery on his right arm.Pittsburgh also added catcher Elias Diaz, infielder Pedro Florimon, outfielder Willy Garcia and pitcher Nick Kingman to its 40-man roster. Vincent Taylor Jersey . Pironkova, who was ranked outside the top 100 despite reaching the Wimbledon semifinals in 2010, beat three top 10 players in Sydney, 2012 French Open finalist Sara Errani, 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Kerber. Reece Horn Jersey .ca. Mr. Fraser, I think everyone would like to hear your opinion on what sort of suspension Zac Rinaldo should get. His comment after the game of I changed the whole game, man. http://www.wholesaledolphinsjerseys.com/...rince-jersey.Do you have to be that close? Federer snapped at a TV cameraman hovering nearby as he received medical advice after losing a set on Wednesday.For Nadal and Sharapova, the nuisance was coming from the lowly-ranked qualifiers across the net. Isaiah Ford Jersey .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. Kendrick Norton Jersey .55 million euros (US$18.6 million) to Spanish tax authorities on Monday to cover any potential irregularities in its signing of Neymar, all the while maintaining its innocence of the fraud charges levied against it.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. Mr. Fraser: I was watching the Predators vs. Wild game Saturday night and cannot figure out two calls in that game. First of all, Mike Fisher was called for a double minor for hooking. No blood. No injury. Nothing really out of the ordinary other than a minor for hooking. Why was it a double minor? Secondly, the Wilds third goal, while on the power play for the double hooking minor, never crossed the line as far as I can see. Now, at the end you can see Derek Roy pull the puck from Seth Jones shin pad but that doesnt mean the puck crossed the line. I thought Toronto had to see the puck actually cross the line for it to be called a goal. Im so confused! The Preds should have won that game in regulation. Thanks for your insight. Its so fun reading your column. Sincerely, Darin Scott Franklin, TN Darin: The double minor assessed against Mike Fisher resulted from two separate incidents that were deemed to be hooking infractions by the referee(s). A delayed penalty was signaled by referee Justin St. Pierre when Fisher reached with his stick and made light contact between the hands of Nino Niederreiter. The contact did not impede Niederreiters ability to cleanly advance the puck by banking it off the wall to its intended recipient, Wild teammate Ryan Carter. Carter picked up the pass and skated the puck up ice and deep into the Predators end zone. This marginal call (weak) resulted because the referee made the decision to skate toward the opposite side corner away from both Niederreiter and Fisher as they raced for the loose puck. The referee was therefore looking over his shoulder and did not have a clear perspective of the contact and the finish of the play. Had the ref observed the full extent of Fishers action and unimpeded completion of the play by Niederrreiter he should have deemed that no harm - no foul resulted. At the other end of the ice and on the ensuing delay, Fisher clearly hooked Zach Parise to the ice which prevented him from getting to the loose puck. There wasnt any doubt this was a violation of Rule 55 and caused referee Brad Meier to also raise his arm. The two separate hooking calls combined for a double minor assessed against Fisher. A very tight standard was implemented in this game with regard to restraining fouls. A total of eight minor penalties were assessed; all of which were in the restraining category (four for hooking, two for holding, two for interference). Prior to the 2014-15 season, the NHL issued a press release outlining the new rules that were adopted. Video revieww was expanded and modified to allow broader discretion to Hockey Operations to assist the referees in determining the legitimacy of all potential goals (e.ddddddddddddg., to ensure they are good hockey goals). The revised Rule allows Hockey Operations to correct a broader array of situations where video review clearly establishes that a goal or no goal call on the ice has been made in error. Prior to this broader discretion being extended, the situation room personnel required clear visual evidence of the puck crossing the line or being in the net. If a body or hand obstructed the view of the puck, even though it might be logical to deduce that the puck was across the line, an inconclusive verdict was to be rendered from Video Review. All the replays shown during the game broadcast and repeated on the NHL Situation Room Blog do not clearly show the black disc across the line. It was only upon completion of the play that Derek Roy reached across the goal line with his glove and appeared to drag the puck from underneath Seth Jones, who was located inside the net at that point. Unless the Situation Room had an enhanced camera shot along the goal line of the puck resting under Jones pad, it would only seem logical that they deduced the puck was across the line and awarded the goal after Roy reached in and dragged the disk out under the cover of his glove. I have awarded goals (prior to video replay) when I witnessed a goalie had clearly caught the puck across the goal line or made a save with his pad that was inside the net. In cases such as this it was only logical to determine that since the puck was inside the goalies trapper or hit the pad inside the net a goal had resulted. Im okay with the Situation Room utilizing common sense and logic to deduce that a puck had entered the net during the process of play. We saw several examples over the last few seasons where their decision on apparent legitimate goals was restricted because the puck was covered and not visible to them inside the net. My one caution or concern however is when a scrum in the crease area takes place similar to this play. There was considerable pushing, jostling and active stick movement that took place inside the crease, some of which occurred after the play was ruled dead by the referee. Once players separated, it was only at that point that Roy made a move with his glove to l

PARIS - His ninth French Open title behind him, Rafael Nadal already is thinking ahead to whats next: Wimbledon. Thats why he planned to waste no time and go directly from France to Germany on Monday to get ready to play in a grass-court tuneup tournament. Nadals collection of 14 Grand Slam titles, only three shy of Roger Federers record for men, includes two championships at the All England Club. But the most recent came in 2010, and Nadals past two trips to Wimbledon were quite brief: He lost in the second round in 2012, and the first round in 2013. "I want to try to play well again in Wimbledon," the No. 1-ranked Nadal declared Sunday night after beating No. 2 Novak Djokovic 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 in the French Open final to improve to 66-1 at the clay-court tournament. "Im healthy. Thats the most important thing, I feel." The big question about Nadal always was longevity, and whether his 6-foot-1 (1.85-meter), 188-pound (85-kilogram) body would hold up to the constant pounding from his relentless style. Well, now he is the only man with at least one Grand Slam title in 10 consecutive years. And having turned 28 last week, the Spaniard is roughly two months older than Federer was when he got his 14th major. But Nadal was slowed by a bad back during a loss in Januarys Australian Open final. Of more concern: his knees. He decided not to defend his Wimbledon title in 2009, then was sidelined for the last half of 2012 because of a problem with his left knee. "I hope my knee will have the positive feeling on grass, because I feel my knee (is) better than last year in the rest of the surfaces," Nadal said. "Grass always was a little bit harder for me after the injury." This part of the tennis schedule is unforgiving, allowing two weeks to adjust from clay to grass between the French Open and Wimbledon. That changes next year, when a third week gets added. For now, there is time to contemplate story lines that will matter when Wimbledon starts June 23. Djokovic, for example, will try to set aside his latest disappointment in Paris, coming up short again in his bid to complete a career Grand Slam. Djokovic has won six major titles — four at the Australian Open, plus one each at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open — but he has lost in the finals at three of the last four Slams. That includes a defeat at the All England Club a year ago, when Andy Murray became the first British man to win the title since Fred Perry in 1936. So Murray would be the centre of attention, anyway, and he gave everyone another reason to keep a close eye on him by hiring former womens No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo as his new coach. The fourth member of the Big Four, Federer, has lost before the quarterfinals at three of the last four Slams, a stretch that began with a second-round exit at Wimbledon. It will also be worth watching how players who had breakthroughs at the French Open follow that up. Ernests Gulbis, for one. Simona Halep, Andrea Petkovic and Garbine Muguruza, too. And then there are a couple of previous Wimbledon winners who followed very different paths in Paris. Serena Williams was the defending champion at the French Open, and departed in the second round, beaten 6-2, 6-2 by Muguruza. Williams vowed to "go home and work five times as hard to make sure I never lose again." After her last early exit at Roland Garros — in 2012s first round — she went on to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Sharapova, meanwhile, earned a second French Open title and fifth major overall, overcoming a dozen double-faults in her three-set victory over Halep in the final. Now its on to Wimbledon, where Sharapova won her first Grand Slam championship at age 17 in 2004. "Even though you always remember those incredible moments of holding that trophy," Sharapova said, "you got to try to erase that from your mind because you got to create new ones." ___ Howard Fendrich covers tennis for The Associated Press. Write to him at hfendrich@ap.org or reach him via Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich Reggie White Packers Jersey . At least 90 players who had college eligibility remaining are expected to enter the draft, shattering last years record number of 73. "Its a humongous number, so the first reaction is it makes you step back a little bit," said NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, a former scout with the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. Aaron Rodgers Jersey . The Laval Rouge et Or defensive back/kick-returner gained the invitation following his showing Sunday at an NFL regional combine in Baltimore. http://www.shoptheofficialpackers.com/El...Packers-Jersey/. -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are tightening the race for second place in the Atlantic Division. Bart Starr Packers Jersey . made a diving catch in left field for the final out in a 1-0 victory over the Miami Marlins in a regular-season finale Sunday. Zimmermann (14-5) allowed only two baserunners, finishing with 10 strikeouts and one walk in the fifth no-hitter in the majors this year. Jace Sternberger Womens Jersey . The biggest collapse in franchise history was a long time ago, and he was too busy trying to make sure it didnt happen again.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - There was no joyous celebration. The hooting and hollering was kept to the minimum.A return to the playoffs following a two-year absence after a 20-12 win over Kansas City on Sunday doesnt have the Pittsburgh Steelers getting ahead of themselves. Yes, theyre playing into January. But theres still plenty on the table with a week to go in the regular season.Next up? A shot at the AFC North title and the home game that comes along with it next Sunday against Cincinnati.Were going to treat that like a playoff game like weve had the last three weeks, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. We still have work to do.Its a job the surging Steelers (10-5) suddenly look capable of handling. Pittsburgh has won three straight and is 7-2 since getting crushed at Cleveland in early October. The NFLs top-ranked offence was slowed a bit by the Chiefs, but the defence sacked Alex Smith six times and held Kansas City out of the end zone.Six times the Chiefs (8-7) drove into Pittsburgh territory. They picked up four Cairo Santos field goals, a Jamaal Charles fumble and a fourth-down gamble in the second quarter that came up empty and gave the Steelers momentum for good.I think theres so many little things that happened, Smith said. Theyre not big things, but just little stuff that gets magnified.Its the kind of missed opportunities that have piled up for Kansas City over the last month. The Chiefs have dropped four of five and need to beat San Diego next week and get some help to make it back to the playoffs.We shoot ourselves in the foot sometime and dont know how to bounce back from it, linebacker Tamba Hali said.Time is running out for Kansas City. Not so much the Steelers, who have won their last six games in December.Some things we learned as the Chiefs remained winless in Pittsburgh since 1986:THE STEELERS ARE CLOSERS: Pittsburgh struggled early in the season finishing off opponents, letting lesser opponents stick around until late in games. Thats no longer the case. The Steeelers have dominated at times in the second half of their current three-game run, including a pair of clock-chewing fourth-quarter drives each of the last two weeks.dddddddddddd This time around it was a 12-play, 70-yard march that ended with Shaun Suishams 23-yard field goal that made it 20-9 with 4:04 remaining.ANDY REID IS GONNA GO FOR IT: The Chiefs trailed by four late in the second quarter when they faced fourth-and-inches at the Pittsburgh 12. Rather than a chip-shot field goal, Reid opted to stay aggressive. Charles was stuffed for a short loss. The Steelers ran out the clock and Kansas City never had a better chance to take the lead.Theres a certain mindset here that weve been working with here the whole season, Reid said. When youre put in that situation, you strap it on and go get the thing.HARRISONS RESURGENCE: Steelers linebacker James Harrison was credited with 1 1/2 of Pittsburghs six sacks and was a presence all afternoon. Not bad for a 36-year-old guy who has been bothered by knee problems in recent weeks. He hardly looked out of shape while spending an extensive amount of time in the Kansas City backfield.James is a monster, Steelers centre Maurkice Pouncey said.THE STREAK CONTINUES: Make it 18 regular season games and counting since a Kansas City wide receiver caught a touchdown pass. The Chiefs had a couple of shots. Dwayne Bowe saw a back-shoulder throw from Smith clang off his hands in the second quarter and Smith missed a wide-open Albert Wilson early in the third quarter.STAYING CLEAN: Pittsburghs improved offensive line kept Kansas Citys front seven from disrupting Roethlisberger too much. Just

Jon Cornish appears close to returning from a concussion that forced him to miss last weeks win over the Toronto Argonauts. According to several reports, Cornish will return to practice this week as the Calgary Stampeders prepare to host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Friday. Last years Most Outstanding Player was knocked out of the Stampeders Week 1 win over the Montreal Alouettes by a Kyries Hebert hit that netted the linebacker a league fine. With the benefit of a Week 2 bye, Cornish has only missed one game so far. Backup Matt Walter filled in against the Argos, rushing for 46 yards on 10 carries. In other injury related news, Stamps head coach John Hufnagel told reporters Keon Raymond and Deron Mayo each incurred leg injuries this past week. Raymond, Hufnagel said, is questionable against the Tiger-Cats while Mayo is doubtful. Donovan Olumba Jersey . Viewers in the Jets region can watch the game on TSN Jets at 6:30pm ct/7:30pm et. The game is also avialable on TSN Radio 1290 in Winnipeg at 7pm ct. Jourdan Lewis Jersey . -- Billy Donovans bench came up big, bailing out top-seeded Florida in a tight game against what was supposed to be an overmatched opponent. http://www.cheapcowboysjerseyschina.com/...ohnston-jersey/. The premature end left 26 players still to finish the round in the Asian Tour event. Siddikur, who shot a bogey-free first round to share the lead with five others, eagled the par-5 first hole before bogeying twice and rebounding with six birdies. Zack Martin Jersey . -- The Green Bay Packers have signed quarterback Graham Harrell to the active roster from the practice squad and placed tight end Andrew Quarless on injured reserve. [url=http://www.ch

CLEVELAND -- Upset and frustrated with his defence, Carlos Carrasco made his own error. On Tuesday, he tried to fix it. The Indians right-hander apologized for criticizing two teammates for not making plays behind him during Mondays 2-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals, a setback that pushed Cleveland closer to elimination from the AL playoff race. Carrasco allowed two runs in 7 1-3 innings and afterward said he felt the Indians didnt support him like he needed. "Everything was good. Everything went perfect," Carrasco said to reporters. "We shouldve made those plays right there. That cost me two runs." In the first inning, Indians first baseman Chris Gimenez couldnt handle a hard liner by Eric Hosmer and had it glance off his glove for an RBI single. In the fifth, shortstop Jose Ramirez failed to come up with a grounder as a run scored. Carrasco was asked if he thought both plays should have been made. "Yeah," he said. "I thought they had a pretty good chance of making them, but sometimes we dont make those plays. That can cost us." Poor defence has been an issue all season for the Indians, who lead the majors with 113 errors. Before Tuesdays game, Carrasco issued an apology through the team. "It was a terribly immature and foolish thing to say," he said in a statement emailed to media members. "I know better and I apologize for saying it. I have made some terrible pitches in my career and position players could have questioned what I was doing. No one wants to be criticized when making their best effort. I will apologize to everyone and it wont happen again." Indians manager Terry Francona chalked up Carrascos comments to his competitiveness and disappointment after a tough loss. Francona said he got a text message from Carrasco and the right-hander was waiting for him in his office when he arrived at Progressive Field. "Hes a good kid," Francona said. "To me, thats not the end of the world. Now, the fact he was upset that he said it and he caught it and he didnt try to backtrack and he apologized. And I thought his apology was really sincere." Francona dismissed the idea that Carrascos irritation had been building because of the Indians sometimes shoddy fielding. "The defence behind Carlos has been pretty good," Francona said. "There havent been too many runs scored. I just think it was a big game." The loss was a costly one for the Indians, dropping them 3 1/2 games behind Kansas City for the second wild-card spot with five games left. Gimenez felt bad about not handling Hosmers smash and apologized to Carrasco after the first inning and again following the game. "Theres no excuse. I should have caught the ball," Gimenez said. "It wasnt the easiest line drive -- it had a little tail to it -- but it hit my glove, and I cant help but think I cost us the game." Gimenez said Carrasco approached him in the clubhouse Tuesday and told him he was sorry. Gimenez believes his teammate truly regrets his comments. "Im not mad at him at all," he said. "Its that time of the year. Were in a playoff race and anything like that just seems to get magnified. We didnt score any runs, but Im not mad. I would rather him say something like that than be like, Whatever. "I understand. Hes intense. Hes fired up. Everybody wants to do well. I didnt want to not catch that ball." Louis Lipps Jersey .Before a raucous sellout crowd, the Hawks won for the 29th time in 31 games to extend their Eastern-best record to 36-8.As usual, pretty much everyone chipped in.Four starters were in double figures and backup point guard Dennis Schroder led a spurt at the start of the fourth quarter that helped the Hawks pull away. Patrick Morris Jersey . What they did need, the Devils got from Patrik Elias. Elias scored a power-play goal 40 seconds into overtime to give the New Jersey Devils a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. http://www.cheapsteelersjerseysauthentic...-ham-jersey.The Toronto Raptors guard, who will represent the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Game in New Orleans on Sunday, says he doesnt complain in the face of adversity "because I know this little girl is just happy for anything. Joe Greene Jersey . Cleary also had two assists and Patrick Eaves added two goals for the Red Wings, who also ousted Phoenix in seven games during the first round of the 2010 postseason. Todd Bertuzzi had a goal and an assist for Detroit, which got a goal apiece from Tomas Holmstrom and Niklas Kronwall and suffered no shortage of offense despite the absences of Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen. T. J. Watt Jersey .com) - Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant combined for 51 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder took down the struggling Bucks 114-101 on Tuesday.ASHBURN, Va. -- New Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden has filled the final spots on his coaching staff. The Redskins announced Tuesday that Bradford Banta has been hired as the assistant special teams coach, Shane Day as assistant offensive line and offensive quality control coach, and Jake Peetz as offensive quality control coach. The Redskins will also retain Aubrey Pleasantt, who will be a defensive quality control coach after working as an offensive assistant for the Redskins last sea

The Barclays Premier League season is officially halfway through. No exaggeration, the season has been great thus far. A more unpredictable Premier League is better viewing. Competition at the top and bottom of the table remains fierce and ever-changing. League leaders Arsenal are on pace for 84 points. Fewer than 84 points has only won the league once in the last decade. The word parity is thrown around, and its not entirely accurate. Top teams are beginning to hit their stride, although every team continues to show flaws, making for a topsy-turvy table. There has been no shortage of talking points through 19 games. Before we get to our mid-season awards, lets go all High Fidelity. Here are the top five storylines at the halfway mark. 5) Methodical Mourinho: You love to love him and love to hate him. Its all more compelling with Jose Mourinho in the Premier League. Inspiring, entertaining football however from has been few and far between from his Chelsea team. Mourinho is Exhibit A in over-managing. His meticulous approach leads to a dull end product more times than not. Chelsea has been clinically stifling at times against top competition, in particular stuffing out matches against Arsenal and Manchester United. Free flowing football has been sacrificed to climb the table. Although its surprising a team with the financial wherewithal and talent of Chelsea need to resort to such mind-numbing tactics at times, Mourinho understands its what needs to be done until he can get his players at the club. Its been a Masterclass job thus far; Mourinhos teams are among the most consistent and competitive week to week. While team performance has been predictable, the notable persona of the Portuguese has not. Mourinho 2.0 has overall been more subdued than his previous tenure. The trademark arrogance and gamesmanship however remain omnipresent. Mourinhos leap into the Stamford Bridge crowd, sitting amongst the supporters after being sent to the stands, and interrupting post-match interviews are few examples the Mourinho of yester year is not far from the surface. As Chelsea close in on the top of the table, Chelseas tactics will become more dry and Mourinhos personality more rebellious. We all win with the latter. 4) Managerial Merry-go-round: Five managers were fired in the 2012/13 season. There have been six casualties already this campaign. Paolo Di Canio (Sunderand), Ian Holloway (Crystal Palace), Martin Jol (Fulham), Steve Clarke (West Brom), Andre Villas-Boas (Tottenham), and Malky Mackay (Cardiff City) are all no longer with their respective sides. The biggest shock has to be AVB. The young Portuguese is now a two-time Premier League failure. Its a massive let-down for a perceived tactically superior young mind in the game not being able to relate with the modern player, isolating individuals within the team and not getting the most out of the players at his disposal. Losing Gareth Bale was a blow for Spurs. But the finances spent and the talent on hand is capable of much more. AVB as a man manager will rightfully be questioned in his next gig. The unlucky loser of the unemployed bunch is Mackay. Playing a public chess match with tumultuous Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan was never going to be a battle won. When an owner operates on an island without rhyme and reason, the environment becomes poisoned and stability goes out the window. Mackay leaves with his head held high, despite his big money swing and a miss of striker Andreas Cornelius. Di Canio gets the nod for most warranted sacking. Who in their right mind would think 11 new players; most of marginal talent, at the Stadium of Light would be a recipe for success? And the audacity to stand before the travelling Sunderland supporters after a 3-0 loss at the Hawthorns provided pictures that will go down in infamy. 3) Golden Gunners: Arsene Wengers demise was widely predicted after a 3-1 home loss to Aston Villa to start the season. After the opening day loss, Arsenal reeled off a streak of 12 straight undefeated in all competitions, signed Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid, and brought Mathieu Flamini back to the Emirates. Meanwhile, talent became realized for Welshman Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud showed his worth as a Premier League talisman and a resurgent backline has developed into one of, if not, the best defensive unit in the league. So much for Wenger losing the plot. Arsenal sits atop the table and on top form despite losing Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as long-term absentees. You know things are rolling when goalkeeping is even top notch at the Emirates. The coming of age of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has provided much needed stability. Is this Arsenal team good enough to be Champions? The starting XI is virtually set. January depth moves can be made up front and at the back. But it will inevitably be up to the current crop. They are a strong group. But are they capable of taking their game to the next level? 2) Sizzling Suarez: Its incredible what can change in a matter of four months. Luis Suarez has gone from a biting, erratic misfit to the most consistent performer and producer in the league. Suarez has more goals than seven Premier League teams, and his 19 are equal to the tally of Fulham. And all this has all come in just 14 games. Incredible. The Uruguayan also has five assists, making it sound bizarre to suggest his stats alone doesnt tell the entire story. He is a true game-breaker in a time where players of that dimension are rare. A constant threat, remarkable touch on the ball and extraordinary movement off it, Suarez has evolved into one of the worlds best. Liverpool has broken the bank to sign Suarez to a new mega contract. Ironically enough, it may be his own influence that determines whether he actually sees that contract out on the Merseyside. Its Champions League or bust. Suarez is key. 1) The noise about Moyes: Its the most talked about story and will continue to be. The start of the David Moyes era at Old Trafford has been shaky at best. But there are signs the team is turning the corner. While still lacking true top end talents en masse, the team as unit is playing much better football. Unfair to Moyes, a transition period within the team hit at the same time as the managerial change. This is no fault of Moyes. And to suggest it could all be remedied in his first transfer window was naïve. That doesnt excuse his panic purchase of Marouane Fellaini or the all too cautious approach in team selection/tactics to open the season. Manchester United is in the midst of a squad evolution. The process will continue in January. The knee-jerk, have-it-now nature of sport demands swift change. Moyes will get blamed or praised for whatever happens in the transfer windows. But this is more of a test to the Glazer ownership. Sponsorship acquisition has come fast and furious. The player side continues to lag behind, not moving in accordance with the clubs commercial growth. In the meantime, United on the field will have to continue to be their scrappy best. Theres something truly likeable about an underdog United team. Its been years since theyve been in such a role. Champions League qualification and lengthy runs in Cup competitions would be seen as a successful year. Next year, the stakes will be much higher. Mid-season Awards Top Player: Suarez (Liverpool) – Honourable mentions to Sergio Aguero, Aaron Ramsey and Wayne Rooney. But Suarez is the clear choice. Manager: Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool) – Year number two at Liverpool has exceeded expectations. The manager bemoans his lack of squad depth, and rightfully so. Yet his team, no matter the change in formation or personnel has managed to play an increasing prominent passing game with the ability to adapt in shape and approach appropriately to the occasion. The man deserves a lot of credit. Belief is back at Anfield. Best Goal: Pajtim Kasami (Fulham) vs. Crystal Palace – An ultimate team goal by Arsenal and Jack Wilshere was trumped later the same weekend by an all-time strike from Kasami. A run on full trot from the middle of the park, controlling with the chest and volley top corner on the run from a ridiculous angle at the top corner of the box wins it. Hands down. End of story. Memorable Moment: Asmir Begovic (Stoke City) goal vs. Southampton – It took just 12 seconds for the goalkeeper to score the shock goal of the season. The story goes it was a windy day, Begovic launched the ball from inside his own box, the ball landed between two Southampton centre-backs, Artur Boruc misjudged the big bounce and embarrassment ensued. Perhaps the most shocking variable was the goal made Begovic joint top goal scorer for Stoke at that time on the season. And the goal was scored in November, Surprise player: Seamus Coleman (Everton) – Roberto Martinez has struck gold with the Irish right back. His defensive play has been standout for one of the most dependable backlines in the league. Coleman has added five goals to his account. Thats more goals than he has scored in his Premier League career, one more than Christian Benteke and just one less than all of Chelseas strikers have scored combined. Surprise team: Hull City – many, including myself pegged the Tigers to go straight back to the League Championship. Instead, Hull sits 10th at the halfway point. They have beat Liverpool and Newcastle, were robbed against Spurs, and gave the two Manchester clubs a scare. This has all come from a team without top talent, a manager with a track record of Premier League failure, and a team garnering more attention for a potential name change than anything on the field. This is the feel good story of the league. Team Performance: Manchester City vs. Manchester United – Its one thing to win by a converted touchdown over Norwich City. Its another thing to run your neighbours and reigning Champions off the field in extraordinary fashion. The 4-1 final flattered United. It was truly a performance for the ages. Worst Owner: Vincent Tan (Cardiff City) – Mike Ashley is dethroned by a man who 1) changed the teams historic colours to the chagrin of club supporters, 2) fired his chief scout and hired his sons unqualified friend, 3) fired the popular coach, 4) has thrown the clubs reputation into disrepute. Not bad work for just four months. Well see how much further he goes, and how much higher his pants get in the New Year. Best XI: De GeaColeman-Jagielka-Mertesacker-SantonRamsey-Toure-HazardRooney-Suarez-Aguero Jamel Dean Jersey .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. Cheap Buccaneers Jerseys . The 31-year-old, a two-time CFL lineman of the year, was among the most coveted free agents on the market. The Windsor, Ont., native will be especially important to a team that has lost veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo to retirement and is expected to go with the less experienced Troy Smith and Tanner Marsh this season. http://www.cheapbuccaneersjerseysauthentic.com/. The game got off to a less-than-ideal start for the Jets as Oliver Ekman-Larsson found a wide open net from the slot and opened the scoring for the Coyotes a lead in the first period, but Olli Jokinen answered back just over half a minute later. John Lynch Jersey .ca. Hi Kerry, Love reading your column and loved watching your analysis on the TSN broadcasts!And were now in Round 2! Bruins! Canadiens! We know all about the great games of the past from the players, the broadcasters and the writers. Wholesale Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jerseys . In the other Group A game, the Czech Republic stunned Canada, 5-4 in a shootout. Dominik Simon scored the deciding goal in the tiebreaker. The United States scored its first three goals on power plays. "Overall, I love to see the power-play goals we were able to get tonight," said U.NEW YORK – The Blue Jays entered Thursdays series finale at Yankee Stadium losers of eight of their last 11 games. Theyd dropped 15 in a row in the Bronx dating back to 2012 and had seen their lead over their pinstriped rivals in the American League East dwindle to two and a half games. This is a slump. Its lasted for about two weeks. The downturn comes on the heels of a terrific May, when Toronto won 21 of 30 games and Edwin Encarnacion captured the imagination of fans with his 16-home run month. This is not is the end of the world, nor does this slump suggest a long-term trend. This is on the offence and thats a good thing because theres too much talent in the Blue Jays lineup for the widespread malaise to continue. To wit: The starting pitching has been fine. You could say its been good and you wouldnt be wrong. In the last 11 games, Jays starters have allowed four or more earned runs only twice and have pitched to a staff ERA of 3.71. The starting pitching was supposed to be the weakness. So far it has held up. The Jays have hit only four home runs in their last 11 games. Not surprisingly, three of the home runs came in two of the three victories. Toronto continues to lead baseball with 93 team home runs, which is crucial to the clubs attack. Of the 338 runs the Jays have scored this season, 147 (43.4 per cent) have come via the long ball. Jose Bautista hasnt hit a home run in 11 games, his longest power drought of the season. Hes still hitting for a respectable average, .275 with five of his 11 hits going for doubles, but the Jays miss his power bat as the club struggles, having scored three or fewer runs eight times in the span. This is a phase, both for the individual and for the ballclub, Bautista said, that was bound to happen. "If you can execute every single day for 162, youd probably win 140 games," said Bautista. "We dont expect to execute every single day. But we do have to pick it up. Its one thing, were running into some St. Louis good pitching, soome other pitching staffs.dddddddddddd I dont want to speak badly or worse about the Yankees or the Orioles but its not the same. We faced much better pitching at home during the last homestand than we have on this road trip, except for Tanaka, who did a tremendous job. So we shouldve won some of these games that we lost." It hasnt helped, either, that Edwin Encarnacion has hit only one home run in the last 11 games. "Weve lacked some timely hitting," said Bautista. "Our pitching has been there enough, I think, that we shouldve won some of these games that weve lost. We just need to keep going on offence. We got really hot at one point and kind of hitting a little cold spurt now. Weve just got to overcome it and not get 10 hits a day but get them when you get the baserunners on." Bautista has repeatedly acknowledged hes bought in to hitting coach Kevin Seitzers philosophy of using all fields. The slugger has become a better all round hitter. His 1,000th career big league hit, achieved in the eighth inning of Wednesday nights loss, was a double to right field. That alone would have been a story last season. This year its commonplace. "I think Im more aware of some situations where people are going to keep challenging me inside, especially when Im behind in the count or theres the right situation when theres a defensive shift," said Bautista. "Why not try to go over there and it ended up working out again? But

The NBA Finals will resume tonight in a presumably much more comfortable AT&T Center when the San Antonio Spurs welcome the Miami Heat. You can watch the game live on TSN and TSN GO or listen to the action on TSN Radio 1050 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Spurs grabbed a 1-0 series lead Thursday night in the sweltering heat of a late spring San Antonio night. Of course, it didnt help that the AT&T Centers air conditioner malfunctioned and didnt work through the course of the game. As temperatures soared into the mid-90s, the Spurs emerged with a 110-95 victory, but the busted AC unit played a major role. LeBron James was forced to leave the game midway through the fourth quarter due to cramping. James has faced cramping issues in the past and the four-time MVP was unable to move Thursday following a layup to get the game within two. "My body just shut down, basically my body said, okay, enough jumping for you for the night. Youve had enough," James said after practice on Friday. "Nothing I could do about it." That didnt stop social media from exploding, questioning James toughness. "I really dont care what people say about me," noted James. The two-time Finals MVP, the Heat, the Spurs and frankly anyone in attendance Sunday night should feel relieved. The AT&T Center staff fixed the problem and it should be very comfortable for Game 2. "It will be fine. Weve been assured of that," said Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. The extreme conditions played a role in Game 1, but were the same for both squads. When James had to be carried back to the bench, the Spurs finished the game on a 31-9 run with six minutes to go. Danny Green, who set an NBA Finals record with 27 made 3-pointers last year, caught fire late in Game 1. He drained three long balls during the decisive run and finished with 13 points. Tim Duncan contributed 21 points and 10 rebounds, Tony Parker poured in 19 points and handed out eight assists, and Manu Ginobili totaled 16 points and 11 assists for the Spurs, who shot a scorching 14-of-16 from the floor in the fourth, including a perfect 6-of-6 mark from long distance. Tiago Splitter added 14 points and Boris Diaw pulled down 10 rebounds. The Spurs shot 59 percent for the game and 52 percent from long range. "Were not as good as we used to be defensively. So if thats going to diminish, you need to do something at the other end of the floor to make up for it," explained coach Gregg Popovich. "We changed our pace, and the way we approach things at the other end of the floor to make up for what were going to lose defensively. Thats the bottom line." James paced the Heat with 25 points and six assists, while Wade and Bosh supplied 19 and 18 points, respectively, in the setback. "We have to finish the game better, no matter who is on the floor," Wade said, referring to the absence of James. Ray Allen provided a spark off the bench with 16 points, while another veteran, Rashard Lewis, scored 10. The Heat have won 12 straight following a loss in the postseason and theres no reason to panic. Miami lost the first game in each of the last two Finals and went on to win the series. The series shifts to South Beach for Game 3 Tuesday night. Nick Boyle Jersey . According to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, the deal will pay Schenn $2.25 million in the first year and $2.75 million in the second year. In 82 games with the Flyers in 2013-14, Schenn scored 20 goals and added 21 assists. Cyrus Jones Jersey . The Hockey Canada Foundation is donating $50,000, with Hockey Quebec contributing $15,000. Hockey Canada also announced it will hold a skills camp for all levels of minor hockey in Lac-Mégantic during the 2013-14 season. Representatives from Hockey Canada, the Hockey Canada Foundation and Hockey Quebec were on hand Tuesday night at a meeting of the AHM de Lac-Mégantic to make the announcement and presentation. http://www.cheapravensjerseysauthentic.c...ones-jersey.com) - Real Madrid claimed its 20th consecutive win across all competitions by cruising to a 4-1 victory at Almeria on Friday. Ray Lewis Jersey . When Reyes signed a US$106-million, six-year deal with Miami last month, there was speculation Ramirez was unhappy about being supplanted at short. But new manager Ozzie Guillen sold Ramirez on the idea. Patrick Mekari Jersey . The 19-year-old from Westmount, Que., was edged 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-3 by third-seeded Alize Cornet of France. Cornet broke Bouchard twice in the last set and saved six break points in the three-hour match.LILLEHAMMER, Norway - Norway totally dominated its home races on the cross-country skiing World Cup Saturday, with Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Therese Johaug leading podium sweeps in both the mens and womens events.Sundby won the mens 10-kilometre freestyle event in 22 minutes 55.8 seconds, with Finn Haagen Krogh coming 2.2 seco

Barcelona, Spain (SportsNetwork.com) - Lionel Messis second-half strike proved to be the difference on Sunday as Barcelona was pushed all the way by Villarreal, but came away with a hard-fought 3-2 victory at the Camp Nou. The Catalan giants entered Sunday riding a wave of excellent form in the midst of a seven-match winning streak across all competitions, but things started poorly in front of the home fans as Villarreal grabbed the opening salvo. With the clock ticking just past 30 minutes the visitors took the lead with a some good fortune as a strike from Mario Gaspar hit the outstretched leg of Denis Cheryshev and wound up in behind Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. But the hosts found the equalizer on the stroke of halftime when Rafinha let one go from the right side of the box that forced Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo to make a diving stop, but he left a huge rebound and Neymar was in perfect position to smash it home. Villarreal took the lead again in the 52nd minute as a mistake at the back from Gerard Pique allowed Giovani dos Santos to run to the end line on the right flank unimpeded before cutting it back to Luciano Dario Vietto, who fired it home. Falling behind for a second time seemed to bring the quality out of Barcelona as just two minutes later Rafinha made it 2-2 thanks to an exceptional layoff pass from former Liverpool man Luis Suarez. The winning strike came just moments later as again Suarez played provider as he collected the ball at the top of the box and slipped as he slid it over to Messi, who unleashed a beautiful, curling right-footed effort that flew into the corner, leaving Asenjo with no chance for a save. The win sees the Catalans keep pace with rivals Real Madrid, remaining one point behind Los Blancos for the top spot, while Villarreal sits just outside the top-five with 38 points. Also in La Liga on Sunday, Aritz Aduriz scored on either side of the intermission as Athletic Bilbao claimed a 2-0 win over bottom-of-the-table Levante, while Edgar Antonio Mendezs strike just before the intermission proved decisive as Almeria took all three points with a 1-0 win over Getafe. Elsewhere, Sevilla came from behind early to claim three points with an exciting 3-2 victory over Espanyol at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. The hosts fell behind when Cristian Stuani dispatched a penalty in the 16th minute, but Diogo Figueiras netted an equalizer for Sevilla three minutes before the half-hour mark. Vitolo struck in the 36th minute to give Sevilla the lead, and the hosts then found themselves playing with an extra man after Espanyols Francisco Casilla was shown a straight red card by referee Jose Luis Gonzalez just before the break. Despite playing at a disadvantage, Espanyol found a equalizer with 12 minutes to play through Victor Sanchez Mata and it looked it would be winner, but Iago Aspas buried the winner at the death for his first league goal in a Sevilla shirt. The win lifted Sevilla to fourth place with 42 points from 20 matches played. Cheap Patriots Jersey . The punch happened in the fourth quarter of Milwaukees 116-102 loss to the Kings on Wednesday when the two players became entangled while battling for rebounding position. Ken Webster Jersey . Knapp defeated American Alison Riske 6-3, 7-5 to secure Italys victory in the best-of-five series. She held a 5-2 lead in the second set, only to let Riske tie it at five. http://www.cheappatriotsjerseysauthentic...urty-jersey.com) - Darius Carter and Ron Baker scored 18 points apiece to help 13th-ranked Wichita State beat Evansville 61-41 on Saturday. Christian Sam Jersey . -- Kole Calhoun homered and drove in three runs, Albert Pujols also went deep and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Chicago White Sox 8-4 Friday night. Cheap Patriots Jerseys China . Trailing by a goal after 20 minutes of play, Joe Pavelski responded with three goals and an assist as the Sharks snapped a two-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over the struggling Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Canucks acquired a new top-tier goaltender Tuesday, signing free agent Ryan Miller to a three-year deal worth US$18 million. The Canucks needed a proven netminder after trading Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo in the past 13 months and missing the playoffs this season. Miller was seen as the best goalie on the free-agent market. "I felt it was important to get a goalie with experience," said Canucks general manager Jim Benning. "Over the years hes played a lot of games. He gives us that experience that we need." Benning is familiar with the 33-year-old Miller, having worked in Buffalos scouting department when the Sabres drafted the player in 1999. "Hes intense and focused," said Benning. "Our younger players are going to see the way he works in practice, how hard be practises. Its going to make them better players." The St. Louis Blues acquired Miller from Buffalo in February, hoping he could lead them deep into the playoffs. But the club was eliminated by the Blackhawks in the first round after Miller allowed 19 goals and posted a lacklustre .897 save percentage. He posted a 25-30-4 record with a 2.64 goals-against average and .918 save percentage this season. He has 2994 wins, a 2.dddddddddddd.59 GAA with a .915 save percentage in 559 career NHL games. Despite his experience, Miller said he always sees himself as a work in progress. "I think Im still developing into the best player I can be," he said. "I take that part of hockey seriously, finding new things to add my game and taking consideration and coaching from other people." Miller said he has a fondness for Vancouver, especially after playing for the U.S. during the 2010 Winter Games. Sidney Crosby scored on Miller in overtime to lead Canada to victory in the Olympic gold-medal game at Rogers Arena. "Ive had a chance to experience Vancouver over the years and have always been blown away by the amount of support the fans the fans bring out and how great the crowds have been, also how kind the people have treated me over the years, especially during the Olympics," he said. "Its a great city for hockey, a great city to live in," he added. Benning has been busy over the past few days after trading for

NEW YORK -- Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks and Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers are the three finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy. The the NHL awards the trophy annually "to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team." It essentially serves as the leagues MVP award. Crosby scored 36 goals and led the league in assists (68) and points (104) to capture his second career Art Ross Trophy and lead the Penguins to their second consecutive division title. He registered points in 60 of the 80 games he played in (75 per cent), including 30 multi-point performances, and never went more than two consecutive games without registering a point. Crosby also reached the 100-point milestone for the fifth time hit 700 career points in his 497th game, the fastest among active players and sixth-fastest in NHL history. The 26-year-old Cole Harbour, N.S., native is a Hart Trophy finalist for the fourth time after winning the award in 2006-07 and finishing as a runner-up in 2009-10 and 2012-13. Getzlaf scored a career-high 31 goals and ranked second in the League with 87 points to lead the Ducks to the top record in the Western Conference for the first time in franchise history. He posted a 14-game point streak from Nov. 15-Dec. 15 (six goals, 11 assists). Getzlaf also set a career high with seven game-winning goals and recorded a plus-28 defensive rating. The 28-year-old Regina native is a Hart Trophy finalist for the first time. Giroux matched a career high with 28 goals and finished third in the NHL scoring race with 86 points to help the Flyers bounce back from a 3-9-0 start to the season. After being held pointless in his first five games and not scoring a goal until his 16th, Giroux totalled 28 goals and 51 assists in his final 67 games of the season. He also compiled a career-long, nine-game point streak Dec. 11-30, (six goals, 11 assists) and recorded his 100th NHL goal Dec. 19. The 26-year-old Hearst, Ont., native is a Hart Trophy finalist for the first time. The award is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The winner will be announced June 24 during the 2014 NHL Awards in Las Vegas. 11:44ET 01-05-14 Joe Ostman Jersey . The 23-year-old Woods, Tiger Woods niece, closed with a 4-under 69 at Royal Pines to finish at 16-under 276. Lee also shot 69 in the event sanctioned by the European and Australian tours. Woods birdied the par-5 15th to open a two-stroke lead, hitting a wedge from about 120 yards to 4 feet. Anthony Fabiano Jersey . It was a move of some time in the making. “He hasnt thrown well, clearly some guys are being used more than him right now and the only way to get out of this funk is to pitch,” said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. http://www.cheapeaglesjerseysauthentic.c...n-gibson-jersey. "You hate when they score," he said with some distaste at the thought. "You take pride in it. Wes Hopkins Jersey . Asdrubal Cabrera had four hits and three RBIs, Michael Brantley also homered and the Indians beat the injury-riddled Minnesota Twins 9-4 Thursday for their first three-game winning streak this season. Tommy McDonald Jersey . Ferrer will play Mikhail Youzhny on Sunday after he defeated Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 6-4 in an all-Russian semifinal. "Youzhny is a good player," Ferrer said.MINNEAPOLIS - Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker didnt exactly deliver the instant-classic game that fellow rookie Zach LaVine predicted for the first regular-season matchup between the top two picks from the June draft.Instead, it was Milwaukees defence that stood out, grinding down the undermanned Minnesota Timberwolves and putting yet another mark in the win column for the surprising Bucks.Larry Sanders had 15 points, seven rebounds and five blocks to help the Bucks to a 103-86 victory over the Timberwolves on Wednesday night.Brandon Knight scored 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter for the Bucks (9-7), who have won five of their last seven games in a spirited start under new coach Jason Kidd. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and Parker added 11 points and seven boards for Milwaukee, which held the Wolves to 38 per cent shooting and turned 19 turnovers into 20 points.I thought defensively, Larry, everyone that was one the floor was at a very high level, Kidd said.Wiggins had 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks for the Wolves, who had just 10 healthy players and third-stringer LaVine was their only available point guard. Corey Brewer added 19 points.Weve got a lot of guys playing roles their not accustomed to playing, Wolves coach Flip Saudners said.The future of the league was on display on Wednesday night with each team starting two 19-year-olds — Wiggins and LaVine for Minnesota and Parker and Antetokounmpo for Milwaukee. Its the first time in NBA history that four teenagers have played in the same game, let alone started.All eyes were on Wiggins and Parker, the top two picks in the draft. Wiggins was drafted by Cleveland ahead of Parker, but was traded to Minnesota in the package that brought All-Star Kevin Love to the Cavaliers. Both players have impressed early with their willingness to assimilate to the team concept as opposed trying to dominate the ball and take the bulk of the shots.They rarely met eye-to-eye on Wednesday but Wiggins did swat Parkers layup attempt iin the third quarter, bringing the crowd to its feet.ddddddddddddThaddeus Young made his return to the lineup for the Wolves after missing the past five games to mourn the death of his mother. Young missed his first eight shots and finished with three points on 1-for-10 shooting. Mo Williams, who has been starting for injured point guard Ricky Rubio, missed the game with an illness.With 6-foot-7 Robbie Hummel forced to play centre on the second unit, the Bucks went hard to the rim in the fourth quarter to pull away. Sanders and Parker each turned dunks into three-point plays after getting fouled by the overmatch Hummel for an 84-78 lead and they never looked back.Defensively we were able to get stops, really put some pressure on them and force some turnovers, said Knight, who had three steals. Thats what I was (most) proud of.TIP INSBucks: Knight was given a Flagrant-1 for a hard foul on a breakaway by Gorgui Dieng. ... All five Bucks starters scored in double figures and they also had 39 bench points.Timberwolves: The Timberwolves honoured Youngs mother, Lula Hall, by wearing pink shoe laces during the game to raise awareness for breast cancer research. Hall died on Nov. 13 after an 18-month battle with the disease. ... The Wolves started their seventh different lineup in the last seven games.WE KNOW BETTERThere was considerable debate as to who belonged in that first spot in the draft, Wiggins or Parker. Both downplayed the individual portion of the game, but LaVine, who was the 13th pick, knew better.How highly touted they were in high school, even in grade school coming up. They were both No. 1, No. 2 and just switching on and off their whole careers, LaVine said earlier this week. I feel like it might be like that even (in the NBA) because theyre just going to be going at each other.QUOTE OF THE NIGHTParker, when asked if he stays in touch with Wiggins during the season: Its a long-distance relationship. I dont believe in those.UP NEXTBucks: Visit Detroit on Friday.Timberwolves: Visit Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. ' '

Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - The body of missing Ohio State football player Kosta Karageorge was found Sunday near campus, police said. The Columbus police department said Karageorge, who was reported missing on Wednesday, was found in a dumpster not far from his apartment where he was last seen. Police said the preliminary investigation shows the walk-on senior defensive lineman died from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A gun was recovered at the scene, police said. Karageorge, who was 22, missed practice after disappearing and had not been seen since leaving his apartment in dark clothing at 2 a.m. on Wednesday. His sister told The Columbus Dispatch that his roommates said he was leaving to take a walk. He had some extenuating circumstances that night that lead us to believe he was upset, Sophia Karageorge told the paper. She said her brother, a former wrestler, had a history of sport-related concussions and that the family was very concerned that hes not himself and that he maybe doesnt know whats going on. Rafael Bush Jersey .Y. -- Cory Schneider has to make the most of his opportunities to guard the New Jersey Devils net to earn more playing time. Doug Flutie Jersey . MacLean clocked 8:24.91 seconds, eclipsing the previous mark of 8:27.59 set by Brittany Reimer of Victoria at the 2005 FINA World Championships in Montreal. MacLean and Tabitha Baumann of Ottawa -- second in 8:32.37 -- both went under the qualifying standard to be nominated to the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific teams. http://www.wholesalebillsjerseys.com/?ta...us-white-jersey. In this weeks Leaf Report podcast, James Mirtle and Jonas Siegel debate whether Toronto can continue their shootout dominance and discuss what Dave Nonis game plan should be heading into the trade deadline. Tommy Sweeney Jersey .Y. -- It was as if Matt Moulson never left the New York Islanders. Jim Kelly Jersey . New York Red Bulls. TSN primes Vancouver fans for the start of the 2014 season with MLS on TSN: Season Preview Special airing tonight at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt on TSN2 (encore Friday at 3:30pm et/12:30pm pt on TSN2). PARIS -- In what could be a preview of the Sochi Olympics, world figure skating champion Patrick Chan will face budding Chinese star Yan Han at the Trophee Bompard this weekend. Chan is a three-time world champ and won Skate Canada last month. The 17-year-old Yan, the 2012 junior world champ, won the Cup of China this month. Other contenders include Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, European runner-up Florent Amodio of France, Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic and Jason Brown of the United States. Olympic champion Evan Lysacek of the U.S. is still sidelined by a hip injury. Japanese skaters Daisuke Takahashi and Nobunari Oda lead the standings and skipped the event. Takahashi and Oda finished first and second respectively at the NHK Trophy last week. In the womens competition, the field will be weaker as Kim Yu-na of South Korea, Mao Asada of Japan and Carolina Kostner of Italy are missing. Kim pulled out of the Trophee Bompard because of a right foot injury. The Olympic champion will return to competition next month at the Golden Spin of Zagreb in Croatia, where she will display her 2014 Olympic programs for the first time. Olympic silver medallist Asada tops the standings and has already qualified for the Dec. 5-8 Grand Prix Final in Fukuoka, Japan by winning Skate America and the NHK Trophy. European champion Kostner will try to clinch a spot for the GP Final at the Cup of Russia next week after finishing third at the Cup of China. The main contenders for the gold medal in Paris will be Anna Pogorilaya, Ashley Wagner of the United States and Adelina Sotnikova of Russia. The 15-year-old Pogorilayaa landed seven triple jumps in her free skate to win the Cup of China.dddddddddddd Wagner won the 2012 Trophee Bompard and finished second at Skate America last month while European runner-up Sotnikova took the silver medal at the Cup of China. In pairs, Olympic runners-up Pang Qing and Tong Jian of China will compete against world bronze medallists Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada. Duhamel and Radford look to rebound from a flawed free skate that made them slip from first to third at Skate Canada last month. Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia are skipping the event. The world champions have already qualified for the Grand Prix Final by winning Skate America and the NHK Trophy. In ice dance, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada are the heavy favourites as their American rivals, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, are not participating. Davis and White won Skate America and the NHK Trophy to book a spot in the GP Final. Virtue and Moir are the Olympic champions and took the gold medal at Skate Canada. Outsiders include Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France and Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov of Russia. The French duo won the the European championship in 2011 and 2012 and took the gold medal at the Cup of China this month. Ilinykh and Katsalapov are the 2013 European runners-up and finished fourth at the NHK Trophy. The Trophee Bompard begins on Friday with short programs and short dance. The Cup of Russia next week in Moscow will be the last chance for skaters to qualify for the GP Final, which will feature the top six skaters in each category.