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PHOENIX -- Against Arizona, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the dominant team they are supposed to be. Anthony Sherman Super Bowl Jersey . Against everyone else, not so much. Zack Greinke threw eight sharp innings, Yasiel Puig and Scott Van Slyke homered and the Dodgers added to their mastery of the Diamondbacks with a 7-0 victory on Friday night. Los Angeles improved to 8-1 against Arizona this season, and the Dodgers are 15-19 against everybody else. "They have outplayed us, outpitched us," Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. "The guy that beat us tonight has his best stuff going this year." Dodgers manager Don Mattingly downplayed the dominance. "Theres teams you hit well as a player, you pitch good against," he said. "This is one of those teams we played well against this year. Hopefully that continues." Greinke (7-1), in his longest outing of the season, allowed two or fewer runs for the 21st consecutive game, the longest such streak in the majors since at least 1914. Asked how much he thinks about that he said, "not much, actually" "Its not like one of the more important streaks," Greinke said. "Its not a real big deal." He gave up five hits, struck out six, walked two and had an RBI double. "I forgot how fun it is to catch him," said A.J. Ellis, just back from the disabled list. Puig had three hits and drove in two runs. He and Van Slyke hit solo homers off Wade Miley (3-4) as the Diamondbacks fell to 4-16 at Chase Field. Van Slyke does to Miley what the Dodgers do to the Diamondbacks. He is 7 for 16 in his career against the left-hander with four home runs, three this year. Puig, who fell a triple shy of the cycle, extended his career-best hitting streak to 15 games. "Im trying to get hits and put a swing on good pitches," Puig said to reporters in Spanish. "I wasnt worried hitting for the cycle or anything like that." Mattingly said Puig "is getting better all the time and hes getting closer to being that player that has a chance to make a huge impact." Brian Wilson, who entered the game with a 10.22 ERA, pitched the ninth to complete the shutout. The Diamondbacks have not led in any of their six home games against Los Angeles, two of them in Sydney, Australia, to open the season. Miley gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings, with three walks and three strikeouts. Puig got the Dodgers going with a drive into the right-field seats on a 2-2 pitch from Miley with one out in third. It was his eighth home run of the season. The bottom of the Los Angeles order accounted for two runs in the fourth. Van Slyke led off with a double, then scored on Ellis single. Greinke followed with an RBI double to the gap in left-centre. They were the first RBIs of the season for Ellis and Greinke. Van Slyke hit Mileys first pitch in the sixth high off the batters eye in centre field, far above the 407-foot sign and it was 4-0. Los Angeles got two runs off reliever Randall Delgado in the seventh. Puig singled and scored when Hanley Ramirez doubled. Matt Kemp brought Ramirez home with a fielders choice. The Dodgers added an unearned run in the eighth when shortstop Chris Owings, trying to nab speedy Dee Gordon for a double play, threw the ball 10 rows into the seats above the Los Angeles dugout. Gordon scored from first on Puigs double. In the ninth, umpire Quinn Wolcott ruled that Miguel Montero had beaten out an infield hit but the Dodgers challenged and the call was reversed on review. NOTES: The Dodgers have won 15 of the last 19 games against the Diamondbacks. ... Puig has 33 RBIs. ... Miley has allowed 10 home runs, most of any Arizona starter. ... The Diamondbacks Paul Goldschmidt struck out three times. ... Arizonas 17-year-old minor league pitcher Argeny Hiciano has been suspended for 50 games for testing positive for a banned substance. ... The Dodgers send LHP Clayton Kershaw (2-0, 1.74 ERA) to the mound Saturday, while Arizonas Chase Anderson (1-0, 1.69) makes his second major league start, first at home. Damien Williams Super Bowl Jersey . -- In the stadium program sold at the Miami Dolphins game on Halloween, Richie Incognito was asked whos the easiest teammate to scare. Mecole Hardman Super Bowl Jersey . George Hill had 13 points and seven rebounds for the Pacers, who stayed atop the overall NBA standings despite losing twice on their West Coast trip. Los Angeles kept it close into the second half before the Pacers finished an easy win over the injury-riddled Lakers, who have lost five straight.Two goals from Paulo Dybala helped Juventus strengthen their lead at the top of Serie A with a 2-1 win over Udinese on Saturday. Jakub Jankto had given away side Udinese the lead after half an hour, before Argentine Dybala equalised two minutes before the break.Six minutes after the restart Dybala was on hand from the penalty spot to give Juventus their eventual winner, leaving them five points clear of Roma at the top of the table. A counter-attacking masterclass saw Roma earn a 3-1 victory against Napoli in their clash at Stadio San Paolo.Roma dominated the opening 45 minutes and Edin Dzeko gave the visitors the lead just before the break and added a second just after the re-start.Kalidou Koulibaly headed home to give the hosts a lifeline with over half an hour of play remaining, but Mohamed Salah sealed the win for Roma with five minutes left as he coolly slotted in off the post at the end of another superb counter-attack. Roma forward Edin Dzeko scored twice during the 3-1 win over Napoli The result means Roma leapfrog Napoli into second in the Serie A table after back-to-back wins. Kendall Fuller Super Bowl Jersey. Elsewhere, struggling Pescara scored an own goal, had a man sent off and missed a penalty in their 1-1 Serie A draw at home to Sampdoria.The hosts went behind in the 12th minute when Hugo Campagnaro nodded a cross into his own net, but the Argentinian defender made amends by heading the equaliser 11 minutes later.Pescara lost Andrea Coda to a second yellow card in the 45th minute, and the point ensured Sampdoria remained one point ahead of their opponents.You can watch Liverpool v Man Utd, plus Englands tour of Bangladesh and the British Masters on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy six months at half price! Also See: Serie A fixtures Serie A table ' ' '

Ever seen anybody dunk themselves? Now you have. Aaron Rodgers Super Bowl Jersey ... Dont try this at home or with any of your friends unless you are a Ninja Terrific Dunk Fail These Streetball moves are insane Muhammed Ali dodging and ducking, Cant Touch This! High School Running Back Flip Intense MMA Knockout The "Dunked On" Prank taken to a whole new level Crazy Soccer Bicycle Kick Blake Martinez Super Bowl Jersey . - The Baltimore Ravens and tight end Dennis Pitta reached agreement on a five-year contract Friday. Kenny Clark Super Bowl Jersey .Cameron sustained his third concussion in three seasons last week on a hit by Oakland safety Brandion Ross, who was fined $22,050 by the NFL for the helmet-to-helmet blow.TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are turning to veteran play-caller Dirk Koetter to revive their struggling offence.The former Atlanta and Jacksonville offensive co-ordinator is joining the Bucs in the same capacity, the team announced Thursday.Koetter, 55, was let go last month by the NFC South rival Falcons, who fired coach Mike Smith after a 6-10 season.The Bucs stumbled to a 2-14 finish, playing the entire regular season without former offensive co-ordinator Jeff Tedford, who underwent a heart procedure in August and did not return to work any games.Im very excited to welcome Dirk to our staff, Bucs coach Lovie Smith said in a statement released by the team.With over three decades of experience at both the college and the NFL level, Dirk has a proven track record as a top offensive co-ordinator, Smith added. During his time in Atlanta, he led one of the most productive offences in the league and I believe he will enjoy similar success here with the exciting young players we have on offence.And, perhaps a new quarterback.The Bucs have the first overall pick in this years draft. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariotta could be among the players Smith and general manager Jason Licht consider adding to an offence that ranked 30th among 32 teams in 2014.With Tedford sidelinedd, first-year NFL assistant Marcus Arroyo handled play-calling responsibilities. Dean Lowry Super Bowl Jersey. Even though the Bucs had a pair of 1,000-yard receivers (Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson) for the first time in franchise history, quarterback Josh McCown finished with the second-lowest passer rating in the league.Koetter was Atlantas offensive co-ordinator for three years, helping Matt Ryan post the three highest passing yardage season totals in team history. The Falcons were eighth in total offence this season.It became very apparent early in our conversations that we share some of the same philosophies regarding the offensive side of the ball, Smith said.Prior to being hired by the Falcons in 2012, Koetter was Jacksonvilles offensive co-ordinator for five seasons from 2007 to 2011. He also has an extensive background on the college level, including stints as a head coach at Boise State (1998-2000) and Arizona State (2001-06).During his three seasons in Atlanta, the Falcons ranked second in the league in completion percentage (67.4), third in third-down conversion percentage (44.1), fourth in passing yards (277.2 per game), ninth in passing touchdowns (86), 10th in points scored (24.0 per game) and 10th in total yardage (363.5 per game).___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '

MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton led the Miami Marlins to a victory with his bat and his glove. Garrett Celek Super Bowl Jersey . Stanton hit two home runs and made a spectacular diving catch in right field to help the Marlins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 on Monday night. "He was definitely trying to take that game over not only with his bat, but with his glove," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. Stantons 13th multihomer game established a franchise career record and he tied Hanley Ramirez for second place on the clubs home run list with 148. Stanton hit a two-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the third to give him 31 on the season and five in his last five games. "Just feeling better and having better at-bats and pitch selection is a little better," Stanton said of his recent surge. Marlins starter Tom Koehler (8-9) allowed three runs and eight hits in five innings. Steve Cishek escaped the ninth to record his 30th save in 33 chances. With two outs, Cishek allowed an RBI triple by Kolten Wong and an RBI single by Matt Holliday, allowing the Cardinals to pull within 6-5. Cishek struck out Matt Adams to end the game. Jon Jay hit a two-run homer, Holliday had four hits, and Shelby Miller (8-9) allowed five runs in five innings for the Cardinals, who have lost three of four. "We had plenty of hits, they just had bigger ones," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. Stantons diving catch to his left on the warning track took a hit away from Wong in the fifth inning. "I was more trying to protect myself and slide on grass as opposed to dirt and make sure I secure it at the same time," Stanton said. The catch prompted the home crowd into giving him a standing ovation, with two homers already to his credit. "That was really cool that they appreciate things like that," Stanton said. Koehler and the Marlins also benefited from key defensive plays by Jordany Valdespin, Christian Yelich, and Adeiny Hechavarria. "I dont think Ive had that many top-notch plays in a course of a season, that was unbelievable," Koehler said. "If you watch SportsCenter tonight, theres no reason why we shouldnt have all 10 (top plays)." The Cardinals were 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position. The Marlins led 3-0 after Stantons homers, but the Cardinals tied it with three runs in the fourth. "I made some pitches, but when it came down to the best hitter on their team I threw two of the worst pitches Ive probably thrown all night," Miller said. Hechavarria and Yelich drove in runs in the bottom of the inning to put the Marlins up 5-3. TRAINERS ROOM Marlins hard-throwing right-hander Carter Capps, who has been out since May 25 with a right elbow sprain, could make his return to the team as early as September. "Hes feeling good and from what Ive heard, everything is going great, hes feeling great," Redmond said. UP NEXT Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright (14-6, 2.28) will take the mound Tuesday against Marlins right-hander Jarred Cosart (0-1, 6.75). Wainwright will be making his first start against the Marlins in four years and Cosart will be making his return to the mound after being scratched from his last start with a sore left oblique. CISHEK IN RARE COMPANY Cishek became only the third pitcher in Marlins history to record back-to-back 30-save seasons, joining Juan Carlos Oviedo (2010-11) and Robb Nenn (1996-97). JAY SHOWING POWER Jay has hit two home runs in his last three games after going homerless in his previous 93 games. The Miami native was able to hit his third homer of the season in front of a number of friends and family members in attendance. "Its always fun to come back home, but Im here trying to win some games," Jay said. Tarvarius Moore Super Bowl Jersey . Patrick Deslisle-Houde and David Rose each scored in the second to give the fourth-seeded Redmen a 3-1 lead after Jean-Philippe Mathieu scored in the first. Colin Kaepernick Super Bowl Jersey .com) - Longtime Senators star Daniel Alfredsson returned to Ottawa on Thursday to officially announce his retirement.NEW YORK -- Right from the start, Roger Federer looked very little like, well, the Roger Federer who routinely reached the final weekend at Grand Slam tournaments. In the opening game of his fourth-round match at the U.S. Open, the owner of 17 major titles got passed at the net twice, sailed a backhand long, then missed two forehands to get broken. In the second game, the man who has spent more weeks ranked No. 1 than anyone else dumped a backhand into the net, then shanked two other backhands several feet wide. No longer the dominant presence he once was, Federer lost in the round of 16 at Flushing Meadows for the first time in a decade, surprisingly beaten 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-4 by 19th-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain on Monday night. "I kind of self-destructed, which is very disappointing," said Federer, who made 43 unforced errors and managed to convert only 2 of 16 break points. "It was a frustrating performance." Only the latest in a series. This caps a poor-by-his-standards Grand Slam season for Federer, whose record trophy collection includes five from the U.S. Open. He exited in the semifinals at the Australian Open in January, the quarter-finals at the French Open in early June, and the second round of Wimbledon -- against a player ranked 116th, to boot -- in late June. That ended Federers record run of reaching at least the quarter-finals at 36 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments. Now, thanks to Robredo, Federer has a new, unwanted streak: Two consecutive losses before the quarter-finals at majors. This is the first season since 2002 that Federer did not reach at least one final at any of the four Grand Slam tournaments. That year also marked the last time Federer was ranked lower than he is now at No. 7. "The story of my life: When I lose, people are shell-shocked to see me play this way," Federer said. Heading into Monday, the buzz at the U.S. Open was all about looking ahead to a potential quarter-final between Federer and his nemesis, Rafael Nadal. Owners of a combined 29 Grand Slam trophies, they have played each other 31 times -- including in eight major finals -- but never in New York. Federers loss means they wont fix that gap in their rivalry this week. When Federers match was ending, the second-seeded Nadal was just getting started in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and the Spaniard wound up improving to 19-0 on hard courts in 2013 with a 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 victory over 22nd-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany. Nadal, who won the 2010 U.S. Open but missed it last year with a left knee injury, faced only one break point Monday, and Kohlschreiber blew it by putting an overhead smash into the net. Nadal has not lost any of his 56 service game so far through four matches. "I dont want to lie. Happy for that. But I felt at the beginning today, I didnt serve my best," Nadal said. "In the next sets, I am very happy the way that I served. I was able to win a lot of points and ... start a lot of points in a good position." He and Federer have met in four finals at the French Open, three at Wimbledon and one at the Australian Open, but theyve never met in any round at the U.S. Open. "Didnt happen. (Doesnt) mean cannot happen in the future. Well see. Hopefully," the 27-year-old Nadal said. "But is true that we are getting older, so the chances are less today than five years ago." At age 32, Federer has struggled with a bad back and experimented with a larger racket head, and all along, hes had far more trouble winning matches than he usually does -- particularly against the sort of players he barely broke a sweat against at his peak. That this defeat came against Robredo made it all the more stunning. Not that Robredo is a slouch. Hes been ranked as high as No. 5, albeit back in 2006, and this is his seventh trip to the quarter-finals at a major. He made it that far at this years French Open by doing something no man had done since 1927, winning three matches in a row after dropping the first two sets of each. But consider these other facts about Robredo and this matchup: Not only wwas he 0-10 against Federer until Monday, hed managed to win only three of the 27 previous sets theyd played. Jaquiski Tartt Super Bowl Jersey. And before Monday, Robredos record in the fourth round of the U.S. Open was 0-7. Robredo missed time in 2011 and 2012 because of left leg problems that required surgery, and his ranking fell below 400th. "Roger, when he was No. 1, (compared) to the Roger right now," Robredo said, "hes not maybe (playing) with the same confidence, no?" Federer agreed with that assessment, acknowledging that he has doubts about his play these days. He also was asked whether Robredo -- who is 0-6 against Nadal -- tried anything different this time around. "No, he didnt. Pretty simple. No surprises," Federer said. "He didnt serve-and-volley or chip-and-charge. He stood back the way he usually does. He kick-served the way he usually does." Fans tried to get Federer going, singing, "Lets go, Roger, lets go!" or simply chanting his name. He even got support in Spanish, with one fan yelling, "Vamos, Roger! Youre the best!" Heres the way Robredo described the atmosphere: When he walked out onto the court before the match, "it was like 2 per cent of noise," while when Federer arrived at Louis Armstrong Stadium, it sounded "like a concert." Federer originally was supposed to face Robredo in Ashe -- the main, 23,000-capacity court -- but hours of heavy rain in the afternoon muddled the schedule, including prompting the tournament to postpone two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenkas match against 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic until Tuesday. In the three womens matches that were played Monday, No. 10 Roberta Vinci and unseeded Flavia Pennetta set up an all-Italian quarter-final with victories. Vinci beat yet another woman from Italy, 136th-ranked qualifier Camila Giorgi, 6-4, 6-2, while Pennetta defeated No. 21 Simona Halep of Romania 6-2, 7-6 (3). Azarenka or Ivanovic will face Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, who got past American wild-card entry Alison Riske, a 23-year-old who grew up in Pittsburgh, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. In mens action, No. 4 David Ferrer of Spain, the runner-up to Nadal at the French Open this year, moved on by beating No. 18 Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 7-6 (2), 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3). In the quarter-finals, Ferrer will play No. 8 Richard Gasquet, who entered the day 1-15 in fourth-round Grand Slam matches but erased a match point and withstood 39 aces from No. 10 Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., to win 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 2-6, 7-6 (9), 7-5 on Court 17. A long line of fans snaked across the grounds when Federer-Robredo was moved from Ashe to much smaller Armstrong, which holds about 10,000 spectators and has a lot less room separating the playing surface from the stands. Federer, accustomed to playing in Ashe, last competed in Armstrong in 2006. He said that was not a factor in Mondays outcome, though. The blame, instead, belonged with his inability to hit his strokes the way he wanted. Federer was particularly ineffective when he had chances on Robredos serve. Time and again, Federer would get an opening, a chance to begin the long climb back into the match. And he kept letting those opportunities slip by. "We all know the way he plays, how easy he can do everything," Robredo said. "But I think the difference today was the break points conversion." Thats true. Robredo went 4 for 7; Federers poor play on break chances included 0 for 12 in the last two sets. Soaked with perspiration, Federer flubbed a backhand to waste the last of five break points he had in the fourth game of what turned out to be the final set. He kicked the offending ball, a rare sign of frustration from the generally unflappable Federer. Well, unflappable against pretty much anyone other than Nadal, that is. "Ive definitely got to go back to work and come back stronger. Get rid of this loss now as quick as I can, forget about it, because thats not how I want to play from here on," Federer said. "I want to play better. I know I can." ' ' '

GOODYEAR, Ariz. Jeremy Walker Jersey . - Aroldis Chapman, with two black eyes, has returned to the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse four days after being hit in the face by a line drive. The 26-year old left-hander had surgery Thursday to repair a broken bone above his left eye at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. A night earlier, he was hit by a ball off the bat of Kansas Citys Salvador Perez. Chapman will begin cardio and throwing off flat ground in eight to 10 days. Chapman is expected to be out six to eight weeks. The Reds are using the last week of spring training to find a closer to replace Chapman, who will be one of six Reds players to start the season on the disabled list. The Reds were playing host to Milwaukee on Sunday. Jacob Webb Jersey . Ferrer will play Mikhail Youzhny on Sunday after he defeated Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 6-4 in an all-Russian semifinal. "Youzhny is a good player," Ferrer said. Rafael Ortega Jersey .com) - The New York Islanders will try to solve their issues against Central Division opponents when they visit the Minnesota Wild for Tuesdays battle at Xcel Energy Center.KEY WEST, Fla. -- Looking dazed and sunburned, U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad walked on to the shore Monday, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. The 64-year-old Nyad swam up to the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her journey in Havana on Saturday. As she approached, spectators waded into waist-high water and surrounded her, taking pictures and cheering her on. "I have three messages. One is, we should never, ever give up. Two is, youre never too old to chase your dream. Three is, it looks like a solitary sport, but it is a team," she said on the beach. "I have to say, Im a little bit out of it right now," Nyad said. She gestured toward her swollen lips, and simply said "seawater." Her team said she had been slurring her words while she was out in the water. She was on a stretcher on the beach and received an IV before she was taken by ambulance to a hospital. "I just wanted to get out of the sun," she said. It was Nyads fifth try to complete the approximately 110-mile swim. She tried three times in 2011 and 2012. Her first attempt was in 1978. "Its historic, marvelous," said Jose Miguel Diaz Escrich, the Hemingway Marina commodore who helped organize the Cuba side of Nyads multiple attempts. "I always thought she could do it given her internal energy, her mental and physical strength, her will of iron," said Diaz Escrich, whom Nyad has described as a longtime friend. "More than the athletic feat, she wants to send a message of peace, love, friendship and happiness ... between the people of the United States and Cuba," he said. Her last try was cut short amid boat trouble, storms, unfavourable currents and jellyfish stings that left her face puffy and swollen. This time, she wore a full bodysuit, gloves, booties and a mask at night, when jellyfish rise to the surface. The new silicone mask caused bruises inside her mouth, making it difficult for her to talk, she told her team when shee was about 2 miles from land. Mike Lum Jersey. Doctors travelling with Nyad were worried about her slurred speech and her breathing, but they didnt intervene, according to Nyads website. Nyads journey began Saturday morning when she jumped from the seawall of the Hemingway Marina into the warm waters off Havana. She stopped from time to time for nourishment, but she never left the water. The support team accompanying her had equipment that generated a faint electrical field around her, which was designed to keep sharks at bay. A boat also dragged a line in the water to help keep her on course. Sumaya Haddin, of Miami, had been tracking Nyads swim before her familys trip to Key West this weekend. She was surprised to see Nyads flotilla from a parasail off Smathers Beach on Monday morning. She thought Nyad wasnt due for another day. "You couldnt see her, you could just see the boats. It was very exciting," she said. Haddin said Nyad still had her fighting spirit when she got to the beach. "Getting into the ambulance, she had her peace sign up, her fist up. She was still fired up." Australian Susie Maroney successfully swam the Strait in 1997 with a shark cage, which besides protection from the predators, has a drafting effect that pulls a swimmer along. In 2012, Australian Penny Palfrey swam 79 miles toward Florida without a cage before strong currents forced her to abandon the attempt. This June, her countrywoman Chloe McCardel made it 11 hours and 14 miles before jellyfish stings ended her bid. In 1978, Walter Poenisch, an Ohio baker, claimed to have made the swim using flippers and a snorkel. Critics say there was insufficient independent documentation to verify his claim. Nyad first came to national attention in 1975 when she swam the 28 miles around the island of Manhattan in just under eight hours. In 1979 she swam the 102 miles from North Bimini, Bahamas, to Juno Beach, Fla., in 27.5 hours. Nyad is also an author of three books, a motivational speaker and has been a reporter and commentator for NPR. ' ' '

Its a new generation in Detroit, an elder statesman keeps getting it done in New Jersey, Lecavalier struggling, Muzzin and Bartkowski playing bigger roles and more in Scott Cullens latest NHL blog. Dallas Stars Shirts . 1. Its been a tough year for the Detroit Red Wings, not least of all because of injuries. Hey, all teams have injuries, but the Red Wings are heavily-dependent on veteran forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, both of whom have missed time and, at the moment, are both out of the lineup. But, necessity is the mother of invention and the Red Wings have pressed their young forwards into service. Riley Sheahan, Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Jurco (and even a returning-from-injury Darren Helm) have been crucial to keeping the Red Wings treading water as they wait for their star forwards to return. There is an argument to be made that the ever-patient Red Wings might have opened doors sooner for their young players, rather than trot out the likes of Dan Cleary, Jordin Tootoo and Mikael Samuelsson right out of the gate. Sheahan, Tatar, Nyquist and Jurco all played for Calder Cup-champion Grand Rapids in the AHL last season, and all four have made a successful adjustment to the NHL game. Its early in their careers, of course, but they are part of the reason the Red Wings are still within striking distance of a playoff berth, a position that was pretty much unthinkable for a team that hasnt missed the postseason since 1990 and was supposed to have an easier time with their move to the Eastern Conference. 2. Though the New Jersey Devils came up short in Sundays Stadium Series game at Yankee Stadium, Devils RW Jaromir Jagr continued his brilliant season, adding two more assists to give him a team-leading 44 points in 53 games. This is a far cry from Jagr in his peak years, when he was the most productive scorer in the game, by a healthy margin, for more than a decade, but no less remarkable. Jagr is 41-years-old and has a shot to surpass Mark Messier in 2000-2001 as the second-highest-scoring player in a 40-year-old plus season since 1980. (Teemu Selannes 80 points in 2010-2011 seems safe.) On top of those historical numbers, Jagr is also delivering strong possesion numbers, ranked 18th among forwards in Corsi% (minimum 500 minutes). Yes, his game is offensively-slanted, but he remains a beast on the puck in the offensive zone. 3. A veteran forward that is having a harder time of it is Flyers C Vincent Lecavalier, who has two goals and six points in his past 20 games, going back to late November and hes been getting destroyed in puck possession. Most recently, hes been playing with Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn, but all of the Flyers forwards have been faring better without Lecavalier, which is a precipitous decline for a 33-year-old forward, especially one that has four more years remaining on his deal. Somehow, the Flyers are going to have to find a way to make Lecavalier a productive player, whether that means time on the wing, more sheltered minutes or different line combinations. 4. Lightning rookie C Tyler Johnson has been thrust into a more significant role in the absence of Steven Stamkos and, while hes not making anyone forget one of the games premier goal-scorers, Johnson has been great. In the past 25 games, Johnson has played more than 20 minutes per game, with Saturdays hat trick against Colorado giving him 10 goals and 21 points in those 25 games. Johnson was the AHL MVP last season, scoring 65 points in 62 games with Syracuse, so he has the offensive pedigree, and hes moved into a tie with Nathan MacKinnon for the rookie scoring lead, with 34 points in 52 games. The challenge will be figuring out where Johnson fits once Stamkos returns. At this rate, Johnson is going to give Valtteri Filppula plenty of competition for second-line centre minutes. 5. Kings D Jake Muzzin has taken a bigger role on the Los Angeles defence, as the Kings reduce the workload of veteran Robyn Regehr, who has been decidedly at the opposite end of the possession spectrum compared to Muzzin. Regehr is averaging 16:28 ATOI per game in January, his lowest monthly average since February, 2002 (minimum three games) and while Muzzin has put up spectacular possession stats in his career, hes led a rather sheltered existence for the most part. Now, paired with Drew Doughty and taking on tougher assignments, its an opportunity for Muzzin to prove hes worthy of the responsibility. 6. The Boston Bruins knew that they would have to deal with a major loss to their lineup when D Dennis Seidenber suffered a season-ending knee injury, and they are naturally looking for a replacement. Its not easy to trade for top-four defencemen, but the Bruins have assets to move in order to facilitate a deal, if they can find the right match. Potential unrestricted free agents on teams on the outside of the playoff picture include Henrik Tallinder, Tom Gilbert, Andrew MacDonald, Nick Schultz, and ex-Bruins Derek Morris and Mark Stuart, all of whom come with some warts, but its not like Seidenberg was universally-heralded when the Bruins acquired him from Florida in March, 2010. Whats interesting about the Bruins current situation is that the defenceman who is rising up to play bigger minutes in Seidenbergs absence is Matt Bartkowski, who was acquired from Florida with Seidenberg. Bartkowski, 25, had played 20 career NHL games prior to this season and is making a modest $650,000 this season, so it was no surprise that he started the year seventh on the depth chart, dressing in four of the first 16 games. But, with Seidenberg out, Bartkowski has played 20:44 per game in January, ranking third on the Bruins behind Zdeno Chara and Johnny Boychuk, and while hes not a possession beast, Bartkowski has held in his own in that ice time, giving the Bruins some time to make a deal and giving them another option on the blueline going forward. Between Bartkowski, Kevan Miller and Torey Krug, the Bruins are getting some mileage out of low picks/undrafted free agents on their blueline. 7. Sabres C Steve Ott is a versatile veteran forward who can play centre or wing and, on a Sabres team full of prospects and cast-offs, that has resulted in a surprisingly prominent role, playing 19:45 per game this season (up from last years career-high 18:33 ATOI) to lead all Buffalo forwards. Ott has spent his time lately on a line with Cody Hodgson, tallying eight points (2 G, 6 A) in the past nine games. Considering Ott is an unrestricted free agent at seasons end, and one that plays the gritty style teams tend to covet going into the playoffs. While Ott does, like all Sabres, tend to get beat up in possession game, and has a team-worst minus-20, some of that is a function of playing way too much, more than he would on a playoff contender. 8. Hurricanes LW Jiri Tlusty was one of the leagues luckiest last season, scoring 23 goals in 48 games, while scoring on 19.7% of his shots while playing with Eric Staal and Alexander Semin on Carolinas number one line. It was natural, then, to expect regression this season and Tlusty obliged, but to a ridiculous degree, scoring four goals and eight points in his first 35 games. Also, naturally, he was no longer skating on the Hurricanes top line. That has changed more recently, however, and Tlusty has seen his ice time head upwards (over 17 minutes per game) in the past four, during which hes scored five points (2 G, 3 A). Considering the Hurricanes top line has a low on-ice shooting percentage, especially compared to last season, which could be regression at work, or could be some room for that trio to finish strong this year, which could make Tlusty surprisingly relevant for fantasy owners, at least as far as forwards with 15 points this season would rate. 9. Hes not a big numbers guy, with one assist in 16 games, but there is reason to keep an eye on Oilers rookie D Martin Marincin, who is the one Edmonton defenceman (with more than 10 games played) to have positive possession numbers. As a result, his ice time is going up, to 18:50 per game in the past seven, and over 19 minutes in each of the past three. For an Oilers team that desperately needs to tilt the ice in the other direction, with so much of it focused on blueline improvement, Marincins development is a small positive. 10. An update on the move of Jets D-turned-RW Dustin Byfuglien, who has been skating at forward for eight games, scoring two goals and four assists, with 23 shots on goal. His ice time is down, as expected, to 19:20 per game, and his shots per game is actually down a bit, to 2.88 per game. For fantasy owners, who get the benefit of Byfugliens eligibility on defence, hes still super valuable. If he can continue to produce as a winger, it may not be as valuable as a 25-minute-per-game defenceman, but its not likely going to get re-visited until the Jets run into trouble. When a team is getting good results, theyre not likely to make major changes. After all, it was practically Claude Noels last gasp as head coach to move Byfuglien forward. FIRST NHL GAMES Joonas Nattinen, C, Montreal - A third-round pick of the Canadiens in 2009, Nattinen has decent size, but has produced middling results in the AHL, 42 points in 127 career games, so he got an opportunity due to injuries, but it was only a cup of coffee against Toronto, playing a total of 1:45 in his NHL debut. Joe Whitney, LW, New Jersey - Listed at 5-foot-6, Whitney is another diminutive forward to come out of Boston College and hes been scoring in the AHL, putting up 88 points in 108 games over the past two seasons. He got a shot on the Devils top line, with Travis Zajac and Jaromir Jagr in his debut, but the 25-year-old was returned to the minors after playing eight minutes against Washington. Philip Varone, C, Buffalo - A fifth-round pick of the Sharks in 2009, Varone wasnt signed by the Sharks, but was signed as a free agent by the Sabres in 2012. Hes put up 120 points in 176 career AHL games, earning his first taste of NHL action, getting more than 11 minutes per game on a line with Brian Flynn and Marcus Foligno. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Cheap Stars Jerseys . As if he had been rehearsing it, Vasquez looked around with a grimacing stare as he clinched two fists and flexed his muscles. What do you think of DeMar DeRozans face after he hits a big shot, he was asked moments earlier. Stars Jerseys 2021 . Atletico Madrid made it three wins from three thanks to a double from in-form striker Diego Costa in a 3-0 victory at Austria Vienna, leaving the Spanish side on the brink of the last 16 already to continue its brilliant start to the season.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins take aim at a seventh straight victory on Saturday night as they battle the Buffalo Sabres for the second time in a week. Pittsburghs current winning streak, its longest since claiming seven straight from Dec. 9-21 of last season, includes a 5-0 win over Buffalo last Saturday. Marc-Andre Fleury made 18 saves in the shutout, Chris Kunitz had two goals and an assist and Evgeni Malkin finished with a goal and two helpers. Sidney Crosby added three assists to the Penguins fourth straight victory and 13 in their past 17 against the Sabres. Jhonas Enroth made 29 saves for the Sabres, who have dropped three in a row and five of six to the Pens at home. The win for Fleury began an impressive stretch for the netminder, who was coming off a shutout victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 30 and then signed a four-year, $23 million extension on Wednesday. Fleury, who had gotten the night off in a 4-1 win over Minnesota on Tuesday, returned to the net on Thursday and made 34 saves in a 4-3 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets. He pushed his personal shutout streak to a career-high 164 minutes and 22 seconds before the Jets got one past him in the opening period. Malkin was held without a point for the first time in 12 games, but both he and Crosby scored in the shootout. Brandon Sutter had a goal and two asssists in regulation, with Steve Downie scoring once and assisting on a tally by Simon Despres. Fake Stars Jerseys. I think both teams had their opportunities to win the game at different points, Crosby said. First period they carried the play, second we did, third and overtime was probably anybodys game. It was a pretty good hockey game, all in all. Pittsburgh has won the first two of a five-game road trip and Fleury should get the start again on Saturday. He is 16-5-2 with a 2.30 goals against average and .917 save percentage in his career versus Buffalo, with last Saturdays win his third career shutout against the club. The Sabres wrap a four-game homestand coming off their ninth victory in 11 games. They were bested 3-2 on Friday night by the Edmonton Oilers, with Michal Neuvirth needing to make a season-high 49 saves to keep it close. Matt Moulson scored his first goal of the season and Drew Stafford also tallied. We had a 2-1 lead in this game, but it wasnt enough if we dont compete, said Buffalo head coach Ted Nolan. Enroth, originally scheduled to start on Friday before Nolan made a switch, could go tonight instead and is 1-4-0 with a 3.12 GAA and .899 save percentage lifetime versus the Penguins. Neuvirth, who has made three starts in a row, is 2-1-2 with a 2.13 GAA, .926 save percentage and two shutouts versus the Pens. ' ' '

SAO PAULO - The World Cup stadium in the Brazilian host city of Cuiaba is staging its first official match with only half of its seats installed and construction work still underway. Hurricanes Jerseys 2020 . The Arena Pantanal will open on Wednesday with a Brazilian Cup match between Santos and Mixto, but work is far from complete at the stadium, one of three yet to be declared ready for the World Cup in two months time. The official inauguration is set for April 26. The opening match in Cuiaba comes a day after labour officials prevented construction from resuming in part of the stadium hosting the World Cup opener in Sao Paulo. The decision was made because of safety concerns following a workers death over the weekend, the third at the venue and seventh overall. As in most World Cup stadiums in Brazil, infrastructure work around the Arena Pantanal continues at full speed, with bulldozers, cranes and dump trucks still at the site as hundreds of workers try to finish access roads, sidewalks and temporary structures. Wednesdays match will have limited attendance because organizers could only install about 20,000 of the 41,000 seats at the stadium. Fans will only occupy the lower seating sections. The delay came in part because the initial bidding process for the seats was suspended over prosecutors claims that they were overpriced. A court battle ensued over the suppliers and the installation took longer than expected to begin. The match is not going to be considered an official test event for local the World Cup organizing committee in part because not all security measures will be in place. The stadium was one of the six that were not finished by the end of last year as expected by FIFA. Sao Paulo was already behind schedule even before the death of a 23-year-old worker on Saturday, which prompted labour officials to halt the installation of the temporary seats that will be needed for the Brazil-Croatia opener. Work isnt expected to resume until next week as constructors scramble to add safety features to the site. Local organizers and FIFA said the work stoppage is not expected to significantly delay the stadiums date of completion. Local officials said it will be inaugurated in April, but FIFA expects the stadium fully ready only in mid-May, about a month before the opener. The Arena da Baixada, in the southern city of Curitiba, is also expected to be ready in May. But last week the local governments watchdog group recommended a halt on public financing for the stadiums renovation until organizers can explain alleged irregularities in the stadiums budget. FIFA almost excluded Curitiba from the tournament earlier this year because of the delays at the stadium. Stitched Hurricanes Jerseys . He spent the rest of the game making up for lost playing time. Green scored a career-high 36 points, including eight in overtime, and the Phoenix Suns beat Denver 112-107 on Tuesday night to hand the Nuggets their fifth consecutive loss. Fake Hurricanes Jerseys . The Raptors have to get through the pesky New York Knicks Wednesday at Madison Square Garden and can lock up the third spot in the Eastern Conference with a win or a Chicago loss in Charlotte.New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets keep on rolling, while the hapless New York Knicks continue to lose. Walkers 28 points propelled the Hornets to their season-high fifth straight win, a 110-82 dismantling of the Knicks that extended New Yorks franchise-record skid to 15 games. Walker needed just 28 minutes to record his game-best total, and the New York City native has helped offset an injury to Al Jefferson by averaging 30.2 points during the win streak. Bismack Biyombo delivered season highs of 14 points and 12 rebounds for Charlotte, which received 15 points from P.J. Hairston and 14 from Brian Roberts in the rout. Final Score: LA Clippers 120, Dallas 100 Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Blake Griffin had 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the Los Angeles Clippers 120-100 rout of the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. Jamal Crawford added 19 points off the bench for the Clippers, who improved to 6-2 on a nine-game homestand. Matt Barnes scored 18 points, Chris Paul tallied 17 points and 13 assists and J.J. Redick contributed 16 points. Dirk Nowitzki ended with 25 points and six rebounds for the Mavericks, who have dropped two straight since a six-game winning streak. Monta Ellis added 23 points and six assists. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle was ejected after getting two technical fouls in the third quarter. The game was officiated by two referees after 63-year-old Joe Crawford left in the second quarter with a right knee injury. Final Score: Detroit 98, Brooklyn 93 Auburn Hills, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Brandon Jennings and Greg Monroe posted double-doubles and the Detroit Pistons got back in the win column with a 98-93 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. Jennings scored all 20 of his points in the second half and handed out 11 assists while Monroe finished with 16 points and a season-high 17 rebounds for Detroit, winners in eight of nine since waiving Josh Smith. The Pistons won seven straight before falling to the Eastern Conference-leading Hawks 106-103 on Friday. Joe Johnson led six Nets in double figures with 17 points, while Brook Lopez contributed 11 points and 15 rebounds off the bench. Brooklyn has lost five in a row. Final Score: Philadelphia 93, Indiana 92 Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Michael Carter-Williams drove for the go-ahead basket with 9.9 seconds left in regulation and the Philadelphia 76ers won for the second time in as many nights with a 93-92 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Carter-Williams finished with 15 points, the biggest two coming in crunch time when the reigning Rookie of the Year drove past three defenders and scooped in the deciding layup over the imposing Roy Hibbert. David West missed a contested fadeaway jumper from the top of the key just before the buzzer to seal the Sixers fifth win in their last 11 games. They had won two of their first 25. Tony Wroten added 20 points off the bench, and he and Carter-Williams both totaled nine assists. Robert Covington chipped in 16 points. West netted a season-high 28 points with nine rebounds for the Pacers, who have alternated wins and losses over their last six. Final Score: Toronto 109, Boston 96 Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - James Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas each scored eight of their 15 points during the pivotal third quarter, and Toronto snapped its four-game skid by pulling away for a 109-96 victory over the Boston Celtics at Air Canada Centre. Kyle Lowry and Lou Williams had 19 points apiece, and Joohnson pulled down 10 rebounds. Carolina Hurricanes Pro Shop. Amir Johnson scored 15, and Patrick Patterson totaled 10 points and nine boards for the Atlantic Division leaders, who beat the Celtics for the fourth straight time. Kelly Olynyk, a Toronto native, had 23 points for Boston, which has dropped nine of its last 11 games. Final Score: Chicago 95, Milwaukee 87 Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - On a night the Bulls played without Derrick Rose, it was time for Pau Gasol to take charge. The veteran scored nearly half of Chicagos points in a 95-87 victory over the Boston Celtics at United Center. Gasol dropped a career-high 46 points and pulled down 18 rebounds. He was truly the go-to player for the Bulls, who were without Rose due to left knee soreness. Kirk Hinrich had 16 points and Jimmy Butler contributed nine points, eight rebounds and a career-high 10 assists for the Bulls, who snapped a two-game skid. Brandon Knight scored 20 for Milwaukee, which had won its previous two games. Gasols previous career- best was 44 points on March 28, 2006 when he played for Memphis. He went 17-of-30 from the field and missed only one of his 13 free throws. Gasol had 40 points through three quarters, and the Bulls pulled away in the fourth. Final Score: Houston 97, Utah 82 Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - James Harden scored 30 points and the Houston Rockets forced 31 turnovers in a lopsided 97-82 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday. Donatas Motiejunas chipped in with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who cashed in with 38 points off turnovers and 28 fastbreak points. Trey Burke and Enes Kanter each scored 16 points to lead the Jazz, who were coming off a loss in Oklahoma City on Friday. Final Score: San Antonio 108, Minnesota 93 Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Austin Daye posted 22 points in a rare spot start, helping the San Antonio Spurs take down the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-93 on Saturday. Daye shot 8-for-13 and pulled down a team- high 10 rebounds in his second start of the season to lead six Spurs in double figures. Patty Mills gave 19 points off the bench and Tim Duncan shot 5-for-6 for 13 points in limited minutes. Tony Parker and Cory Joseph netted 12 points apiece and Boris Diaw had 11 for San Antonio, which was without Kawhi Leonard (hand) for the 13th straight game. Manu Ginobili also sat out with a back injury after playing just 10 minutes in Fridays win over Phoenix. The Spurs have won four of their last five games, but are just 8-8 without Leonard this season. Zach LaVine paced Minnesota with 19 points off the bench, while Andrew Wiggins and Gorgui Dieng finished with 18 apiece. The Wolves made all 26 of their free throws to set a franchise record for most makes without a miss from the line. Wiggins has scored in double figures in 10 straight, though the Timberwolves have lost 15 in a row since beating Portland on Dec. 10. Final Score: Portland 103, Orlando 92 Portland, OR (SportsNetwork.com) - LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and six rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Orlando Magic 103-92 on Saturday night. Wesley Matthews posted 18 points and eight rebounds and Damian Lillard added 16 points, five boards and five assists for the Blazers, who have won seven of their last eight games. Nik Vucevic tallied a career- high 34 points and 16 boards, while Victor Oladipo provided 18 points, eight rebounds and four helpers for Orlando, which has dropped six straight contests. ' ' '

S-HERTOGENBOSCH, Netherlands -- Third-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain emerged victorious from a marathon day at the grass-court Topshelf Open, advancing to the final with a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4) win over Juergen Melzer of Austria. Cameron Erving Super Bowl Jersey . Both players played twice Friday, finishing quarterfinals that had been suspended because of rain and darkness. Bautista Agut will play for his second ATP title after losing to Janko Tipsarevic in Chennai in 2013. He faces Benjamin Becker of Germany in the final. Becker, the 2009 tournament champion, served up 13 aces and beat Joao Sousa 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the other mens semifinal. "I like to play on grass and I dont know why but I often play my best tennis at this tournament," Becker was quoted saying on the ATPs website. The 8th-seeded Melzer broke Bautista Aguts service game to open the match and coasted through the first set. But in the second set it was Bautista Aguts turn to dominate the rallies. In the decider Bautista Agut surrendered his serve in the fourth game and threw his racket to the grass in disgust. After regrouping, he broke Melzer back in the following game, and went on to take the tiebreaker. In the womens tournament, Zheng Jie of China reached her first WTA final in 2 1/2 years when she beat Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 6-1, 6-3. Zheng won in her last final appearance in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2012, for her fourth career title. She broke Rybarikova six times, and will meet qualifier Coco Vandeweghe of the United States in the final. Vandeweghe beat 2005 champion Klara Koukalova 6-4, 6-2 with nine aces. The American has a 1-1 record against Zheng and will play in only her second final, looking for her maiden title. Earlier Friday in the mens quarterfinals suspended overnight because of rain, Bautista Agut ended the title defence of seventh-seeded Nicolas Mahut of France 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Melzer outlasted second-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain. Their match had been suspended at one set all, and Melzer prevailed 7-6 (3), 6-7 (6), 7-6 (9) after more than three hours. Despite losing the semifinal, the outing was Melzers best result since he returned to the tour in mid-April from a seven-month layoff for a shoulder injury. Mecole Hardman Super Bowl Jersey . A top pitching prospect, one who the ball club is pinning some of its future hopes, takes the spot of a veteran who once was viewed as a future ace but who, to this point, hasnt realized his potential and may never. Xavier Williams Super Bowl Jersey . Rob Klinkhammer and Mikkel Boedker scored 63 seconds apart in the first period for the Coyotes, who handed the Kings their third straight loss and took over sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference. Mike Smith made 36 saves.LONDON -- Roger Federer already had saved one match point in the Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic, and had won four games in a row in the fourth set. As both players sat on the sideline during the changeover before Federer was going to serve to try to force a fifth set, most of the nearly 15,000 spectators began chanting "Ro-ger! Ro-ger! Ro-ger!" Federer did extend the match. He could not manage to win it. Falling just short of what would have been his record eighth championship at the All England Club, Federer lost to Djokovic 6-7 (7), 6-4, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-4 Sunday in a back-and-forth tussle that lasted nearly four hours. "In a match like the one today, where I needed support, they were there. I could sense that they really wished me well and hoped for me to either get back in the match or hopefully lift another trophy here at Wimbledon," Federer said about the crowd. "I already have seven. Its not like I need another one," he added. "But it would have been awfully nice to have it. I think thats what the feeling was of the people, and I felt that." A month shy of his 33rd birthday, and a father to two sets of twins, Federer would have been the oldest man in more than a half-century to win Wimbledon. He also would have been the first since 1948 to save a match point in the tournaments final and go on to take the title. Federer was playing in his first Grand Slam final since 2012, when he beat Andy Murray in the final at the All England Club to earn his record 17th Grand Slam trophy overall. Last year, Federer lost in the second round at the grass-court major, his earliest exit at Wimbledon sincce 2002, and at any Grand Slam tournament since 2013. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Super Bowl Jersey. . He was struggling with a bothersome back and experimenting with a larger racket, and there were whispers about whether the Swiss star could ever challenge for another championship at one of tennis four most important tournaments. But for most of this fortnight, Federer played superbly, serve-and-volleying more than usual and getting broken only once in 89 service games heading into Sunday. "Its the best Roger Ive seen in years," said Djokovics coach, Boris Becker, a three-time Wimbledon champion who had a playing rivalry against Federers coach, Stefan Edberg. But Djokovic might just be the games best returner nowadays, and he broke Federer four times, including in the matchs last game. "I respect him and his achievements, his career. Hes a great champion on and off the court," Djokovic said. "To be able to win against him, as one of my greatest rivals, on this occasion, on a court that hes been dominating for so many years, makes it a very special trophy for me." Djokovic, who is 27, spoke about how he hopes this victory will spur him to add to his seven major titles. Federer was asked whether this might have been his last hurrah. "There is no guarantee that youre going to be ever there again or not. Or maybe theres much more to come. Its really impossible to answer that question," Federer said. "Im very happy to see that with feeling (healthy), I can produce a performance like I did the last two weeks. That clearly makes me believe that this was just a steppingstone to many more great things in the future." ' ' '

RENTON, Wash. Shaun Hill Jersey . -- Michael Bennett gambled last off-season that playing on a one-year deal in Seattle would pay off in the future with the long-term contract he always wanted. He was proven to be correct. Bennett now has a Super Bowl title and a new four-year contract that will keep him with the Seahawks. "I dont know if there was any doubt, but there was a lot of speculation a lot of teams tried to get me to come there," Bennett said Monday after signing his new deal. "But ultimately I wanted to come back and play with these guys and win some more games." Bennett was considered one of the top free agents in the NFL after a breakout season with the Seahawks where he led the team in sacks and proved a versatile option as a defensive end and defensive tackle. But he never made it all the way to the start of free agency Tuesday after the Seahawks came up with a satisfactory deal. Terms were not announced by the team. Pro Football Talk reported Bennetts deal was worth about $28.5 million with $16 guaranteed. Bennett said there were other teams offering more money, but the guaranteed amount was most important. Bennett was thought to have been strongly pursued by Chicago, where he had a chance of joining his brother, Martellus, with the Bears. But he ultimately decided to return to Seattle. "Yeah there was more, but I wanted to be here man. There are a lot of young guys here, and there are a lot of winning ways and I just love the organization and the things that they are about. I love the staff, from the equipment staff to the medical staff; it just goes on and on." Lost in the speculation about Bennetts future was his history with Seattle and specifically defensive co-ordinator Dan Quinn. The Seahawks signed Bennett as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M in 2009 and gave him a spot on their roster for the start of that season when Quinn was his defensive line coach. Even though he was eventually waived and claimed by Tampa Bay, that initial relationship with Seattle remained strong. Its partly why Bennett jumped at the chance to return last off-season with Quinn as the new defensive co-ordinator, even if it meant playing on a one-year deal that paid only $3 million in base salary. Its also a factor in why hes staying now. "At the end of the day, it was about being comfortable and being in a good situation," Bennett said. "Sometimes going to a whole other organization doesnt work out the way it worked out for me coming here and being with these guys. A lot of times people take a lot of money and they go to places and theyre not what they turned out to be. I know what this place is. Im familiar with the staff and players and it makes a big deal to be here." Seattle seemed to understand what it would take to retain Bennett. The Seahawks parted with defensive end Red Bryant and wide receiver Sidney Rice to create additional salary cap space. Coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have been steadfast that their top priorities in free agency were retaining their own players and not making big splashes by signing others. Bennett was at the top of the list with wide receiver Golden Tate not far behind. Bennett had 8 1/2 sacks in the regular season and a fumble return for a touchdown. His numbers would have likely been higher had the Seahawks figured out earlier in the season how best to utilize their defensive line rotation. Bennett had even more impact in the playoffs. He had a forced fumble and recovery that gave Seattle an early lead in the NFC divisional playoff win over New Orleans, and added one sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the NFC championship game against San Francisco. "We had hopes he would be a real contributor and he exceeded our expectations and were excited to keep him," Carroll told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday. "Hes got great energy, a terrific motor and hes a very versatile football player. We really need to play him more. He didnt play a lot of plays the first half of the season, we specialty played him, and then we played him more as the year went on. We got better and he helped us. Were excited about it." Laken Tomlinson Jersey . "Weve given ourselves now a tougher task," said Carlyle after the Friday practice, the Toronto head coach notably chipper and upbeat throughout. "But the bottom line is we just have to win our share of games [and] not worry about what anybody else is doing. Elijah Lee Jersey . He chirped to the caddie of Brandt Snedeker about their money game, a Mickelson tradition at the majors. Lefty was in good spirits Monday at the British Open, except for having to return the claret jug.OAKLAND (1-10) at ST. LOUIS (4-7)Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBSOPENING LINE — Rams by 6 1-2RECORD VS. SPREAD — Oakland 6-5, St. Louis 6-5SERIES RECORD — Raiders lead 8-4LAST MEETING — Raiders beat Rams 16-14, Sept. 19, 2010LAST WEEK — Raiders beat Chiefs 24-20; Rams lost to Chargers 27-24AP PRO32 RANKING — Raiders No. 31, Rams No. 20 (tie)RAIDERS OFFENSE — OVERALL (32), RUSH (32), PASS (26).RAIDERS Defence — OVERALL (18), RUSH (25), PASS (12).RAMS OFFENSE — OVERALL (28), RUSH (19), PASS (25).RAMS Defence — OVERALL (19), RUSH (20T), PASS (21).STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Raiders snapped 16-game losing streak last week against Chiefs and have three extra days of rest. Oakland is just third team since merger to beat first-place team for its first win after losing at least 10 games to start season, and first since Indianapolis beat Green Bay in 1997. ... Raiders have won four of last six in series. This will be first meeting in St. Louis since 2002, when Marshall Faulk ran for 158 yards and had receiving TD in 28-13 win. ... Raiders QB Derek Carr leads NFL rookies wwith 2,249 yards passing and 14 TDs, both franchise rookie records. Robbie Gould Jersey. ... Raiders had 179 yards rushing against Chiefs, including career-best 112 by Latavius Murray on four carries with two TDs before leaving with concussion. ... ... Rams expected to activate DE Chris Long (left ankle) from injured reserve-designated for return after practicing for three weeks. Raiders began 21-day window this week with WR Rod Streater, out two months with a broken left foot. ... Rams have not won consecutive games, and will need to win out to avoid 11th straight season without finishing above .500. ... Three of Rams victories have come against opponents that reached conference championship games last year: Denver, Seattle, San Francisco. ... Rams rookie RB Tre Mason is second in NFC rookie rushing with 445 yards. ... DT Aaron Donald leads NFL rookies with five sacks. ... CB Janoris Jenkins had 99-yard interception return for TD last week, fifth score of his three-season career.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '

CINCINNATI - Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still called his former girlfriends comments about child support untruthful on Wednesday and said hes letting the dispute play out in court. Avalanche Jerseys 2020 .Stills 4-year-old daughter, Leah, has gained national attention for her fight against cancer. More than $1 million has been raised for cancer research and treatment from the sale of Stills jersey.The girls mother, Channing Smythe, told the New York Daily News for a story on Wednesday that Still hasnt made child support payments for the last four months, causing a hardship for her and the girl. They live in Delaware and commute to Childrens Hospital in Philadelphia for treatment. Smythe and Still are no longer a couple.I dont consider him a deadbeat dad, Smythe told the newspaper. I know he loves and cares for his daughter and he is there for her. I just need him to help me financially.Still declined to be interviewed about the matter on Wednesday but issued a statement through the team that noted Leahs fight against cancer has inspired many people.When she gets older, I want her to be able to look back and read about her positive impact on the world, not about the private issues her parents were going through, Still said in the statement. I am not going to retaliate against the mother of my daughter, and the untruthful reports in the New York Daily News article, by criticizing her character.I am going to allow the court system to handle this matter, as it has been doing these past couple of months.Coach Marvin Lewis praised Still on Wednesday for how hes handled the last few months. His daughter was diagnosed with cancer in June and has undergone surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Still has commuted between Cincinnati and Philadelphia to be with her.Hes got support from everybody here, Lewis said. I think Devon has grown up so much through this unfortunate illness that his daughters dealing with. Its really grown him as a man and as a person and I told him that just today, how hes handled everything and Im so impressed.Hes really a beacon for a lot of people, he will be for a lot of young guys as they face different trials and tribulations as an NFL player because there are all the outside pressures that no one understands that guys go through. Theres this kind of pressure, theres the pressure of playing, theres the pressure of performing, all those things that occur and this one is really outside of football.___Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Custom Colorado Avalanche Jerseys . A veteran of 16 NHL seasons, Prospals career was highlighted by him ranking fourth in points scored, third in assists and sixth in games played among all Czech Republic born players in NHL history. Colorado Avalanche Store . Tortorella told The Vancouver Province hell be cheering for Team Sweden to win gold when they take on the defending Olympic champions on Sunday morning. "I hope Sweden wins, cause I dont think Hammer (Dan Hamhuis) is going to play, judging by whats happened.NEW YORK -- The New York Mets placed speedy outfielder Eric Young Jr. on the 15-day disabled Monday list because of a strained right hamstring. Young said he had been feeling soreness in his leg for several days but felt a pull Saturday while stealing a base. He was held out of the Mets doubleheader split against Arizona a day later and was placed on the DL, retroactive to May 25, before their game against Pittsburgh. He said hes rather go on the DL now than risk an injury that would keep him out an extended period. While Young was hitting just .220, he was a catalyst on the basepaths. He has 17 steals and has scored 28 runs in only 141 at-bats. The Mets recalled outfielder Matt den Dekker from Triple-A Las Vegas. Also, manager Terry Collins said the Mets were being cautious with Dillon Gee when they held him out of a bullpen session Sunday. Out since May 14 with a strrained right lat, Gee will be re-examined and then sent to Florida to continue he rehabilitation. Fake Avalanche Jerseys. . "Hes not feeling as good as we hoped," manager Terry Collins said. General manager Sandy Alderson said Sunday, Gees target return date of June 5 was now unlikely. Gee was 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA in eight starts before being injured. In the minors, top prospect Noah Syndergaard was placed on the disabled list, retroactive to May 22, because of a mild flexor-pronator strain in his right elbow. The flexor-pronator muscle is on the inside of the elbow, forearm area. The Mets said the Triple-A Las Vegas ace will be brought to New York for an exam. Syndergaard was acquired in a trade that sent 2012 Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey to Toronto. He is Baseball Americas No. 6 righty pitching prospect and is expected to make his big league debut this year. ' ' '

KANSAS CITY, Kan. Alex Reyes . -- Benny Feilhaber and Lawrence Olum both had goals and Sporting Kansas City defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 on Saturday. Sporting (10-5-5) extended its unbeaten streak to six games, while Galaxys eight-game unbeaten streak was broken. In the 11th minute, Feilhaber opened the scoring, drilling a free kick from just outside the box into the upper left corner past Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo. Sporting made it 2-0 in the 60th minute. Graham Zusis cross was headed by Jacob Peterson -- which was blocked by Penedo -- but the rebound came straight to Olum who headed it past a sprawled Penedo. Zusi and Matt Besler signed long-term designated player contracts to remain with K.C. earlier in the day. Both players had received interest from abroad after their strong performances in Brazil. Robbie Keane cut the Galaxy (7-4-6) deficit in the 79th minute with his 10th goal of the season off a corner kick. Andy Gruenebaum filled in for Sportings starting goalkeeper Eric Kronberg, who is out with a fractured bone in his left hand suffered Wednesday at practice Matt Wieters . Second-seeded Sloane Stephens of the United States made lighter work of her day as she beat 2009 champion and Swiss wild card Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 6-3. Two seeds fell: No. 4 Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium lost to Katarzyna Piter of Poland 6-4, 6-2, and No. Junior Fernandez . - The Oakland Athletics say they are stopping negotiations to extend their lease at the Coliseum.Argentina, France and Colombia are among the countries which oddsmakers feel came out on the good side of Fridays FIFA World Cup draw. According to bodog.net, Argentinas odds improved from 6-1 to 5-1 after they were grouped in with Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iran and Nigeria. France jumped from 25-1 to 18-1 after it was learned they would be playing Group E with Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras. Colombia is now a 20-1 favourite to win the World Cup after being put into a group with Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan. Before the draw, they were listed at 22-1. Oddsmakerss also downgraded some countries chances after the draw, including powerhouses like Germany and the defending champions from Spain. Genesis Cabrera. Germany dipped slightly from 5-1 to 11-2 as a result of their tough draw with Portugal, Ghana and the United States. Spain, which must play the Netherlands in their first match, also dropped from 13-2 to 7-1. The Netherlands also face longer odds, going from 25-1 to 20-1. Other countries that have longer odds based on the draw include England, Italy and Portugal. Host Brazil remains the favourite at 3-1. ' ' '