Nationals, Braves to battle for NL East supremacy

Even after the acquisitions of Gonzalez and Jackson, the Nationals generally were viewed as being a year away from seriously competing in a much-improved NL East. But thanks to some strong starting pitching and some talented young position players camouflage baseball jerseys, Washington sits atop the division.

There will be a lot of scoreboard watching in Cincinnati and St. Louis this weekend.

Atlanta has slumped recently, though, having lost four consecutive games to the Cincinnati Reds and scoring just 12 runs in its past six games. There is a good chance the Braves’ offense will continue to struggle this weekend when the Nationals start Ross Detwiler (3-3, 3.65 ERA), Strasburg (4-1 cheap mlb baseball jerseys, 2.21) and Gonzalez (6-1, 1.98).

Casual fans know about Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg and outfield phenom Bryce Harper, but they might not know why the Braves are just as good.

During their six-game winning streak, the Reds’ staff has posted a 2.50 ERA custom baseball jersey, and the offense has provided a cushion by scoring 27 runs. This weekend, the Reds will host the Colorado Rockies, who just snapped a six-game losing streak and are 5-16 this month.

The Reds have picked the perfect time to get hot because the St. Louis Cardinals have hit a bit of a rough stretch. Cincinnati has won six consecutive games to take over first place in the NL Central.

“Some kind of way we’ve got to find a way to scrap some runs across,” Bourn told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after Wednesday’s 2-1 loss at Great American Ball Park.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, will host the Philadelphia Phillies and will face Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay in the four-game set that began Thursday. Since climbing a season-high two games over .500 on May 18, the Phillies have slumped.

Everyone noticed the Washington Nationals’ progression, and many believed they soon would reach contender status.

Unlike in previous seasons when pitching carried Atlanta—not just the glorious 1990s but also the recent past—this team’s staff has been mediocre at best. But the Braves can score runs with anybody in the league. They rank in the top five in the NL in runs, home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. And they have posted those numbers while playing their home games in a pitcher-friendly park.

Because of those moves, the Nationals no longer are on the cusp of success; they are experiencing it. And their series in Atlanta is one of the premier matchups of the weekend.
Nationals at Braves

Martin Prado and Chipper Jones have led the way offensively, but seven of the club’s regulars—Prado, Jones cheap baseball jerseys, Brian McCann, Freddie Freeman, Dan Uggla, Michael Bourn and Jason Heyward—have OPS-plus marks north of 100, the line for average.

With their recent draft picks ripening and after some spending in previous offseasons, the Nationals were considered a team on the brink of real success. In 2013 discount mlb jerseys, this could be a team to be reckoned with. But general manager Mike Rizzo got bold, trading highly touted prospects for one front-line starting pitcher (Gio Gonzalez) in December and offering another (Edwin Jackson) a one-year deal as signing season closed.

Should Miami Marlins Make Contract Extension Top Priority

This season has been a continuation of the past two years, in which Sanchez has become the model of consistency after spending time on the 60-day DL twice with shoulder strains and also having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder.

Jackson, Danks and Wilson have all proven more durable than Sanchez. Not all the stats are comparable, but it does give the Marlins some numbers to work with when looking to possibly sign Sanchez.

A few pitchers that will draw comparable attention to Sanchez as free agents include Jackson, Francisco Liriano, Shaun Marcum and Brandon McCarthy.

John Danks signed a five-year, $65 million deal ($13 million per season) with the Chicago White Sox after 170.1 innings with a 4.33 ERA, 7.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.

In February, Sanchez was awarded the $8 million he had requested through arbitration, instead of the $6.9 million the Miami Marlins had offered.

According to MLB Trade Rumors' list of available starting pitchers for the 2013 season, Sanchez will be behind Cole Hamels and Zack Greinke in the free agent pecking order.

The Marlins weren’t strangers to spending money this winter as they announced the signings of Jose Reyes, Heath Bell and Mark Buehrle to a total of $191 million within the span of a week.

When performance is added to the two-plus years of injury-free results, the risk-reward of having Sanchez in the rotation for the next four or five years becomes much more tempting.

Sanchez hasn’t thrown less than six innings in any start this season and is in the middle of a five-start stretch in which he has completed seven innings each time out.

Setting performance to the side and speaking directly to his durability, Sanchez has made 32 starts the past two seasons discount mlb jerseys, including throwing 195-plus innings in each.

Including his seven starts this season, Sanchez has managed a 3.47 ERA since the start of 2010.

Comparing him to some of the starting pitchers that signed contracts this offseason, Sanchez will likely cost the Marlins somewhere in the $11 million to $14 million range per year to extend.

Given the unlikely event the Marlins are able to sign Cole Hamels or Zack Grienke, it would make sense to keep Sanchez in-house camouflage baseball jerseys, especially given their lack of MLB-ready arms in the farm system.
 

Players with club options such as Dan Haren, James Shields and Tim Hudson weren’t included in the lists above because of the high probability those options will be picked up.

After being courted by Miami, CJ Wilson signed a five-year $77.5 million contract ($15.5 million per season) with the Los Angeles Angels. Wilson made 34 starts for the Texas Rangers in 2011 baseball jerseys custom, throwing 223.1 innings with 2.94 ERA, 8.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.

Is that sample size sufficient for owner Jeffrey Loria and team president David Samson to consider Sanchez’s bill of health to be clean enough to warrant an extension?

Shoulder injuries stalled Anibal Sanchez early in his career, so it was more than a minor concern when shoulder tightness caused him to push back his first spring training start.

Edwin Jackson posted a 3.79 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 199.2 innings in 2011 and signed a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals worth $11 million.

Seven starts into the 2012 season buster posey jersey, those concerns are becoming a distant memory.

With this being his last season as an arbitration-eligible player, he is a prime candidate for a contract extension.

He has also seen a steady increase in his K/9 rate from a 7.25 mark two seasons ago to 9.26 last year and a 9.70 K/9 through 47.1 innings this season. In that same time evan longoria jersey, his BB/9 is down from 3.23 to 2.28.

The Crown had been seeking a six-year prison term

The Crown had been seeking a six-year prison term. The defence had asked for a conditional sentence with no jail time.

“All of them combined keep me strong henrik sedin jerseys,” he said. “I get up every morning, my feet hit the floor running, looking for the next opportunity to help the next person get to where I am, where Sheldon is, where Todd is. It’s kind of a call to all the victors of child sexual abuse: We’ve been through the war and we’ve come out of it empowered, we’re advocates and we talk about what happened to us very openly.

Fleury says he’d steeled himself for the eventuality of such a verdict, long ago insulating himself from any emotional reaction to whatever might happen.

“The hardest thing for reporters, for people, to understand is that I have no emotion attached to this. I am in recovery. I am a victor over what happened to me.

“The next part of the process, for me, is to make the next federal election all about: What are we going to do about sexual abuse?

“The fact that he wore a ski mask in the courtroom? That tells me, tells the world, that ‘I’m still doing this stuff.’ If not, why not show your face?

“That’s why I got myself in a place of strength and peace and happiness before I went to Winnipeg to start this whole process. At the end of the day, the whole exercise was about exposing the system.

James pleaded guilty in December to sexually assaulting Fleury and Holt during the 1980s and early ‘90s. Charges against the longtime junior coach involving a third player ice hockey jerseys, Greg Gilhooly, were stayed. After being convicted 1997 of molesting Kennedy, James served 18 months of a 3 1/2-year sentence.

“This is not about me anymore,” the former Calgary Flames star calmly repeated an hour after disgraced hockey coach Graham James was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison for sexually assaulting Fleury and cousin Todd Holt during their junior hockey days.

The swelling indignation of a nation, says Theoren Fleury, gives him a sense of hope, something the justice system failed to.

In passing sentence. Manitoba provincial court Judge Catherine Carlson said no sentence imposed could give back to Holt and Fleury what was taken by James.

Fleury — who battled depression and dependency and contemplated suicide after being molested by James discount nhl hockey jerseys, an authority figure Sidney Crosby jersey, during his junior hockey days — followed the sentencing in a Winnipeg courtroom via Twitter on Tuesday morning.

“There was a pardon given. Bail given. They allowed letters from adolescent kids from South America. C’mon … like, seriously? Does the legal system think we’re that stupid? They must.

“I predicted this right from the start,” Fleury said. “We knew what we were up against before the trial even started.

Fleury thanked supporters for their emails of encouragement he’s received as the wait for a ruling on this case ground on.

“All we’re asking for is some type of action now, some type of leadership. As advocates we can jump up and down and scream but unless people listen, and people act, it does no good. What you have to do is get into the social consciousness of Canada.

“There is no more shame, no more guilt, attached to our lives anymore — and that’s really the freedom of this whole thing.’’

A quick, widespread outburst of disbelief and anger followed the ruling. To many, a two-year term wasn’t nearly enough. Outside the courtroom, Holt called the sentence “a national travesty.”

“And I think the intense reaction to this ruling shows that that is happening.’’

The important thing, he stressed, is not so much the decision handed down in a Winnipeg courtroom on Tuesday morning, but what happens now.

He took the sure-to-be-controversial verdict in stride, even as a growing, widespread sense of anger and disbelief began to build.

“I gotta tell you, man, I never, ever, attached any emotion to anything that was going on in the court system. I’ve been too busy responding to the 100 emails a week I get from victims. Through this whole thing, I got an education in the legal system, so when people send emails about going through the process nhl hockey jerseys, so I can let them know exactly what’s going to happen to them.’’

“I think Canada’s reaction to the sentence is a very positive step. The country is outraged. If you read what’s on Twitter right now, we’re starting to get the kind of reaction we need in order to make change.’’

“This was never about personal revenge. What does revenge do? Nothing.

“This is about doing our utmost to eliminate the biggest epidemic we have on the planet. You have kids. I have kids. What’s important is that not one more kid has to go through what I did. What Sheldon (Kennedy) did. What Todd (Holt) did. That’s the reason for this entire exercise.

The night Richard scored five goals

Before the Canadiens scatter to the winds, strength and conditioning coach Pierre Allard should have a full and frank discussion with Kaberle, who has two seasons left cheap nhl hockey jerseys, at $4.25 million per, on his contract:

Lidstrom is the same height as Kaberle. He weighs 190 pounds.

The Habs scored twice in the second and three times in the third.

To Bob Davidson authentic hockey jerseys, one of the loop's leading backcheckers, was assigned the task of hobbling the rocketing Richard, and he did a good job of it in the first game. Last night Irvin played four defencemen and only eight forwards and Richard appeared on all three lines. Half the time he was out there, Davidson was sitting on the bench and Richard made a monkey of the younger Leafs who tried to take over the task of shadowing him.

"See you in September, Tomas - but maybe less of you."

But the entire Habitant team looked good. Bill Durnan came back to turn in a gilt-edged performance, though the solitary shot that beat him was one of the easiest he had to handle all night. The defence played good solid hockey with Glen Harmon and Mike McMahon being especially prominent. The Watson Chamberlain-Getliffe line checked effectively and might have picked up several markers if their shooting had been a little more accurate. Buddy O'Connor and Elmer Lach turned in good games claude giroux jerseys, and Paul Bilbeault made some of his best stops at the expense of Jerry Hefferman.

Nicklas Lidstrom will be 42 on April 28, when he and his Detroit teammates are a good bet to be advancing through the Western Conference playoffs. Lidstrom leads the Red Wings in ice time, averaging 23: 56 per game.

Kaberle could carry an extra 25 pounds if he were a physical defenceman. But the second coming of Scott Stevens he is not.

With Maurice Richard giving a display of fire-power that has never been equalled in the history of modern playoff hockey, Canadiens ran rampant over Toronto Leafs at the Forum last night, trimming them 5-1 to tie up the best-of-seven series at one game apiece. Richard gave the huge crowd of 12 sidney crosby jerseys,234 cash customers thrill after thrill as he scored all five goals.

Kaberle turned 34 on March 2. For players that age, Dubé noted, conditioning is of primordial importance.

The first-ballot Hall of Famer has won the Norris Trophy seven times and can legitimately be mentioned in the same breath as Bobby Orr.

Part of the Leafian strategy was to tie up Richard. They said they could stop the Habitants by stopping him. But last night they simply could not hold the boy from Bordeaux and to Coach Dick Irvin must go an assist for the black-haired forward's great display. On the night, Irvin completely out smarted the rival general.

Kaberle is 6-foot-1 and listed at 214 pounds. Dubé thinks the defenceman is out of shape, and I've heard that criticism voiced by other members of the hockey punditocracy.

Reg Hamilton scored the Leaf 's only goal in the middle frame.

He is overweight.

Dubé cited Chris Chelios, who played into his 40s. The former Canadien - shall we pause briefly for a good cry? - enjoyed prolonged effectiveness because of a conditioning regimen that included killer offseason workouts.

Bracketed with Richard as a star was Toe Blake, who turned in his second fine game in succession. Toe also established a new mark for assists Sidney Crosby jersey, earning one on all five goals.

Defencemen who have been effective into their middle-to-late 30s have played at 10 pounds or more below the weight they carried when they were 20 somethings coming into the league.

Johnson Baertschi jets in just in time for historic return of Winnipeg

“So it’s good that he can get acclimatized to his surroundings, to the guys, to the way things are done. It’s a pressure time of year, obviously. How will he handle it? Everybody’s personality is different; everybody reacts to situations differently. He’s been a gamer. That’s how they talk about him. It’s up to us, the coaches, players, to help him feel as good as he can about himself; about his situation.’’

“He’s going to be fine vancouver canucks jerseys,’’ predicted defenceman Mark Giordano. “Me? At 19? I was in my first year junior, I think, in the OHL. Trying to get used to that level. I couldn’t imagine making the jump from there to here at that age, at his age. There’s only a few guys, special players, that can. He’s one of them.’’

As it so happens, Baertschi’s highly-anticipated National Hockey League debut tonight with the Calgary Flames dovetails into the first appearance by the Jets in this town in more than a decade and a half, since their tear-streaked death march to the cacti and sunscreen and scorpions of the Arizona desert in the summer of ’96.

“Give him a period or so. Once he’s playing, once he’s over the initial jitters, his skills will take over. He has a great demeanour. He’s not a hyper guy; very controlled Patrick Kane jersey, very relaxed. You and I know sidney crosby jerseys, it’s going to be a huge stage. He’s played world juniors in North America the last two years and certainly we’ve had some big games here. But nothing like this level.

Their lineup as thin as a butterfly’s wing, the future, out of necessity, has become the present for the bubble-straddling Flames. Sven Baertschi makes his debut tonight, nearly 16 years after the Winnipeg Jets last played a game in this town.

“What he does have is NHL skill. His vision, thinking, puck movement … he’s quick changing speeds, inside-outside. He’s the type of guy who’s played with Ty Rattie, a high, high-end skill guy, but he’s also played with more direct players. So he’s versatile.’’

“I don’t know how much he’s going to play right now, I don’t know how long he’s going to be here,’’ said left winger Alex Tanguay, watching Flames GM Jay Feaster welcome Baertschi to the fold with a firm handshake following Thursday’s practice, “but we all know he’s going to be a big part of the future of this franchise.

“As a young player, you want to prove you belong; you want to show you can contribute. Believe me, I know. But you can’t do that by trying to do everything. He understands. He’s a smart kid.

He’ll get his chance tonight, with the Flames doggedly in pursuit of the eighth and final playoff seeding out West, and the Jets in an equally chaotic tussle out East.

So, no, he wouldn’t have a hot clue about who in tarnation Dave Manson was. Or German Titov or Paul Kruse or two-goal ’Toban Dallas Drake. From that game, geriatrics Nikolai Khabibulin and Shane Doan are stubbornly defying time, still pluggin’ away at the top level. And he must’ve heard stories of the indomitable will/incisive skill of Theo Fleury, in some misty, old-guy kind of way.

At the embryonic age of 19, he’s being dropped into the roaring inferno of a frantic playoff push.

“Put a smile on his face before we go out tomorrow. Tell him to have fun. He’s a talented player. Just let him play. Just let him do his thing.’’

Sven Baertschi had only recently graduated from toddler status, was approaching his fourth birthday, the last time the Winnipeg Jets paid a visit to the Saddledome. A long-ago, distant-galaxy 4-1 Jets’ triumph on March 31, 1996.

“The best advice I can give him is this: It’s the same game. The pace is just a little quicker. The guys are the same, they play the same, they skate the same. They just do everything a bit faster. But that’s why he’s been successful in junior — he plays at a pace most other kids can’t.’’

The key, says Tanguay, is not to stretch, to strain, to overdo. It’s an overripe cliche, of course, but stay within your comfort zone. He ain’t being counted on to multiply loaves and fishes.

No tentative toe-dipping in the wading pool here. It’s right off the three-metre board and into the deep end.

“He turned a lot of heads at training camp this year,’’ reminded Tom Kostopoulos.

“He could easily have been on our team all along.

“You can’t ask him to come in and score three goals. There’s not too many guys at 18, 19 who come in and fill the net. Don’t worry about that. Do things right and everything will evolve.

“The intensity, the media attention Claude Giroux jersey, the scrutiny, the buildup around these games, trying to make it into the playoffs … it’s all something he’s never experienced before,’’ acknowledged Portland Winterhawks boss Mike Johnston, Baertschi’s junior tutor and an associate coach at the NHL level in both Vancouver and L.A. “So, sure authentic nhl jerseys, he’s going to be nervous for the first part.

Michalek has 3 goals as Ottawa beats Tampa Bay

Patrick Kane jersey

Greening and Turris scored 53 seconds apart late in the first as Ottawa took a 3-0 lead. Greening scored from the low slot, while Turris’ shot went off Tampa Bay defenseman Brett Clark.

Ottawa is without goalie Craig Anderson, who is sidelined by a hand injury. He won all three of the Senators’ previous games this season with the Lightning discount nhl hockey jerseys, allowing just three goals overall.

“Right now, it’s open to evaluation,” MacLean said. “He had to get it reset. We’ll just to see how he gets through it.”

Tampa Bay got within 4-3 when Steven Stamkos scored his league-leading 48th goal of the season during a power play at 5:41 of the third. The center has five goals and three assists during a five-game point streak.

The Lightning got within 3-2 in the opening 7:12 of the second when Shannon and Wallace scored on 6-foot-7 Ben Bishop, who was making his Senators debut. Bishop was acquired from St. Louis for a 2013 second-round draft pick on Feb. 26.

Michalek scored three third-period goals, helping the Ottawa Senators withstand a Tampa Bay comeback attempt and beat the Lightning 7-3 on Tuesday night.

Karlsson made it 4-2 on a power-play goal at 11:58 of the second. The defenseman has 16 goals and 67 points this season.

“He’s been playing well for us,” Stamkos said. “It was tough.”

Lightning coach Guy Boucher said Garon will have an MRI on Wednesday.

Sergei Gonchar, Colin Greening, Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson had the other Ottawa goals. Michalek also had an assist, setting up Greening’s goal with a nifty pass from behind the net.

Michalek’s previous high for goals was 26, set while with San Jose in 2006-07. He also had a hat trick against Tampa Bay on Oct. 15, 2009.

Ottawa, which took a three-goal lead early on, went up 5-3 when Michalek scored a power-play goal at 12:12 of third. The left wing added two empty-net goals, including a short-handed effort with 7 seconds left to give him a career-best 32 goals this season.
“That’s great for him,” Senators coach Paul MacLean said. “I think he’s always been a player of that potential and the injuries that he’s had kind of slowed him down. We’re really happy for him. To reach that plateau montreal canadiens jerseys, it’s really a credit to him and his hard work.”

“We can’t seem to beat those guys,” Boucher said.

Milan Michalek surpassed the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career in an unusual way.

Tampa Bay goalie Mathieu Garon left four minutes into the game with an undisclosed lower body injury after making a save and was replaced by Dwayne Roloson. Garon, who had gone 12-3-2 in his previous 17 starts, appeared to get hurt when he kicked out his leg on the play.

Senators defenseman Chris Phillips left in the first with a broken nose after a center-ice hit.

“When they score seven goals philadelphia flyers jerseys, it helps,” said Bishop, who made 25 saves. “The guys played good in front of me.”

Gonchar stopped a personal 43-game goal drought Sidney Crosby jersey, dating back to Nov. 12 against Toronto, to put Senators up 1-0 midway through the first.

Ryan Shannon and Tim Wallace also scored for the Lightning, who had won four in a row. Teddy Purcell assisted on Stamkos’ goal and has 14 assists and 20 points during a career-high 10-game point streak.

The Senators won the season series 4-0, outscoring Tampa Bay 19-6.

Tampa Bay (30-28-6) at Carolina (24-27-13)

Tampa Bay rallied from two down on Friday for a 4-3 overtime win over the New York Rangers. The Lightning have won six of eight following a 1-3-1 skid.

Tampa Bay goes for a fourth straight victory on Saturday night when the host Hurricanes try to avoid their first set of back-to-back regulation losses in nearly two months.

Their four-game point streak ended Thursday with a 3-2 loss to the Rangers.

Since losing at Winnipeg and Pittsburgh last week by a combined 12-4 score, the Lightning (30-28-6) have gone undefeated and are tied with Buffalo with 66 points Claude Giroux jersey, four back of eighth-place Winnipeg in the conference.

Continued production from captain Eric Staal could help the Hurricanes close that gap on Tampa Bay. Staal has seven goals and 11 assists during a 10-game point streak. Since the team relocated from Hartford in 1997 claude giroux jerseys, there is only one longer point streak, Staal’s 11-game run from Jan. 16-Feb. 5, 2010.

If Ward makes a fifth start against Tampa Bay this season, it will be his 400th career game - all with Carolina. Ward is 9-3-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average in his last 13 home starts, yet he’s turned aside just 57 of 64 shots as these teams have split two games in Raleigh in 2011-12.

With an 11-3-2 record in his last 16 starts, Mathieu Garon should make his first start in Carolina this season. Garon surrendered three first-period goals on eight shots on Jan. 12 before being replaced by Dwayne Roloson.

A victory over the Lightning could give the Carolina Hurricanes a much-needed lift.

Before beginning their stretch of 10 of 12 outside Raleigh, the Hurricanes will try to cap off their six-game homestand by recording eight of 12 possible points.

While Tampa Bay tries to win four in a row for the first time since a season-best 5-0-0 run from Jan. 17-31 henrik sedin jerseys, Carolina (24-27-13) enters this Southeast Division matchup needing to build momentum with a season-high five-game trip starting Tuesday.

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s playoff push got a nice boost with a victory over the Eastern Conference’s top team.

Tampa Bay opens its season-high seven-game homestand on March 10 versus Carolina.

Martin St. Louis’ nine-game point streak versus Carolina ended that night cheap nhl jerseys, but the Lightning forward enters this contest with four goals and eight points in the last five games after setting up Teddy Purcell’s career-high 18th on Friday.

The Hurricanes, who have points in 15 of 19 games since a 5-2 victory at Tampa Bay on Jan. 12, are tied with the New York Islanders with 61 points, five back of the Lightning and Buffalo.

Purcell, who has five goals and 12 assists during an eight-game point streak, is tied with Steven Stamkos - the league leader with 45 goals - with a team-best three scores against Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward this season.

“Our players have really developed this mental toughness to fight through,” coach Guy Boucher said Friday after Ryan Malone netted the game-winner. “We’re getting rewarded for not quitting.”

Staal’s current nine-game streak with an assist is the longest such stretch by a Hurricane since relocation. He has a team-high five points - all assists in Tampa Bay - as these teams have split four games in 2011-12. Staal’s season-high three assists weren’t enough in the last meeting on Jan. 12.

“We were there, we just fell short,” said coach Kirk Muller montreal canadiens jerseys, whose team last dropped two straight in regulation on Jan. 7 and 10.

Mason and Blue Jackets top Avalanche 2-0 win

“It was, `Just make the timely saves.’ As a goaltender Claude Giroux jersey, that’s your job,” Mason said. “Going into the third period, I was fully confident we were going to be able to pull it out. They did get their chances but that’s to be expected because they’re a hungry team, but we were able to walk away with the win.”

“It’s frustrating for sure,” Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog said. “We definitely weren’t ready to play. I don’t know what the reason was, but we weren’t sharp enough. We were chasing the game after the first period.”

Mason withstood a push from the Avalanche, making a key save on a shot by Stefan Elliott early in the third period. He then sprawled on the ice to stuff a shot by Jay McClement at the end of a rush. A shot by Elliott with 2:35 remaining hit the post.

Steve Mason stopped 32 shots for his first shutout of the season Henrik Sedin jersey, defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Nikita Nikitin both scored, and the Blue Jackets beat the Avalanche 2-0 on Thursday night to end an 0-9-1 skid against Colorado that dated to the 2009-10 season.

With a quick start and a strong finish, the Columbus Blue Jackets finally pulled out of their two-year drought against the Colorado Avalanche.

“It is nice to get payback,” said Mason, who registered his 19th NHL shutout. “Obviously, they are in a tough playoff push right now sidney crosby jerseys, and if we can play spoiler and have a big game like this, then we’ll take pride in that.”

“It’s not just about the win,” said the Blue Jackets’ Vinny Prospal, who had two assists. “It’s about the whole game. How many times during the season have we lost a lead in the third period or in the last minute of the game? So for us to finish the game strong, as we did tonight, it’s a big plus.”

Columbus was on the power play when Nikitin gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead at 12:53 of the first period. He fired a shot from the point that got past Varlamov pittsburgh penguins jerseys, whose winning streak was stopped at three—one shy of his season best.

Colorado pulled goalie Semyon Varlamov for an extra attacker with 1:50 left and went on the power play in the final 1:38, but couldn’t break through.

“We had a nice string of wins together but tonight, for whatever reason vancouver canucks jerseys, our execution wasn’t sharp, especially at the start of the game,” Avalanche coach Joe Sacco said.

The Avalanche had their four-game winning streak snapped as they were shut out for the seventh time this season. They also missed a chance to move into eighth place in the Western Conference.

Tyutin, who assisted on Nikitin’s goal, netted his fifth of the season on a slap shot from the top of the left circle that sailed in over the stick of Varlamov.

Hot Schneider handles the Jersey situation

Playing for the fifth time in seven nights and the fourth game of a difficult six-game trip, the Canucks needed an inspired performance and got one from backup goalie Cory Schneider, who stopped 30 of 31 shots.

The score didn't stay that way long.

Andrew Alberts came into the lineup for Salo, and fourth-line winger Byron Bitz also played after missing two games with a sore hip.

The National Hockey League's best road team was all business, picking up something more valuable than vacant buildings with a sweep of two strong NHL teams.

The Canucks started well, as stay-at-home defenceman Aaron Rome didn't stay home pittsburgh penguins jerseys, skating past former Canuck Steve Bernier and calmly directing a huge rebound from Chris Tanev's point shot behind goalie Martin Brodeur at 8: 44.

ICE CHIPS: Devils' defence-man Kurtis Foster, a last-minute lineup scratch, was traded to the Minnesota Wild as part of the ransom New Jersey general manager Lou Lamoriello paid for diminished 35-year-old Marek Zidlicky. Besides Foster, Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher shook down the Devils for prospect Nick Palm-ieri, journeyman Stephane Veilleux, a second-round draft pick and a conditional pick.

With his team outshot 21-11 through 40 minutes, Schneider had to be excellent. He got his arm on Petr Sykora's power-play wrist shot, blocked a close-range rebound attempt by Zach Parise and made a terrific glove stop on Ilya Kovalchuk during a 3-on-1 rush.

No one has ever done Detroit and Newark on the same holiday. Or at all. But the Vancouver Canucks rarely visit a place they don't like.

Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault did what he could to keep his players alert, mixing his forward lines and giving 37-year-old defenceman Sami Salo his first mandatory game off of the season.

The Canucks' Schneider was largely responsible for that score standing into the third period.

With the Devils pushing late in the third, Schneider stopped Clarkson on a point-blank rebound.

The Canucks have scored 109 goals in their 34 games away from home.

After the taut, emotional roller-coaster in Detroit, any-thing short of a visit to Boston was going to be a letdown for the Canucks. Newark is not Boston.

For a Friday night game against last year's Stanley Cup finalist cheap nhl jerseys, and with a lengthy pre-game tribute to Devils' broadcaster Mike Emrick claude giroux jerseys, New Jersey still didn't fill the Prudential Center, which is one of the most drab new buildings in the league.

Any effects from Vigneault's line tweaking had worn off by the middle of the second period philadelphia flyers jerseys, when the Canucks looked tired and as lifeless as the crowd when it was 2-0.

So, yes, the Canucks' energy level was a concern.

But the goal seemed to take the edge off the Canucks, who generated few scoring chances before Mason Raymond suddenly made it 2-0 at 2: 07 of the second period. He cleanly beat Brodeur with a stick-side wrist shot from the top of the right-wing faceoff circle after Canuck David Booth used his speed to back off the Devils' defence.

Friday's win moved the Canucks into first place in the NHL, one point ahead of the Red Wings. Vancouver's road record this season is an absurd 22-10-2.

With defenceman Kevin Bieksa beaten on a 2-on-1, Devil Patrik Elias's pass to David Clarkson bounced off his teammate's skate and went in at 11: 30. The coin flip that seems to be the NHL's review process on kicked-in goals landed in New Jersey's favour and the game was 2-1.

Raymond played on a line with Booth and centre Cody Hodgson, while the wingers' usual centre, Ryan Kesler, skated with Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen. First-line winger Alex Burrows took several shifts without Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

The Canucks get a chance to win another road game on Sun-day, this time in Dallas. The trade deadline is Monday montreal canadiens jerseys, but clearly not much needs to be done with the Canucks.

It was the surging Devils' second outright loss in a month, and the Red Wings' first defeat in Detroit since Nov. 3.

Despite fatigue and an emotional tank near empty, the Canucks beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 Friday, one night after a rollicking 4-3 shootout win against the league-leading Detroit Red Wings.

Edmonton went up 2-0 at 804 of the second as Eberle picked up a loose puck

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However cheap nhl hockey jerseys, the Oilers had the best chance of the opening period as Hall made a nice backhand feed from behind the net to Ales Hemsky, but Bryzgalov came across his crease quickly to make the stop.

The Oilers were awarded a penalty shot with just under three minutes to play as Kimmo Timonen hauled down Shawn Horcoff on a short-handed breakaway.

The Flyers had 14 shots on Dubnyk to Edmonton’s nine on Bryzgalov in the first.

“I don’t really know what happened to him. But it wasn’t my intent to injure.”

Horcoff was stopped on the opportunity.

“I was just finishing my check,” Hartnell said. “It was the end of a long shift and part of my game is being physical. Hopefully he is all right.

“The boys really played hard tonight sidney crosby jerseys,” said Oilers associate coach Ralph Krueger, who is serving as head coach while Tom Renney recovers from a concussion.

Notes: It was the only meeting between the two teams this season. … Oilers coach Tom Renney missed his fifth game with a concussion after taking a puck in the head in practice. He may return for Saturday’s game against Phoenix. … Associate coach Ralph Krueger has been guiding the team in his absence. … The Oilers were still without rookie sensation Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but he has started practicing with contact and could return from a shoulder injury as soon as Saturday. … Besides the long-term injuries to forward Tom Sestito (groin) and defenseman Chris Pronger pittsburgh penguins jerseys, the Flyers fielded a healthy team. … Both teams have been strong on the power play this season as the Oilers came into the game fourth and the Flyers are fifth in the league. … Flyers forward Jaromir Jagr needs one point to move into eighth place in NHL scoring. He is tied with Joe Sakic with 1,641 points.

The highlight of the scoreless first period was a marathon fight between the Oilers’ Darcy Hordichuk and Philadelphia’s Jody Shelley eight minutes into the game.

The Flyers came close to getting on the board five minutes into the third as a Jakub Voracek shot got past Dubnyk, but was fished to safety by Oilers defender Tom Gilbert before it crossed the goal line.

It was the 27th goal and 60th point this season for the second-year forward.

“The defensive effort was fantastic, to keep the best offensive team in the league down to 13 five-on-five chances.”

Late in the period carey price jerseys, Hartnell was given a kneeing penalty after taking a run at Magnus Paajarvi who had to be helped off the ice with what looked like a knee injury.

Dancer, 70, among seniors stepping into tattoos

A couple of years back, Goodgold inked a ladybug on a woman in her 80s.

"She gave me a hard time when I got my first one when I was 18," she said by phone from England. "It's just funny that now she decides she wants a tattoo. I definitely approve. It's really cool."

Maret apparently has that rebel streak too. She had it done after her husband tattoo power supply, Ron, died in December.

Apart from displays of grief, some look to tattoos to celebrate freedom. "Now that they're able to, they kind of go wild," Whittenberger said.

"I always wanted to do it, but my husband unfortunately was kind of against tattoos, and out of respect for him I didn't do it," she said of the tat that cost her $125.

The Plantation woman is one of a limited but adventurous cadre of golden-agers who aren't afraid to adorn themselves with colorful artwork.

She's strutted in full plumage across Vegas stages, high-kicked with the June Taylor Dancers on "The Jackie Gleason Show tattoo machine kits," toured with bandleader Mitch Miller. But Joan Maret felt something in life was still missing: a tattoo.

Maret got the urge to sport ink after her daughter, Melanie, got a tattoo when she went off to college. Melanie, now 39 and living in Britain with a husband and child, recalls it a bit differently.

Steve Whittenberger, who inked Maret's tap shoes, said she was hardly his oldest client. That would be an 86-year-old woman who wanted a heart with a banner across it emblazoned with her late husband's name.

"I tried to talk my grandparents into getting a tattoo," he said. "But they're Jewish and they're not supposed to be buried with tattoos."

"She said she always wanted one cheap tattoo power supply, but her husband didn't want her to get one and now he's passed away," the artist said. "I guess she was a little rebel."

She decided to remedy that lack this month. So she waltzed off to Rock-A-Billy Tattoo in Lauderhill, where she had a pair of red and black tap shoes inked on the inside of her right calf.

Maret just turned 70.

Stevie Moon, owner of a Wilton Manors tattoo parlor that bears his name, had a 72-year-old woman who wanted a butterfly on her back. "The occasion was the unfortunate passing of her grandson," Moon said. "He had a butterfly."

"I decided to indulge in a dream I always had," said Maret, who teaches tap dancing and choreography in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

"You get them occasionally tattoo needle, it is more acceptable now tattoo machine power supply," said Jeffrey Goodgold, owner of Guru Tattoo in West Palm Beach.

Herrera has no regrets over dismissal by Raiders

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It is not Lewis' first run-in with the law regarding his vehicle as he was charged with reckless driving and resisting arrest in an incident last August when police had to use a Taser to catch him. He is scheduled for a May court appearance to answer for those charges.

“I don’t have anything negative to say,” Herrera said. “I’ve been a Raiders fan since I was 14 and the AFL was formed and my family gave up 49ers tickets in 1960. I developed great friendships with players and coaches and front office people. I’m not going to be able to turn any of that off. All I can do is wish them the best.”

Senior executive and media liason John Herrera's departure from the Oakland Raiders signals even more of a sea change in the organization, as new general manager Reggie McKenzie seeks to put his own stamp on the franchise.

Herrera was another line to the late Al Davis, and the long-time Raider employee says he leaves with no regrets or ill feelings toward the organization after his departure this week eli manning giants jersey, according to InsideBayArea.com.

“It’s been something I’ve been really thinking about since Al passed away last October,” Herrera said. “I had a great run. I was there 35 years, three different tours of duty. Particpated in three different Super Bowls. I had an unbelievably great relationship with the owner and his family since I was a kid in 1963.”

Herrera is best known for an argument with columnist Tim Kawakami that was caught on camera. But his contributions to the Raiders go far beyond that for a man who had worked for the organization for the majority of his adult life.

Lewis, 37 ny giants jersey, returned a kickoff for a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXV ny giants womens jersey, but has found the going much tougher apparently in life after football.

Former Baltimore Ravens receiver and kick returner Jermaine Lewis was arrested on charges of driving on a suspended license, driving on a revoked license and failure to have his four-year-old son in a safety belt, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Lewis told the arresting officer that he had gone out to get some food for his son and some heat for the house because his wife is in jail.

Pittsburgh’s top priority this offseason will be to bring back their elite young receiver, but the team is roughly $11 million over the cap and will have trouble matching an especially high contract offer. If a team can outbid the Steelers, the first-round pick they’d give up in exchange would be a small price to pay for a talent like Wallace, who’s arguably worth twice as much.

There is a 50-50 chance that a team will try to sign Wallace, a restricted free agent giants breast cancer awareness jerseys, away from Pittsburgh, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

How to grade the CB position

Finish the play: My main focus when watching Senior Bowl practices last month down in Mobile was seeing if the CBs wanted to compete in one-on-ones. And part of that is making the play on the football. PBU’s (passes broken up) are nice—and do end drives—but you want to draft CBs that finish the play and force turnovers. That translates to wins in the NFL and you want to find CBs that come up with INTs. Elite CBs in college often don’t see many targets throughout the season (and offenses can scheme away from them because of the wide numbers on the field), but keep an eye on their “finish” when they drive on a route.

Let’s go outside the numbers today and talk CBs. A premium position in today’s NFL vs. the spread looks we see on Sundays and a draft class that has some top tier talent: LSU’s Morris Claiborne eli manning breast cancer jersey, Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick eli manning jersey, North Alabama’s Janoris Jenkins, Nebraska’s Alfonzo Dennard, etc. But what are you looking for when you turn on the tape and study these players?

Tackling: You have to tackle in the NFL and there is no such thing as a “boundary corner” on Sundays. No other way to say it, because every defense carries Cover 2 in their game plans and when a WR  “cracks” or stems inside to the safety, the CB must then replace the safety in the run front. Do they wrap up or do they dive at the ball carriers legs with their heads down? Are they physical and willing to attack the line of scrimmage? Plus, can they play from an off-man position eli manning giants jersey, drive on the slant ladies patriots jerseys, the out or the one-step “smoke” route and make the tackle in space? I played for coaches in the NFL that wouldn’t allow a CB to even step on the field if they went into a shell when the ball carrier pressed the edge of the defense. Can’t play soft in this league—so find out if these prospects want to hit.

Press-coverage: I don’t see a ton of press-coverage in the college game and when I do, the technique is average—at best. Think about this: these rookies have to play press-coverage in the NFL to take away the slant and the fade on the goal line, the 3-step game in blitz-man and vs. a stack or bunch look. Do they punch with the proper hand (outside hand vs. inside release, inside hand vs. outside release), slide their feet and cut off the initial stem of the receiver? Playing from a press-look isn’t about being the toughest guy on the field. That’s high school stuff. Instead, it is about playing with the proper technique and killing the route on the release.

Technique: I always start with technique at the CB position, because I want to target prospects that have some polish to their game. Watch their footwork,  hands victor cruz authentic jersey cheap, plus the speed and athletic ability to open their hips and run. You want to see a clean “plat and drive” on the ball, a corner that can “mirror” the release of a WR, and maintain their initial leverage. Remember this: if they are sloppy with their technique on tape that is what you are getting in the NFL. You don't want to waste practice time trying to coach up technique to get a rookie ready to play.

Speed (and “recovery” speed): CB is a “stopwatch position.” You need to get a 40-time on all of these prospects; however, you must also apply that to the game tape. If you have a 4.4 guy, do you see that speed on tape? Check out how the prospect plays the top of the vertical route tree (corner, post, fade) and see if it matches up with the time he posts at the combine. It is one thing to run a 4.4 (or even sub 4.4) 40, but if you don’t see it translate to the field, this is a problem. A 4.5 guy can play like a guy who has 4.4 speed if he is solid in his technique, understands WR splits and plays through the initial release on tape. Bottom line: don’t be sold on 40-time alone with the CB position.

Here are my five keys I use when grading CB prospects…

Former receiver Freddie Solomon dies

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“The 49ers lost a member of our family today. We’ll miss you, Freddie Solomon,” 49ers CEO Jed York posted on his Twitter account.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Freddie Solomon, a beloved family member, friend, community leader and coach,” the family said in a release. “We would like to thank all those who have supported him throughout his life. We appreciate all the love and prayers during this difficult time.”

After his football career ended, Solomon worked for two decades in community relations with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, where he mentored youth and taught vital life lessons through football fundamentals.

Solomon was born on Jan. 11 eli manning jersey, 1953, in Sumter, S.C. He is survived by wife, Dee; mother, Bessie Ruth Solomon; brothers Richard, Oneal and Roger; and mother-in-law Mae Jeffers.

“Besides his accomplishments as a player, Freddie truly cared about his community giants cruz women's jersey, whether it was here in South Florida or in the Tampa Bay area where he had his roots ladies patriots jerseys,” Dolphins vice president Nat Moore said in a statement. “He was a kind and generous person, as exemplified by all of his charitable and civic deeds. It’s a shame he passed away so young, and the Miami Dolphin organization extends its condolences to his family.”

Freddie Solomon, the former Miami Dolphins and 49ers wide receiver who became known as “Fabulous Freddie” and committed himself to community service for decades, died Monday. He was 59.

“There was no one who gave more on and off the field than Freddie,” Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana said. “The kindness he demonstrated was inspirational to all that knew him, and a joy to be around. The warmth of his smile will be forever imbedded in my mind and heart.”

Funeral services were scheduled for Friday at Saint Lawrence Church in Tampa, Fla.

During his stint in San Francisco, Solomon also ran for 329 yards and three TDs as an important member of late Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense.

The Dolphins selected Solomon in the second round of the 1975 draft out of the University of Tampa. He spent his first three NFL seasons with Miami and his final eight in San Francisco, finishing with 371 receptions for 5,846 yards and 48 touchdowns in 371 games.

The 49ers announced the passing of Solomon, who lived in Florida and had battled cancer over the past year. He played on the first of the franchise’s four Super Bowl championship teams in the 1980s during an 11-year NFL career.

“Freddie was very influential to me and my career victor cruz authentic jersey cheap, and taught me about work ethic and professionalism,” Hall of Fame wideout Jerry Rice said. “He inspired me to go out there every day and emulate him.”

Bengals announce defensive coaching changes

Guenther, who will be entering his eighth season with the team in 2012, previously has worked with the Bengals' special teams, linebackers and defensive backs. He replaces Jeff FitzGerald, whose contract was not renewed by the team.

“Mark is a great choice for us as he moves back to his old position giants super bowl 2012 jerseys, coaching the defensive secondary,” said Lewis. “He experienced success as a coach with two fine NFL defenses giants black jerseys, and he will do very well with our group.”

“Paul is very deserving of this opportunity to continue advancing and to coach a position of his own,” Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. “Mike Zimmer (Bengals defensive coordinator) and I both have high confidence levels working with Paul cheap giants jerseys, and we’re excited about what he can bring our defense in this new role.”

The Cincinnati Bengals announced the hiring of two position coaches to their staff.

Carrier played safety for 11 years with Chicago, Detroit and Washington. He has spent the last six years as an assistant—four as the Ravens’ defensive backs coach and the last two as the defensive line coach with New York.

Guenther has been with the Bengals in various assistant roles for the last eight seasons. He helped with special teams and defensive backs last season.

The Bengals also promoted assistant Paul Guenther to linebackers coach on Monday, replacing Jeff FitzGerald.

The Bengals have hired former New York Jets assistant Mark Carrier as their defensive backs coach, filling a spot that opened when Kevin Coyle went to the Miami Dolphins as defensive coordinator.

Carrier, who spent 11 seasons as NFL safety with the Bears, Lions and Redskins, served as the defensive line coach for the Jets the past two seasons. Before that he had spent four seasons as an assistant secondary coach with the Ravens. He replaces Kevin Coyle, who left to be the Dolphins' defensive coordinator.

Paul Guenther victor cruz authentic jersey cheap, who has already been coaching with the team for eight years tom brady home jersey, mostly as an assistant special teams coach and assistant with linebackers and defensive backs, was named the Bengals new linebackers coach.

Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer interviewed for head coaching jobs after the season, but will return to Cincinnati.

The Bengals have named Mark Carrier as their defensive backs coach and promoted Paul Guenther to linebackers coach.

Mark Carrier, a former NFL safety, was hired to be the team's new defensive backs coach. He spent the past two seasons as a defensive line coach with the New York Jets.

Oscars 2012 'Best Actress' Nominees

Viola Davis in The Help: Davis played an African-American maid in the pre-civil rights South who raises the children of her white employers while mourning the loss of her only child. Davis brought an authentic depiction of the plight of black women of that time. It took a while for Davis is to be noticed but it is good she finally has. Davis was also nominated for this role in the 2012 Golden globes but lost the Streep. Hopefully, this nomination and possible award will open more scripts to showcase Davis.

Whoever takes home the prize on Oscar night for ‘Best Actress’ has much to be grateful for. With such remarkable films and powerful women characters it almost seems that there should be some kind of tie between a few actresses on award night. All these actresses certainly deserve the nomination for reminding us what true acting is all about. Whether it was The Iron Lady resurrected from dementia or the inner strength of African-Americans during the 50s and 60s, 2011 belonged to the ladies when it came to great acts.

Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs: Close definitely did some gender bending to play Albert Nobbs in this film adaptation of the successful stage play. Nobbs is a woman who has been disguising herself as the man for decades in order to earn a living. Back in the days when female options were limited to marriage, the convent tattoo needles and tips, teaching tattoo kits, or nursing, if you did not fall into any of those categories you were in trouble. Since this character is one who does not fit the norm, she makes do as a man. Close almost made me think I was watching her twin brother tattoo needles, so she definitely deserved a nomination.

Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher did not always have the distinct voice that her speeches were known for. Once upon a time there was a grocer’s daughter in Grantham who spoke like a middle-class girl from England’s industrial north. When Thatcher became the leader of the Conservative party it was suggested by her advisors that in order to become believable as a leader, she would have to take elocution lessons. Thatcher worked with a voice coach from the National Theater who helped lower her pitch and gave her an authority when she spoke. So distinctive was Thatcher’s voice that when Streep nailed it, people remarked that had she appeared on BBC Radio in character super tattoo, Labor party fans would have gotten chills thinking Thatcher was back with the poll tax.

BetweenThe Iron Lady and a southern steel magnolia in The Help, the race for ‘Best Actress’ is a tight one. Meryl Streep is up for her 17th Oscar nomination and Rooney Mara has her first for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Streep is the most Oscar nominated actress of all time and whenever she is in contention it makes the ceremony one to watch. 2011 is certainly was a year for these actresses to showcase their thespian capacity. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher certainly had a second life with an American playing her. As many British papers had commented tattoo ink, Streep nailed a British accent yet again. It was no surprise considering the Streep is the Queen of accents.

Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: This is 2011 film with Mara and James Bond’s Daniel Craig was the second adaptation of the famous book from Stieg Larsson. Mara morphed quite well to play a disturbed and tortured punk hacker who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth about a mysterious disappearance. Mara has certainly started her career on a good foot. She was taking the role only two years after he Swedish-language film version with Noomi Rapace in the same role but Mara still made it her own.

Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn: Marilyn Monroe still fascinates as a sex symbol icon almost 50 years since her death. The screen siren remains an enduring image. This movie has Williams as Monroe in England playing against the great Sir Laurence Olivier. During this time a young casting assistant was drawn into the charms of Monroe and their brief encounter is the basis of the film.

Any one of these ladies could capture the prize on Oscar night:

Packers have to adjust after departure of Philbin

Rodgers is the face of the franchise and was named NFL MVP on the eve of the Super Bowl on Feb. 4. Yet, his on-air lobbying to have a onetime NFL quarterback such as Billy Joe Tolliver or Rich Gannon come in as Clements' replacement didn't make a difference with McCarthy.

Neither move comes as a surprise, though quarterback Aaron Rodgers hinted at some reservations about potentially having McAdoo as his position coach a day before the appointment came to light Feb. 8.

Clements is no stranger to leading an offense. He was the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator in 2004 and '05.

Green Bay's head coach promoted longtime aides Tom Clements and Ben McAdoo to key positions. Clements is making the transition from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, while McAdoo is progressing from tight ends coach to quarterbacks coach.

"I'm in my eighth season," Rodgers said on his weekly radio show on ESPN Milwaukee. "It will be interesting to see what direction (McCarthy) wants to go in victor cruz authentic jersey, if he wants to bring in a former quarterback with experience to kind of help me with the transition into the middle part of my career wes welker jersey, a more of an established player in the league now.

After proving his value with the development of the tight ends, particularly young standout Jermichael Finley, since he arrived in Green Bay in 1996, McAdoo will have his work cut out with his new position group. While he won't need to do much hands-on work with Rodgers, McAdoo will be entrusted to cultivate an unknown group of understudies as the Packers prepare to lose top backup Matt Flynn in free agency.

McCarthy, who incidentally replaced Reid as Green Bay's quarterbacks coach in 1999, has cast McAdoo in the same light as an emerging assistant coach who is on track to be an NFL head coach.

-- Packers outside linebacker Erik Walden reached a plea agreement stemming from a Nov. 25 dispute with his girlfriend, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

McCarthy has to fill the position of tight ends coach, which also could come internally. Former longtime New Orleans Saints offensive lineman Joel Hilgenberg, who joined McCarthy's staff as an offensive quality control coach last year, might be under consideration.

The Packers absorbed only one loss on their enticing coaching staff after their near-perfect season ended prematurely in the playoffs. Yet, the departure of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin to become head coach with the Miami Dolphins has created some significant movement in the chain of command on offense under Mike McCarthy.

Taking a page out of Packers Hall of Fame-elect coach Mike Holmgren's personnel playbook hakeem nicks super bowl jerseys, McCarthy tapped the 34-year-old McAdoo to be the quarterbacks coach.

"I'm not sure what the dynamic would be with a coach who hasn't coached the position before," continued Rodgers, alluding to McAdoo. "But, Ben is a very a talented coach, and if they do make that decision, I'm sure he will make a smooth transition."

"I have enjoyed our six years of spending every working day together, and his relationship means a lot to me super bowl xlvi jerseys," Rodgers said on his radio show. "I have a lot of respect and admiration for him."

In fact, McCarthy put the kibosh on requests made by the Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to interview McAdoo for their offensive-coordinator vacancies.

He was originally charged with felony substantial battery after his girlfriend claimed he pushed her into a bedpost, resulting in a bump and cut on her forehead. But she recanted that claim, saying Walden was defending himself, and the charge was reduced to misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

Fortunately for Rodgers, he still has Clements in the building. Rodgers gives a lot of credit to Clements, who was the team's quarterbacks coach since 2006, for being able to hit the ground running and quickly evolve into an elite QB after replacing Favre as the starter in 2008.

If Walden doesn't comply with the terms of the plea, he could then face the maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1 super bowl realtree camo jerseys,000 fine.

Under the agreement, Walden must complete 50 house of community service and stay out of trouble for a year, and the charge will then be dropped and erased from the records on Jan 25, 2013.

McCarthy has yet to speak publicly since the coaching changes were made, but he likely will continue to call the plays on offense as he did his first six seasons as the Packers' head coach.

Holmgren promoted tight ends coach Andy Reid to quarterbacks coach in 1997. Reid's ability to establish a solid working relationship with then-star QB Brett Favre and earn Favre's respect the next two seasons opened the door for Reid to go to the Philadelphia Eagles as head coach.

Can Schaub be super for Texans

Unlike Eli Manning and his Giants, Schaub won't be asked to consistently put his team on his back. Houston has one of the better offensive lines in football, creating cutback lanes for two supremely talented backs, Arian Foster and Ben Tate. The running game is undoubtedly the lifeline of the Texans. Still, there will be times when Schaub will be counted on to win games for his team in the fourth quarter. Manning went from upper echelon to elite this season, in large part because of his fourth-quarter heroics. In Schaub's case, his inability to win games in crunch time is arguably the greatest knock against him. In close games (within seven points) in the fourth quarter, Schaub's completion percentage with the Texans is 63.4, and his TD-interception ratio is 12-12.

Schaub could be on a short leash giants super bowl 2012 jerseys, though; the Texans were able to win a playoff game with T.J. Yates, a third-stringer drafted in the fifth round. It is widely believed that if Schaub, not Yates 2011 breast cancer awareness women's fashion jersey, had been on the field in Baltimore, the Texans would have been one game away from reaching the Super Bowl.

Although the Texans compare favorably to the Giants in a lot of areas giants cruz women's jersey, there is a considerable gap at the most important position on the field. Is Matt Schaub ready to make an Eli-sized leap?

Thus, I expect the Texans to at least kick the tires on Peyton Manning once he becomes a free agent. He is a once-in-a-generation talent who, if healthy, is light-years ahead of Schaub. But I suspect that teams like the Dolphins and Redskins have more to offer financially, and thus it will be Schaub's team next season.

GM Rick Smith and head coach Gary Kubiak find themselves in an enviable position: Their team should be back in the thick of the Super Bowl hunt without making any major changes. Of course, with the benefit of the draft and free agency, the Texans will try to bolster the club, namely at wide receiver, where a better complement to Andre Johnson could put the Texans in the driver's seat in the AFC.

But what about the driver?

Schaub is in unfamiliar territory this offseason. He is trying to come back from a serious season-ending Lisfranc injury. For the first time during his five years in Houston, he has a team that is built to win now on both sides of the ball. Also for the first time as a member of the Texans, Schaub will be entering a contract year. The Texans don't yet know what they will do at QB beyond this season. It is up to Schaub to make his case, and it is pretty obvious what the ultimate selling point would be.

Needless to say authentic victor cruz jersey, expectations will be higher in 2012. How Schaub handles the pressure will go a long way toward determining the Texans' chances of contending for a Super Bowl and Schaub's long-term outlook in Houston.

One team that stacks up well against the Giants is the Texans, whose 12-1 Super Bowl odds for 2012 are bested by only three teams: Green Bay (6-1), New England (7-1) and New Orleans (17-2). There is no question that the arrow is pointing up for Houston.

Within hours of the Giants being crowned Super Bowl champions giants black jerseys, the wheels of 31 NFL teams began turning. The Giants became the measuring stick with which every other team will now compare itself and strive to replicate.

Butch Davis added to mix on Bucs’ staff

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The Bills are first on Routt's list, followed by the Titans who have their own free agent cornerback in Cortland Finnegan that they are trying to figure out whether he fits into their future plans.

Teams wasted no time lining up the chance to visit with cornerback Stanford Routt, who was released by the Oakland Raiders on Thursday.

Routt had four interceptions last season for the Raiders, the first year of an extension that he signed for three years and then reworked to add two more seasons, only to be released by new GM Reggie McKenzie and new coach Dennis Allen.

The former head coach of the Cleveland Browns was most recently the head coach at North Carolina. It remains to be seen if Davis will influence Schiano in the hire of an offensive coordinator. The Bucs have interviewed John Shoop for the offensive coordinator position and he worked in that position under Davis at North Carolina.

The Buffalo Bills will visit with Routt first, and after that cheap giants jerseys, the 28-year-old cornerback, will stop by to see the Tennessee Titans, according to TitanInsider.com.

It’s a rare condition McBriar had but he is expected to recover fully and relatively quickly. He is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent and his first choice is to remain with the Cowboys. His best season came in 2006 when he averaged 48.2 yards per punt eli manning jersey, the fifth-highest figure in NFL history.

“The intraneural cyst was causing Mat's foot drop. The surgery to remove the cyst was targeted, based on the most current understanding of the condition and its formation," May Clinic neurosurgeon Robert Spinner eli manning kids jersey, M.D., told the Morning News. He is considered the leading expert on the subject. “Mat's surgery went extremely well, and I believe he will be as good a punter as ever.”

McBriar ny giants womens jersey, a Pro Bowl performer, had an intraneural cyst removed from the leg at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., according to the Dallas Morning News.

Dallas Cowboys punter Mat McBriar underwent successful surgery to remove a cyst from his left leg that created problems for his plant foot this past season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have added another veteran coach with NFL ties to the mix as Butch Davis has been hired as a senior defensive assistant.

Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com reports Davis has been added to Greg Schiano’s staff, similar to how Jimmy Raye II was hired as a senior offensive assistant. Davis will not be the team’s defensive coordinator.

Twitter spawns bond between Steelers WR and fan

Just ask Seth Paladin eli manning jersey, a die-hard Steelers fan from Indianapolis whose innocuous tweet at wide receiver Antonio Brown triggered a week-long friendship.

A word of advice to the youth of America: Always tweet players from your favorite team. You never know when they'll invite you to do Pilates with them.

“When I first tweeted at him, I thought there was a very slim chance that he’d see it," Paladin, 24, told CNBC's Darren Rovell. "When he replied, I thought to myself authentic victor cruz jersey, ‘This is crazy.’ ”

That night, Brown accepted Paladin's invite to join friends for a dinner at a downtown steakhouse. Brown picked up the tab. The next morning, the pair met up again and headed back to the gym before having breakfast together. This went on all week, with Paladin joining Brown at several events. Brown even gave Paladin his credit card to pick up a pair of shoes at one point.

The new media friendship was just beginning.

"I saw what guys like Ochocinco did on Twitter and I wanted to give it a try ladies patriots jerseys," Brown said. "I know there's a lot of support for us in Steeler Nation and it was fun to be with a fan and see what motivates him every day."

Seriously.

By the time Brown flew out of Indianapolis on Sunday morning, Paladin's mind was understandably blown.

Pittsburgh native Seth Paladin hit the gym with Steelers WR Antonio Brown all week.
Pittsburgh native Seth Paladin hit the gym with Steelers WR Antonio Brown all week. (Seth Paladin/Special to NFL.com)

“Twitter has always been a neat tool giants breast cancer awareness jerseys, but this encounter took it to another level for me eli manning breast cancer jersey," he said. "Twitter puts everyone on an even playing field. Don’t pass up an opportunity to interact with a role model, because you never know what they might say. Trust me."
 

After a series of direct messages, texts and phone calls, the two met at Brown's hotel room, where they immediately hit it off. They took a trip to the gym together, where they lifted and swam laps in the pool.

Plaxico Burress wants to take his talents to Philly

Umenyiora is slated to earn $3.975 million next season in the final year of a seven-year deal he signed in 2005. He had nine sacks in nine games in 2011.

Now 2012 superbowl jerseys, maybe the Eagles will be in the mix. According to Howard Eskin of WIP in Philadelphia, he spoke to Burress at Super Bowl XLVI and Burress told him he wants to play for the Eagles – “badly.”

Andy Reid and the Eagles have a history of finding success with second-chance stories. Look no further than Michael Vick for evidence. But it didn’t happen and Burress landed with the New York Jets.

Reese said he expects tight ends Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum to start the season on the physically unable to perform list. Both players tore knee ligaments in the Super Bowl.

Many speculated the Philadelphia Eagles would be the landing spot for Plaxico Burress when he got sprung from state prison last June.

No dancing robots and cheesy metal jams authentic victor cruz jersey, Fox's preferred method of audience torture … no celeb fawning from Joe Buck cheap hakeem nicks jersey, who spends a chunk of the game pointing out A-Rod and Miley Cyrus and Happy Sandler and the likes.

Burress could not replace DeSean Jackson if the speedster departs, but he could help give Vick a bigger target to pair with Jackson and similarly speedy Jeremy Maclin. Stay tuned.

“We’re in the early stages of the evaluation 2012 super bowl jerseys,” Reese said. “Osi is under contract. We’ll discuss everything as a staff and we’ll discuss all issues that could possibly come up for us and we’ll come up with a game plan. We’ll move on, day by day, and see how things work out for us.”

Reese praised the team’s practice squad and suggested some of those players could fill voids at tight end and other positions.

XLVI comes down to a final Brady mortar soaring toward the endzone wes welker jersey, a nail-shredder for sure. So why is it taking so long for Peter King to issue his annual proclamation of "Best Super Bowl Ever?"

Lasers Lighting the Way for Enhanced Treatment of Melasma and Tattoo Removal

In Dr. Kauvar’s study of 27 women with mixed-type melasma, 22 subjects (81 percent) experienced greater than 75 percent improvement of their melasma after an average of 2.6 laser treatments. Of those, 11 subjects (40 percent) achieved over 95 percent improvement of their melasma. In addition, she found that clearance of melasma was maintained for at least six months.

On the surface, it would seem as though the skin condition melasma (commonly referred to as the “mask of pregnancy”) and tattoos would have little in common. However, they both affect a person’s skin, can be quite difficult to treat or remove and, now, dermatologists are discovering new laser therapies which enhance treatment for both conditions.

Tattoos Getting the Boot with New Laser Therapies
While lasers have been used to remove tattoos for several years, the procedure requires multiple treatment sessions (typically six to 10 treatments or more) and treatments are painful, requiring a few weeks of healing time between procedures. Dr. Kauvar noted that the process of tattoo ink removal is inefficient since every color of ink absorbs different wavelengths of light, requiring the use of multiple lasers. Some colors – such as yellow, orange, turquoise or fluorescent ones – remain more difficult to treat.

With the new combination therapy, the dermatologist performs a microdermabrasion immediately followed by a low-energy laser treatment with a Q-switched YAG laser. Patients then begin a topical regimen using hydroquinone and sunscreen.

Combination Laser Therapy Targets Melasma
Melasma is caused by an overproduction of melanin, a natural substance in the body that gives skin its color and can lead to dark patches on the face. While melasma may occur in anyone, the condition most commonly affects women with darker Mediterranean skin, Asians and Hispanics. Dr. Kauvar explained that melasma is typically controlled with topical medications that contain ingredients to lighten the skin tattoo needles and tips, such as hydroquinone or retinoids. Along with regular use of broad-spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, this treatment can resolve the excess pigmentation and prevent further darkening of the skin.

“While this treatment uses a very low laser energy tattoo power supply, it’s high enough to break up the pigment without heating the skin tattoo transfer,” said Dr. Kauvar. “Melasma is a chronic disease, like psoriasis or eczema, which can be controlled but not cured. So far, we have been able to control melasma more effectively and extend the remission periods. I also find that patients are more motivated to continue their recommended skin care regimen to further help control flares.”

However, this therapy may only provide temporary improvement in more difficult cases– particularly in patients with mixed-type melasma. In this type of melasma, excess pigment is produced in both the epidermis and dermis – the upper and lower levels of the skin. While high-energy lasers for pigment removal and laser resurfacing have been investigated to treat this type of melasma, Dr. Kauvar explained that the procedures were too harsh and could wound the skin, leading to increased pigment production and worsening of melasma. More recently super tattoo, fractional lasers – which are less aggressive lasers – have been used, but there have been reports of an increased incidence of melasma recurring as well.

One new study uses the Q-switched YAG laser to treat a tattoo four times in one day. These four separate treatments are administered at 20-minute intervals and have demonstrated much faster clearance of tattoo inks. Other research involves the use of the fractional ablative laser in conjunction with traditional tattoo-removal lasers to speed up clearance – resulting in as much as 50 percent tattoo ink removal in just one treatment session. In another new study, Dr. Kauvar is investigating the effectiveness of administering two treatments in one day using a combination of laser wavelengths to target different ink colors. With this procedure, Dr. Kauvar first uses a Q-switched YAG laser on the tattoo, followed by a Q-switched alexandrite laser (which is better at treating blues and greens) 20 minutes after the first laser. Dr. Kauvar noted that initial results of this procedure have shown significant improvement in removing blue, green and black inks.
 

“Unfortunately, there is no ideal laser to remove all tattoo colors, but new approaches have recently been introduced that appear to produce better results with fewer treatment sessions,” said Dr. Kauvar.

“Dermatologists are now finding that new laser therapies can significantly improve melasma and even remove tattoos more safely and effectively than laser procedures we have used in the past,” said dermatologist Arielle N.B. Kauvar, MD, FAAD, clinical professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine in New York City.

“Effective treatment of mixed-type melasma requires a very low-energy and low-impact procedure because irritation and inflammation can worsen melasma,” said Dr. Kauvar. “Based on these requirements, I combined microdermabrasion, low-energy laser and a pigment-suppressing skin care regimen, which has shown to be painless, non-invasive tattoo machines parts, safe on any skin type and requires no downtime.”

Kurt Warner says Eli Manning isn’t yet Canton-ready

“I mean, he has an 82 quarterback rating throughout his career. You know, he’s had five of his eight seasons where he has thrown 16 interceptions or more. His completion percentage on his career is 58 percent. To me, those aren’t Hall of Fame numbers cheap victor cruz jersey, and by that, I mean every time you step on the field you’re a game changer, you’re a difference maker. And I don’t believe Eli Manning has been that guy until this year.

Eli Manning joined elite company when he became only the fifth player in NFL history to win a second Super Bowl MVP award.

Manning has one more Super Bowl title than his former teammate Warner, but the retired Warner isn’t certain Manning is cut out for Canton yet.

“I fully disagree with that," Warner said on 620-AM in Phoenix on Tuesday. "You know, because I know we put a lot of weight on championships, and rightfully so. But championships are won as a team, and I’m fully convinced of that. You never see one guy—a great player hakeem nicks jersey, great quarterback—carry a team through the playoffs and into a Super Bowl and win a Super Bowl that way. I’ve never seen it.

"Now, if he plays the same way he played this year, the rest of his career, and you give him five more years, and then add the two championships cheap victor cruz white authentic jersey, then I think we have reason to debate, and he's probably going to be in the Hall of Fame in that position.”

“You know victor cruz authentic jersey cheap, even in that game (Super Bowl XLVI) victor cruz jersey, it’s 21-17. That’s the game. There wasn’t a quarterback just up and down the field carrying the team. Yeah, he made the plays down the stretch—no question about it. He’s had two great playoff runs—or his team has had two great playoff runs. But I also look at the rest of his career.

Joe Montana has three of them and Tom Brady, Terry Bradshaw, Bart Starr and now Manning have two each. Brady is most certainly headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day but not so fast with Manning. Not so fast according to Kurt Warner, anyway.

You can listen to Warner right here, and he makes some valid points. Manning is coming off a terrific regular season and with a few more solid regular seasons, he will strengthen his resume. We don’t believe he needs to win two more championships to be Canton-worthy, but another wouldn’t hurt and certainly some more 4,000-yard seasons would help.

'Dragon Tattoo' star Rapace bursts into Hollywood

tattoo tips

"So in a weird way, I always felt that I was going to leave kind of what I came from. But I could never imagine I was going to end up with these people and doing movies with the best people in the world."

Due in theaters next summer tattoo machines, Prometheus is the filmmaker's return to science fiction, though Scott and his collaborators are cagey about whether it's a prequel to 1979'sAlien, in which Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley first encountered the unstoppable space monster.

Co-starring with Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender, Rapace plays an archaeologist on an exploratory mission that runs into trouble in deep space.

"It's not a clean prequel to Alien," Rapace said. "It's definitely related. I think you will see connections," including some between her character and Weaver's Ripley.

"I was done with her, and I felt like I left her when I was finished with the third movie," Rapace said. "I couldn't see any reason of kind of doing it again. I never want to repeat myself. I always want to move on and do new things. So no, it was not for me."

Maybe it was inevitable that whoever landed the lead in the original Girl With the Dragon Tattoo would become Sweden's next big export.

"She can kick ass, that girl," said Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie. Rapace's Lisbeth was "scary. There's a very strong element of danger about her that she maintains like a wild animal, in a way."

But it was her performance as brilliant, traumatized, ferocious and feral computer hacker Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo that was her exit visa from Sweden.

The world of Lisbeth, with her tattoos, body piercings and anarchic spirit, was not unknown to Rapace, who went on her own rebellious, punk-rocker tear in her early teens.

"Then I saw the movie and thought, my God, how are we going to take all that she's capable of and make this role worth her while and show a different side of her?" Downey said.

Hollywood's version of Dragon Tattoo stars Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara tattoo grips, who delivers her own fierce take on Lisbeth. Rapace said she was never interested in playing Lisbeth again herself, even though the film has the potential to launch a blockbuster trilogy whose commercial success would far eclipse the Swedish adaptations.

"I had to just wake up that sleeping demon and say, 'It's time to come back now,' " Rapace said.

"There was a gap there when I was not into acting tattoo transfer, and I was against everything. First, I was into doing judo and kung fu. Then I was drinking a lot," Rapace said. "So I kind of lost track for a while, then I came back, I pulled myself together, and I decided when I was 15 that I'm going to get sober, and I'm going to become an actress."

Two and a half years after the debut of Dragon Tattoo, the first of her three eye-popping turns as late author Stieg Larsson's untamed heroine, Rapace has stormed into Hollywood in Robert Downey Jr.'s latest Sherlock Holmes adventure and Ridley Scott's Prometheus, a cousin to his sci-fi hit Alien.

Downey met with Rapace and was sold on her for the role even before he saw her in Dragon Tattoo.

"They are kind of in the same family. Even though I think that my character is kind of more feminine," Rapace said. "She's more naive in the beginning and a believer and full of hope tattoo equipments, and then in the middle of the movie, she kind of changes into more of a warrior and a survivor."

Doing interviews for the Dragon Tattoo films, Rapace realized her English was weak, so she set out to teach herself the language. Barely a year later, she was fluent in English when she turned up on set for Sherlock Holmes and Scott's Prometheus.

All three films adapted from Larsson's best-sellers became worldwide hits, with Hollywood quickly jumping in for David Fincher's English-language remake of Dragon Tattoo, opening just days after Sherlock Holmes.

Rapace, 31, appeared in her first movie at age 7 while living in Iceland before her family moved back to Sweden, and she has been acting steadily for the past decade.

To capture Lisbeth's intensity, Rapace also had to revive the wild spirit of her teen years.

She enrolled in a drama high school in Stockholm and built an impressive list of credits in Swedish film and TV in her 20s. When the part of Lisbeth came her way, she even wore some of her old punk clothes and shoes. Rapace came to the film pre-perforated, reopening an old stud hole of her own for one of Lisbeth's piercings.

Early next year, Rapace is set to shoot the crime story Dead Man Down with Colin Farrell, reuniting her with Dragon Tattoo director Niels Arden Oplev.

Rapace felt right at home among Downey's ensemble for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, while she grew up on Alien, Thelma & Louise and other films from director Scott.

Yet with or without a blockbuster role, Noomi Rapace always felt she would break out beyond the borders of her homeland.

In the Sherlock Holmes sequel, Rapace plays a gypsy fortuneteller who teams with Downey's great detective and sidekick Watson (Jude Law) against their archrival, Moriarty (Jared Harris).

"Ridley Scott is one of my heroes since as long as I can remember. I kind of actually think that he saved me sometimes, because I always felt like an outsider in Sweden. I didn't feel Swedish. I always felt like something is different with me," Rapace said in an interview to promote Sherlock Holmes, which opens Friday. "The Swedish people are quite repressed, and they hold back a lot of things. It's like people are really afraid of conflicts and emotions, and nobody really says anything straight to you. …