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March 3rd, 2014 at 06:14 am
GLENDALE, Ariz. - A three-goal lead nearly blown against the team they never can seem to beat, the Phoenix Coyotes could have gotten that here-we-go-again feeling. Instead, the Coyotes dug in and dug out a confidence-boosting win, finally securing that playoff berth they had been chasing for what seemed like a month. Building a big lead and withstanding a furious late flurry, the Coyotes beat back the charging San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Friday night to secure a playoff spot in their final home game. "At the start of the year, your goal is to win the division and get into the top eight to give yourself a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "Sometimes, that happens earlier than others. This year, it didnt happen until the second-to-last game of the season, but we are still in there." Phoenix had lost eight straight to San Jose and limped toward the end of the season, putting its seemingly once-certain playoff chances in doubt. The Coyotes appeared ready to end both dilemmas in one swoop, building a 4-1 lead on Shane Doans goal midway through the third period. Then they got complacent, which doesnt work against an opportunistic team like San Jose. Joe Thornton scored for his 1,000th career point, Danny Heatley knocked in his 26th goal with 3:39 and the Sharks smelled in the frozen water after that, racing into Phoenixs zone like they had 10 men on the ice. Sensing his team needed a break after an icing call kept the puck in the Coyotes end, Tippett called a timeout to set up a crucial faceoff. He also had a simple message: "Lets get it done." The Coyotes did, getting several tough saves by Ilya Bryzgalov down the stretch, including three in the final minute, to reach the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2000. To reach the playoffs after struggling to get that final point and to knock off the Sharks to boot was worthy of a big celebration, from cheers and high-fives on the bench to a little dancing in the locker room. "I think the guys were a little more animated than usual," said Doan, who also had an assist on Ray Whitneys goal in the second period. Radim Vrbata scored in his 600th career game and Andrew Ebbett had his second goal of the season for Phoenix, which is tied with Nashville for fourth in the Western Conference with 99 points. The Sharks had already locked up the Pacific Division, but had a chance to secure the second spot in the West after Detroit lost to Chicago earlier Friday night. San Jose will have to wait for a rematch against Phoenix at home Saturday night to get it after falling into a big hole and coming up short on their fast-and-furious rally. "We feel good about our club and we feel confident," Thornton said. "Weve got three more periods before the big party starts so its nice. Weve got back-to-back games, go home and play these guys right back again." Phoenix seemed to be in prime position to lock up a playoff spot after a five-game winning streak in March. The Coyotes hadnt been able to finish it off, though, losing three of their previous four games, the last two in shootouts. That set up a make-or-break weekend, where the possibilities ranged from fourth in the Western Conference with a home-ice advantage to ninth and watching the post-season at home. Phoenix needed to either win one game or have Dallas lose just one, but the Stars werent co-operating; they beat Colorado for the second time in two nights earlier Friday. Worse yet, the Coyotes were facing San Jose, which had outscored them 17-6 in four games this season. Intent on ending the losing streak and finally secure that playoff spot, Phoenix came out hard at the start, knocking the Sharks on their heels. It paid off late in the first period, when hard hit by Paul Bissonette set up Ebbetts goal on pass from Kyle Turris that bounced off his skate. Ian White tied it a couple minutes later with a shot that caromed off someone past Bryzgalov, but the Coyotes seemed to take control after that. Whitney put Phoenix back up with a one-timer from Doan, Vrbata followed with a 2-on-1 one-timer from Eric Belanger 2 1/2 minutes later and Doan became the Coyotes first 20-goal scorer this season early in the third. The Sharks roared back in the final half of the period, though, getting goals from Thornton and Heatley and continuing to put pressure on the Coyotes. They just didnt have enough to finish it off, stopped by Bryzgalov, who passed Bob Essensas team record with his 130th career win. "I thought we had a number of players that had pretty good games, but a number of key people that we count on bobbled or fumbled the puck around a bit too much," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "The ice wasnt very good and we tried to get a little too cut at times and ended up being a little too risky." NOTES: San Jose C Scott Nichol returned after missing 19 games with an upper-body injury, but RW Devin Setoguchi didnt play after sustaining an undisclosed injury during warmups. ... Phoenix C Martin Hanzal returned after missing 14 games with a lower-body injury. Text is cheap nfl jerseys and Link is http://www.thecheapjerseys.com/ cheap nfl jerseys . -- The defence dominated, the running game clicked and the Oakland Raiders finally ended up on the winning end for the first time in seven weeks. Text is cheap jerseys from china and Link is http://www.thecheapjerseys.com/ cheap jerseys from china . That, he hinted, could come Wednesday. Negotiators for the NBA and its players met for only about two hours Tuesday and plan to resume the talks early Wednesday. Stern said that meeting will determine how soon its worth sitting down again. http://www.thecheapjerseys.com/.C. -- The B. Text is cheap nfl stitched jerseys and Link is http://www.thecheapjerseys.com/ cheap nfl stitched jerseys . The regular season has not even begun and the Ottawa Senators are already answering questions about whether or not theyve got the offence to compete. Text is cheap stitched jerseys and Link is http://www.thecheapjerseys.com/ cheap stitched jerseys . Despite having a 1-0 lead was washed away after two innings and waiting two hours 55 minutes for umpires to call it, Cleveland moved within 2 1-2 games of first-place Detroit when the Tigers lost in Baltimore 8-5.WINNIPEG -- Last season, hockey fans in Winnipeg were just happy to have their beloved Jets back home. It will be a different story when they return for their second campaign, a compressed season expected to begin later this month after the NHL and its players reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement to end the lockout Sunday. After moving to Winnipeg from Atlanta, the Jets finished the 2011-12 season tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference, eight points out of a playoff spot with a 37-35-10 record. The team could have gone winless and still been cheered on a nightly basis by its adoring fans, who had waited 15 years for the NHL to return to the city. But now, after an extended off-season thanks to the work stoppage, the expectations will be higher for the Jets. Fans are expecting a tweaked roster to challenge for a post-season berth. While the team wouldnt comment on the tentative agreement or the upcoming season Sunday, head coach Claude Noel said at the end of the 2011-12 campaign that the bar has to be raised. "I was real patient this year, which was real good for me and I think it was good for the team," he said in April. "Ill be less patient next year." The Jets did more adding than subtracting to their roster before the league locked out the players Sept. 15. The top 10 scorers from last years team are all back to go along with the free-agent acquisitions of veteran forwards Olli Jokinen and Alexei Ponikarovsky. While theyll be expected to give the team some added scoring punch, the Jets success or failure in 2013 is more likely to be determined at the other end of the ice. The team finished 12th in league in goals scored last season, but was 26th in goals against. Ondrej Pavelec started 67 games in net, posting below-average numbers but making enough highlight-reel saves to earn a five-year, US$19.dddddddddddd5-million contract in the summer. It was later discovered that -- without the Jets knowledge -- he had pled guilty to a drunk-driving charge in his native Czech Republic shortly before agreeing to the deal. The only Jets player who will face comparable scrutiny this year is 21-year-old forward Evander Kane, whom the team signed to a six-year, $31.5-million deal right before the lockout started. Kane is coming off a 30-goal season, and the Jets believe he can become a superstar. But Jets fans couldnt have been happy to see their prized forward score just one goal (and add zero assists) in a 12-game stint in the KHL in the fall. Combine the financial commitment with Kanes tendency to stir up controversy off the ice -- most recently, he posted a photo of himself on Twitter holding two large stacks of cash on a Las Vegas balcony -- and patience will be thin if he doesnt score early and often. Kane was showing his support for the fans Sunday. "FINALLY! The NHL has come back to the millions and MILLIONS of the games fans," he tweeted. Several other questions will be answered soon in the abbreviated training camp: -- Will Mark Scheifele stick? The teams first-round pick in the 2011 draft had eight points for Canada at the recent world junior hockey championship, and will have a chance to make the team -- at least to start the season. -- Is Zach Bogosian healthy? The 22-year-old defenceman, who averaged more than 23 minutes of ice-time last year, had off-season wrist surgery five months ago and should be getting close to 100 per cent. -- Is Big Buff in shape? Offensive defenceman Dustin Byfuglien was never in the kind of shape the team wanted last year. With no in-person contact with trainers for nine months, his weight and conditioning is anyones guess. ' ' '
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March 3rd, 2014 at 06:14 am
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Wiping his face with a towel, Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson apologized for sweating under the hot, bright camera lights at a news conference to announce his contract extension on Monday. Jackson had better become accustomed to the limelight because he should no longer feel under-appreciated in Buffalo after signing a two-year contract potentially worth $9 million. "Its a big day," Jackson said. "Im happy to be here and Im glad that this is over with and now we can focus on playing football." For Jackson, the extension is a reward after hes led the team in rushing in each of the past three seasons. And it also eases any lingering hard feelings Jackson might have had toward the Bills after expressing concerns last year that he was underpaid under his previous four-year, $7.5 million contract. "This is a day to put that to rest," Jackson said. "We dont have to worry about that anymore." Jackson has one year left under his current deal, and the extension secures him through 2014. Jackson revealed the length of the new contract. A person familiar with the deal disclosed the monetary terms, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the Bills had not disclosed the value of the extension. General manager Buddy Nix lived up to the public promise he made in the media and personally to Jackson that an extension would be reached before the start of training camp. "Weve always said we want to try to keep our good players, and weve done it again today," Nix said. "He was a huge piece of the puzzle for us." In five seasons, the former undrafted free agent out of Division III Coe College has 3,794 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns in 66 games, including 38 starts in Buffalo. And that includes last year when he was being mentioned as an early-season NFL MVP candidate in helping the Bills get off to a surprising 5-2 start. That was before Jacksons season ended in mid-November, when he broke a bone in his right leg in a 35-8 loss at Miami. He still finished with six touchdowns and a team-best 934 yards rushing while averaging 5.5 yards a carry. Jackson has also proved to be dual threat in the passing game, with 175 catches for 1,535 yards and four touchdowns. Hes the latest member of the Bills self-dubbed "No-Name" offence to be retained by the team after quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, in October, and receiver Stevie Johnson, in March, signed contract extensions. And his new deal comes during a busy off-season in which the Bills signed free-agent defensive end Mario Williams to a six-year, $100 million contract in March. The moves have inspired a bona fide belief among the Bills that they have a chance to be competitors next season in a bid to end a 12-year playoff drought. "Im excited to sign the extension to stay here because I feel like something special is about to go down, and I want to be part of it," Jackson said. Fitzpatrick was so excited by the latest move, he showed up at the news conference wearing a T-shirt featuring Jackson and the slogan the running back has earned in Buffalo: "Fred-Ex Delivers." "For him to be locked up here for years to come is awesome," Fitzpatrick said. "He obviously means a lot to our team, he means a lot to the city of Buffalo and the fans." Jacksons past has been an inspiration to his teammates, and a reason why hes regarded as one of the Bills unquestioned leaders. Undrafted coming out of college, Jackson spent two years at the arena football league level, where he was a star for Sioux City of the U.S. Indoor Football League before catching the Bills attention. He spent the 2006 season on Buffalos practice squad before making the active roster the following year. Jackson got his chance to shine during the 2009 season when an injury sidelined starter Marshawn Lynch. Though at 31, Jackson is regarded as old by NFL running back standards, hes comparatively fresh because of his late start. And a new contract isnt going to change his mindset, especially considering hes coming off an injury. "Im here to prove to myself that this is where I belong," said Jackson, who has been cleared for practice. "Itll be another challenge, and I love challenges, so I look forward to getting out there and continuing to play well." Text is Cheap Jerseys and Link is http://www.stitchednfl.com/ Cheap Jerseys . LOUIS -- Once again, the St. Text is wholesale jerseys and Link is http://www.stitchednfl.com/ wholesale jerseys . On Monday, Dr. Larry Cripe, Paganos physician, told The Associated Press that the illness which has sidelined Indys head coach for more than a month was in "complete remission. http://www.stitchednfl.com/. Third-seeded Sam Stosur took advantage of shaky serving from Petra Cetkovska to win 6-3, 6-2 in the third round and earn her first back-to-back victories of the year, while fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska saved two set points in the first set on her way to beating Varvara Lepchenko of the United States 7-5, 6-1. Text is Cheap NFL Jerseys and Link is http://www.stitchednfl.com/ Cheap NFL Jerseys . One day after the veteran defensive back was released by the BC Lions, Parker signed a one-year deal with an option with the Montreal Alouettes.FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Big-yardage games are becoming routine for Tom Brady. So is setting records. Brady threw for 423 yards Sunday -- six days after setting a single-game team record of 517 -- and led the New England Patriots to a 35-21 win over the San Diego Chargers. "It seems like hes always great," linebacker Rob Ninkovich said. "Hes the best quarterback in the league." The club record he shattered in the season opener at Miami had stood for 51 years. The NFL mark for most yards passing in the first two games of a season, 854, lasted about three hours. Carolina rookie Cam Newton set that before Brady ended the day at 940 yards. "Two pretty outstanding outings" by Brady, said left tackle Matt Light, who protects his blind side. "Hes the leader of our offence. When hes doing well, were all good." Brady became the first player in NFL history to follow a 500-yard passing performance with a 400-yard game, and the Patriots scored 30 points for the 10th straight regular-season game. He threw three touchdown passes and went 31 for 40 with no interceptions as the Patriots (2-0) scored on each of their four first-half possessions. The Chargers (1-1) turned the ball over inside the Patriots 35-yard line three times, leading to 17 points. They also were stopped on a fourth-and-goal at the one-yard line, and the Patriots started a 99-yard drive that ended with one of Bradys two scoring passes to Rob Gronkowski. Coach Bill Belichick didnt single out Brady, saying his success results from the other 10 offensive players doing their jobs. And Brady, who connected with seven receivers, said simply, "We were able to spread the ball around." Philip Rivers completed 29 of 40 passes for 378 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Chargers. They had four turnovers for the second straight year against New England after losing 23-20 in 2010 when the Patriots gained just 179 yards. "They obviously got points (almost) every time they were down (near the goal-line) and didnt turn it over and, obviously, we did," Rivers said. "That was the difference in the game." Brady had to share the spotlight and, somehow, wasnt totally obscured by the 325-pound form of defensive tackle Vince Wilfork. He got his first career interception to halt a promising Chargers drive late in the first half, rumbling 28 yards on the return. "Im a well-conditioned athlete. I didnt need any oxygen," Wilfork said with a chuckle. He said he anticipated the screen pass to Rivers right and stepped into the passing lane. "Theres no way Im ever going to see him coming," Rivers said. "I would throw that one again every time.dddddddddddd He made a great play." For the second straight game, New England had a 99-yard touchdown drive. After Stephen Gostkowskis 22-yard field goal made it 10-7, the Patriots got the ball back at their one-yard line when Jerod Mayo stopped Mike Tolbert short of the goal-line. In the 38-24 win over the Dolphins, the Patriots also took the ball over at the 1, and Brady and Wes Welker hooked up for a 99-yard touchdown on the next play. This time Brady needed 10 plays to score, completing the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski for a 17-7 lead. San Diego wasted an opportunity on its next series when it reached the Patriots 29 before Wilforks interception. That set up a 47-yard field goal by Gostkowski on the last play of the first half, putting the Patriots on top 20-7. After a scoreless third quarter, the Chargers made it 20-14 on a three-yard scoring pass from Rivers to Vincent Jackson early in the fourth. Then the Patriots tried for a first down on fourth-and-4 at the San Diego 49 because punter Zoltan Mesko had hurt his knee on a kick late in the third quarter. Brady threw an incompletion to Deion Branch, who led the Patriots with eight catches for 129 yards. But just three plays later, New Englands defence came through when Mayo forced a fumble and Ninkovich recovered at the Patriots 39. Brady needed just four plays to cover 69 yards and throw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski. Danny Woodhead ran in for the two-point conversion and a 28-14 lead. The Chargers needed a comeback, but tight end Antonio Gates didnt help as he was held without a catch for the first time in 34 games. "They would put a corner or safety on me, or two safeties," he said. "They did a lot of different things to take me out of the game." The Chargers did score again on Rivers 26-yard pass to Jackson with 5:40 to go. The Patriots responded with a 16-yard touchdown run by BenJarvus Green-Ellis. But it was Brady who set that up with a 29-yard completion to Gronkowski two plays earlier. That gain put the quarterback over the 400-yard mark for the third time in his career. "Hes the best," Mayo said. "Numbers dont lie." Notes: Welker tied Ben Coates for the Patriots record with catches in 63 straight regular-season games. ... Former QB Drew Bledsoe and C Jon Morris were honoured at halftime as new members of the Patriots Hall of Fame. ... Jackson had a career-high 10 receptions. ... Rivers went over the 20,000-yard passing mark for his career with 2,374. ... The Patriots are 15-2 in their last 17 home openers. ' ' '
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March 3rd, 2014 at 06:14 am
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Baltimore Orioles designated slumping outfielder Felix Pie for assignment on Tuesday, and recalled infielder Jake Fox and outfielder Matt Angle. Pie was hitting .220 in 85 games this season and found his playing time drop off in the past two months. He played only 17 games in July, hitting .143, and had just 17 at-bats in eight games in August. "Hopefully its a win-win for Felix," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said before Tuesdays game against the Twins. "We were looking for ways to get him being the guy we know he might be capable of being. So, for us, we hope he clears and decides to go to Norfolk, and gets some at-bats and gets back to doing what hes capable of doing. "Somebody can pick him up, or he can become a free agent if he wants to, but we got to the point where if he cant get some at-bats and get back to being what hes capable of being then its probably not going to work out for him." Fox takes Pies spot on the 40-man roster, while he takes an open 25-man roster spot vacated when infielder Blake Davis was optioned to triple-A Norfolk following Mondays game. Angle appeared in two games in July, going 0 for 7 in his first major-league action. "Matts had a good year and its a little better fit for us right now where were going," Showalter said. "We need to get Blake Davis, very similar, his at-bats werent going to be there for him. Blake needed to get started back up again offensively and playing around a lot of different positions. Its a good move all the way around for us, but well see what it looks like down the road." Text is NFL and Link is http://www.ourjerseysonline.com/ NFL . Consensus among Canadian players is that they enter Tuesdays first-place showdown with the Americans as the clear underdogs following a shootout loss to the Czech Republic on Saturday and a white-knuckle, come-from-behind win against Slovakia on Monday. Text is NBA and Link is http://www.ourjerseysonline.com/ NBA . -- Julio Jones may be on the verge of returning from his latest hamstring injury. http://www.ourjerseysonline.com/.P. Howell. According to MLB.com, the Dodgers and Howell are closing in on a two-year contract with a vesting option for a third. Text is NHL and Link is http://www.ourjerseysonline.com/ NHL .Va. -- Vijay Singh and Jeff Maggert sent reminders that theyre still able to compete with the younger crowd.CALGARY -- After throwing a costly interception in the fourth quarter, quarterback Kevin Glenn received some helpful words of encouragement from his teammates. Glenn returned to the field and led his Stampeders on a five-play, 51-yard drive that culminated in his game-winning touchdown pass to Larry Taylor as Calgary held on for a wild 31-30 win over the Edmonton Eskimos in the annual Labour Day clash between the rivals. "Larry ran the perfect route," said Glenn, who completed 23-of-30 passes for 273 yards to go with two touchdowns and two interceptions. "He was wide open and all I had to do was give him the ball." The Stampeders (5-4) offence scored the winning TD with 63 seconds remaining to edge out Edmonton (5-4). "You could see it in the guys eyes after that pick when they came to the sidelines that they still had faith," Glenn said. "They still had faith to say Hey were going to win this game, and thats big. Thats big when you get in a situation like that and still know that guys have got your back." Calgary defensive back Tad Kornegay knew that Glenn had it in him to redeem himself after Edmontons Joe Burnett picked off the errant pass and ran it back 34 yards for a touchdown to put the Eskimos up 30-25. "When Kevin went out for that last drive when we were down, I told Kevin, Be the hero. This is what we do it for. You made the mistake. You threw a pick. Who cares? We got the ball back. Be a hero. And thats what he did," Kornegay said. Rookies Bo Levi Mitchell and Matt Walter had rushing touchdowns for the Stampeders, who had lost their previous two home games. Glenn also threw a touchdown pass to Jon Cornish, Rene Paredes kicked a field goal, while Rob Maver booted a single. Filling in for injured starter Steven Jyles, Kerry Joseph plunged into the end zone for a one-yard score at 8:07 of the final quarter. Burnetts touchdown then gave the Eskimos a short-lived lead. "It was disappointing," said Joseph, who went 17-of-27 for 311 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. "We came into a hostile environment against a good football team. We fought to the end. They made some plays towards the end. We had a chance to win it at the end but we didnt. Youve got to tip your hats to those guys." Joseph also tossed touchdown passes to Fred Stamps and Hugh Charles in the second quarter, while Grant Shaw kicked three singles. "Calgary did what they needed to do to win the football game," said Edmonton coach Kavis Reed. "They executed mentally, physically and emotionally and we did not." On the last play of the game, Shaw attempted a 48-yard field goal into the wind, but the ball sailed wide to the left and Taylor ran it out of the end zone as time expired. "Its aawesome," said Taylor of making the play to preserve the victory.dddddddddddd "You have to give the guys credit up front for holding the guys at the line and giving me the chance to get it out of the end zone." The same two teams wont have much time to rest as a rematch is set for Friday at Edmontons Commonwealth Stadium. "I love it," Kornegay said. "Well both be sore still, tired ... angry. Itll be another good game." The Stampeders appeared poised to score on their opening drive of the game before Edmontons Clint Kent recovered a Nik Lewis fumble. Five plays later, Burke Dales was tackled for a loss deep in Edmonton territory after he couldnt handle a low snap from Ryan King cleanly. Calgary then opened the scoring when Mitchell plunged into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown at 8:17 of the first quarter. With the Stampeders threatening to score again in the second quarter, Edmontons Rod Williams picked off an errant pass by Glenn and ran for eight yards to give Eskimos the ball back on their own 17-yard line. Joseph then engineered a 10-play, 93-yard drive that culminated in a 35-yard touchdown pass to Stamps. On Edmontons next drive, Joseph tossed a 73-yard touchdown pass to Charles, who caught the ball at midfield and broke a tackle before running the rest of the way into the end zone. Although the Eskimos failed to convert the touchdown, Shaw booted an 89-yard single on the ensuing kickoff to give Edmonton a 14-7 lead through two quarters of play. After Shaw kicked a 67-yard punt single to open the scoring in the second half, Cornish caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Glenn at 7:15 of the third quarter. The Eskimos then had to settle for a 64-yard punt single by Shaw before Glenn led the Stampeders on a seven-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in an 11-yard touchdown run by Walter to put Calgary up 21-16 after three quarters. "He was moving like a freight train and I dont think nobody was going to stop him," said Glenn in regards to Walters TD run. It was Walters first-ever CFL touchdown. "I just wanted to make it count," Walter said. "All I wanted to do is do my part and get that thing in the end zone and show the coaches that I can play." Paredes then kicked a 43-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter before Maver booted an 85-yard punt single to extend Calgarys lead. Notes: Joseph has now rushed for a touchdown in three straight games. ... With the return of Jerome Messam to the Edmonton lineup, fellow running back Cory Boyd was a healthy scratch for the Eskimos. ... The Stamps now have a record of 31-25-1 on games played in Calgary on Labour Day, including a 21-25-1 showing against the Eskimos. ... The announced attendance at McMahon Stadium was 32,102. ' ' '
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March 3rd, 2014 at 06:12 am
SAN ANTONIO -- The NBAs Competition Committee is recommending an expansion of instant replay to include late-game reviews of block/charge plays, the first time the league is considering reviewing judgment calls by a referee. NBA executive vice-president of basketball operations Stu Jackson announced the decision on Wednesday after the committee met during the NBA Finals. Current rules only allow officials to see if a players feet are in the restricted area under the basket or out of it in the final two minutes of the game or in overtime. The change would allow officials to get a closer, slow-motion look at a collision between two players to deem if it was a blocking foul on the defence or a charging foul on the offence, one of the most disputed and difficult-to-call plays in the game. "This is significant," Jackson said at an NBA Cares event to celebrate a new learn and play centre at Wheatley Middle School. "Its our first foray into utilizing instant replay for a judgment call. It at least cracks the door open." When Commissioner David Stern addressed the media before the start the finals, he said that expanding replay and using the technology that was available was a priority. "Weve always taken the stance that we want to look at ways to expand instant replay review, just because it makes sense," Jackson said. "The referees themselves have supported it because they just want to get the plays right. Were constantly looking for ways to utilize review." The committee also is recommending to the NBAs board of governors that replay be expanded to include off-the-ball fouls on inbounds plays and made free throws. The committee discussed an idea by Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle that would give each coach one challenge to in the last 2 minutes of playoff games to contest calls. If a coach has a timeout and the ball during that time, he could challenge a play. The play would then be reviewed off site by a group of league officials, similar to the way the NHL handles replays. But those ideas are still under discussion. "Its not fleshed out enough to make a recommendation, but were going to continue to talk about it," Jackson said. The committee is also recommending that a new rule be put in place to prevent players from standing out of bounds on offence in halfcourt sets. Jackson said this is an increasing trend that they have seen this season, with players on offence standing out of bounds in half-court offence in an effort to suck the perimeter defence further away from the paint and create better spacing. Under the proposed change, any player committing what would be a new infraction would be whistled for a violation, and the ball would change possession. Jackson said this wouldnt apply to a player who runs out of bounds while curling around a screen or trying to separate from a defender, only when he is stationary and standing out of bounds during a halfcourt offensive set. Stern also said last week that he thought the league has made great strides by instituting a fine system for players who flop, but felt even more needed to be done to continue to discourage the behaviour. Jackson said the committee discussed increasing the fines or other punishments, but was not making any recommendations for changes at this time. "It was unanimous among the committee that the flopping system, the policy, has worked this year," Jackson said. "But there was also an acknowledgement that were open to discussing how we continue to enforce the flopping policy." The committee also is recommending a change in the wording for clear-path fouls that it hopes will eliminate some of the need for replay reviews of those plays. Text is Wholesale Jerseys and Link is http://www.cheapjerseyscd.com/ Wholesale Jerseys . -- Kaitlyn Lawes was given a tremendous opportunity in 2010 when she joined an experienced and successful Winnipeg rink skipped by Jennifer Jones. Text is wholesale jerseys china and Link is http://www.cheapjerseyscd.com/ wholesale jerseys china . Manager Jim Leyland says Peralta will leave Wednesday for the instructional league in Florida, where hell play in the outfield. Peralta was Detroits starting shortstop, but the Tigers acquired Jose Iglesias from Boston just before Peralta was suspended following baseballs investigation into Biogenesis of America, a Florida anti-aging clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs. http://www.cheapjerseyscd.com/. Fiorentina took the lead following a terrible blunder from Morgan De Sanctis. The Napoli goalkeeper rushed out of his area to intercept a long pass from Facundo Roncaglia by the halfway line, but completely misjudged the ball which bounced over him and into the goal. Text is Wholesale NFL Jerseys and Link is http://www.cheapjerseyscd.com/ Wholesale NFL Jerseys . LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright refused to relax against a makeshift San Francisco Giants squad. Text is Cheap Jerseys From China and Link is http://www.cheapjerseyscd.com/ Cheap Jerseys From China . - Scott Dixon became the latest driver to deny Roger Penske an IndyCar championship, wrapping up his third title Saturday night in a race of attrition at Auto Club Speedway. ST. LOUIS -- Blues backup goalie Brian Elliott finally got his wish -- a total team effort in a win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Elliott stopped 19 shots, and defenceman Kris Russell scored in his St. Louis debut to lead the Blues to a 3-0 win over the Lightning on Saturday night. St. Louis improved to 5-0-1 in its last six home games. The Blues have earned five points in three games under new coach Ken Hitchcock, who replaced Davis Payne on Sunday. Tampa Bay had a three-game winning streak snapped. Elliott (6-1) recorded his second shutout of the season and 11th of his NHL career. He has two shutouts in his last four starts. Elliott made 32 saves in a 3-0 win over Vancouver on Oct. 26. He stopped 11 shots in the third period on Saturday and kept the Lightning in check during a frantic final minute. Elliott and his teammates had been searching for a solid performance throughout the lineup, and they got it. "That was the complete game weve been wanting," Elliott said. "Everybody was hustling. Everybody was working hard. No one took a shift off." Russell, acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, netted his third goal of the season late in the first period. Kevin Shattenkirk and T.J. Oshie also scored for the Blues. Shattenkirk converted off a 2-on-1 break late in the second to make it 2-0. The defenceman has two goals and is tied for the team lead with 11 points. Oshie, who scored the Blues first short-handed goal, has five goals this season and four in five games. Elliott faced just eight shots over the first two periods but took over down the stretch. "He was tremendous," Shattenkirk said. "Hes battled for us all year. Were gettting used to him in there saving us.dddddddddddd" St. Louis centre Alex Steen said the duo of Elliott and Jaroslav Halak have been the key to the Blues 8-7-1 start. "As a one-two punch, theyve been great," Steen said. "(Elliott) made some key saves in key moments." Russell performed well in his St. Louis debut. He got the ball rolling with an early goal after a cross-ice pass from Evgeny Grachev. "I was fortunate," Russell said. "We had bodies in front, and I just wanted to get it on net." Tampa Bay goalie Mathieu Garon fell to 3-3-1. The Lightning, who had a season low in shots, were shut out for the first time this season. Lightning coach Guy Boucher wasnt pleased with his teams performance. Tampa Bay had won four of five and seven of nine. "The first and second periods, sloppy all the way," Boucher said. "Thats the story of the game." He didnt get any argument from his players. "I dont think we played well enough," defenceman Eric Brewer said. "They kept moving forward much more than we did." Hitchcock improved to 2-0-1 in his first week with St. Louis. "There are things that we are still learning to do," he said, "But tonight, we managed the game properly. We didnt get frustrated when we didnt score." NOTES: Tampa Bay G Dwayne Roloson didnt play despite being 7-2-1 with a 1.58 goals-against average in his last 10 starts against St. Louis. ... Tampa Bay has been outscored 19-11 in the first period this season. ... The Blues have scored at least one third-period goal in the last nine games. ... Shattenkirk had a team-high four shots on goal. ' ' '
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