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SACRAMENTO, Calif. Steven Adams Thunder Jersey . -- After Golden States difficult road loss two nights ago in Oklahoma City, Stephen Curry was anxious to avoid a repeat performance Sunday against the Sacramento Kings. The dynamic guard came up with big play after big play, none bigger than his two free throws with 8.6 seconds left that helped the Warriors edge the Kings 115-113. Curry made five 3-pointers, scored 36 points and also added 10 assists for the Warriors, who had lost two straight and five of six. It was the sixth time in his career that Curry had matched or exceeded 30 points and 10 assists. The first five came in his rookie season. The Friday loss to Oklahoma City had been especially painful. Russell Westbrooks 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds left in overtime gave the Thunder a 113-112 victory. "Its been frustrating of late, not being able to close out games, especially on the road," Curry said. "Everyone pitched in. It was a good learning lesson for us to continue to stick to the program." Klay Thompson connected on a career-high eight 3-pointers and added 28 points. Golden State hit 15 of 25 3s (60 per cent). Curry is in a terrific grove, making 15 of 28 over the last three games. "They are good players and tough to cover," Kings centre DeMarcus Cousins said. "In the beginning we didnt make it difficult for them. Later in the game we did. If we had done that early on maybe it would have been a different game." The Warriors had a 16-point lead in the third quarter and led by 10 entering the fourth. But the Kings rallied and took the lead several times in the fourth, when they outscored Golden State 33-25. After Currys two free throws broke a 113-all tie, Andrew Bogut blocked a driving reverse layup by Isaiah Thomas in the closing seconds and grabbed the rebound to secure the victory. "I saw Klay get beat and had an idea Isaiah would not be going up against me on the right side," said Bogut, who had 12 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. "I kind of read it and thankfully I got the block." Harrison Barnes and David Lee had 11 points for the Warriors, who ended a four-game road trip with a 2-2 record. In foul trouble throughout, Cousins had 24 points in just over 20 minutes. Marcus Thornton hit five 3-pointers and scored all of his 21 points in the second half, including 11 in the fourth. Thomas had 19 points and eight assists, but also committed seven of Sacramentos season-high 24 turnovers that led to 33 Warrior points. Patrick Patterson scored 18 points and Jason Thompson added 10. It was another frustrating loss for the Kings, who have dropped four straight overall and are now 3-7 at home. "I think a lot of those turnovers today was us being soft and us telegraphing our passes," Thomas said. "Especially in the second quarter when I had four or five turnovers. Two or three of them I just telegraphed - they knew where it was going." Trailing by two points twice with under a minute to play, Cousins responded with a pair of basket from close range, the second one tying the game at 113 with 12.6 seconds left. A 3-pointer by Thomas put the Kings in front 104-102 with 3:51 left. But Thompsons corner 3 and a jumper by Curry put the Warriors on top, 107-106. With the Kings down by 11 points, Thornton made a 3 to ignite a 12-2 run. Cousins ended the surge by converting a layup and making two free throws to cut Golden States lead to 100-96. "What I like about our guys is that it could have been a 16-point deficit that turned into 30, but it turned into a two-point lead and giving ourselves a chance to win," Kings coach Michael Malone said. "We were only one defensive rebound away from winning the game." After a strong first half, it was Thompson and Curry continuing their perimeter success in the third quarter, when they combined for five 3-pointers. Curry scored 11 points and Thompson had three 3-pointers and nine points, giving Golden State a 90-80 heading into the fourth. "I have a great backcourt with two guys that can light up a scoreboard," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "The thing that I love most about them is people fall in love with shooting, which is the obvious, but they compete. They have really developed into a good defensive tandem. I thought both guys did an outstanding job on the defensive end." Cousins was called for his fourth foul at the 7:45 mark of the third quarter. He argued the call and was quickly given his fifth technical of the season and went to the bench with the Kings trailing 66-59. Warriors starting forward Andre Iguodala sat out his fifth straight game with a left hamstring strain. Notes: The arena power went out during pregame introductions and lasted for 12 minutes. When power was restored, the Kings introduction was skipped and the game had no public address announcer until midway through the first quarter. . Historically, this has been a competitive matchup, with the Warriors holding a 187-185 edge. . Three Kings starters, including Cousins, had two fouls by the midway point in the opening quarter. . Warriors reserve guard Toney Douglas, who played with the Kings last year, has missed the last 11 games with a stress problem in his lower left leg. DeAndre Jordan USA Jersey . -- One shot came out of bottom of a cactus, the other from the base of a desert bush with rocks scattered around it. Clyde Drexler USA Jersey . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell while figuring out which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value.SALT LAKE CITY -- Big Turk lived up to his nickname. After two games in which he was nearly invisible, Enes Kanter loomed large in the middle and scored 24 points to lift the Utah Jazz past the Washington Wizards 104-101 Saturday night. "The big man played big tonight," said Gordon Hayward, who hit two free throws with 2.6 seconds left to seal the win. Kanter made 11 of 13 shots and the Jazz overcame a 13-point deficit to take control in the fourth quarter and keep the Wizards from moving above the .500 mark for the first time in more than four years. Kanter also took the pressure off of Derrick Favours, who is dealing with a sore hip. "Enes was doing the scoring, so I just tried to go out there and play defence and get rebounds," said Favours, who had 11 points and 14 rebounds. Hayward finished with 16 points and Alec Burks added 15 as the Jazz swept the two games with the Wizards for the second straight season. Trevor Ariza led Washington with 23 points, including a 3-pointer with 52 seconds left that drew the Wizards within 101-98. John Wall banked in a 3-pointer to get within 102-101 with 3.6 seconds left, but Hayward made two free throws and Wall missed at the buzzer. Kanter scored a total of eight points in two blowout losses to Minnesota and drew his coachs ire for often being in the wrong spots. But in this one, Kanter consistently found himself in the right place at the right time -- picking up loose balls, making timely passes and changing the Wizards shots in the paint. "I personally was really bad two games against Minnesota, but tonight I wanted to come out with lots of energy," Kanter said. The muscular centre from Turkey displayed a deft shooting touch on jumpers and power moves to the basket. When Arizas 3-pointer cut the lead to 92-90, Kanter hit a jump shot. With 57 seconds left, he made two free throws to give Utah a 101-95 cushion after a nifty reverse-pivot down the lane that drew a foul. Utahs schedule has allowed for practices in the past few weeks and the young Jazz players have benefited from the extra work. "My coaches have given me a lot of confidence and weve been practicing really hard," Kanter said. "The things I have been trying to do and now showing in the games." Burks and Hayward drove through the Wizards defence for layups as the Jazz scored on four straight possessions to open the fourth quarter and take an 85-77 lead. "We did a good job of attacking them after playing inside-out. We attacked them in transitiion, attacked them in the half court," said Trey Burke, who had 12 points and eight assists. Deron Williams USA Jersey. The Jazz seemed a step quicker to loose balls as the game wore on, but the Wizards made it interesting in the final minute before yet again failing to move above .500. "We were running in mud half the game, in my opinion," Washington coach Randy Wittman said. "We wouldnt commit ourselves to our pace." Ten times over the past five seasons, the Wizards have had a chance to surpass .500. Theyve lost every time. "I feel like we had this game won. We just didnt do a good job in stopping them and they just kept making good plays," Wall said. Wizards last won a game to go above .500 on Oct. 31, 2009, when they beat the New Jersey Nets to improve to 2-1. They lost to Cleveland on Nov. 3 and havent had a winning record since. The Wizards, who led most of the game, have lost this season at 0-0, 9-9, 14-14, 19-19, 20-20 and 21-21. No one on the current Wizards roster was on the team when it was last above .500. Though Utah is at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Jazz are competitive when healthy. The starting lineup of Burke, Hayward, Marvin Williams, Richard Jefferson and Favours is 12-8 this season. Favours was a game-time decision but felt his right hip strain had healed enough to give it a go and the Jazz needed his defence and rebounding prowess. When Favors needed a rest, Kanter made his presence known, especially with his 10 points in the fourth quarter. After stumbling through a subpar January, Ariza has found his groove. He scored 23 points in a win over Phoenix Friday and made 6 of 10 3-pointers against Utah. But his fellow perimeter players couldnt find their range. Beal was 5 of 16 and Wall made just 4 of 14 attempts from the field. "I thought Trey and the guys playing Wall made him work for everything he got," Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said. Nene had 19 points, including a handful of emphatic dunks, and Marcin Gortat had 14 points and 11 rebounds, but they couldnt stop Kanter when it mattered most. NOTES: The Jazz claimed third-year forward Malcolm Thomas off waivers on Saturday. He has appeared in 16 career NBA games over three seasons with San Antonio (this season), Golden State and Chicago, averaging 1.1 points and 1.8 rebounds in 5.4 minutes. . The teams combined to miss their first seven shots. . The Jazz reserves outscored their Washington counterparts 52-18 but all five Wizard starters scored in double figures. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '

Deleted user May 8 '17, 02:41AM

He also served a multi-game suspension

WASHINGTON -- Right-handed starter Doug Fister and the Washington Nationals have agreed to terms on a contract, avoiding arbitration. Dale Murphy Jersey . The Nationals announced the deal via their Twitter account Saturday. Fister was acquired from the Detroit Tigers in a trade this off-season after he went 14-9 with a 3.67 ERA over 208 2-3 innings in 2013. He made $4,075,000 last season and when submitting his arbitration figure asked that his salary more than double to $8.5 million. The Nationals had offered $5.75 million. Only one other Nationals player still could go to arbitration, right-handed reliever Tyler Clippard. He asked for a raise to $6.35 million from $4 million; the team offered $4.45 million. Clippard was 6-3 with a 2.41 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 71 innings in 2013. Bob Uecker Jersey . And once again, Team Homan emerged as the victor with the reigning national champions defeating Team Sweeting at the Pintys All-Star Curling Skins Game Friday night in the tournaments opening draw at The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre in beautiful Banff National Park. Nick Swisher Braves Jersey . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night.TORONTO -- The former owner of the Vancouver Canucks should be forced to answer, in front of a jury, if he approved a career-ending sucker punch on Steve Moore, a lawyer for the former NHL player argued in court Thursday. Its now 10 years after Todd Bertuzzis infamous hit, and Moores multi-million-dollar lawsuit is finally approaching a trial. Moores lawyer, Tim Danson, is asking the Ontario Superior Court to compel John McCaw Jr., who is based in Seattle, to testify in Toronto. "He just goes on with his life with the incredible privileges of being a billionaire...while Steve Moore tries to recover from a shattered life," Danson said in court Thursday. "For him to say, Im not going to come and testify in any capacity is regrettable. Its regrettable and it defies principles of fairness and justice. For him to simply hide behind his U.S. citizenship and residency given the nature of all of these facts should not be accepted and its not something the public would accept." NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly have voluntarily agreed to testify, Danson said. Master Ronald Dash, who is hearing the motion, said he would not order McCaw to testify in person at the trial, slated to begin in September, but is considering Dansons alternate request that McCaw testify via video conference. McCaws lawyer, Steven Frankel, argued that the court doesnt have jurisdiction to do that and suggested Danson is trying to do an "end run" around very specific court rules. Frankel said there is no evidence before the court that McCaw, who is not an individual defendant, even has relevant evidence to give. A jury should be able to hear McCaw answer whether he knew Canucks players were gunning for retaliation against Moore for a hit weeks earlier on former Canucks captain Markus Naslund that resulted in a concussion, Danson argued. Bertuzzi has alleged the Canucks then-coach Marc Crawford urged his players to make Moore "pay the price," while Crawford has claimed Bertuzzi disobeyed instructions to get off the ice before Moore was attacked. Players were issuing public threats against Moore before the hit, Danson said, and what McCaw did or didnt do about it is "highly relevant to the questiion of negligence. Hector Olivera Jersey. " "Theres no way that you can have the intensity of the public threats over three weeks going on unless the corporate culture set by Mr. McCaw allowed it, and he has to answer to that," Danson said. Danson suggested that McCaw fostered a corporate culture that may have at least implicitly approved such an attack, including having as the president and general manager Brian Burke, who was "unapologetic about promoting violence in hockey." "Were Burke and Crawford carrying out the wishes of McCaw?" Danson suggested. "Or given the wink...when it came to getting Mr. Moore?" McCaw no longer owns the Canucks, having sold his company Orca Bay, now known as Canucks Sports and Entertainment. But he maintains a "very significant financial interest" in the outcome of the lawsuit, as he is still on the hook for half of any liability found against the team, which Danson said was a condition of the sale. "If he doesnt testify, if he doesnt come forward, our case is going to be significantly weakened," Danson said. "So he knows its not in his best interest to testify because if he testifies, it will be....to the benefit of the plaintiffs." Moore is suing Bertuzzi and the Canucks for $38 million for a 2004 on-ice hit that left Moore, then a Colorado Avalanche player, with a concussion and three fractured vertebrae. Bertuzzi pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of assault causing bodily harm and was sentenced in 2006 to a years probation and 80 hours of community service. He also served a multi-game suspension from the NHL but has gone on to play for several other NHL teams, including currently as a forward for the Detroit Red Wings. Meanwhile, for Moore, it has been a "very, very difficult 10 years," Danson said. "I think anybody can imagine, your entire life you want to make it in the NHL and he finally makes it...a dream come true and in his rookie year his career is cut short by probably the worst act of criminal violence in sports history," Danson said. "He still suffers from significant post-concussion symptoms that have a significant impact on his life." The court is expected to issue a decision in a few weeks. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '

Deleted user May 8 '17, 02:41AM

Oliver Bierhoff said players were

BOSTON -- The Montreal Canadiens were struggling through their worst stretch of the season. Mike Schmidt Jersey . Then they had to play two of the hottest teams in the NHL. They beat both -- decisively. Peter Budaj stopped 34 shots and the Canadiens ended the Boston Bruins four-game winning streak with a 4-1 win Thursday night. The victory came just two days after they stopped Carolinas four-game winning streak with a 3-0 win. "Its good for the confidence," Montreal coach Michel Therrien said. "Even when things werent going our way, we tried to stay positive." The Canadiens had been outscored 19-5 in losing four consecutive games. The Bruins had won their previous four games by a combined score of 21-8. But Boston was outplayed from start to finish. "We didnt skate. We didnt execute, and we didnt make good decisions," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "We werent very good." The Canadiens were outstanding. Their speed and emotion put them in front of the Bruins all night long. "This was close to a complete game for us," said Daniel Briere, who scored Montreals last goal while playing just 7 minutes, 39 seconds. "We needed that after spending the last week dropping some big games and by big scores as well." Alexei Emelin and Max Pacioretty scored before Dougie Hamiltons goal cut Montreals lead to 2-1 after one period. Brian Gionta made it 3-1 at 11:54 of the second, ending goalie Tuukka Rasks night. He was replaced by Chad Johnson, who allowed the first shot he faced, by Briere, to get past him less than two minutes later. Julien wouldnt say why he pulled Rask. And Rask said he felt OK. "I play as long as they tell me to play," he said. "Youd like to stop everything, right? But, today, I didnt." The Bruins had scored six goals in each of their previous three games. The Canadiens scored five times during their four-game slide. "Usually, when you go through tough stretches, people have a tendency to panic," Budaj said. "Tonight we played well against a really good team." The losing streak ended Tuesday night against Carolina when Carey Price stopped 36 shots in his third shutout of the season. Budaj was nearly as good while improving his career record in Boston to 4-0 with just five goals allowed. "We played well against a really, really good team," he said. "This building is always rocking. Its always exciting to play these type of games." Boston remained in first place in the Atlantic Division and second in the Eastern Conference but Montreal was aggressive from the start, quite a change from the Bruins previous two games. They outshot Florida 19-8 in the first period of a 6-2 win Tuesday night. That came one night after they took 18 of the first 20 shots in a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders. But they fell behind early Thursday night and never caught up. Emelin got his first goal in 32 games this season when he converted a slap shot from the right point with four players standing right in front of the crease just 2:16 into the game. Pacioretty scored his team-leading 23rd goal at 14:32. He received a pass along the left side in centre ice, skated behind the defence and put a short backhander behind Rask. But Hamilton scored his fifth goal just a minute later. Neither team had many good opportunities in the first half of the second period. But less than two minutes later, Tomas Plekanec took a power-play shot from the right circle and Gionta tipped it in for his ninth goal. Briere finished the scoring with a shot Johnson had little chance to stop. With three Bruins chasing him and only the goalie in front of him, Briere fired a 10-foot forehand shot over Johnsons shoulder. NOTES: Briere had a goal and an assist after getting just one assist in his previous 10 games. ... The Bruins fell to 12-3 in their last 15 home games. ... Budaj is 4-1 with one shutout in five career games against the Bruins. ... For the first time in the last 10 games between the teams, the final margin was more than one goal. The last time that happened was on Oct. 29, 2011, when Montreal won 4-2. Dave Hollins Phillies Jersey . Pikul Khueanpet scored early in the second half and Kanjana Sungngoen made it 2-0 in the 65th minute of the playoff. Tuyet Dong narrowed the margin with goal four minutes from time. The win gave Thailand fifth place at the Asian Cup and the last of the continents qualifying spots for the 2015 Womens World Cup in Canada. Robin Roberts Phillies Jersey . Lineup news, Fantasy and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking. HEROES St. Louis Blues – After rolling the San Jose Sharks for seven goals, for the second time in a week, the Blues have a bunch of players on hot streaks.BERLIN -- A former World Cup player from Germany came out as gay on Wednesday, rebuking the Russian anti-gay law that threatens to tarnish next months Sochi Olympics and challenging the longstanding stigma against homosexuality in football. With his announcement, Thomas Hitzlsperger became the biggest name in football to declare he is gay. He said he wants to help break down the prejudice against homosexuality that has long permeated the macho, testosterone-fueled culture of the worlds most popular sport. "I am expressing my sexuality because I want to promote the discussion of homosexuality among professional athletes," Hitzlsperger said in the German newspaper Die Zeit, a statement that was widely welcomed by his countrymen and former teammates. His disclosure came less than a month before the start of the Winter Games in Sochi, which have been the focus of a furious backlash in the West against a recently enacted Russian law banning gay "propaganda." The Olympics "are ahead of us, and I think we need some critical voices to counter the campaigns by various governments against homosexuality," Hitzlsperger said. Before retiring from the game four months ago, the 31-year-old former midfielder played in Englands Premier League and in Germany as well as Italy. He is the first German player to come out and the first from the Premier League. The fact that Hitzlsperger waited until his career was over to make the announcement reflected the persistent taboo in the game, where many players are reluctant to discuss homosexuality because they fear the reaction of teammates and fans. Hitzlsperger said he felt the time was right to broach a subject that was "simply ignored." "I get particularly annoyed by the fact that people who know the least are precisely the people to talk the loudest about this issue," he added, noting that the word "gay" is commonly used as a slur against footballers. At many football grounds, sexually themed chants are not uncommon. Fans in Britain sometimes chant songs that are viewed as religiously, sexually or racially offensive. In many European countries, especially in Russia and Eastern Europe, thousands of fans chant obscene songs, defying all attempts to stop them. Hitzlsperger said his own record shattered the idea that gays are "sissies." "I was a pretty tough guy with an extremely strong shot. Thats not something many can claim," he said. "My nickname is The Hammer. Its complete nonsense that gay men are unmanly." In England, outspoken Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton praised Hitzlsperger for his "courage" but lamented that he had to wait until now to make his announcement. "Sad times when people have to wait until they retire from their chosen profession before they feel other people will judge them solely on who the human being is," Barton said on Twitter. "Shame on all of us as a society." Hitzlsperger said he grew up in a small community in Catholic-dominated Bavaria, where homosexuality was treated as something unnatural or even criminal. He had a long-term relationship with a girlfriend and planned to marry her. "But then after eight yeears, the relationship ended without my partner knowing about my feelings for men. Jeremy Hellickson Phillies Jersey. That was six years ago," Hitzlsperger said. "Only in the last few years did it dawn on me that I would rather live with a man." Hitzlsperger represented Germany at the 2006 World Cup and 2008 European Championship. He played for Bayern Munichs youth teams before switching to English club Aston Villa in 2001. He later played for Stuttgart, Italian club Lazio, West Ham, Wolfsburg and then Everton in the Premier League. "Homosexuality is not a serious issue in England, Germany or Italy, not in the dressing room in any case," said Hitzlsperger, who made 52 appearances for Germanys national team from 2004 to 2010. "Thats why its not easy to find anyone in the football scene who will talk publicly about his sexual orientation. To this day, I dont know any footballer personally who has made this an issue. "I was never ashamed of how I am," said Hitzlsperger, adding that the behaviour of some of his teammates was sometimes hard to take. "Think about it. There are 20 young men sitting around a table drinking. You let most of it go, as long as the jokes are halfway funny and the rubbish about homosexuals is not hugely offensive." Last February, American player Robbie Rogers declared he was gay before announcing his retirement. He returned to action with the Los Angeles Galaxy after an overwhelmingly positive reaction to his declaration. Former English player Justin Fashanu, who played for Norwich and Nottingham Forest, was the first footballer to say openly that he was gay in 1990. He committed suicide eight years later at age 37. Swedish defender Anton Hysen came out in 2011. Athletes from other sports have also spoken about their sexuality. Last month, British Olympic diver Tom Daley said he was in a relationship with a man. Other high-profile gay athletes include former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas, English cricketer Steven Davies and former NBA players Jason Collins and John Amaechi. On Twitter, German forward Lukas Podolski welcomed his former international teammates announcement, calling it "brave and right" and "an important sign in our time." Another former international teammate, Arne Friedrich, tweeted, "Im proud of you. Good decision and at the right time in my opinion." Government spokesman Steffen Seibert praised Hitzlspergers announcement on behalf of Chancellor Angela Merkel. "We judge footballers by whether they conduct themselves well and with dignity on and off the pitch, and I believe both are true for Mr. Hitzlsperger," Seibert said. German football federation president Wolfgang Niersbach said Hitzlsperger "was always an example for whom I had the highest respect, and this respect is even greater now." Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff said players were unaware of Hitzlspergers sexuality until after his retirement, when the player informed both him and Germany coach Joachim Loew. Said Bierhoff: "Well give him every support so he can continue on his courageous path." Loew hoped Hitzlspergers "announcement helps us all to be more relaxed about this issue." Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '

Deleted user May 8 '17, 02:40AM

Their next performance will be in League One

Blackburn Rovers, champions of England in 1995, are now a third-rate club. Call it the Venky’s effect. Here on Sunday Blackburn achieved the least satisfying victory in their history as results elsewhere condemned them to relegation to League One.There was no last-gasp escape for the dishevelled Lancashire Derrick Williams Womens Jersey club, just as there is no miracle cure for the ills that have afflicted Rovers since they were taken over by an Indian chicken-processing corporation in 2010. Blackburn were 14th in the top flight back then; now they are heading towards the third tier, a level unknown to them since their return in 1980.The fall would be easier for the club’s fans to tolerate if they had confidence that the team have reached rock bottom. But Rovers are around £100m in debt, many of the players are due to leave this summer and the owner has given no indication that it has the will or ability to stop the slide, let alone reverse it.Two telephone calls remain the only contact that Tony Mowbray has had with Venky’s since being appointed Blackburn manager in February. He says he is scheduled to fly to India “in the next week or two” to find out how seriously the owner intends backing a promotion attempt. Given that the club have spent £250,000 on players in the past two years, optimism at this point would seem misplaced. The table says that goal difference did for Blackburn in the end, but the main cause was ineptitude away from the pitch, along with neglect or worse.Championship round-up: Forest survive as Newcastle snatch title in last minute It was fitting, in a way, that Blackburn’s relegation came after an ultimately useless victory, a denouement highlighting the potential that has been wasted http://www.officialheatauthentic.com/authentic-derrick-williams-jersey.html at the club. The spirit shown by players on the pitch and supporters in the stands was overridden by events beyond their control.The tantalisingly slim margin between the three teams scrambling to escape relegation meant it was always going to be a nerve-shredding afternoon at Brentford. Scenarios still possible before kick‑off included Blackburn losing but surviving thanks to results elsewhere or, as it transpired, winning but going down.Rovers fans rode a whirl of emotions, lurching from optimism to joy, then to fear and, finally, sorrow and rage. “We want our Rovers back,” the 1,650 demanded after the final whistle here. Who knows when, or whether, they will get their wish?It had all started like a dream for Mowbray’s team. Charlie Mulgrew shot them into the lead in the 10th minute with an immaculate free-kick, curling the ball into the top corner from 25 yards. Rovers fans began singing and dancing because as things stood, their side were on course to survive. That prospect grew brighter when Blackburn scored again six minutes later, Danny Guthrie grabbing his first goal for the club thanks to a excellent work by Sam Gallagher, a deflection off a defender and weak goalkeeping by Daniel Bentley, who allowed the ball to trickle over the line. With so many things going in Rovers’ favour, it was no wonder there Authentic Frank Herrmann Youth Jersey was suddenly conviction in the away fans’ chants of “We are staying up”.But then Forest scored against Ipswich Town, and Brentford fans gleefully relayed the news with chants of “You are going down”. The travelling contingent retorted with cries of “We’re going to win 3-0”. Not the most sophisticated tit‑for‑tat, admittedly, but the soundtrack gave the atmosphere an extra fizz and tension.And Rovers did create chances to make it 3-0. Gallagher, on loan from Southampton, was so committed to Blackburn’s cause that he collided with a goalpost as he tried to divert a cross from Elliott Bennett into the net, but his bravery was unrewarded as his shot flew over the bar. Derrick Williams also fired over from close range before Gallagher got another opportunity just before half-time, only to be denied by David Raya.Brentford had been loose in the first half but improved in the second. So, elsewhere, did Forest. Blackburn’s hopes deteriorated further when http://www.authenticphillieshop.com/authentic-19-greg-luzinski-jersey.html Lasse Vibe pulled a goal back for Brentford, superbly flicking Harlee Dean’s low cross beyond the reach of David Raya in the Blackburn goal. Blackburn fans were struck dumb. Mowbray clasped his head in his hands.Brentford continued to attack, intent on ending their own season on a high in front of a home crowd. Blackburn did not surrender even as their chances of survival grew more remote. Craig Conway rocketed a penalty into the net after being fouled by Dean, whose season ended a little earlier than everyone else’s when the referee showed him a red card.Elsewhere, Birmingham’s match ended earlier than expected, too, as the referee blew for full-time prematurely, at least if the fourth official had been correct when indicating the amount of time that would be added on.That was just another irritating quirk on a sorry day for Rovers, to be filed alongside the fact that Newcastle United were confirmed as champions: Rovers did the double over them this season.So Blackburn ended with a two-goal win that took Mowbray’s haul since replacing the sacked Owen Coyle to 22 points from 15 matches. If they had gained points at that rate all season they would have finished in the top half. But Rovers got their act together too late. Their next performance will be in League One.

Deleted user May 8 '17, 02:33AM · Tags: jersey

Irish, linemen reap rewards of extended stays

Harry Hiestand is used to his offensive linemen deferring an opportunity to enter the NFL draft so they can instead spend another <a href="http://www.officialvikingshop.com/shop-by-players-jeff-locke-jersey-c-2_20.html">http://www.officialvikingshop.com/shop-by-players-jeff-locke-jersey-c-2_20.html</a> season with him.

(What's next for the Fighting Irish? Click here to sign up NOW for our free Notre Dame newsletter!)

Zack Martin, the 16th overall pick in the 2013 draft, elected to stay for a fifth year. The sixth overall pick last April, Ronnie Stanley, chose to return, too, after contemplating his future after his junior season.

The trend continued this offseason when left guard Quenton Nelson and left tackle Mike McGlinchey opted to return, a decision that means the Irish's offensive line is almost entirely intact from last season.

Part of the reason Hiestand believes offensive linemen maxing out there time at ND has become a trend is because of the tight-knit nature of the position group.

"He loved playing football at Notre Dame," Hiestand said of Martin. "He loved offensive line and his brother (Nick Martin) was here. (Chris) Watt's like<a href="http://www.authenticsteelersshop.com/shop-by-players-jordan-berry-jersey-c-2_33.html">Jordan Berry Youth Jersey</a> a brother to him, too, and that's how these guys kind of get. They get very close to each other. They really care about each other, but they do, they have a special feeling for this university and guys don't always want that to end."

Making the decision to return requires players to take a big-picture approach rather than focusing on the opportunity to cash in on the NFL a year early.

"We know there's a lot of life ahead," Hiestand said, "but sometimes when they think smart they realize they'll have plenty of times to do those other things and this is a brief part of your life that you have here."

In the case of Zack and Nick Martin, five years wasn't enough.

The Indianapolis natives appeared together at practices in late March, taking the Irish's younger linemen under their wing in between drills.

"They love sitting in the meetings and watching the film and just kind of being part of it," Hiestand said. "It's great to see that they're willing to give back their time.

"They can't help themselves (from coaching players). More encouragement and keep fighting and those kinds of things as opposed to the technical part, but just encouraging them. Both those guys always had an awesome demeanor every day<a href="http://www.authentic49ersshop.com/shop-by-players-cornellius-carradine-jersey-c-1_13.html">http://www.authentic49ersshop.com/shop-by-players-cornellius-carradine-jersey-c-1_13.html</a> they were here."

By watching the Martin brothers, players are able to take away some valuable lessons.

"No matter how bad they felt you could never look at a Martin and go, 'He doesn't feel good today,'" Hiestand said. "It's a great lesson for these players that you can't let your opponent see that they got you a little bit. They know your ankle's hurting, your shoulder's hurting, you don't feel good. Those two are one of the best examples in college I've ever had. That alone is great because they just pop in."

Zack Martin, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, reaped the rewards of returning to ND for a fifth year. McGlinchey has already benefited from the Irish's improved strength and conditioning program, and Hiestand expects the fifth-year senior to further increase his appeal to NFL scouts by cutting down on a plethora of false starts he was penalized for last season.

Playing on an offensive line with four returning starters is essential to cutting down on penalties, Hiestand said.

"It wasn't as much (moving from right tackle to left tackle) as playing around guys that hadn't played a lot," Hiestand said of McGlinchey's false starts. "Just having an incredible desire and determination to do well and to help others do well. Mike's big thing is he's always trying to get everything to work and he kind of forgets <a href="http://www.authenticcowboyssale.com/shop-by-players-terrance-williams-jersey-c-2_21.html">Terrance Williams Authentic Jersey</a> about himself sometimes.

"Really, it was not sides as much of trying to do much and trying to make sure everybody else is squared away and boom, he pops early. He's been much better with that this spring and that won't be an issue down the road. It was a product of that."

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