2010年9月30日星期四

There are alternatives to traditional liposuction?

Modern alternative to liposuction appeared in the world of plastic surgery for several years, changing the way we have carved our bodies forever. Although older techniques mean much recovery time and the occasional horror story, new techniques are much safer nfl jerseys
with less recovery time. Lip sculpture - a technique with the infusion of a mixture of lidocaine and saline in the treatment area - which virtually painless procedure that is performed. With the addition of an ultrasonic probe of the fat with ultrasonic, tumescent Vaster Lip Selection has to break up quickly into one of the most popular models with cosmetic surgeons. Unlike the old procedure based on the ability of the plastic surgeons that do not depend on other body tissues amended to Vaster ultrasound waves to break down fats so that other important areas unmolested. Of course, it helps the recovery time and reduces the chances of something going wrong during the Buffalo Bills jersey
operation. The emulsified fat is then sucked from the body. The wonderful thing is that the Vaster Liposuction can be performed under local anesthesia and thus recovery time is much smaller. Compression therapy is still in use, but because of the ultrasound technology used in liposuction, the skin tends to shrink back to new, sculpted body to adapt quickly and easily. Bruising is minimized with the new VASER Lip technique. This is because ultrasound is like fat, which is much gentler on the body. This means fewer blood vessels are changed; there is a reduction in the amount of bruising.
Another good reason for Vaster liposuction techniques, which is to decide on other procedures that tumescence can theoretically more fat to remove unwanted species before the operation. Of course, liposuction is not an alternative to weight loss - as a process of body shaping - but vaster method can be used successfully to prune away unwanted fat pockets with great success. VASER Hi Def Lip sculpture is a new step to be better suited to the very specific definition, requires the appearance of their muscles. It is, in fact, and illusion. It is used in men and women, highly qualified plastic surgeon can use the Hi Def Vaster Steelers jersey
technology pockets appear literally shape the fat in muscles that are defined.

2010年9月26日星期日

BIG AUDIENCE Colts-Giants Game Last Sunday Drew Big Crowd

Last Sunday’s Colts-Giants game drew the second-largest regular season crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium with an announced attendance of 67,275, of which Colts Owner and CEO Jim Rise donated one dollar for each fan at the game to the United Way of Central nfl jersey
Indiana.
The game was a big hit on television, too. According to the National Football League and The Nielsen Company, the game rated as the top primetime show on Sunday with 23.1 million viewers. And it not only ranked number one in Indianapolis with a 44.4 household rating and a 62 share—the highest Buffalo Bills jersey
local rating in the league—the Colts-Giants game also ranked as the most-watched event Sunday in the San Francisco-Oakland and New Orleans markets.
NFL games topped the ratings in all 30 local NFL markets for the second consecutive week, the first time games have rated number one in each market in the first two weeks of a season.
The Colts have a history of playing well in primetime, particularly Steelers jersey
on Sundays. The Colts are 9-2 in Sunday night regular-season games since 2006, and have six consecutive wins. The Colts won all three of their Sunday night appearances in 2009, including a 35-34 fourth-quarter comeback win over New England. The club’s last loss on a Sunday night was the season-opener in 2008 to Chicago.

2010年9月25日星期六

Seahawks pick McLaughlin as new president

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Peter McLaughlin’s new role as president of the Seattle Seahawks is strictly focused on the business side of the operation.
Football is clearly in the hands of Pete Carroll and John Schneider.
McLaughlin was introduced as the new president of the nfl throwback jerseys
Seahawks, Seattle Sounders FC and First and Goal Inc. on Thursday. He comes to the Seahawks after four years as CEO of the NHL's St. Louis Blues and replaces Todd Lei eke, who announced at the end of July he was leaving as the head of Paul Allen's Vulcan Sports and Entertainment to become CEO and minority owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
''There is so much positive here and we're going to continue to work hard to improve things,'' McLaughlin said.
When Carroll and Schneider were brought on earlier this year, there were questions on the hierarchy of authority and whether the football duo reported to Lei eke, who served as the bridge between the football operations and Allen, the Seahawks' owner.
With McLaughlin coming aboard, it's clear that all football-related decisions are in the hands of Carroll and Schneider and go directly to Allen.
''There's been some conjecture on football reporting. Fact is football reports into ownership. One of the cool things about Peter and his candidacy is he said to me, 'These football guys have forgotten more than I'll ever know.' He wasn't coming here to draw plays or draft players,'' Lei eke said. ''... Football will continue to report into ownership and Peter is going to do everything he can to support it. He'll have jurisdiction over budgets, annual budgets and those things, but this is a structure like most other NFL teams and really how it worked for us Buffalo Bills jersey
under my leadership.''
Mike McCarthy, vice chairman of the Blues, has been named interim CEO while the team conducts a national search for McLaughlin’s replacement.
McLaughlin’s responsibilities will not be as far-reaching as Peewee’s were. When Lei eke was appointed to oversee all of Allen's sports ventures in 2007, he took on managing the operations of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers.
McLaughlin is strictly focused on the two franchises in Seattle and the organization that operates Qwest Field.
''We saw a lot of things in the recruiting process that reminded us of Todd in that recruiting process seven years ago,'' said Bert Kolbe, vice chair of the Vulcan board of directors. ''I think Todd has made a huge difference to the fan base ... and I think Peter can take that forward.''
There are many similarities between Lei eke and McLaughlin, who have known each other for many years. Most obvious is a connection with the NHL, where McLaughlin is leaving and where Lei eke is returning.
Before spending four years with the Blues and helping revitalize that franchise, McLaughlin worked 21 years in various positions at Anheuser-Busch. His final position with the beer giant was to be in charge of negotiating sponsorships that included Super Bowls, the Olympics and the World Cup.
''Peter is a bright, proven leader who believes as I do that the fans always come first and understands the importance of community,'' Allen said in a statement. ''He is experienced in all aspects of the business side of sports.''
Despite their past friendship, Lei eke insisted McLaughlin Steelers jersey
wasn't handed the opportunity to take over in Seattle and that he ''earned the right to be here.''
''I'm here to be a great fan of both teams, to work hard, serve the fans, give back to the community and to help John and Pete (Carroll) and the Sounders have the resources to put championships in the Seattle community,'' McLaughlin said. ''I just couldn't be happier to be here.''

2010年9月24日星期五

24 sep 10 Reds routed by Brewers, but magic number down to 3

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MILWAUKEE (AP)—Cincinnati pitcher Aaron Harang(notes) hobbled off after being hit in the leg by a line drive Wednesday night and the NL Central-leading Reds had their magic number cut to three despite losing 13-1 to the Milwaukee Brewers. Craig Counsell(notes) homered during Milwaukee’s eight-run football jersey
second inning. Corey Hart(notes) homered the next inning and the Brewers finished with 19 hits.
The Reds moved closer to clinching the division when second-place St. Louis lost to Pittsburgh 11-6.
Cincinnati’s surge toward the playoffs hit a bump, however, when Johnny Cueto(notes) (12-6) had his shortest start of the season and Harang, normally a starter, was struck in the right ankle by Rickie Weeks’(notes) liner in the fourth inning.
The sound of the ball hitting Harang was audible in the press box. X-rays were negative and Harang had a bruise.
Harang limped toward as it rolled near the third-base line. He bent over in pain, then spiked his glove before being assisted off the field.
Randy Wolf(notes) (13-11) allowed a two-out walk, a single by Scott Rolen(notes) and Johnny Gomes’ RBI single in the first, but then settled down and retired the next 11 batters. Wolf gave up four hits over six innings and struck out seven.
Casey McGehee(notes) drove in four runs with a pair of Bills jersey
two-run doubles, giving him 99 RBIs.
After scoring just 13 runs in the last five games, the Brewers erupted against the Reds. Counsell’s second homer of the season, a three-run shot off Cueto, highlighted the big inning.
George Kottaras(notes) and Wolf each drove in a run, Prince Fielder(notes) drew a bases-loaded walk, McGehee doubled and Counsell chased Cueto with his first homer since April 18.
Harang, who made his second relief appearance since Sept. 14 against Arizona, came on and allowed Lorenzo Cain’s(notes) second double of the inning. The Brewers ended a 13-game stretch in which Reds starters had not allowed more than three earned runs.
The Brewers had struggled against Cueto in his two other starts this season, managing just two earned runs over 13 innings. This time, the right-hander was gone after 1 1-3 innings as the Brewers won for just the second time in 11 games this season against the Reds.
McGehee hit a two-run double in the fourth. Hart’ sacrifice fly in the fifth gave him a career-high 94 RBIs.
Brewers star Ryan Braun exited in the fifth with a bruised left elbow after being hit by a pitch from Sam LeCure(notes).
Notes: Cueto’ shortest career start was two-thirds of 49ers jersey
an inning on July 6, 2009, at Philadelphia. … Reds 1B Joey Votto(notes) missed his second consecutive game with a sinus infection. INF Yonder Alonso(notes), promoted Sept. 1 from Triple-A Louisville, made his major league debut with a start in place of Votto. … Cain had his first four-hit game for Milwaukee.

2010年9月22日星期三

Tom Powers: That old Brett Favre magic is so last season for Vikings

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Brett Favre and the Vikings' offense had labored all game Sunday at the Metrodome. But with 1:42 left, they took the field, trailing by four points, 55 yards from victory. Favre has made a career out of situations such as these. And not one soul from among the sellout crowd for the season's first home game had dared move toward the exit. This was Favre time.
On the sideline, coach Brad Childress felt confident. Despite watching Favre occasionally misfire against the Dolphins and watching a sub-par receiving corps struggle nfl jersey
to make plays, he was convinced something good was about to happen. He could sense it.
"You do," he agreed afterward. "And we had a timeout left."
Not this time. What in the past would have been a final, glorious Vikings touchdown drive fizzled. The last play was a raggedy-looking short pass toward Visanthe Shiancoe over the middle. Then the Vikings walked off the field, heads down, staring at an oh and two record after their 14-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Somewhere in Vikings Land there is a big red button just waiting to be pushed. Then sirens will wail and buzzers will bellow. Then it officially will be time to panic. Can that button be pushed after just two games?
"I know this much," Favre said, "oh and two is not good."
No, it isn't. I'm all for getting a leg up on panicking.
"It's a 14-game season right now, and we're sitting at the bottom of it," Favre said. "What we do from here remains to be seen. It won't get any easier."
Favre did not have a good day. There must have been times when that rocking chair on the front porch back in Mississippi looked pretty good. Unfortunately, he doesn't have anybody to throw to other than Shiancoe, the tight end. Percy Harvin caught a few flips early. But he is a physical wreck and plays sporadically. Greg Camarillo remains uninvolved. Bernard Berrian is about as useful as a hood ornament.
Favre continues to throw balls to Berrian as if he were throwing to Sidney Rice. The latter could come back and get a ball. Or he could go up and get a ball. Berrian, supposedly the go-to guy in Rice's absence, can't seem to do much of anything. Favre threw a "back shoulder" pass to him at the goal line in the third Dallas Cowboys jersey
quarter. It's something they've worked on in practice. But it ended up picked off.
"I put it where I wanted it, let's put it that way," Favre said.
Rice might catch that ball, but not Berrian. Of Favre's three intercepted passes, two were intended for Berrian. The other was one that Harvin botched near the goal line.
Asked if he thought Berrian was expending maximum effort, Favre replied: "I believe so. I'll watch the film. I think Bernard's heart is in the right place. I believe in my mind he did all he could do. If I felt otherwise, I wouldn't throw it to him. We go to bat with what we got, me included."
Not that Favre was blameless. He remains out of sync with his receivers, such as they are. And he lost the ball in the end zone, handing a touchdown to the Dolphins. Favre later lamented the loss of Rice and running back Chester Taylor, and Harvin's poor health, which has kept him either out of action or less than a hundred percent. Clearly, the front office needs to acquire wide receiver Vincent Jackson from San Diego before the season slips away. Or before everyone loses interest.
"It's not for me to decide," Favre said. "I've heard the talk, just like everybody else."
The Miami Dolphins aren't chopped liver, but there's no way they should waltz out of the Metrodome with a victory. Remember, the Vikings went 9-0 at home last season. And this year was supposed to be Super Bowl Run, Part Deux. Favre noted that he felt terrible about it. It's the exact feeling that he hoped to avoid by retiring.
"One of the biggest reasons I wanted to not play was dealing with losses," Favre said. "I love the guys. I love to win. If we had won on the last play today, it would have been great.
"We got to play Detroit this week. All I know is we got to get better."
Listen, if the Lions aren't the cure for what ails the Vikings, then the disease is fatal. Chargers jersey
Just turn off the lights and say goodnight. That game, at the Metrodome, is followed by a bye week. If they lose to the Lions they might lose to the bye week, too.
"I don't know how many times I've been 0-2," Favre said. "I don't know how many times I've been 2-0. I know it feels a lot better to be 2-0. I came back to give this team a chance to win and to be a part of it. My hope is that we still do that. I know it's going to be tough."

Monte Poole: Everyone staying away from Raiders

Cowboys jersey
The vacancies evident today inside the Coliseum are not a reaction to the events of last Sunday, when the Raiders were spanked in Tennessee.
Nor are they a direct response to 2009, when the Raiders submitted yet another season in which they averaged at least two losses for every win.
The exodus began with competent men removing themselves nfl throwback jerseys
from consideration as head coach, starting with Sean Payton in 2004 and including Ken Whisenhunt a couple years later.
The pattern soon became apparent on the field, too, with the aging of great players like Tim Brown and Steve Wisniewski, with those whose bodies had betrayed them, like Rich Gannon and Lincoln Kennedy, and those who later arrived with a glimmer of hope before concluding conditions were not conducive to prosperity.
Like, most famously, Randy Moss.
Even some of the retired Raiders, noble servants when Al Davis was king, started peeling away, feeling unappreciated or, worse, as if their input was unwanted.
Suddenly, nobody wanted to be here.
Who, then, is left by now but the most devoted fans? Those who waved Raiders flags when the team was in Los Angeles, bought new ones when the team returned to Oakland, were rewarded three consecutive postseason appearances only to witness in the aftermath seven seasons of witless deconstruction.
They may bleed Silver and Black. They may be passionate soldiers devoted to everything it means to maintain membership in the Raider Nation. But how much are they supposed to take? It was a matter of time before they, too, began abandoning Al and whatever it is he is trying to accomplish.
Oh, they fought the good fight. They continued to worship at the Church of Al, defending absurd personnel decisions, staying loyal through preposterous draft picks and carefully swallowing the wildest offseason spending spree in franchise history. They withstood serial losing and league-wide ridicule. They even tolerated, with some embarrassment, the most bizarre news conference in NFL history.
But thousands began declining the Raiderade last season. They put down the cups and walked away, fleeing en masse.
And today, when the Raiders step onto the field for their home opener aMinnesota Vikings jersey
gainst St. Louis, the once-fearsome Coliseum and its Black Hole will be a rumor of its former self. Too many finally have taken a cue from Payton and Whisenhunt and Sarkisian.
The game did not sell out or even come close to selling out. This will be the eighth of nine home games blacked out on local TV because not enough tickets were sold. The 63,000-seat facility will have thousands of empty seats for a game in which the Raiders are favored.
Part of this can be blamed on the battered economy, which has saved its most destructive work for California. Part of it can be attributed to the depth of sports and entertainment alternatives in the Bay Area. Nationally ranked Stanford played Saturday night. The Giants, in the final weeks of a hot pennant race, are home today. The 49ers on Monday play host to defending champion New Orleans at Candlestick Park.
There are lots of options, and the Raiders happen to be among the least appealing.
And most of the empties today are an indictment of the sorry state of franchise operations. As if losing 84 of 113 games isn't bad enough, Davis continues to be stubbornly stubborn about seeking real solutions.
Such arrogance can be tolerated while triumphant, as the Raiders once were. And defiance, one of the few characteristics where Al has lost nothing, can be intriguing when you're the charismatic maverick, back-handing a league of stuffy conformists.
But when your team is losing at a rate the league has never known, arrogance and defiance are just plain pathetic.
Raiders fans don't always agree; when some dared to put up a billboard urging Davis to replace himself as general manager, others distanced themselves from the movement. There is unanimity, though, in that no fan worth their Silver and Black blood wants to embrace pathetic.
The franchise has fallen so far that Jon Gruden, the former Raiders coach in town with the Monday Night Football crew, could hold an "I'm coming back to the Raiders" rally at Oracle Arena today and there would be higher demand for tickets.
Is this a case of mass apathy? No, because too many still care.
Is it mass surrender? No, because too many still are willing to root.
It's a mass passive-aggressive protest, because these fans don't have many Indianapolis Colts jersey
remaining options that might be heard.
Though a victory today would be help, it would not be a solution. The issue is much bigger than one game or even a single season. Only one man can address this. If he weren't so busy believing it's not broken, he might notice the silence.

Purdy: San Francisco 49ers' game with New Orleans Saints much bigger for Mike Singletary than team

Cowboys jersey
Do not believe the hype. Tonight is not a make-or-break game for the 49ers. They do not have to beat the New Orleans Saints to reach the playoffs. Starting the season 0-2 is not fatal. Dallas and Minnesota both have 0-2 records. Anyone think they're toast?
Tonight, however, could be a make-or-break game for Mike Singletary. football jerseys
His team, win or lose, must play viciously and play smart. The 49ers cannot lay a stink bomb and make Candlestick Park's concourses smell worse than they already do.
And if that stink happens, after all of the emotional capital spent by their head coach this past week? Well, then something is definitely wrong at the Bank of Singletary. And he will have a nearly impossible time convincing anyone that he can ever get the balance sheet back in order.
Dull, this man is not. But it's still an open question whether that helps or hurts a game plan, against New Orleans or anyone else.
Singletary began last week by downplaying the issue of whether offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye was having trouble communicating plays to quarterback Alex Smith. But at midweek, after an online news report about the miscommunication, Singletary reversed his previous downplaying policy. He ranted about a possible "rat" in the 49ers building, then during a live TV interview barked at KPIX sports voice Dennis O'Donnell's legitimate questions -- before dramatically proclaiming that the 49ers "will not try and stop" the Saints offense but flatly "will stop" quarterback Drew Brees.
Except, it turns out that isn't what Singletary really meant. Over the weekend when a reporter -- OK, this reporter -- asked him to define "stopping" the Saints, the coach did a backpedal.
Singletary said he was merely sticking up for his own players. He explained that no coach in the NFL believes his team can't stop another team.
"I want you to understand this," Singletary said. "As much as I respect the Saints offense and what they've been able to do, I'm very excited about our ability to do some things on defense, as well."
So why didn't he just say that in the first place? Because it wouldn't be the Singletarian way. Watching him at work is easily the Bay Area's most compelling spectator activity. But it gives you pause in these two respects:
1. Look, we understand. Singletary is a passionate guy. He wants his players' best effort, 16 times a season. But he can't possibly have his team at the highest emotional peak for all 16 games, can he? Because that's what seems to be his goal. And you wonder if it will just wear out the players psychologically.
2. Until he otherwise disperses the notion, Singletary remains under the theoretical cloud that Hall of Fame players will always have a difficult time becoming great head coaches.
The theory goes this way: To reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Cowboys jersey
player, a man must have immense physical talents and combine them with the utmost intensity and focus. But when those Hall of Fame players become coaches, they grow frustrated because not all the men they coach are as talented or as intense. And it is difficult for those Hall of Famers to handle that dynamic.
More than a dozen Hall of Fame players have become head coaches in the NFL. Only one has coached Super Bowl winner. That would be Mike Ditka -- who, of course, was Singletary's head coach in Chicago.
Two other Hall of Fame players -- Forrest Gregg and Raymond Berry -- coached teams to the Super Bowl and lost the game. But the others, from Otto Graham to Tom Fears to Mike McCormack, have mostly compiled losing records.
It's probably no surprise, then, that Singletary appears to be following the Ditka model as a head coach. Although he was full of demanding bluster and smoke, Ditka was actually a very caring guy underneath who not only understood each player's quirks but also totally grasped the theatrical aspects of being an NFL head coach.
Thus, the Singletary variety show. One day, you think his head might explode. The next day, he calmly elucidates his philosophy. If you ask the players in the locker room, most of them get it. At least so far.
"He knows there are different ways to motivate every person," said wide receiver Josh Morgan, who believes that every player has spent one-on-one time in Singletary's upstairs office at 49ers headquarters.
But what about the screaming?
"He brings it out at the right time," Morgan said. "He knows when."
From here, there is only one danger sign: If Singletary is attempting to assemble an entire 53-man roster of players as zealously obsessive about football as he is, that could backfire. There's never been a team like that in NFL history.
But if Singletary can indeed learn each man's strengths and maximize them as often as possible -- while ironing out those coordinator-quarterback communication issues -- then he may indeed still succeed.
Singletary has a 13-13 record after his first 26 games as a head coach. Ditka was 12-14 after his first 26 games. But after that, Ditka won 28 of his next 36 games on the way to a Super Bowl championship. Right now, it seems ridiculous to believe the 49ers could do the same thing.
"This team is a team in the making," Singletary said the other day. Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
"It takes time."
Right. But it's time not to stink. Tonight.
Bay Area News Group columnist Mark Purdy and cohorts will provide reports and commentary from tonight's Saints- 49ers game at Candlestick Park.

2010年9月21日星期二

San Francisco Giants' Tim Lincecum regains winning groove

Colts jersey
Tim Lincecum emphatically quieted his skeptics Wednesday night, and he did so by beating one of the best pitchers in the game.
Lincecum brushed aside a brutal August, pitching eight strong innings and outdueling Ubaldo Jimenez in a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park.
The Giants drew within three games of nfl throwback jerseys
the first-place San Diego Padres in the National League West and kept pace in the wild-card race, staying 1 1/2 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.
Lincecum entered the game riding a five-start losing streak, but he allowed just one run on five hits while striking out nine.
"I was just trying to be aggressive and overall just kind of have a different mentality," Lincecum said. "Just like, 'This is a big moment, and I've got to step up and start off the month well.' "
Lincecum picked up his first win since July 30, thanks in large part to an eye-opening debut by rookie Darren Ford.
Called up from Double-A Richmond, Ford didn't arrive until the second inning because of a two-hour flight delay in Detroit. That might be the only way to slow down the 24-year-old speedster.
With the score 1-1 in the eighth, Ford pinch ran for Mike Fontenot, who had drawn a walk. Lincecum bunted Ford to second, and when Jimenez's slider to Andres Torres skipped a few feet toward third base, Ford took off.
Catcher Miguel Olivo pounced on the wild pitch, but his throw to third sailed into left field, allowing Ford to scamper home.
"I thought I could make it, so I just told myself to go, and it was a good decision," Ford said.
Lincecum said Ford "was like a blur," and Fontenot called his replacement's speed Vikings jersey
"unbelievable "... something I was hearing stories about in the dugout."
But manager Bruce Bochy remembered Ford's strong spring training, which he called "one of the best displays of baserunning I've seen."
"He's electric, and he has no fear," Bochy said of his decision to use Ford right away. "This kid can outrun the ball."
Before Wednesday, Ford had never even entered a major league ballpark. He conceded to being nervous, and when asked what he remembered from his first moments in a big league dugout, said, "I think Tim Lincecum was striking somebody out, but I'm not sure who it was."
You could hardly blame him for losing track of Lincecum's dominance. Lincecum pounded the zone from the start, throwing fastballs on 13 of his first 14 pitches.
Carlos Gonzalez took Lincecum deep in the fourth, but Lincecum settled in and cruised into the seventh.
An infield single and error put two runners on, but Lincecum struck out Eric Young Jr. to end the threat, then came back out and set the Rockies down in order in the eighth on seven pitches.
"After the first couple of innings helped me establish (the fastball), I started working some breaking balls in there, and then the changeups," Lincecum said. "I'm going to try to take this momentum into the next series -- (there are) a lot of positives."
The Giants had many positives to dwell on as well. They moved to four games ahead of Colts jersey
the Rockies and, aided by San Diego's seven-game losing streak, made up 3 1/2 games on the division leader during the last seven days of a 5-4 homestand.
"When you make up some ground like we have and the team ahead of you has their struggles -- sure, that's what you need," Bochy said. "You never lose sight of winning your division."

Navarro refuses to look back 1

Colts jersey
ST. PETERSBURG - Dioner Navarro's fall was spectacular. To go from an all-star on a championship team in 2008 to a humiliating demotion to Durham in late June all but screamed that he was a player whose usefulness to the Tampa Bay Rays had passed.
Ah, but this is baseball and the plot can change quickly. No football jerseys
one can say for sure just what will happen with Navarro, but he rejoined the Rays here Wednesday and was behind the plate. He contributed a single in the 2-1 win against Toronto.
That's a start.
He might be just a bit player providing some depth in the last month of the regular season, or with a break here or there he once again could become a key figure in a playoff run. However it goes, Navarro isn't looking back. The view isn't good anyway.
"I am not the only player who went through this," Navarro said. "I know a few guys who have gone through this and they're doing just fine. I just focus on positive things."
A positive, at least from Navarro's vantage point, is that the Rays stress pitching and defense. He is the best defensively of their three catchers and he is known for how well he handles a pitching staff.
When he went to Durham, Navarro was buried deep on the Rays' bench, but that was before we got to September with Kelly Shoppach hitting .189 overall. Here's where it gets a little tricky, though. The Rays figure to see a lot of left-handers in the playoffs and Shoppach's bat becomes a plus there (he hits .242 against them, compared to .133 vs. righties).
Also, technically Navarro isn't eligible for the postseason because he wasn't on the 25-man roster until after the Aug. 31 deadline, but the rules leave some wiggle room if he proves he belongs. That takes us back to where we started because he'll get some chances in the coming month, either in spot starts like Wednesday or as a defensive replacement.
"I'm pretty sure he's eager to get back here and prove he belongs," teammate Carl Crawford said. "He's a good defensive catcher; the pitchers like throwing to him. He always handled the pitching staff pretty well."
Handling the demotion, though, might have been his most important move of Buffalo Bills jersey
the season. He could have sulked, but he didn't. He didn't set off fireworks when he left. Navarro just went to Durham and worked on getting better.
No, seriously. That's basically all he did. Most players in Navarro's situation keep close tabs on the big-league club, keenly aware of anything that might get them back. Not Navarro, though.
"I didn't watch one ( Rays) game. I didn't read anything. It was kind of a personal thing. This is a really nice organization but it was tough for me, first time in Triple-A (since 2006)," he said. "I just focused on myself and the things I needed to do to get back. That was the bottom line."
The plan worked.
"He handled it great. I've got nothing but sterling reports regarding his effort, how he went about his business, how he dealt with the other guys," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
"The biggest thing to be concerned about when a guy goes back under those circumstances is how he handles it mentally. He did everything right."
Part of "everything right" was regaining his batting stroke. Navarro hit .284 in Durham. Yes, that was against Triple-A pitching, but so what? For Navarro, there was a bigger picture.
"I just went down there and played almost every day. It was more of a repetition thing - two days catching, one day DH, one day off," he said.
"I was in a situation here where there was a lot of pressure, a lot of eyes looking over my shoulder and stuff like that. I just went there and played and go back to what I love to do. I enjoyed my time, catching, and that was it. It was kind of a relaxing time. There wasn't much pressure from you guys (media), the fans, TV, all that stuff. We had a good team down there, we played hard, and we really enjoyed ourselves playing."
That trip to Durham showed Navarro first-hand how quickly things can change, Steelers jersey
but now he's back. As for the rest of it, well, there's no sense trying to think too much.
"I'm glad it's over with," Navarro said. "We'll see what happens now."
Photo: Dioner Navarro. Catcher went to Durham, worked on improving. Catcher went to Durham, worked on improving.

Oakland A's update: Struggling Travis Buck is sent back down to Sacramento

Colts jersey
Struggling Buck is sent back down to Sacramento
CLEVELAND -- Travis Buck's return to the major leagues was a short one, as the A's optioned the outfielder to Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday and recalled outfielder Matt Carson.
Buck was promoted on Aug. 16 and drew three starts in nfl jerseys
right field over his seven-game stay, going 0 for 10 with four strikeouts.
"Travis needs to go work on his swing a bit, and we could use a right-handed bat," manager Bob Geren said. "He hasn't had a ton of at-bats this year, and he has to tighten up his swing a little bit."
Buck made the A's opening day roster but was sidelined more than three months, first by a strained oblique and later by fatigue in his legs. He eventually got healthy and was hitting well for Sacramento at the time of his promotion.
It's tough to tell where Buck, 26, fits into the A's outfield picture right now. A hotshot prospect when he broke into the majors in 2007, Buck has had his career derailed by a string of injuries.
When left fielder Conor Jackson went on the disabled list Friday, it appeared Buck could New Orleans Saints jersey
get more playing time, particularly with the A's facing a string of right-handed starting pitchers coming up.
Instead, Geren indicated Gabe Gross -- a left-handed hitter, like Buck -- will handle right field for the time being. Gross is hitting just .242 after going 0 for 4 in a 5-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday.
Geren said the A's hadn't discussed whether Buck will return in September after rosters expand.
"He's a talented player, but he hasn't really gotten a chance to play consistently through different stints on the DL," Geren said.
Coco Crisp stole second in the first inning, his 14th straight successful steal attempt. San Francisco 49ers jersey
The last Athletic with a longer streak was Rickey Henderson, who swiped 15 consecutive bases without being caught from July 22-Aug. 19, 1998.
Former A's closer Dennis Eckersley, in the Cleveland area to host a charity golf tournament, showed up at Progressive Field on Tuesday. He chatted in the visitor's dugout before the game with A's broadcaster Ray Fosse, the man who caught Eckersley's 1977 no-hitter while both were with the Indians.

2010年9月20日星期一

Smaller role grows on Saints RB Bush

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Saints RB Reggie Bush(notes) answered questions about his decision to forfeit his 2005 Heisman Trophy and he said the move was not an admission of guilt.
"It's me showing my respect to the Heisman Trophy itself and to nfl jersey
the people who (came) before me and the people who will come after me, and that's really it," Bush said.
It may, however, provide some closure to the slow trickle of negative publicity, followed by negative consequences, that has followed him over the years for his alleged transgressions at USC.
Some have said this gives Bush a fresh start. We're told the Heisman controversy hasn't stung Bush as badly as the sanctions the NCAA levied against USC did, but he apparently has been able to divorce himself from the situation and keep it from inhibiting his performance.
Observers in New Orleans say Bush appears to be more comfortable than he Chargers jersey
was when he entered the league as the second overall pick in the 2006 draft. High expectations were placed on him well before he was drafted, and Bush himself likely envisioned greater individual success than he has achieved in his career thus far.
The "role player" tag has been attached to Bush. He had a career-low 117 touches in the '09 regular season, but he made some big plays in the postseason as the Saints made their championship run. By all accounts, he handled the diminished role well last year, and head coach Sean Payton still thinks very highly of him.
There was speculation after the Super Bowl that the Saints would release Bush or demand that he take a pay cut to avoid paying him the $8 million he was due in 2010, but Payton knocked that theory down in February when asked about it at the NFL Scouting Combine. Bush's versatility as a rusher, receiver and punt returner makes him a valued piece of Payton's high-powered offense, and Bush reported to training camp saying he was as healthy as he has been since his rookie year, which led to talk of a resurgent season for the fifth-year veteran.
Bush, who has rushed for more than 100 yards in only one game Bears jersey

Tim Hightower trying to deal with fumbling issues

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Tim Hightower’s(notes) familiar fumbling problem reared its head again last Sunday in the season opener for the Arizona Cardinals as the running back put the ball on the ground two times.
That gives him nine fumbles in 33 regular-season games. Six of nfl throwback jerseys
the fumbles have been turnovers and keep in mind that in most of those games the Cardinals were pass happy.
As Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic reports, Hightower has not dodged the issue. He’s been upfront about it all week, but what can you say when you’re fumbling once every 44.4 touches?
“I can't say, 'It's just football, it happens,’” Hightower said. “Because that's my job. My job is to hold on that football. My job is to make plays. My job is to run the football and be successful at it.
"You can try to analyze it, try to break it down, slow it down, rewind it, pause it and do all that stuff," he said, "but at the end of the day you've got to find a way to get it done."
What has to make it more aggravating for the Cardinals is ball security is the same issue that plagues their other running back, Beanie Wells(notes). What do you do when you don’t have a back you can depend on to secure the football as you’re trying to run out the clock in a four-minute offense?
The Cardinals don’t believe Hightower is sloppy with the ball. They’re hoping it’s maybe a situation where he’s just trying too hard. He’ll be a target, that much is for sure. So will Wells
The San Diego Chargers got some good news this week.
Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman(notes) is slated to return to action Sunday.
He's listed as probable on the injury report with the Achilles injury that's been plaguing him.
Linebacker Stephen Cooper(notes) is doubtful with a knee injury.
The Jaguars have ruled out running back Deji Karim(notes) (thumb) and kick returner Scotty McGee(notes) (shoulder).
Safety Anthony Smith(notes) (foot) is questionable.
Quarterback David Garrard(notes) (back) is probable.
Now that the regular season is here, the Fantasy Doctor will be making regular house calls, answering readers' fantasy questions each Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Send your questions to the Doc at fantasydoctor@pfwmedia.com.
Hey Doc, I just picked up Mark Clayton(notes) off Indianapolis Colts jersey
the waiver wire. I am in a three-WR head-to-head league. Would you suggest I plug him in this week over my three other receivers? My other receivers are Percy Harvin(notes), Devin Aromashodu(notes) and Terrell Owens(notes). Also, which TE looks better to you this week: Brent Celek(notes) or Chris Cooley(notes)? Thanks for your help!
I know Clayton was a popular waiver-wire addition this week, Cerivera, and I'm sure many owners are wondering what to do with him on Sunday.
Although I like Clayton's long-term potential this season, I don't think this is a good week to put him in your lineup. He's going into the Black Hole to face a pretty solid Raiders pass defense that could be in Sam Bradford's(notes) face all day long. Considering that he could also be matched up with shutdown CB Nnamdi Asomugha(notes), I don't like his chances for success.
If Harvin is healthy, I'd probably go with him in that spot. I know he's dealing with a sore hip and really struggled in Week One, but I see him bouncing back in a favorable matchup with Miami. Aromashodu and T.O. have the potential for solid weeks as well, so I don't think you can go wrong here.
As for your TE, Cooley would be my choice this week. Although I prefer Celek over the long haul, not having Kevin Kolb(notes) in the lineup should hurt his production at Detroit, while I see Cooley being a frequent target vs. the Texans.
Fantasy Doc,
Should I stick with Mike Sims-Walker(notes) for Week Two, or should I switch him with Mohamed Massaquoi(notes) from my bench, who had a decent Week One? Thanks.
Sims-Walker undoubtedly disappointed many owners in Week One with his zero-catch effort, but I'd advise you not to overreact to one game.
Sure, it's tempting to bench a player like Sims-Walker, but there's a reason you drafted him relatively early. He was very up and down in 2009, posting huge numbers some weeks while doing very little in other games. It looks like that trend is going to continue this season, so trying to guess what he's going to do from one week to the next is Dallas Cowboys jersey
a fool's errand. Given his tremendous potential, he's the kind of player you have to keep in your lineup every week and simply hope for the best.
Massaquoi, on the other hand, is the sort of player who may have a big game every now and then but probably will be a nonfactor most weeks. While he did have a TD in Week One, he only had two catches, so it wasn't like he was a big part of the Browns' game plan. With QB Seneca Wallace(notes) starting this week, I'd hold off on using any Cleveland receivers given the uncertainty in their passing game.

Panthers WR LaFell downgraded to questionable

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A pair of star second-year receivers were limited in practice this week and will be game-time decisions on Sunday. No stranger to the injury report, the Vikings' Percy Harvin(notes) is dealing with a bad hip and was only able to take part in some of Friday's practice. However, signs point to Harvin facing the football jerseys
Dolphins this week, even though coach Brad Childress said his status wouldn't be determined until shortly before kickoff. The bigger news is regarding Giants WR Hakeem Nicks(notes), who did some work on the side Friday and is listed as questionable. With New York not playing until Sunday night at Indy, owners need to have a backup plan ready (grabbing Mario Manningham(notes) would be good insurance) in case Nicks can't go, although odds are he will suit up for this big showdown.
Two high-upside backs who sat out Week One appear to be in danger of missing Week Two, as well. The Raiders' Michael Bush(notes) (thumb) was able to do very little in practice this week and appears unlikely to suit up against the Rams. That makes Darren McFadden(notes), who had 150 yards from scrimmage and a TD last week, a solid fantasy play in a terrific matchup. Meanwhile, Arizona's Beanie Wells(notes) also participated in only limited practice Friday and is considered a game-time decision to face the Falcons Sunday. He's not a recommended fantasy play regardless, but if he can't go, Tim Hightower(notes) becomes an intriguing option. He had 94 yards from scrimmage and a score last week.
A pair of starting quarterbacks will be sidelined for Week Two action. After suffering a concussion last week, Kevin Kolb(notes) won't play Sunday at Detroit. That means Michael Vick(notes) will go into the contest as a No. 1 QB for the first time since 2006. Vick entered in relief last week and had 175 yards a TD Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
passing and 11-103-0 rushing, and he could improve upon those numbers against a vulnerable Lions defense. He's definitely a fantasy option in larger leagues. In Cleveland, Jake Delhomme(notes) (ankle) did not practice all week and is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game vs. the Chiefs. Seneca Wallace(notes) will get the start but isn't a viable fantasy play.
In Washington, two key members of the offense are listed as questionable despite participating in a full week's worth of practice. QB Donovan McNabb(notes) has been dealing with an ankle injury for weeks but was able to make it through Week One unscathed. Although he had just 171 yards passing, he's likely in line for a much better game Sunday against the Texans, who are beatable through the air. RB Clinton Portis(notes) is also questionable with a wrist injury, but he's fully expected to start in this one. He dominated the team in carries last week (18-63-0) and should be busy again, although this figures to be a game in which Washington throws more than it runs.
After being absent for the entire week of practice, Buccaneers TE Kellen Winslow(notes) (knee) is very questionable to play in Sunday's game at Carolina. Winslow's knee was an issue throughout the preseason and could continue to plague him all season long. Owners counting on him should have a backup plan ready in case Winslow can't go this week. Also questionable for the Bucs is RB Kareem Huggins(notes) (groin), a popular sleeper pick who didn't have a carry in Week One after coaches admitted to forgetting about him. He shouldn't be anywhere near fantasy lineups until he proves he can be productive in meaningful action.
Other notable skill players listed on this week's injury report as questionable include Ravens TE Todd Heap(notes) (shoulder) and Patriots WR Julian Edelman(notes) (ankle). Meanwhile, Cardinals WR Early Doucet(notes) (hernia surgery), Broncos RB Laurence Maroney(notes) (thigh), Falcons WR Michael Jenkins(notes), Raiders WR Chaz Schilens(notes) (knee), Giants TE Kevin Boss(notes) (concussion) and Colts WR Anthony Gonzalez(notes) (ankle) have all been declared out.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)—The Carolina Panthers have downgraded receiver Brandon LaFell(notes) from probable to questionable for their game against Tampa Bay because of a sore hamstring.
The Panthers made the move Saturday after their final walkthrough Minnesota Vikings jersey
before Sunday’s home opener.
LaFell missed practice on Wednesday, but participated in workouts the next two days. The third-round pick started Carolina’s loss to the New York Giants last Sunday and had two catches for 22 yards.
Dwayne Jarrett(notes) would likely start against the Buccaneers if LaFell can’t play.

2010年9月17日星期五

Raiders run defense faces another big test

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Linebacker Kamerion Wimbley insists problems the Oakland Raiders had stopping the run last week against the Tennessee Titans are correctable.
They better be.
With Stephen Jackson and St. Louis coming to town for nfl jerseys
Oakland's home opener, the Raiders won't get much of a break as they try to avoid an 0-2 start for the fourth time in six seasons.
''We just had a couple breakdowns here and there,'' Wimbley said Wednesday. ''I don't think it was anything with the scheme or the play-calling. We just had a couple mental breakdowns that gave them some big plays that allowed them to get that high on us.''
The most significant breakdown came late in the second quarter when Tennessee scored two touchdowns in a span of 1 minute, 53 seconds. Titans running back Chris Johnson provided the big blow with a 76-yard touchdown run after being shut down for most of the first half.
That helped turn what had been a promising start to the season for Oakland's run defense into a nightmarish afternoon that ended with Tennessee handing the Raiders a 35-13 loss. It was the eighth straight season-opening loss for Al Davis' team.
''We played well on Johnson for most of the game and he had that one big run that helped his average out,'' Wimbley said. ''Facing Jackson, he's not necessarily as fast as Johnson is but he still has a lot of stuff that you have to be aware of and be careful about.''
Wimbley was part of Oakland's offseason defensive makeover. The veteran linebacker was acquired from Cleveland in March in exchange for a third-round draft pick and broke into the Raiders' lineup early in training camp.
Oakland also signed free agent defensive tackle John Henderson and Indianapolis Colts jersey
used their first two picks in the draft on middle linebacker Rolando McClain and defensive end Lamarr Houston.
It all looked good on paper until Johnson's big run, which brought to mind memories of 2009 when the Raiders ranked 29th against the run and 26th on defense overall. Safety Tyvon Branch whiffed on a tackle attempt near the line of scrimmage while linebackers Rolando McClain and Thomas Howard were sealed off perfectly, opening a huge lane for Johnson to burst through.
Oakland's players and coaching staff said the mistakes were self-inflicted.
''We needed to finish a little better,'' Wimbley said. ''Once the score kind of got out of whack, I think we stepped it up a little bit, trying to bring it back close before the game was over, but by then it was already too late.''
Before Johnson's long touchdown, which boosted his per-carry average from 2.54 to 5.3, Oakland's defense had shut down the NFL's leading rusher from 2009.
Raiders coach Tom Cable, though, isn't interested in moral victories.
''See, this is the mode we have got to get out of around here,'' Cable said. ''That's not good enough. We have got to stay to this level, to this vision that we have. A standard of play if you will, and don't compromise it.''
Oakland's offense got a boost when running back Michael Bush returned to practicing at full capacity. Bush sat out the season-opener after breaking the thumb on his left hand but worked out without limitations Wednesday. His playing status will be determined later in the week.
NOTES:T Erik Pears, who was with the team in training camp, has been re-signed. To make room on the roster, wide receiver/kick returner Yamon Figurs was released. Figurs started on special teams against the Titans and fumbled the opening kickoff, but Dallas Cowboys jersey
Cable insisted that wasn't why the move was made. ... LG Robert Gallery did not practice because of a hamstring strain. His status is questionable. ... CB Nnamdi Asomugha (groin), WR Chaz Schilens (knee), defensive tackle Richard Seymour (hamstring), safety Hiram Eugene (hamstring), cornerbacks Chris Johnson (stinger) and Walter McFadden (hamstring) and linebacker Travis Goethel (back) were also held out of practice.

Dockett dedicates Atlanta game to slain mother

Steelers jersey
Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett spews out so many Twitter messages, it's hard to keep up.
One this week, though, in advance of Arizona's game at Atlanta on Sunday, nfl jersey
was special.
It read: ''I think I'm going to dedicate sunday game to my MOM she was killed when I was 13 I might cry B4 the game.''
Dockett returned to his Decatur, Ga., home that day to find his mother shot to death in the head, a crime that never has been solved. He went to live with his father, who died a few months later of pancreatic cancer. An uncle is credited with saving him, helping him avoid a life of drugs and crime on the street.
''Every time I go into that city, even when I was in college (for Florida State) at Georgia Tech, when I went to Atlanta it was a big thing for me to do well in those games. ... That's where my life really started, there's so much tragedy there.''
Dockett said Wednesday that he will go back to his old neighborhood this weekend and round up 20 or so youngsters and ''take them shopping.''
Even though he's an imposing 6-foot-4, 290 pounds of muscle, he won't go alone.
''It's like one of the roughest neighborhoods,'' he said. ''I'll definitely go out there with some of Minnesota Vikings jersey
my boys I'm real close with because it's crazy like that. We'll just go out there and reach out to the young kids, take them shopping and keep them out of trouble and just show them - stay in school and do all the positive things because when I was in school no one ever came back and showed that. It was always the drug dealers and always the bad stuff.''
He also wants to find the neighbor who ''called the police on me everyday when I was 12'' and give her a ticket to the game.
''Bring her to the 50yd line row2,'' he tweeted.
Dockett also wants his fifth-grade teacher there, because she said he would amount to nothing, although his Twitter message used a much stronger word than ''nothing.''
''To go back and show people that things are possible. Good things are out there,'' Dockett said Wednesday. ''You shouldn't count somebody out. It's a big game for me and I hope that I can get in touch with them, even though I know they won't come because I think their ego will kick in. It would be much more than a privilege just to show them what I've done with my life and to look at them and see what thieve done with theirs and it's probably nothing.''
Dockett, who recently signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension with $30 million guaranteed, took a shot to the head Sunday in the Cardinals' 21-17 victory at St. Louis.
''I'm built like a truck. That don't really bother me. I'm all right,'' Dallas Cowboys jersey
he said. ''I just got the lights knocked out of me for a quick second, but I'm OK.''
Dockett got himself in a little trouble with the NFL when he sent a Twitter message 20 minutes before kickoff of last Sunday's game at St. Louis. The league prohibits ''tweets'' within 90 minutes of kickoff.
It was a one-word message.

Seattle's O-line shuffle continues in Week 2

Steelers jersey
Eventually, Pete Carroll would like to see continuity with Seattle's offensive line.
That's not likely to arrive until rookie first-rounder Russell Okung returns from his high ankle sprain suffered in the preseason. Until then, the Seahawks will continue to shuffle their front line in the hopes of finding a bit of stability and better production from the run game.
''I think our best football is down the road. And that's something that I'm excited to see happen and nfl throwback jerseys
come about,'' Carroll said Wednesday. ''I think as we grow, maybe it takes four or five weeks to really know where we are with the front and how we can run the football and all of that.''
Seattle's major change up front this week is the inclusion of veteran Stacy Andrews, acquired in a trade with Philadelphia less than two weeks ago. Andrews will start at right guard on Sunday in Denver, replacing Max Unger, who is done for the season with a toe injury.
Unger was placed on injured reserve Tuesday and will need surgery to repair a severe turf toe injury in his left foot. Unger, who was wearing a protective boot in the Seahawks' locker room on Monday, will need three months of rehab following the surgery.
His injury also leaves Seattle with just two of the five expected starting offensive linemen from when training camp began. Okung is out for this week and Ben Hamilton - signed from Denver in the offseason as a free agent - was a backup for last week's opener.
The shuffling still might not be done. Gibson suffered a lower back strain against San Francisco, leading Hamilton to take most of the snaps. Carroll said Wednesday he's not sure who will start in Denver, although Gibson fully participated in Wednesday's Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
practice.
Andrews was brought to Seattle from Philadelphia after his highly regarded offseason pickup by the Eagles following the 2008 season. But he started just two games in 2009. Andrews has said in the past he's more comfortable playing tackle than guard.
''He gives us an experienced player that has to adapt very quickly to our system and our scheme. We were hoping it (would be) a couple weeks from now, he would have some time to learn what's going on,'' Carroll said. ''He's just on a racehorse pace to try and figure it out now.''
Okung, Seattle's $58-million investment as the replacement for Walter Jones at left tackle, started running on a treadmill this week, but the timing of his return is still unknown. Seattle's also trying to work in veteran Chester Pitts. Thought to be a candidate to fill in while Okung is out, Carroll said Wednesday that when Pitts gets healthy he'll work at guard.
Pitts is coming off microfracture knee surgery. Tyler Polumbus will make his second straight start at left tackle on Sunday. Seattle also added Mansfield Wrotto back to its roster on Tuesday. Wrotto has played guard and tackle for Seattle.
''We have some flexibility now,'' Carroll said.
Whatever the offensive line ultimately looks like Sunday against the Broncos, they'll be asked to do a better job in the run game. Seattle had just 77 yards rushing in the opener, with 48 of those coming on the Seahawks final possession of the game.
''You're trying to jell so your communication has to be better. It's not the same as a line that's been together for Dallas Cowboys jersey
five or six years,'' Seattle running back Leon Washington said. ''We all help each other out and all sticking behind each other. It's not just the offensive line but the back have to do a good job of setting up their blocks so the offensive line can make their blocks correctly. It all has to work together.''

2010年9月15日星期三

At 1-0, Chiefs have first winning record in years

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—This city has some catching up to do on its sleep.
The Kansas City Chiefs, a franchise that’s spent three years in the dumps, kept themselves and their town up late Monday night with a 21-14 victory.
Beating the four-time defending AFC West nfl jerseys
champion San Diego Chargers took until about 12:20 a.m. early Tuesday morning.
And as excited as everybody seemed to be, it’s hard to imagine everyone simply turned out the lights and fell asleep after the Chiefs’ first Monday night victory in 10 years gave them a winning record (1-0) for the first time in almost three years.
“Our transitioning team, our team in transition, went out against a very good opponent … and we found a way to win,” second-year coach Todd Haley said Tuesday. “I think that’s a real important point here.”
The Chiefs obviously have issues. They had only one offensive touchdown that was not the result of a turnover deep in Chargers territory. Jamaal Charles(notes) scored one TD on a 56-yard run and rookie Dexter McCluster(notes) scored another with a team-record 94-yard punt return.
Matt Cassel(notes), who did very little throughout the rainy, windy night, did complete a 2-yard TD pass to tight end Tony Moeaki(notes), another rookie, after Ryan Mathews’(notes) fumble gave the Chiefs the ball on the 12.
But counting a couple of good kickoff returns by rookie Javier Arenas(notes), the Chiefs actually had more yards in kick returns (219) than total offense (197). Playing conservatively while protecting a lead in the rotten weather, the Chiefs managed only 70 yards of offense in the second half.
Cassel, outplayed all night long by Philip Rivers(notes), completed 10 of Minnesota Vikings jersey
22 passes for 68 yards. Rivers was 22 for 39 for 298 yards and two scores.
But with a bevy of promising young players, a once-proud franchise that totaled only 10 victories the past three years may actually be turning the corner.
Rivers drove San Diego to a first and goal from the 4 with 74 seconds to play and seemed almost certain to go in for the overtime-forcing score.
But a run and two missed passes only pushed the Chargers back 2 yards. Then on fourth down, harassed by defensive end Glenn Dorsey(notes), Rivers missed again.
The players, especially the veterans who were around for last year’s 4-12 struggle and the 2-14 debacle of 2008, insisted they could sense in those final decisive seconds that something was different, something about themselves had changed.
“It was something special out there,” said Dorsey.
The third-year defender had perhaps his best game as a Chiefs with six tackles and half of the first sack the Chiefs have put on Rivers in more than a year.
“We fought a hard-fought game. Nobody gave us a chance,” Dorsey said. “For us to come that far and dealing with our past, where maybe the other team might score in that situation, we all had that in the back of our mind, saying, `Not tonight.”’
Another good sign was the run defense. With almost every starter back from the defense that was 31st last year against the run, KC held the Chargers to 109 yards rushing on the wet turf.
“When you have a team that hasn’t come out on the `W’ side of Dallas Cowboys jersey
things very often for a number of years, when you get into those situations and you have a lead or you’re close in a game, which we’ve had a number of, finishing the game is very critical,” said Haley.
“You need to see that success some. I know that’s real important to our players that they were able to come out on top of a game that meant a lot to a lot of people and means a lot to myself and our staff.
“That’s a real good thing. I think that will help us as we go forward.”

2010年9月14日星期二

Seattle’s defense stands strong in season opener

Dallas Cowboys jersey

RENTON, Wash. (AP)—The play came in the opening moments of the first quarter and spoke to the determination of Seattle’s defense.
On a third down inside the Seattle 10, 49ers running back Frank cheap nfl jerseys
Gore(notes) caught a short swing pass out of the backfield. Gore, a longtime battering ram nemesis of the Seahawks, had only slender, 180-pound cornerback Kelly Jennings(notes) to beat for a first down or potential touchdown.
Jennings wouldn’t let that happen. He chopped down Gore for just a 1-yard gain.
“I’ve been the small guy all the time and tackling is something else I’ve been working on just talking to the coaches about improving on,” Jennings said.
For all the hype around Pete Carroll’s successful debut in his return to professional football, one aspect got overshadowed on Sunday: Seattle’s defense played pretty well.
Gore, who was averaging nearly 150 yards rushing per game against Seattle since the 2006 season, was held to a pedestrian 38 yards on 17 carries. This was the same player who twice in his career has rushed for more than 200 yards against Seattle.
After tormenting the Seahawks in the past, Gore being bottled up was a big reason why the 49ers offense never got started.
“Frank, he found some holes in some cases, he found the crease and he’s a great athlete. He’s made us miss on some tackles,” Seattle linebacker Lofa Tatupu(notes) said. “I think that’s what we shored up. Maybe one guy would miss, but the next two weren’t going to miss.”
Seattle’s run defense, and specifically its defensive line, was a major question entering the season. The Seahawks had shifted Red Bryant(notes) from tackle to defensive end in the hopes of being more stout at the line of scrimmage with Bryant, and defensive tackles Brandon Mebane(notes) and Colin Cole(notes) plugging the run lanes.
Carroll raved about Cole’s effort on Sunday and had almost as much praise for newcomer Junior Siavii(notes). Signed only a week ago, Siavii played extensively and finished with two stops and a tackle for loss.
“We played really good base defense is what happened,” Carroll said. “It’s something we’ve been working on. We’ve made a transition and gotten bigger with our guys up front. … We had good interior run play when they were wanting to run the ball right downhill at you.”
Along with the effort up front was the ability of Dallas Cowboys jersey
Seattle to slow San Francisco’s run game without turning to gimmicks. The Seahawks clogged run lanes with just their base defense and forced San Francisco to face third-and-5 or longer 11 times. The 49ers finished just 1 for 15 on third-down conversions.
That put more pressure on 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, who tossed two interceptions—both on third downs—with the second of his two turnovers returned 32 yards for a touchdown by Seattle cornerback Marcus Trufant(notes).
Seattle’s defense might only get better this week heading into Denver with the expected return of linebacker Leroy Hill(notes). Carroll said Monday that Hill will rejoin the team after serving a one-game suspension handed down by the league for his arrest on a marijuana-possession charge in Georgia. He began 12 months of probation for that in April.
Hill could have faced an additional suspension after he was arrested on a domestic violence charge in the Seattle suburb of Issaquah in April. The 27-year-old Hill entered into a stipulated order of continuance at a hearing on his misdemeanor charge of fourth degree assault/domestic violence on Aug. 19. Prosecutors said Hill is essentially on probation for 18 months and must complete a one-year state-certified domestic violence treatment program—26 weeks of weekly therapy and counseling, then monthly sessions for six months— plus 25 hours of community service.
Carroll said Hill won’t start, but will play against Denver.
“We’re pleased to have him back and we’re going to Minnesota Vikings jersey
get him to play,” Carroll said. “He’s not coming back to sit, he’s coming back to play.”

Falcons look to correct offensive problems

Dallas Cowboys jersey

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP)—Coach Mike Smith(notes) and his staff are trying to correct the problems that plagued Atlanta’s offense in the Falcons’ season opener.
And there are a lot of problems to correct after Sunday’s overtime loss at Pittsburgh.
Michael Turner(notes) couldn’t run the ball. Matt Ryan(notes) struggled to football jersey
throw downfield. Tony Gonzalez(notes) caught just two passes.
It’s no surprise the Atlanta Falcons scored only nine points.
“I think you’ll see, throughout the league, the most improvement usually comes between Week 1 and Week 2,” Smith said Monday. “Fortunately for us, we have a lot of things we can improve on.”
Of the Falcons’ top four playmakers, only receiver Roddy White(notes), with 13 catches for 111 yards, measured up to high standards.
Turner ran 19 times for a 2.2 average. Ryan had a 67.6 passer rating. Gonzalez, the NFL’s career-leading tight end, finished with 35 yards receiving.
“Our objective has to be to get back to work and improve,” Ryan said. “We have to do everything we can next week to get a win.
Atlanta (0-1), which hosts Arizona (1-0) this week, suffered perhaps its biggest letdown with Turner’s lack of production and deficient blocking in the running game.
Over the last several months, Turner spoke at length about his renewed sense of commitment and improved conditioning.
Whatever improvements Turner made, however, were nullified by the Steelers. His longest gain was seven yards against a defense that has ranked among the NFL’s top three units against the run since the start of 2004.
Turner credits Pittsburgh with shutting down his Indianapolis Colts jersey
running lanes with strong gap control, but he believes the offense was close a few times to breaking free into the secondary.
“We just have come back and clean some things up and just go from there,” Turner said. “Everything was not clean out there, but it’s not going to be clean out there every time. We still have to make some plays.”
An ankle injury last year hurt Turner’s production during the final two months and contributed to Atlanta’s fall from No. 2 in 2008 rushing to No. 15 last year.
Turner still believes the offensive line, which returns all five starters for the third straight year, is one of the league’s best.
“Guys are full of pride on this team,” Turner said, “so I have faith in those guys, including myself, that we are going to get the job done next week.”
After watching film of a rushing attack that managed 58 yards on 25 carries, Smith saw some major flaws.
“We need to block better,” Smith said Monday. “We’ve got to sustain our blocks in the running game. I think was evident yesterday.”
The line’s problems extended to protection. Though Ryan was only sacked twice, he wasn’t afforded the time needed to make accurate reads and throws.
Smith was pleased that Ryan adapted to Pittsburgh’s success against Gonzalez by shifting focus to Nos. 2 and 3 receivers Harry Douglas(notes) and Eric Weems(notes), who were targeted a combined seven times and caught seven passes for 75 yards.
Douglas’ 23-yard catch late in the second quarter moved Minnesota Vikings jersey
Atlanta to the Steelers’ 49 before the drive fizzled three plays later.
“I think for the most part in the passing game, except for some errant throws (because of) pressure that we did a pretty good job,” Smith said. “I thought Matt threw the ball pretty well with a 61 percent completion.”

Weaver, Jackson placed on IR

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PHILADELPHIA (AP)—The Philadelphia Eagles placed Pro Bowl fullback Leonard Weaver(notes) and starting center Jamaal Jackson(notes) on injured reserve, ending their seasons.
The team signed fullback Owen Schmitt(notes) and tight end/fullback nfl jersey
Garrett Mills(notes) to fill the roster spots.
Weaver and Jackson were injured in Sunday’s 27-20 loss to Green Bay.
Schmitt, a fifth-round draft choice by Seattle in 2008, played in 30 games with the Seahawks. He caught 12 passes for 50 yards and one touchdown, and carried five times for 21 yards. Schmitt was released on Sept. 6.
Mills had been on Philadelphia’s practice squad. Guard Fenuki Tupou(notes) agreed to a contract and will take Mills’ spot on the practice squad.
Weaver tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his Dallas Cowboys jersey
right knee. Coach Andy Reid called the damage to his knee “severe,” and said a surgery date for Weaver hasn’t been set.
Jackson tore his right triceps, not biceps as the team originally said. He will have surgery on Tuesday. Jackson was in the starting lineup after making a remarkable recovery from surgery to repair a torn ACL sustained last Dec. 27.
In other injury news, quarterback Kevin Kolb(notes) and linebacker Stewart Bradley(notes) have not been ruled out for Philadelphia’s game at Detroit next Sunday despite sustaining concussions.
Reid said both players must pass a specific evaluation process Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
before they are cleared to play. He said the team’s medical staff will follow the NFL’s guidelines for concussions.
Both players briefly returned after getting hurt in the second quarter against the Packers.

2010年9月11日星期六

Despite changes, ‘Canes roster has familiar feel

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)—Turns out two of the newest Carolina Hurricanes aren’t really all that new.
Former Hurricanes Joe Corvo(notes) and Anton Babchuk(notes) are nfl jersey
back with the team after spending some time with other clubs.
And while two of Carolina’s most recognizable names may be gone—now that Rod Brind’Amour(notes) retired and Ray Whitney(notes) left via free agency—a pair of re-acquisitions certainly will provide a dose of familiarity around the RBC Center.
“It was just a no-brainer to come here,” Corvo said Wednesday, “and just make it feel like it was no time missed at all.”
The Hurricanes are relying on Corvo’s comfort level—and his sudden status as the team’s elder statesman—to help fill the inevitable leadership void that accompanied the departures of their two most experienced players.
With the 40-year-old Brind’Amour and the 38-year-old Whitney no longer around, the vibe in the Hurricanes’ dressing room can’t help but skew younger. Brind’Amour ended a two-decade playing career on the last day of June, and Whitney signed a two-year deal with the Phoenix Coyotes one day later.
That leaves the 33-year-old Corvo as the oldest player on the roster. Only three others will be in their 30s this season, and the next oldest after that is forward Chad LaRose(notes), who’s 28.
All-Star Eric Staal(notes), who inherited the team captaincy from Indianapolis Colts jersey
Brind’Amour midway through last season, turns 26 in October.
“I always liked to poke fun with Rod about stuff, and have fun with him. A lot of guys didn’t do that,” LaRose said. “It’ll be a little different, I think, because it’ll be such a young locker room. The presence of Brind’Amour around is definitely something that you can’t replace. He’s an irreplaceable guy. But we know that Staal’s a great leader. … He’s going to fill in just fine for us.”
The Hurricanes can only hope their two not-so-new additions can mesh back with their teammates with minimal effort.
Babchuk was a key defenseman with a hard slap shot, scoring four game-winning goals for the Hurricanes in 2009 when they reached the Eastern Conference final. He played last season in Russia but agreed to a one-year deal with Carolina in July.
“That’s all we can ask, is to bring his big shot and solid defense, and we’ll be good,” LaRose said.
Corvo, also a critical component of that team, came back after he was traded to Washington at the deadline during a roster purge.
When his contract ran out after the season, the offensive-minded defenseman and power-play presence made an easy decision to return to Carolina. He signed a two-year deal worth $4.5 million in mid-July.
“For players my age, in particular, things weren’t that easy this summer. Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
No one’s throwing money or long-term deals at guys like me,” Corvo said. “In the end, it was about keeping my family happy and in a comfortable situation where I didn’t have to move, didn’t have to buy a new house somewhere in a city and get adjusted.
“Really, the whole Washington situation was such a short period of time where it almost feels like I was never there,” he added. “Easy room (in Carolina), easy guys to get along with. It should make for a better start of the season.”

With Lowe’s permission, Oilers’ Taylor Hall gets No. 4

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No. 1 overall pick Taylor Hall(notes) will begin his NHL career while wearing No. 4 this season—thanks to Edmonton Oilers president of hockey operations Kevin Lowe, who the Edmonton Journal reports gave his OK to take the number off the nfl jerseys
shelf.
The number was not retired, but no Oilers player has worn it since Lowe's last game in 1997-98. Hall wore No. 4 when he starred for OHL Windsor. With Lowe's permission, he will wear it again.
The decision "wasn't difficult by any stretch," Minnesota Vikings jersey
said Lowe, a former defenseman. "I know I'm excited to see No. 4 back out on the ice again. The first time I saw him play, I just thought, ‘Wow, it's odd that a forward looks good in 4.' It was really as simple as that."
Hall, who had said he would not ask for the number out of Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
respect for his boss, was No. 19 at the Oilers' development camp in July.
"I knew a week ago. I finally had a chance to talk to Kevin about it," Hall told the newspaper. "He seemed pretty adamant about passing on the torch. It's pretty prestigious."
________________________________________

Crosby homers as Penguins take batting practice

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PITTSBURGH (AP)—If the Pittsburgh Pirates need an answer to their power-hitting problems, maybe they can find it across town in Penguins star Sidney Crosby(notes).
The former NHL MVP homered into PNC Park’s right-field seats nfl jersey
while taking batting practice Wednesday with Indianapolis Colts jersey
eight Penguins teammates. Crosby, who played youth baseball in Canada until he was 13, was the only one of the group to reach the seats.
The session was arranged by former first baseman Sean Casey, who recently toured Haiti with Penguins forwards Max Talbot(notes) and Mike Rupp.
Crosby missed by several feet of homering during his first round of Dallas Cowboys jersey
batting practice before going deep on the 15th swing of his second round.

2010年9月10日星期五

Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln to employees: "We're doing everything we can to win on the field"

Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln rarely speaks outside of press conferences and when he does, people tend to pay close attention since he is the top-ranking team official outside of Japan-based owner Hiroshi Yamauchi. Nearly two weeks ago, on Aug. 27, Lincoln sent out an e-mail to team employees.
Some context: the e-mail was sent out four days after I football jerseys
interviewed Mariners president Chuck Armstrong and general manager Jack Zduriencik about their handling of the Josh Lueke trade. At the time, both were made aware we were planning on running a story about Lueke's court case and their actions before and since the deal. That story did appear last Thursday, six days after Lincoln's e-mail went out to team employees.
Top team officials, including Armstrong and Zduriencik, have not spoken in public to reporters since our story came out last week. Many of you have asked me what Lincoln thinks about how things have gone this season, and I can honestly tell you that I do not know for certain.
But this e-mail, obtained by us this week, does offer a glimpse at what he's telling his own employees about his feelings. It was written, let's remember, less than three weeks after manager Don Wakamatsu and three coaches were fired. The title of the e-mail is "Media Attacks" but the content of it goes deeper than complaining about the media and offers, I think, insight into how he views the team and where it's at.
Here is the e-mail in full:
"If it seems to you like the local media is going out of its way to trash the Mariners, well, you're right, they are! And you can expect this to continue as the season winds down. We're getting hit like never before--or at least never before in recent memory! Indeed, if you read between the lines, you get the clear impression that at least one beat reporter would love nothing better than to step right in and run the Mariners. (Don't worry, that's not going to happen!)
None of us likes to read about our organization being "dysfunctional" or inPittsburgh Steelers jersey
"panic" or that we fire employees without good cause or that we'd be much better off if a few heads at the top were lopped off. All of us know that this is a fine organization with dedicated and hard working employees and that we're doing everything we can to win on the field and to provide our fans with a first class entertainment experience at Safeco Field.
I want you to know that Chuck, Jack and I have very thick skins and that nothing said by the folks in the media or, for that matter, the bloggers, is going to distract us from continuing to do our jobs to the best of our ability, with the goal of giving our fans a championship team. In due course, we will let our fans know of our plans for the future and of our commitment to them. And we look forward to working with you as we put these plans together.
"I recently read a blog from Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks in which he explained his reasons for attempting to acquire the Texas Rangers. He had something to say about the media that for me, really rang true. Here is what he said:
"What I have learned in 11 years in the sports business is that the dumbest guys in the room are always the media guys. Some do a decent job of reporting, most just spew opinions. And those opinions change more often than they brush their teeth. So what the media was saying (about his effort to acquire the Rangers) was of zero impact or influence on what I was doing. Listening to the media only increases your odds of failing at whatever you are doing. So I ignore them."
I hope each of you take Mark Cuban's remarks to heart. Don't Dallas Cowboys jersey
pay attention to what the local media is saying. Keep doing your job. And keep your heads up. You have every right to be very proud of this organization and for what it stands for."
Pittsburgh Steelers jersey

By any name, Seahawks' Tyler Polumbus is a candidate to replace Russell Okung

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RENTON — "Troy hasn't been with us but a week," coach Pete Carroll said.
Actually, coach, it's Tyler. Tyler Polumbus. He's the offensive tackle the Seahawks acquired in a trade with Detroit on Aug. 31, the one who started eight games for the Broncos last season.
Polumbus is a candidate to start at left tackle Sunday when the Seahawks open nfl jerseys
the season against San Francisco. Rookie Russell Okung is out because of a high ankle sprain. Chester Pitts, who is coming off knee surgery, is the other possibility.
"Whether we go with Chester or whether we go with Troy Polumbus, we'll have to wait and see," Carroll said.
Though Carroll is eight months removed Minnesota Vikings jersey
from USC, it appears he's having a hard time letting go of the men of Troy.
Art Valero, the Seahawks assistant offensive-line coach, acknowledged the difficulty that uncertainty at the left tackle poses.
"We just continue to move on," Valero said. "That's just the thing we have to do. It's not what happens to you that matters, it's what you do about it. Whomever that guy is, whether it's Chester Pitts, whether it's Tyler Polumbus, you've got to go."
This presumably would apply to an offensive lineman named Troy, too. If the Seahawks had one, which they don't.

Mariners fall to Oakland Athletics 4-3

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OAKLAND, Calif. — If only the Mariner Moose had finished the job, his ballclub might have gotten theirs done in this series.
It was three years ago last month that the Mariners team mascot, driving an all-terrain vehicle at Safeco Field, barely missed running over Coco Crisp, then of the Boston Red Sox and now residing here with the Oakland Athletics. But Crisp lived to enact some revenge, which cheap nfl jerseys
he took this week by running right over the Mariners, sealing a 4-3 loss for Seattle on Wednesday night by driving in three runs.
Crisp isn't known as much of a power guy, but hit his second homer in three games this series, off Luke French in the third inning, to launch an Oakland comeback from a 3-0 deficit.
"He's done pretty well against me," French said. "It's just a matter of making pitches on him. He's a good hitter and he's not an easy out by any means."
Not this series he wasn't.
Crisp sent 15,180 fans at the Coliseum home happy by driving in the decisive sixth-inning run with a single through the right side after the Mariners failed to turn an inning-ending double play. Mariners shortstop Josh Wilson mishandled the transfer on the double-play attempt, got one out at second, but allowed the tying run to score when he dropped the ball before he could make a throw to first.
The base hit by Crisp came right after that. Seattle had opened the game with a two-run homer from Russell Branyan in the first inning and a solo shot by Matt Tuiasosopo in the second, both off Oakland starter Gio Gonzalez, to take a 3-0 lead.
But Branyan flied out with the bases loaded to end the second inning and Seattle managed just two hits the rest of the game. Gonzalez fanned Branyan with Chone Figgins at second base to end the seventh inning and the Mariners went six up, six down from there off Oakland's bullpen.
Crisp was 2 for 4 with the three runs batted in. He went 5 for 9 with two homers and seven RBI in the series and is 10 for 22 off Seattle pitching this season.
French wasn't in the game by the time Crisp hit the decisive single off Jamey Wright in the sixth. But Crisp was a major reason the night came undone for French in the third.
Crisp's home run was a line drive that landed in a picnic area Dallas Cowboys jersey
beyond the left-field fence known as the BBQ Terrace. A lone fan, dressed head to toe in A's garb, took a flying leap off a picnic table in attempting to catch the scorcher.
Instead, he missed the ball completely and did a belly flop on to the concrete floor in full view of thousands of horrified — and some slightly amused — fans. But, after dusting himself off, the fan got up and walked away seemingly unharmed.
French wasn't nearly as fortunate. He survived jams with two runners on in the fourth and fifth innings, but his pitch count was soaring by the time Mark Ellis doubled off the wall to begin the sixth.
"It was one of those nights, it was a little tough," he said. "I obviously didn't feel like I had the best stuff and struggled a little bit. But I was able to make a few pitches here and there to get out of some jams."
And Wright nearly got him off the hook in that sixth until Wilson couldn't complete the double play. Wilson knew that the batter, Cliff Pennington, gets to first base really quick and he also had a hard slide into second by lead runner Steve Tolleson distracting him as he tried to transfer the ball to his throwing hand.
"He was coming in pretty quick, he was on me," Wilson said of Tolleson. "I think I tried to be too fast, too quick."
Crisp then capped the rally moments later with the kind of clutch hit the Mariners had needed far earlier in the game.
Seattle had plenty of big hits and smaller breaks in scoring seven runs to win the middle game of the series, but none after Tuiasosopo's homer in the second inning this time.
"I keep talking about a big hit that kind of Indianapolis Colts jersey
puts the game away," Mariners manager Daren Brown said. "But we just didn't get it."
Crisp had the only big swings that mattered in this game. And throughout a three-game series in which — unlike the Mariner Moose — he seemed to hit everything in his path.