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Auxerre fears defensive lapses against Real Madrid

AUXERRE, France (AP)—Auxerre captain Benoit Pedretti fears his team risks conceding “five or six” goals against nine-time winner Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday if the French club hasn’t fixed its defensive problems.
Having already lost its opening Group G match 2-0 at AC Milan, Auxerre can hardly nfl jerseys
afford another defeat.
Hovering just above the relegation zone in the French league and without a win this season, Auxerre threw away a two-goal lead against Nancy on Saturday to draw 2-2 after poor errors at the back.
Pedretti warned that a repeat performance could have even heavier consequences against Madrid’s star-studded attack.
“If we make those kind of mistakes against Real Madrid, it’s not two goals we’ll be conceding, but five or six,” Pedretti said. “Now it’s time to stop talking and to start playing.”
Madrid beat Ajax 2-0 in its opening Champions League game under coach Jose Mourinho, but the team drew 0-0 at Levante at the weekend to sit third in the Spanish league.
Madrid was held scoreless by Levante despite forwards Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema all playing, and defender Alvaro Arbeloa said the team is still taking time to get used to Mourinho’s methods.
“We have a new coach, which requires going through an adjustment period,” Arbeloa said. “Playing for Real Madrid is one of the most demanding jobs there is. I am convinced we will score a lot of goals.”
However, Arbeloa is wary of facing a team with a lot to prove. Auxerre is known for its attractive passing game and created several clear scoring chances in its loss to Milan.
“Tuesday’s match is going to be very difficult. Auxerre aren’t doing that Bills jersey
well in Ligue 1 right now, but the fact that they are playing Real Madrid will motivate them,” he said.

Mourinho is likely to stick to the same team that struggled to break down Levante, although he expects far better finishing.
“We have the balance and we have the ability to create chances,” Mourinho said.
The focus will again be on Ronaldo, who has scored only one goal in six games this season—and that was from the penalty spot. The Portugal forward’s growing frustration has been evident in recent matches, notably when he did not congratulate Benzema after he had scored a fine goal against Espanyol last week.
Ronaldo has scored once from open play in the last 14 games for club and country, an alarmingly low ratio for a player who has managed to score 75 league goals over the previous three seasons.
“I am not a coach that will get upset with a player for missing a goal,” Mourinho said. “I prefer to provide confidence and calmness.”
Mourinho confirmed he will give Benzema only his second start of the season, having dropped him for the Ajax game. He has been impressed with Benzema’s attitude in training and with the France forward’s determination to become a Madrid regular.
“I’ve never lost a match here in Auxerre before, so I only have good memories,” Benzema said, reflecting on when he used to play for French club Lyon. “I’m sure they will give everything they have, but we’re here to win.”
Auxerre coach Jean Fernandez will be without striker Anthony Le Tallec, who has an ankle injury, so Poland striker Irineusz Jelen and Kenya forward Dennis Oliech—who scored twice on Saturday—are likely to lead the attack.
Jelen has shaken off a knee injury after sitting out Saturday’s game, but center back Jean-Pascal Mignot is out with a groin injury after further tests on Monday and is replaced by Jeremy Berthod.
But Fernandez is clearly more concerned with shoring things up at 49ers jersey
the other end.
“I am (worried) by the way we are conceding goals at the moment,” he said. “After what I have seen, I can say I am worried, frustrated, annoyed and even angry. This lack of confidence, of aggression, bothers me.”

Off The Canvas Jenkins, Written Expected To Play Sunday

IRVING, Texas - As bad as things seem to be for the Cowboys these days, Monday actually provided a bit of good news.
No, the team is still 0-2 and won't be able to do anything about that until next Sunday's game in Houston, which is already shaping up as one of the biggest regular-season games in recent history.
But other than bruised egos and a few slices of football jersey
humble pie, at least the Cowboys won't be too shorthanded this week.
And after Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Bears, it was uncertain just when the likes of Jason Written and Mike Jenkins would return, if at all. But from the sounds of things, it appears that Written will be able to play against Houston despite a head injury that forced him out of Sunday's game against Chicago.
"I think everything's fine. I didn't feel like it was a concussion, I was just a little woozy there for a little bit, but everything's fine," Written said. "I feel great and I don't see any reason why I wouldn't be playing this week."
As for Jenkins, his MRI results on his right knee revealed just a bruise. Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said he expects both players to not only play Sunday in Houston, but should practice on Wednesday.
"Jenkins had a bruised knee, so he might be a little slower earlier in the week," Phillips said.
Physically, the Cowboys should be in good shape for the Texans, who just happen to be 2-0 after a convincing win over the Colts in Week 1 and overtime win over the Redskins Sunday in Washington, where the Cowboys came up short in their first game.
But mentally, it could be a different story, considering the Cowboys were picked as preseason favorites to contend for the Super Bowl at Cowboys Stadium. Now they're 0-2, losing to two teams that produced a combined 11 wins in 2009, and desperately searching for answers.
In fact, the players had a players-only meeting at Valley Ranch, something Phillips said typically has mixed results, but he's not opposed to the attempt.
"Again, accountability and they want to be accountable to each other," Phillips said. "They want to say what they have to say and I don't mind them. Especially our captains, when they talk to the team, I don't mind that at all."
Phillips said he also doesn't mind making a few needed changes, although he wasn't specific in the alterations.
"We can't change where we are now, but we can do something about it in Vikings jersey
the future," Phillips said. "I believe that. I believe that we can go forward and get better. I think we will. We're going to make a few changes. We're going to look at everything. We need to change the track we're on. We can't overreact to the situation, but we can do a few things here and there that can help us."
While the players did some talking amongst themselves, that wasn't really the case to the media. Monday's open locker room period at Valley Ranch only consisted of a handful of willing participants, and those who did talk uttered similar perspectives.
"We just have to stay together and keep working," safety Gerald Sensabaugh said. "It's too early to panic, but we're in a hole right now. We're 0-2 and we didn't really expect that, but that just means you have to keep working and keep fighting."
Wide receiver Roy Williams said the bad early start could have some advantages for the players.

"I think the season is going the way it's supposed to go," Williams said. "It's not what we expected by any means, and it's certainly not what we wanted. But with the two losses, it's going to help us stay focused. We don't have any room to slip up now. Can't look past anyone. We have to stick together and get the job done. Simple as that."
Nothing will likely be simple for this team, which heads to face a 2-0 Texans squad that always seems pumped to beat the Cowboys. And Houston would probably want nothing more than to put the Cowboys in a 0-3 whole heading into their bye week.
And after Houston and the bye, the Cowboys have a stretch against Tennessee and at Minnesota, followed by home games against the Giants and Jaguars.
"We have a tough schedule in front of us," Tony Room said. "We knew that before this. We knew all along that every game is going to be a fight. And that's the way it is."
In fact, Phillips used a boxing analogy to reference the overall status of Colts jersey
his team after two games.
"We're close but we're too far away," Phillips said. "We just have to fight back. It's a 16-round fight. We've been knocked down twice, and so we have to come back fighting."

Blazer: Don't Fault Rams For Saying No

It’s obvious that Vincent Jackson has it all over Forrest Gump when it comes to intelligence. By all accounts, the San Diego Chargers wide receiver is a smart guy. In fact, it is said that he is a really smart guy.
But smarts will only get you so far when stupid decisions become your calling card.
Chargers general manager A.J. Smith is being raked over the coals nfl jerseys
for sending a message to Jackson and his agents Wednesday that he has a price for dealing Jackson, and if other teams refuse to meet it, so be it.
Some have derisively referred to Smith as “The Lord of No Rings” because his team has yet to win a Super Bowl. As if Smith cares what others say.
It’s highly ironic that on the opposite coast this week, the Jets were blasted by many for going easy on wide receiver Baryon Edwards for his stupidity by allowing him to play in Sunday’s game against Miami. Yet, Smith is criticized for standing up to a knucklehead and his enabling agents by refusing to give them what they want.
Then there are those here in St. Louis, where some fans and media can’t figure out why the Rams wouldn’t give up the farm in draft choices and money to a player that is under suspension by the league for multiple Dues.
Sure, Jackson is a great talent. But didn’t we learn our lessons after bringing in the Claude Worsens of the world? It’s not only money and draft picks that can be lost. It’s not having the player when you need him.
What’s wrong with this picture?
If Smith is “The Lord of No Rings,” then Jackson and Edwards are “The Lords of No Brains.”
Edwards was with fellow receiver Donate’ Stall worth on that fateful March night in 2009 when thousands of dollars in bar bills were rung up in a night of partying. Stall worth drove home in the wee hours, but then got in his car at about 7 a.m. because he was hungry. He ended up killing a man, and was suspended by the NFL for the ’09 season.
Obviously, Edwards didn’t learn much from his friend’s tragic decision. Because there was Edwards driving drunk at about 5 a.m. last Tuesday morning, with two teammates (tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson and defensive end Vernon Gholson) as well as two other people in his car.
This, of course, is the same Edwards that is on probation for an incident in Cleveland in Oct. 2009 that cost him a 2010 game check, and who once was nailed for driving 120 m.p.h. In their infinite wisdom, the Jets traded for Edwards two days after that early morning in Cleveland when he punched out a 130-pound friend of Libran James.
As for Jackson, he has such a feeling of entitlement that he hasn’t been Steelers jersey
able to figure out since the end of last season why the Chargers have refused to award him with a long-term contract. We’ll never know what would have happened had the salary cap not gone away this year and Jackson had become an unrestricted free agent.
But he didn’t, and the Chargers retained their rights with a restricted free-agent tender of $3.268 million. That was lowered to $583,000 when he hadn’t signed the tender by June 15. The Chargers made the original tender even after Jackson pleaded guilty in February to a DUI charge from Jan. 2009, his second since joining the Chargers in 2005. He was on probation for that one when the second one occurred at 2:30 in the morning, a few days before the Chargers’ playoff game against the Steelers.
He was placed on five years’ probation, and was sentenced to 15 days of community service along with having to pick up roadside trash for four days.
When he was arrested, Jackson believed no charges would be filed, and added, "In the event they are, I look forward to clearing my name and proving my innocence."
He sure did that. The case was delayed as Jackson’s attorney attempted to have the blood-alcohol evidence thrown out. Guess that’s how you try to prove your innocence by trying to get rid of the evidence. How about accepting responsibility? At least Stall worth did that, even when there was evidence of contributory negligence by the man that walked out into the middle of the road.
During the 2009 season, Jackson’s attorney, Cole Casey, said, "I'm just going to continue it until after the season is over. Then we'll decide from a legal standpoint what to do from there."
When he finally pleaded guilty, Casey said, “Vince just wants to get ready to play football this season, and he doesn’t want to have a lot of this legal stuff hanging over his head.”
Of course, it was OK for it to be hanging over his head for 13 months while they tried to wish it away.
But wait, there’s more. Because of his Dues, Jackson’s driver’s license was also revoked. Of course, that didn’t matter to him. He drove anyway. And, on the way to the Chargers’ playoff game last January against the Jets, he made another wise choice and decided to bring even more attention to himself by blasting music. Police were drawn to his car, noticed the expired tags and Jackson was detained. Quarterback Philip Rivers ended up picking him up and taking him to the game.
In April, there was another guilty plea for that incident, for which he owed another 80 hours of community service.
It could be said that one time is an aberration. Two times is a coincidence. But three times is a trend.
Yet, he and his agents can’t figure out why he wasn’t traded. Sure, part of it was the compensation demands that Smith made. Still, it wasn’t like a bevy of teams were lined up at his door. Who knows if it would have mattered, but it also didn’t help that Edwards’ arrest became public knowledge the Vikings jersey
day before Wednesday’s deadline. ESPN’s John Clayton reported that ownership in St. Louis and Seattle ordered that discussions about a potential trade stop when the news traveled about Edwards.
Anyone knows that one more slip by Jackson will likely result in a one-year suspension. Teams had to decide whether Jackson’s talent was worth the risk. The answer was obvious.
Still, there was Jackson testing Jason La Candor of NFL Network and saying, “I just want to play football. It feels unethical.”
If he just wanted to play football, he would have signed his tender months ago amid all his legal trouble and showed he is capable of being a good citizen.

24 sep 10 AP Source: NFL agents get NCAA letter

NEW YORK (AP)—Agents for NFL players have received a letter from the NCAA seeking cooperation when the NCAA is investigating college players.
A person familiar with the letter told The Associated football jerseys
Press on Wednesday that the tone is not threatening and the NCAA is not applying pressure on the agents. But it wants “an environment of cooperation” when NCAA regulations may have been broken regarding contact between agents and amateur student-athletes.
“With the added scrutiny, the NFLPA has had calls with coaches and with the league and the NCAA officials on this,” said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the letter has not been made public. “The only thing (the union) is doing is encouraging people cooperating to get the right information in place. I know it’s a stretch to call it pressure.”
In the wake of the Reggie Bush(notes) scandal that led to Southern San Diego Chargers jersey
California landing on probation, the NCAA has expressed concerns about potential rule violations to several agents and to the NFL Players Association.
DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the players’ union, said in Orchard Park, N.Y., that he’s heard about the letter, but couldn’t comment because he hasn’t seen it. Smith visited the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday.
Several prominent agents said they have not received or seen the letter. Some agents might have been upset by receiving the letter, believing they were being targeted by the NCAA.
Because of the Bush-USC situation and others that prompted Chicago Bears jersey
NCAA investigations, the college sports governing body is trying to be proactive. But another person who has seen the letter told the AP that “it’s not threatening in any way. The gist of it is, `We know there are potential violations there, we are cooperating with the NFLPA and if you know of someone who has violated any of the regulations, we are encouraging you to cooperate.”’

New goalie stands tall in scrimmage

I t was nearly impossible to miss Henrik Karlsson(notes).
First off, there's the netminder's incredible size—six foot six.
Then, pleasingly to nearly everyone down at the Max Bell Centre, there had been those spectacular stops in the Calgary Flames' annual intrasquad showdown Monday afternoon.
"Well, he made four or five pretty big saves there," said Flames coach Brent Sutter.
"And you expected there to be some quality scoring chances. nfl throwback jerseys
I thought he had a good day."
Karlsson gleefully ruined Curtis Glencross's(notes) short-handed breakaway with a snazzy trapper save. He stoned Ian White(notes) with a right-pad save, then used his left pad to foil Alex Tanguay(notes).
"It was just a couple of bounces. It was fun to play," said the 26-year-old, who allowed only one goal—a tap-in by Jay Bouwmeester(notes).
"I was just trying to go out there and play my game as good as I could. But I think there's a couple things I can take with me that were working pretty good … and a couple things that maybe I have to work on.
"But overall, I'm pretty happy with the performance."
With the Flames and the Vancouver Canucks running split squads, Karlsson figures to get into National Hockey League action tonight at Rogers Arena.
"It's going to be a real great experience for me," said Karlsson. "I'm looking forward to it—my first game."
Karlsson was property of the San Jose Sharks last winter. He San Francisco 49ers jersey
didn't attend their training camp—"They signed me pretty late (Aug. 12, 2009), so I couldn't go there"—and spent the entire winter in the Swedish Elite League.
However, he did serve as a black ace during the team's playoff run.
Now, after an off-season trade to Calgary and subsequent one-way contract, he's inked in as Miikka Kiprusoff's(notes) backup.
"I like the pressure … to know that I have to prove myself here," said Karlsson.
"I'm just going to do my best, keep my focus, in every practice and game. Just do my best.
"The play is a little different here. Smaller rink. A lot of pucks on net, guys on net, but so far, I like it."
Karlsson was hardly the only chap under the microscope in Monday's matinee.
"I looked at the way guys responded under pressure and how they were handling the puck, seeing plays and making plays, looking at some system stuff that we've changed… . I thought everyone looked fine," said Sutter.
"It was good. The purpose of it was to get the guys the opportunity to play in some game-like situations, to work on a few things with our systems, to try some different things.
"I thought it was good for all those points."
At the top of Sutter's wish-list right now is team speed.
Brisk counter-attacking, swift forechecking, hot pursuit—all of Buffalo Bills jersey
it would go a long way to bolstering a club that struggled mightily to score last winter.
"It's just doing it all at a high tempo," said Sutter.
"We don't want to slow the game down. We want to be a quicker team this year, both at even strength and on specialty teams. To do that, you have to move your feet, you have to skate. That's something that we've been emphasizing since Day 1—being a quicker team.
"We want to be a team that's moving. You have to be able to play that way now."

Perseverance pays off for Auld

MONTREAL - There is a tattoo that runs from the inside of Alex Auld's(notes) right wrist to almost the crook of his elbow, Latin taken from his family's coat of arms.
Virtute et Constantia, it reads. In English: by virtue and constancy.
"By courage and perseverance," the Canadiens' new goaltender explains of football jerseys
the meaning of the ink, needled beneath his skin following the 2006-07 season.
Auld had suffered a season-ending knee injury that February. He hadn't enjoyed a good year with Jacques Martin's Florida Panthers, having won only seven games and lost 13 with a tepid .888 save percentage.
"It was a tough time for me," Auld admitted yesterday during a talk beneath his Brossard dressing-room nameplate. "I wanted to see the words of my family motto that summer when I was working out."
The two qualities have been the foundation of Auld's well-travelled, eight-season NHL career, a challenging journey that brings him to the Canadiens -his eighth NHL team and 11th professional squad in less than a decade.
The 29-year-old product of Thunder Bay, Ont., has arrived under no false pretence, having signed a one-year, $1-million free-agent contract on July 1. Auld will support Carey Price(notes), the Canadiens' uncontested No. 1 goaltender since Jaroslav Halak(notes) moved on to St. Louis.
But Auld very much likes his situation and sees great value in his role, which is not unlike one he's played in other jerseys.
"I have the opportunity to work alongside a tremendous young talent," he said of Price.
"He's a great goalie and will continue to improve. Obviously, there's a lot of pressure, especially the position we play in a city like this.
"I want to help (Price) in any way I can. I want to push him. I want to play; I know he wants to play. We can work well together. I've been in positions where I've played a lot and haven't played much, and still been able to fulfill a role and contribute. That's what I'm looking to do -to help this team win and put the team first."
The two netminders have been getting to know each other a little the past few days in camp, not an easy matter since they've been on different training rosters.
"I'm a big believer that a relationship between two goalies is important," Auld said. "You can't force that, it just has to develop. We both have the same sort of easygoing mentality, we're both competitors, we both want to win and push each other. I think it's a perfect mix."
Montreal brings Auld back to Canada, having made Vancouver and Ottawa stops along the way. He adds Florida, Phoenix, Boston and, last year, both Dallas and New York Rangers to his goaltending passport.
Auld says he jumped at the Canadiens offer, which arrived shortly after noon on July 1 while he and his wife, Melanie, were in an Ottawa hotel room.
They were watching the free-agent frenzy on TV when his agent called, Martin Biron(notes) having just signed with the Rangers.
A free-agent netminder can size up the landscape pretty quickly, with few jobs on the market. Less than a half-hour after the signing window opened, Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier made his pitch to Pat Morris, Auld's agent.
"It was nice to feel wanted," the goalie said. "There was no need to take much time or play hardball, this was a good fit."
For at least a few reasons.
"I wanted to go to a good team with a chance to win. The Canadiens fit that bill," Auld said.
He was familiar with Martin, his GM and coach in Florida, and Canadiens goaltending coach Pierre Groulx, then the Panthers video coach who would strap on the pads in practice when No. 1 Ed Belfour regularly decided he would stop pucks only in games.
And Auld liked what he'd heard about Price from coaches who have known the 23-year-old both on and off the ice.
"There's enough gap between Carey and myself in age. We're in two Chicago Bears jersey
different spots, so that's good," he said. "Having history with people in the organization is a good thing, too. And I've loved playing in Canada. I love the accountability every night, that the fans and media demand perfection or close to it."
Auld was born to Bob and Susan Auld in Cold Lake, Alta., but grew up from age 5 and played all of his minor hockey in Thunder Bay when his parents returned to their hometown.
Bob Auld was a helicopter test pilot for the Canadian armed forces, stationed for a brief time in Montreal. He once was at the controls to fly prime minister Pierre Trudeau during Quebec's 1970 FLQ crisis.
Father drove his son to Montreal this summer to help him get settled, relating stories and suggesting places to live.
"Then my dad laughed and said: 'Maybe not. That was 40 years ago,' " Auld said, grinning.
He had been given his first pair of pads at age 12, finding in the 4 a.m. darkness what he says remains his favourite Christmas gift, elaborately displayed with a new stick.
That was 1993, the year the Canadiens won their most recent Stanley Cup, a "pretty special run and a big win" that Auld remembers well.
Yesterday, a factory-fresh pair of pads beside him, he proudly displayed his new Canadiens mask. Designed by Marlene Ross of Brockville, Ont., it's the latest in an NHL collection he says is growing too large because he's kept every one.
With an airbrushing of the Montreal Forum, it features the Canadiens' first logo -a C on a maple leaf -and three goaltending legends: Patrick Roy, with his famous 1993 Stanley Cup wink; 1970s icon Ken Dryden; and 1950s trailblazer Jacques Plante.
"There's a lot of history with this organization," Auld said. "I wanted to pay tribute to the great goalies who have had their numbers retired in Montreal. This is a pretty cool way to start."
He's travelled thousands of kilometres to get to this Brossard dressing room, his first NHL game played for Vancouver in Dallas as an emergency call-up on Jan. 23, 2002. Auld has only vague memories of it, beyond a problem with the ice before the opening faceoff that brought out the Zamboni and heckling teammates who added to his stress.
The Canucks won 4-2 that night, and Auld doesn't even recall that it was Markus Naslund's(notes) goal on which he earned an assist.
He played a career-high 67 games for the Canucks in 2005-06, traded to Florida that June in the deal that brought Roberto Luongo(notes) to Vancouver; Luongo has only played for the Canucks since that trade, Auld has dressed for seven NHL clubs.
Montreal, he hopes, is more than a pit stop, saying: "I'd love to find New Orleans Saints jersey
a place I can settle down and play awhile. But I just want a place where I can play and win. That's what's so exciting about this situation.
"It's great to move your family to a new place -a great city, a great team with a great group of guys, a team that's had success. You want to be part of all that."

Rays back in 1st place

Upton and Rodriguez hit three-run homers to help Niemann reach double digits in wins.
By TONY FABRIZIO
afabrizio@tampatrib.com
ST. PETERSBURG - Time and time again on their march to the 2008 American League pennant, the Rays used gritty starting pitching and the long ball to win important games.
They rediscovered that combination Tuesday night, and they used it to take sole possession of first place in the AL East for the first time since June 12.
Sean Rodriguez and B.J. Upton each hit a three-run home run, and nfl jersey
Jeff Niemann reached double-digit wins in a 6-4 victory against the Twins in front of 18,261 fans at Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay won for the 10th time in 11 games and improved to 8-1 in its homestand against three playoff-contending teams. With the Yankees losing to Toronto 8-2, the Rays took a one-game lead in the division with a majors-best record of 67-39.
"Obviously, it's nice," Manager Joe Maddon said. "I'm looking at the scoreboard, and I knew the Yankees had lost. Probably a lot of the other guys did, too.
"We want to be in first place. We want to win the division. Of course we want to get to the playoffs, but we want to win the division first. We had been there for a long period of time this year, and now we're back up there."
The final inning was more adventurous than the Rays are accustomed to when Rafael Soriano is pitching, but with help from his defense, the closer earned his 31st save.
After Soriano dropped what would have been a game-ending throw to first from second baseman Rodriguez, who was playing in shallow right field against pinch-hitter Jim Thome, Joe Mauer singled to drive in Denard Span and cut the Rays' lead to 6-4.
Delmon Young came up as the go-ahead run and hit a grounder to short. Jason Bartlett threw a bullet to first to barely get Young for the final out.
Niemann (10-3) had more hits allowed (eight) than innings pitched (seven), but he battled and gave his team a chance to win. He gave up single runs in the first, third and seventh, with the latter coming on a solo home run by Drew Butera.
"He's still not as sharp as he had been, but I'm probably nitpicking," Maddon said of 49ers jersey
Niemann, who improved to 5-2 with a 2.85 ERA in 12 starts at home. "He only gave up, what, three runs after seven innings? That's a pretty good start."
The Twins got one run in the opening frame against Niemann, who gave up two in the first inning of his previous start - a 7-4 win against the Tigers last Wednesday.
Speedy Tampa Catholic grad Span opened with a soft double to left, and reigning AL MVP Mauer, who didn't play in Monday's series opener, singled up the middle to make it 1-0.
But the Rays came back quickly against Brian Duensing, a lefty who replaced struggling Nick Blackburn in the rotation late last month and entered the night 4-1 with a 1.83 ERA.
Carl Crawford walked, Evan Longoria singled on a line drive to left and, with two outs, Rodriguez squared up on a 1-2 change-up and sent it over the wall just right of the 404-foot mark in center
"It was supposed to be a change-up, and he just left it up," Rodriguez said of Duensing's pitch.
Minnesota got one run back in the third inning on Mauer's second RBI single and tied the game at 3 in the seventh on Butera's lead-off solo home run.
The Rays, as they have for more than a month, kept coming.
In the bottom of the seventh, reliever Matt Guerrier walked pinch-hitters John Jaso and Matt Joyce, and Upton hit a 2-0 pitch from Guerrier 397 feet over the left-field wall.
It was the second time this season the Rays have had two three-run homers in a game, with the other coming on April 14 at Baltimore, when Upton and Carlos Peña did it.
"How about us hitting two three-run home runs tonight," Maddon said. "Very unusual for us, although we've been doing a little of that lately."
Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached at (813) 259-7994.
Photo credit: Staff photo by CHRIS URSO
Photo: Sean Rodriguez is congratulated by Evan Longoria after his three-run Saints jersey
homer in the first.
Photo credit: Staff photo by CHRIS URSO
Photo: B.J. Upton rounds the bases after hitting the winning three-run home run in the seventh inning.

Buzz: Latest news from around the horn

Nationals manager Jim Riggleman is signed through 2011, but a clause in his contract enables the team to dismiss him after this season and pay him only a buyout.
The Nats don't plan to exercise that right, though; Riggleman will remain their manager, according to his agent, Burton Rocks.
“He’s coming back next year,” Rocks football jerseys
aid Monday night. “All indications are that there is not going to be a change.”
Rocks said the Nats’ decision is not yet official; the team’s owners are scheduled to meet on Thursday.
Riggleman signed a two-year contract with the Nats last November. His deal includes a club option for 2012.
- Ken Rosenthal
D-Backs to name GM this week – 7:48 p.m.
Barring an unforeseen development, the Diamondbacks will name either Kevin Towers or Jerry DiPoto as their general manager within the next several days, multiple major league sources have told FOXSports.com.
Ownership's said to be torn between their loyalty to DiPoto, an executive with the team since 2006, and the appeal of Towers, who reached the postseason four times in 14 seasons as GM of the San Diego Padres.
Diamondbacks officials have spoken with Towers within the last 48 hours, one source said.
Towers, who was earning almost $2 million annually when the Padres dismissed him last October, would probably be a more expensive hire than DiPoto, who’d never been a GM before assuming the job in Arizona on an interim basis at the beginning of July.
But while many in the industry have believed Towers' salary demands would be a stumbling block, sources now say the Diamondbacks are simply having a difficult time deciding whether they want Towers or DiPoto to lead the organization.
DiPoto's moves have been well-received in the industry, which may explain why the club hasn’t already hired Towers, who has much more executive experience. The performance of right-hander Daniel Hudson, acquired from the White Sox in a package for Edwin Jackson, has been particularly encouraging for the team; he’s 6-1 with a 1.65 ERA in 10 starts.
In addition to DiPoto and Towers, the Diamondbacks have considered De Jon Watson and Logan White, both assistant GMs with the Dodgers, along with Angels scouting director Eddie Bane. While one major league source said Bane has an “outside chance,” it appears that Towers or DiPoto will be running the team by week’s end.
Werth being shopped as a center fielder – 3:05 p.m.
Ask Scott Boras about his newest client, Phillies right fielder Jayson Werth, and the first words out of the agent’s mouth are, “He can play center field.”
Werth, a free agent at the end of the season, has made 18 starts in center this season – mostly while Shane Victorino was on the disabled list – and 77 in his career.
Because few center fielders hit like Werth, his marketability will only increase if prospective suitors consider him a viable defender at the position.
“He has the closing speed to play center,” Boras says. “It makes your team so different. Normally you get that production out of a corner outfielder.”
Werth, 31, left the Beverly Hills Sports Council to align with Boras. He leads the Phillies and ranks seventh in the National League with a .902 OPS. He also leads the NL with 4.36 pitches seen per plate appearance.
Some rival executives liken Werth’s free-agent potential to that of left fielder Jason Bay, who signed a four-year, $66 million contract with the Mets last offseason.
Boras sees a fellow client of his, left fielder Matt Holiday, as a better comparison. Holliday signed a seven-year, $120 million free-agent deal with the Cardinals last winter.
“Jason Bay suffered in the marketplace because of a predisposition about his medical condition,” Boras says (Bay had issues with his shoulder and knees). “The Red Sox rejected him, creating questions.
“That (predisposition) did not exist with Holliday. It certainly does not exist with Werth. And (with Bay) you were talking about a left fielder who was definitely not in the class of a Gold Glove outfielder.
“Werth is a totally different type of player. He’s an athlete who can play center field, run, steal bases, be a Gold Glove type outfielder.”
And hit.
“A lot of teams out there need center-field production,” Boras says.
Many in the game assume it'll be difficult for the Dallas Cowboys jersey
Phillies to keep Werth, considering the team already has more than $145 million committed to 15 players for 2011.
The Phillies could trade Victorino ($7.5 million) or Raul Ibanez ($12.167 million), particularly if they believed Werth could replace Victorino in center. But they might prefer to make their next long-term investment in shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who’s a free agent after next season.
“We have not in any way ruled out Philadelphia,” Boras says. “No question he plays well there. It’s something you’ve got to look at closely.
“They’re going to win their division four times in a row. Ownership has a lot of business reasons to say this core belongs together a long time.”
Would Crawford seek a return home to Texas? — 11:00 a.m.
In honor of college football season, Rays clubhouse manager Chris Westmoreland puts a special nameplate above each locker, showing the colors and logo of every player’s favorite team.
Among the notable allegiances: Grant Balfour, the Australian reliever, picked the University of Cincinnati; Joaquin Benoit, born in the Dominican Republic, supports the University of Oklahoma.
And Carl Crawford, a Houston native, went with the University of Texas — even though he once committed to play football at rival Nebraska.
Crawford said he likes both schools, but added, “I’m Texas first.”
In a couple months, we may ask whether Crawford will be Texas next – if the Houston Astros or Texas Rangers get involved in the highly anticipated free-agent frenzy.
Crawford still lives in Houston during the offseason. When asked earlier this month if friends there will pressure him to sign with the Astros, Crawford replied, “Nah, man. They know me. They know I’m going to do what I want to do. There’ll be no pressure. They all understand what’s going on. Plus, the Astros are not really winning right now. They want to see me on a team that’s winning.”
The Astros have actually done some winning lately, with a 46-32 record — second-best in the National League — since June 22.
Crawford was reminded that Minute Maid Park has the “Crawford Boxes” — named after Crawford Street — in left field, right behind where Crawford would play.
“They’ve been there for a long time,” he said. “Houston is always a place I’ve loved. I have no complaints about it. We’ll just have to see.”
The Astros would need to move Carlos Lee (and his contract) in order to make room for Chargers jersey
Crawford. The Rangers, under new ownership, aren’t similarly limited by burdensome contracts.
For the time being, Crawford is focused on the Rays’ postseason push. And Texas, by the way, is a possible playoff opponent.

Lowrie blast boosts Sox

BOSTON (AP) -- Jed Lowrie homered to lead off the 11th inning to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays last night.
Red Sox 5, Jays 4, 11 inns.
The victory came after an embarrassing, season-worst 16-2 loss to the Blue Jays on Friday.
Boston catcher Victor Martinez drove in three runs to go nfl throwback jerseys
along with a solid defensive play on a jarring collision. He held onto a relay throw as Lyle Overbay knocked him over for the final out of the fourth.
Former Blue Jay Marco Scutaro had a double, two singles and scored a pair of runs.
Overbay had a game-tying, two-run homer for Toronto after going 4-for-5 with a career-best seven RBIs in Friday's win.
Jonathan Papelbon (5-5) pitched a perfect inning for the win.
Lowrie, who dropped an easy pop up to extend John Buck's at-bat before he fanned in the top of the inning, homered into the Red Sox bullpen off Casey Janssen (4-2).
Mike Lowell reached second to open the eighth when his short pop down the left-field line Bears jersey
ticked off shortstop Yunel Escobar's glove, bounced onto the track and into the stands for a ground-rule error, but Boston failed to score.
Toronto had tied it 4-4 in the sixth against starter Daisuke Matsuzaka when John Buck had a sacrifice fly and Overbay hit a two-run homer into the right-field bleachers after being pitched around his first two at-bats with an intentional walk and a walk with first open. But, this time, with a runner on second and first open again, Overbay belted the second pitch over the Blue Jays' bullpen.
Martinez's two-run single gave Boston a 2-0 lead against starter Ricky Romero.
The Blue Jays closed to 2-1 in the fourth on John McDonald's RBI double, but Overbay was cut down on the hit when he barreled over Martinez, who caught second baseman Yamaico Navarro's throw from shallow center field. Martinez got up, smiled and playfully retagged Overbay on the chest.
Martinez and Adrian Beltre each had RBI singles in the fifth.
Romero pitched seven innings, giving up four runs, nine hits, striking out Bills jersey
eight and walking one. He entered with a 1-4 record and career-worst 8.51 ERA against the Red Sox.
Matsuzaka gave up six hits and four runs -- three of each coming in the sixth -- in eight innings, walking three and fanning eight.

Upstart Vick Will Give Lions New Challenge

Last Sunday, the Detroit defense didn't exactly prevent Chicago's offense from tallying yards at will. They did one better: preventing it from making multiple trips to the end zone, despite a Bears' offense that enjoyed great field position most of the contest.
They managed an impressive goal-line stand in the second half, thwarting Chicago on four consecutive downs, kept the opponent's run game in check, and spent most of the day harrassing Jay Cutler.
Had Detroit won on Calvin Johnson's controversial catch, a nfl jerseys
defense that was considered the league's worst in 2009 would have been deserving of the game ball.
Rookie Ndamukong Suh and veteran Kyle Vanden Bosch, newcomers to the defense in 2010, tallied one sack and 11 tackles, respectively, and were responsible for much of that success.
“I thought that, not only did they rush the passer well, but they did a good job in the run game," said coach Jim Schwartz this week. "A lot of that has to do with what the d-line was able to do in disrupting.
"There were a lot of those situations where it came from penetration up front. I think that pass rush and things like that generally tend to overshadow plays in the run game."
Added Schwartz, "I think there are still things that we can clean up. We had a couple opportunities to finish sacks and Culter ran out of them. That’s not going to do this week with Vick back there."
And therein lies the next challenge.
Vick, the mobile, defensive nightmare, will start in place of injured Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb (concussion). If beating Cutler's arm was challenging, Vick's legs will quite literally give Detroit's high-priced defensive line a run for its money.
Vick had an exemplary second-half performance against an unsuspecting Green Bay defense. He scrambled for 23 yards on his first play, and ripped of chunks of 9, 16, and 33 yards later in the game. He also completed 16 of his 24 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown -- 278 total yards of offense in just two quarters of Minnesota Vikings jersey
action.
The Eagles still lost, 27-20, but a quarterback controversy in Philly was born.
“He’s scary; he looks like the Michael Vick of old – who’s one of the best athletes in the game," said Lions' defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham after Thursday's practice. "He’s really got a rhythm. Green Bay was shell-shocked. I don’t know how much they prepared for him."
Schwartz still considers Vick the same dynamic quarterback that he was prior to his prison-provoked league impasse. Vick returned to the league last year, seemingly eons away from the star status he enjoyed as Atlanta's starting signal caller.
The Lions plan is to take away Vick's aerial options first, worry about his mobility later, and just hope that his career revival doesn't begin at Ford Field.
Schwartz didn't reveal whether or not the Lions would use outside linebacker Julian Peterson as a "spy," rather, keeping the attention on what the defense could control. However, the team welcomed the return of starting middle linebacker DeAndre Levy (groin) to practice on Thursday. Levy missed last Sunday's contest. If he can continue to practice, he'll be in Sunday's line-up, and give Detroit another body to throw at Philadelphia's No. 7.
"(Vick) brings a little different dimension, but they don’t really change their passing game a whole lot in there so we can work the passing game," said Schwartz. "It’s a little bit different with a left-handed quarterback. It’s a little bit different with his mobility and where he’s going to escape, but their passing game stays similar and we’re already working a lot of those specialty packages so, really it doesn’t change a whole lot."
Cunningham wasn't as modest of the concern Vick promotes.
"He’s not just a quarterback, so the game changes in your Indianapolis Colts jersey
preparation," he said. "You stay up late at night, and you get up early in the morning.
"If you look at our coaching staff, they all look like zombies today and he’s putting a lot of pressure on us to prepare for him.”

Italy roundup-Robinho set for first Milan start

MILAN, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Brief news from Serie A ahead of the weekend matches:
* Temperamental Brazil forward Robinho nfl throwback jerseys
could get his first start for AC Milan when they face Catania on Saturday (1845 GMT) following an injury to fellow Brazilian Alexandre Pato.
Robinho joined Milan at the end of the transfer window following an unsuccessful spell in Emgland with Manchester City.
The former Real Madrid forward, who spent six months this year on loan in Brazil with Santos, has made two substitute appearances and may line up alongside Ronaldinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in attack.
Injury-plagued Pato suffered a thigh strain in Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League win over Auxerre and is expected to be out for three weeks along with captain Massimo Ambrosini who was hurt in same game.
Thiago Silva, another of Milan’s Brazilian contingent, should be fit after missing the Auxerre game through injury. Milan, beaten 2-0 at Cesena last week, have three points from their opening two games.
*AS Roma coach Claudio Ranieri has declined to comment on a newspaper interview in which forward Francesco Totti criticised the team for being too defensive in their 2-0 Champions League loss at Bayern Munich.
“I haven’t read it, I don’t want to comment,” he said.
Totti said: “We going back to the old catenaccio. We didn’t play football, we just concerned ourselves about defending. It’s always difficult to win matches when you play like that.”
Roma, who have only one point, will be without Nicolas Saints jersey
Burdisso for the visit of Bologna on Sunday after the Argentina defender was sent off for a dreadful tackle in last week’s 5-1 loss at Cagliari.
* European and Serie A champions Inter Milan will be without Goran Pandev for the visit to Palermo after the Macedonian striker twisted his ankle and knee in the 2-2 Champions League draw at Twente Enschede on Tuesday.
Rafael Benitez’s team have four points after scraping a 2-1 win over Udinese last week.
*Fiorentina, who host Lazio on Saturday, have taken only one point from two games.
“I’m not worried, we just need a spark,” coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said. “We just need to improve away from home.”
* Alessandro del Piero has told his Juventus team mates to improve their concentration after 3-3 home draws in their last two matches, the second against Poland’s Lech Poznan in the Europa League.
“The goals were different from the ones on Sunday but they are still three. We must all be more careful and concentrated in the defence,” he said.
Still winless in Serie A with one point, Juve visit Udinese on Sunday.
*Chievo Verona are the only team with six points from their San Diego Chargers jersey
opening games but coach Stefano Pioli is still thinking about the relegation battle.
“Our priority is safety,” he said. “We should get to 40 points as quickly as possible, that’s our target.” The leaders host promoted Brescia on Sunday.

Mourinho rules out coaching Portugal

MADRID, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Jose Mourinho will not accept an offer to take temporary charge of the struggling Portuguese national team for next month’s Euro 2012 qualifiers, the Real Madrid coach said on Friday.
Mourinho was approached by Portugal’s football football jerseys
federation (FPF) and asked if he would take over for the qualifiers at home to Denmark on Oct. 8 and away to Iceland four days later.
He told a news conference at Real’s training ground on Friday he was unable to accept the offer as he believed his club would not have reacted positively to his absence.
“For personal pride and passion for Portugal I couldn’t say no Bills jersey
but I can’t say yes either,” Mourinho said.
“My sense is that in the Real Madrid world it would have been interpreted negatively,” he added.
“There would have to be total agreement and I don’t think that’s going to happen. Real Madrid has every right to make the decision they have. For me the issue is finished.”
Portugal sacked Carlos Queiroz this month after he was 49ers jersey
suspended for six months for insulting anti-doping agents before the World Cup and have yet to name a replacement.
They have had a poor start to their qualifying campaign, with a 4-4 home draw against Cyprus and a 1-0 defeat in Norway.

Zubizarreta slams selfish Ibrahimovic

MADRID, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta has criticised the club’s former striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, saying the Swede was too selfish to fit in to the La Liga champions’ playing style.
Ibrahimovic’s relationship with Barca coach Pep Guardiola broke nfl jerseys
down last season and he left after only one year to join AC Milan, city rivals of his former club Inter.
“If you see football in terms of individuals, or individual actions, Ibrahimovic belongs on that list,” former Barca and Spain goalkeeper Zubizarreta told the club’s TV channel.
“He is an extraordinary footballer but when I said the ‘Ibra case’ was a soccer issue it was because on the pitch you don’t just play with the ball but also when you don’t have the ball,” he added.
“You have to give your team mates options and there is also a great deal of Chargers jersey
tactical work to do.
“And you have to be able to do both things very well: your own individual play but also your role within the team.”
Ibrahimovic has said he has no idea why Guardiola, whom he disparagingly called a “philosopher”, was so keen to off-load him and accused him of shattering his dream to play for Barca.
“When I enter a room Guardiola leaves, I don’t know if he’s scared of me or what. Speak to him, he’s the one who has the problem. I don’t know what it is,” he told reporters before completing his move back to Serie A.
Zubizarreta made light of the philosopher comment, saying Bears jersey
neither Guardiola nor he were affected by it.
“Those of us who are close to him (Guardiola), sometimes we have also called him that,” he said with a smile.

Giants ability to run may decide Manning Bowl II

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—There’s a good chance that the second Manning Bowl may not be decided by either Eli or Peyton.
If the New York Giants (1-0) can run the ball against the football jerseys
Indianapolis Colts (0-1) the way the Houston Texans did last weekend, the game is going to be decided on the ground.
That’s how the Texans beat the defending AFC champion Colts on Sunday as Arian Foster(notes) rushed for a team-record 231 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-24 decision.
While the Giants struggled running the ball last season, they showed signs of getting their attack back in the second half of their 31-18 win over the Carolina Panthers as Ahmad Bradshaw(notes) and Brandon Jacobs(notes) ran for 110 of the team’s 118 yards.
“We are going to establish the run game. That’s Giants football,” Eli Manning(notes) said Wednesday. “It’s something we’re going to try to do and a part of that is being able to throw the ball successfully also.”
The Colts obviously will be working on their run defense this week, but they will be without safety Bob Sanders(notes). The NFL defensive player of the year in 2007 had surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn biceps muscle in his right arm and will be out indefinitely.
“You can’t hide from the fact that last week we did not perform very well,” Colts coach Jim Caldwell said Wednesday. “Our objective is we make no excuses. We have to get better because we are facing a team that can obviously run the ball with some very, very Indianapolis Colts jersey
capable backs in terms of Bradshaw and Jacobs. Those two guys can run it at you so we have to be better.”
Jacobs said there is no doubt in his mind that the Colts’ run defense will improve.
“After a week like that, we know they’re going to concentrate more on the run than they probably ever did,” he said. “We look at the Houston game and look at certain run keys and reads, but we know it’s going to be a tough, physical game.”
Jacobs, who gained 44 yards on 12 carries in his new role as Bradshaw’s backup, felt Houston got most of its rushing yards with a couple of big plays and a good scheme.
“Things like that have happened in the first game of the season every year in this league,” he said. “You have to go in there and expect something different than what they did last week.”
Offensive tackle David Diehl(notes) said that the line is going to have to push hard this week because everyone knows the Colts won’t allow themselves to be embarrassed again.
“For us, we always think that to win football games we have to get the run game going to open things downfield,” Diehl said. “It’s nothing against Eli and our receivers, we have all the faith in the world in them, but up front we think we are at our best when we get our run game going so we can play smash-mouth football and take the edge off the defense.”
In getting the running game going last week, Diehl said the offense made some great halftime adjustments, stopped the negative plays and turned the 2-to-3 yards gains into some longer runs.
The Texans’ ability to run the ball last week forced the Colts to throw the ball 57 times. They only ran it 10 times.
Peyton Manning(notes) doesn’t believe that Minnesota Vikings jersey
Houston showed everyone how to beat the Colts.
“I think what Houston showed that we won’t play well, if we make mistakes and don’t execute some of the basic fundamentals of the game, that it’s tough to win and especially against a good team,” Peyton Manning said. “I think that was the case on Sunday. Houston played well, and I thought we didn’t play well enough at some critical times.

Steelers defense stays with what works

PITTSBURGH (AP)—NFL rosters change frequently from season to season due to salary cap restrictions, free agency and the draft, yet the Pittsburgh Steelers are an anomaly during a time when one bad game or one bad season can cause a team to shed a player.
When they began practicing Wednesday for their game at Tennessee on Sunday, all 11 players who started on nfl jerseys
defense for them during the Cardinals-Steelers’ Super Bowl two seasons ago were on the field. Ten of the 11 remain starters; only linebacker Larry Foote(notes) is a backup.
By contrast, the Cardinals have only four holdover starters, although linebacker Clark Haggans(notes) would be among that group if he hadn’t missed the Super Bowl with a foot injury.
That 2008 Steelers defense was one of the best in NFL history, leading the league in overall and passing defense while giving up the fewest points - despite playing one of the most difficult schedules of any Super Bowl winner, opposing the Ravens (twice), Chargers (twice), Cowboys, Patriots, Eagles, Giants, Titans and Colts.
This defense matched that ’08 level of performance by holding Atlanta without a touchdown during a 15-9 overtime victory Sunday in which the Falcons ended only one drive inside the Pittsburgh 20-yeard line.
“I don’t compare our seasons like that, but it was a good start for us,” linebacker James Farrior(notes) said Wednesday. “I think everybody was on their stuff during that game. We’ve just got to keep it up. It was similar, but we’ve got a long way to go.”
Of course, this defense is accustomed to being together for long stretches.
By deftly managing the salary cap, the Steelers have kept defensive end Aaron Smith(notes) for 12 seasons, nose tackle Casey Hampton(notes) for 10; Farrior, defensive end Brett Keisel(notes) and backup lineman Chris Hoke(notes) for nine each, safety Troy Polamalu(notes) and cornerback Ike Taylor(notes) for eight apiece, linebacker James Harrison(notes) for seven, and linebacker LaMarr Woodley(notes) and safety Ryan Clark(notes) for five seasons. Inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons(notes) is the least-experienced starter, and he’s been with them for four seasons.
Seven of the 11 starters are 30 or older, and Polamalu and cornerback Bryant McFadden(notes) both turn 30 next year.
Many teams are reluctant to accumulate so many Dallas Cowboys jersey
players above the age when performance can begin to decline and injuries become more frequent. However, the Steelers are reluctant to break up a unit that statistically was No. 1 in 2007, 2008 and 2004 and has finished below No. 5 only once since 2003.
Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is 73 and, understandably, is sensitive to questions about how age affects performance. He suggests his defense draws motivation from the frequent talk it’s getting too old to remain among the best.
“We’re going to let the season speak for us on that,” he said.
With Polamalu and Smith out with injuries much of last season, the Steelers played below their usual level by losing five times after leading in the fourth quarter. The Falcons game suggests the Steelers are significantly improved with Polamalu and Smith back, but a single game against an opponent that doesn’t see them very often can be misleading.
Opposing the Titans (1-0) could prove to be a better indicator of where this defense is. The Titans were the only team to beat the Steelers decisively in 2008, winning 31-14.
“Honestly, I can’t even remember that game. We played them last year in Heinz Field and won in overtime (13-10), and that was a whole different makeup,” wide receiver Hines Ward(notes) said. “This team is different.”
Pittsburgh also will be without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger(notes) as he serves the second game of his four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Titans quarterback Vince Young(notes) hasn’t opposed the Steelers before as a starter, but he understands what he’s getting into from watching on tape - a defense that knows what it’s doing and does it as well as any unit in the league. He saw that by watching the Falcons Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
offense struggle to give quarterback Matt Ryan(notes) enough time to dodge Pittsburgh’s frequent blitzing and throw enough accurate passes to mount a consistent offense.
“You have to be very patient and take what they give you, until something breaks,” Young said. “I have a lot of respect for them. This is my first time and I’m definitely looking forward to it because you always want to test yourself against the best. That is how much respect I have for those guys.”

Hodgson defends lacklustre Torres

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson leapt to the defence of striker Fernando Torres after he was wideley criticised for a disappointing display in the goalless draw with Birmingham on Sunday.
Torres tested Blues goalkeeper Ben Foster twice in the second half cheap nfl jerseys
but looked off the pace as he continues his return from a groin injury sustained in the World Cup final.
Despite a largely uninspiring display at St Andrew's, Hodgson was satisfied with the contribution of the Spain frontman and believes he will continue to get "better and better.''
"Fernando came into the centre on a few occasions and, when he did that, he caused havoc," Hodgson said. "You've got to give the back four of Birmingham credit. They worked very hard to contain him and pressurise him.
"But he is looking much fitter with every game and I thought he looked dangerous and I thought, the longer the game went, the stronger he became. I think he is working hard for the team. He is a constant thorn in the side of defenders.
"We know he lacks match training. He missed matches at the end of Minnesota Vikings jersey
last year and during the World Cup. But I'm not at all concerned about Fernando Torres. He will get better and better.''
Liverpool needed two superb first half saves from Pepe Reina to earn them a point but Hodgson was satisfied with his side's overall performance.
"I thought they really pressurised well for a spell in the first half and we were dependent on two exceptionally good saves from Pepe Reina. But we kept our shape well during that period and the longer the game went on, the stronger we were getting.
"It was a good performance from the Birmingham team but I was not that disappointed with our performance either. We kept to our task well. It is early days for me and the team. We've had players coming into the team trying to come to terms with what we are asking of Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
them.
"A lot of teams will come here and find it very difficult. This is a tough place and they are unbeaten here for goodness knows how long (12 months). I've got to say my expectations were not that high anyway. I would have been disappointed to lose the game but certainly not that disappointed to draw it.''

Darren Fletcher: We must cut out late goals

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher believes the club's hopes of regaining the Premier League crown from Chelsea will be in tatters if they continue to concede late goals
Everton scored twice in injury time on Saturday to snatch a 3-3 football jersey
draw against United at Goodison Park. And that came just a few weeks after Fulham scored late to claim a 2-2 draw against Sir Alex Ferguson's men at Craven Cottage.
Fletcher, who scored against Everton, admits that dropping such points could prove to be the difference between success and failure.
"We should have learned from the Fulham game and we didn't,'' said Fletcher. "We really have to learn from this game if we want to take it forward this season and win the league. We can't afford to throw away points as we have done in the two away games so far.
"It just shows you that you think you are winning 3-1 and can take it easy but you've got to keep taking your chances and really finish the game off. These are Indianapolis Colts jersey
moments you can look back on and say 'That should have been three points' but it is a long season and there are many twists and turns to come.
"It just shows you that you have to play right to the final whistle in this league because teams don't give up, especially when they are at home. The more confidence you give to teams, showing them things like that, the more confidence they will get to say 'Keep on right till the end against Manchester United'.
"We need to put that to bed and get away from it as soon as possible. There is no vulnerability, it is just simple mistakes which we need to eradicate it quickly. The game was fizzling out but once you give a team like Everton a bit of hope with the second goal - which came out of nothing - it lifted the whole place.
"They found that extra bit of Dallas Cowboys jersey
energy and threw men into the box in the last minute. You can't afford to give teams at their home ground any sort of momentum or confidence, a half-chance or a goal, because in the end you suffer for it. The manager was really disappointed and made it clear in no uncertain terms of what is expected at this club.''

Luka Modric given all clear after broken leg fears

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed an unexpected boost with the news that Luka Modric has not broken his leg and will travel with the rest of the squad for Tuesday's Champions League game at Werder Bremen.
Earlier on Sunday, Harry Redknapp was bemoaning the loss of nfl jersey
a player he considered to be irreplacable, but x-rays on his left leg came back clear. It was thought the Croatia international had broken the same leg as he had 12 months ago in Saturday's 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion.
Modric, who scored Spurs' goal at the Hawthorns, left the ground on crutches and seemed set to follow England duo Jermain Defoe and Michael Dawson into the treatment room.
"Luka Modric will travel with the squad for our opening Champions League group match at Werder Bremen on Tuesday after x-rays of his left fibula came back clear,'' read a club statement. "The Croatia international midfielder was forced off with the injury in the first half of Minnesota Vikings jersey
yesterday's draw at West Brom and will continue to be monitored prior to being made available for selection on Tuesday.''
Redknapp had said: "We've got strength in depth, but you always have one or two players who make the difference to you. Modric makes the difference. In my opinion, he could play in any team, anywhere in the world. He's a top, top player. He is fantastic. When you lose him, you can't replace him.
"You've got other people who are good players, great players, but he's a special player. So it will be a massive loss for us if he is going to be out for a while.''
Redknapp praised Gareth Bale after another fine performance. He said: "Gareth Bale's the most amazing player, isn't he? Where do you see a performance like that? He has played wide left and now he's played left-back. Look at him, he's only 20. It's just Dallas Cowboys jersey
amazing, isn't it? He's such a threat, isn't he?
"The times he gets behind the back four from left-back, the energy that he plays with, and the quality that he plays with is just amazing.''

Ferdinand plays down 'Battle of Britain' clash

Rio Ferdinand insists that Manchester United's Champions League opener against Rangers will be like any other European game and played down the significance of the match's England versus Scotland subplot.
The clash has been billed as the 'Battle of cheap nfl jerseys
Britain' in some corners of the media and there is expected to be plenty of needle between the fans, with many United supporters still upset about their Rangers counterparts' behaviour in Manchester on the night of the 2008 UEFA Cup final, when ugly clashes broke out in the city centre.
Ferdinand, who played the last time that the two sides met in Europe's premier club competition - when United beat Rangers 3-0 seven years ago - admitted he is looking forward to playing the Gers again, but he does not believe there is any extra pressure taking on the Scottish champions.
"It's a good start and a great game Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
for everyone involved," Ferdinand told the Sun. "But it won't put us under more pressure than normal as every Champions League game is a big one. The media probably hype it up a bit more but that's part and parcel of life at this club."
Ferdinand is likely to make his first appearance of the new campaign at Old Trafford in the Group C encounter, and he insists that United will be serious contenders for the Champions League trophy again this season.
"We enter every competition to win," Ferdinand said. "I've said that every year since I've been here and that's just the way this club runs."
The United defender is facing a nervous wait to see whether he will be named the club's new captain after Sir Alex Ferguson revealed on Monday that Gary Neville will no longer be skipper.
Despite wearing the armband for England, Ferdinand is thought to face Dallas Cowboys jersey
stiff competition from central defensive partner Nemanja Vidic, who has emerged as the favourite to be the new captain.

NFLPA seeks authority to decertify

By Liz Mullen, SportsBusiness Journal
The NFL Players Association has begun handing out voting cards that would allow players to authorize the decertification of the union, a move that could prevent the NFL from locking players out when the collective-bargaining agreement expires in March.
The NFLPA plans to ask the players on nfl jersey
all 32 clubs to vote to authorize decertification when NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith visits each club on his annual fall tour of locker rooms, sources said. New Orleans Saints players have already voted to authorize decertification at their union meeting last week, a source said.
“We have started to hand out voting cards to players authorizing us pursuant to the CBA to take action with respect to the NFLPA’s bargaining status prior to the CBA’s expiration on March 3, 2011,” states a letter sent to players and obtained by SportsBusiness Journal. “The cards will allow us to maximize the protection of your interests and rights when the CBA expires.”
If the NFLPA were to decertify, it would, in effect, operate as a trade organization but cease to be a union. If the league then tried to lock out players, the NFLPA could sue the NFL under U.S. antitrust laws and contend the league was conducting a group boycott, which is illegal. It could not sue the NFL if it remained a union with collective-bargaining authority for its members, under the labor exemption to antitrust laws.
The NFLPA’s letter reveals that union leadership continues to believe the league is poised to lock players out as soon as the CBA expires in March, and wants the option to act.
The letter says decertification “does two things for us: First, it gives a very firm deadline to the NFL to reach a new CBA with us before the current one expires, and before we end our status as a union. Second, it allows us to file an antitrust challenge against the lockout they are likely to impose the day after expiration.”
The letter does not present decertification as a Indianapolis Colts jersey
fait accompli, but rather as giving the union the option to use that leverage if the need arises.
It also indicates that the union wants the option to decertify before the CBA expires. The letter states that if the NFLPA were to wait until after the CBA expires to decertify, it could not sue the NFL for six months.
If the union were to try to decertify, the league would likely sue the NFLPA, challenging the decertification as a “sham” and saying the NFLPA was still acting as a union but only filing to gain access to the antitrust laws. A source close to the league has told SportsBusiness Journal in the past that the NFL would have a strong case, because the NFLPA decertified in 1989, only to become a union again in 1993, after it won a jury trial in the Reggie White v. NFL case.
But the union has long contended that it has the right to decertify under the White settlement. That settlement was the basis for the current CBA, which was first agreed to in 1993 and has been extended several times.
NFLPA officials could not be reached for comment for this story.
Because the union has decertified before, the move cannot be considered a surprise. But Smith, although he has indicated publicly in the past that decertification was an option, has not leveled the strategy as a threat. That stands in contrast to his predecessor, the late Gene Upshaw, who, before he died in August 2008, said loudly and repeatedly that if the NFL were to try to lock players out, “We won’t be here.”
Decertification would also allow the union to legally challenge any NFL plan to unilaterally implement a new labor system. If the union won in court, the NFL could be forced to pay treble damages to the union.
Although there are advantages to the Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
union decertifying, namely allowing it to gain access to the antitrust laws, there are disadvantages as well. Not only would the NFLPA not be able to collectively bargain for its members, it could not bring grievances for them and could not compel them to pay dues or control their marketing rights. When the union decertified in 1989, the league and the NFLPA, acting as a trade association, competed with each other for players’ marketing and licensing rights.

NFLPA releases kickoff statement

The NFL Players Association has released a statement from its executive committee, which includes Charlie Batch, Drew Brees(notes), Brian Dawkins(notes), Domonique Foxworth(notes), Scott Fujita(notes), Sean Morey(notes), Tony Richardson(notes), Jeff Saturday(notes), Mike Vrabel(notes), Brian Waters(notes), and the nfl throwback jerseys
other rank-and-file members of the players' union.
The message of solidarity isn't hard to interpret as labor unrest surrounds the league.
Here's what the 'kickoff message' says:
"We are men, and we are family men who love our country, our game and our fans.
As we face an uncertain future and the threat of Minnesota Vikings jersey
being locked out of the game we love and rely on to provide for our families, we make to you this solemn promise:
To the Players who have come before us, fought and paid the price for pensions, health care and free agency—to men like John Mackey, Alan Page, Dan Marino, Freeman McNeil, Boomer Esiason, Reggie White and Kevin Mawae(notes);
To the stadium workers, officers, businesses and everyone who gets their hands dirty working for this game;
To each and every player who risks everything for the thrill of this game;
To everyone who loves this Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
game and lives as we do for kickoff;
And to the few who stand against us;
The Players and fans will STAND AS ONE."

Redman gets chance as Steelers’ short-yardage back

As third-year QB Dennis Dixon(notes) gets a chance to start with Ben Roethlisberger(notes) out for the first four games of the season, second-year RB Isaac Redman(notes) gets his own opportunity to carve out a role, albeit a smaller one, in the Steelers' offense football jerseys
early in the season. Redman will be the club's short-yardage back, head coach Mike Tomlin said leading up to Week One. The Indianapolis Colts jersey
6-foot, 230-pound Redman's play on short-yardage downs bears watching; the Steelers' days of being a primarily power-running team have passed, but success in obvious running situations would be a boon for the offense, especially with Roethlisberger out. Adding another layer of intrigue is the team's unorthodox approach at fullback. As of Dallas Cowboys jersey
Week One, David Johnson(notes), who is also the third-string tight end, was the first-string fullback. Reserve 315-pound C Doug Legursky(notes) also can be used as a lead blocker.

Phillies sitting in a familiar spot _ first place

By ROB MAADDI AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA(AP)—Charlie Manuel scoffed every time someone mentioned the Philadelphia Phillies and wild card in the same breath.
When others thought the Phillies may have to settle for a wild-card spot this season, their skipper never wavered. He insisted his team would never concede the division until it ran out of games.
Here they are now sitting atop the nfl jerseys
NL East standings with 21 games left. The Phillies have erased a seven-game deficit and have a one-game lead over the Atlanta Braves, who lost 11-4 to St. Louis on Thursday night.
Just as he cautioned that the race wasn’t over when the Phillies were trailing Atlanta by a big margin on July 22, Manuel isn’t ready to start setting up his formidable postseason rotation until they’ve clinched.
“We haven’t made the playoffs yet,” Manuel said. “We definitely want to win our division and we’d like to have home-field advantage. Our ultimate goal is to get to the World Series, but first we’ve got to get in.”
The Phillies’ pursuit of a fourth straight division title and third consecutive NL championship has been a struggle mainly because they’ve had to overcome numerous injuries. They’ve also had major problems on offense with several players producing below their usual standards. Part of that inconsistency can be blamed on so many guys being out of the lineup.
Six of Philadelphia’s eight regulars have spent time on the disabled list, including former MVPs Ryan Howard(notes) and Jimmy Rollins(notes). Five-time All-Star Chase Utley(notes) was sidelined for a significant stretch, and Shane Victorino(notes), Placido Polanco(notes) and Carlos Ruiz(notes) also missed time.
Polanco said Thursday he is playing with a small break in his left elbow, but is postponing surgery until after the season because of the pennant race.
Rollins, a three-time All-Star shortstop, had two stints on the DL because of Minnesota Vikings jersey
a calf injury and left Wednesday night’s game with tightness in his right hamstring. He’s played in just 82 games, and is day to day heading into a weekend series at the New York Mets.
Utley missed 43 games because of a thumb injury, Howard missed 16 with an ankle sprain, and closer Brad Lidge(notes) was on the DL twice and currently has a sore elbow. The Phillies have missed a total of 511 man games to injury, according to STATS LLC. Overall, they’ve had 17 players out.
During a nearly two-week stretch in August, Howard, Utley and Victorino were absent. Still, the Phillies found ways to win. They’re 33-14 since opening the second half with six losses in seven games.
“You have to attribute that to the guys we have on the roster and the guys we had available,” Manuel said. “They stepped up and did the job when called upon. The guys we had that filled in for the injured players got big hits and made big plays in the right moment and they definitely played a big part in where we’re at.”
The key reason for Philadelphia’s success has been pitching, especially their top three starters.
Roy Halladay(notes) has lived up to enormous expectations. He’s 17-10 with a 2.36 ERA and eight complete games, including a perfect game against Florida on May 29. Cole Hamels(notes) has been outstanding despite a 10-10 record. The 2008 World Series MVP has a 3.06 ERA and hasn’t allowed a run in his last 25 innings. Roy Oswalt(notes), acquired from Houston before the trade deadline, is 5-1 with a 2.30 ERA in eight starts for the Phillies.
If the Phillies hang onto first place or even if they have to sneak into the playoffs as the wild-card winner, they’ll be tough to beat because the Halladay-Hamels-Oswalt trio might be the best threesome in the majors.
“I compare it to ’04 and ’05 with Roger (Clemens) and Andy Indianapolis Colts jersey
(Pettitte),” Oswalt said of his days with Houston. “It seems like it pushes you more when you have guys go out there and throw seven (innings) every time out. It’s kind of an in-house competition to push each other and see how good each other can be.”

hillies sitting in a familiar spot—first place

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Charlie Manuel scoffed every time someone mentioned the Philadelphia Phillies and wild card in the same breath.
When others thought the Phillies may have to settle for a wild-card spot this season, their skipper never wavered. He insisted his team would never concede the division until it ran out of games.
Here they are now sitting atop the NL East cheap nfl jerseys
standings with 21 games left. The Phillies have erased a seven-game deficit and have a one-game lead over the Atlanta Braves, who lost 11-4 to St. Louis on Thursday night.
Just as he cautioned that the race wasn’t over when the Phillies were trailing Atlanta by a big margin on July 22, Manuel isn’t ready to start setting up his formidable postseason rotation until they’ve clinched.
“We haven’t made the playoffs yet,” Manuel said. “We definitely want to win our division and we’d like to have home-field advantage. Our ultimate goal is to get to the World Series, but first we’ve got to get in.”
The Phillies’ pursuit of a fourth straight division title and third consecutive NL championship has been a struggle mainly because they’ve had to overcome numerous injuries. They’ve also had major problems on offense with several players producing below their usual standards. Part of that inconsistency can be blamed on so many guys being out of the lineup.
Six of Philadelphia’s eight regulars have spent time on the disabled list, including former MVPs Ryan Howard(notes) and Jimmy Rollins(notes). Five-time All-Star Chase Utley(notes) was sidelined for a significant stretch, and Shane Victorino(notes), Placido Polanco(notes) and Carlos Ruiz(notes) also missed time.
Polanco said Thursday he is playing with a small break in his left elbow, but is postponing surgery until after the season because of the pennant race.
Rollins, a three-time All-Star shortstop, had two stints on the DL because of Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
a calf injury and left Wednesday night’s game with tightness in his right hamstring. He’s played in just 82 games, and is day to day heading into a weekend series at the New York Mets.
Utley missed 43 games because of a thumb injury, Howard missed 16 with an ankle sprain, and closer Brad Lidge(notes) was on the DL twice and currently has a sore elbow. The Phillies have missed a total of 511 man games to injury, according to STATS LLC. Overall, they’ve had 17 players out.
During a nearly two-week stretch in August, Howard, Utley and Victorino were absent. Still, the Phillies found ways to win. They’re 33-14 since opening the second half with six losses in seven games.
“You have to attribute that to the guys we have on the roster and the guys we had available,” Manuel said. “They stepped up and did the job when called upon. The guys we had that filled in for the injured players got big hits and made big plays in the right moment and they definitely played a big part in where we’re at.”
The key reason for Philadelphia’s success has been pitching, especially their top three starters.
Roy Halladay(notes) has lived up to enormous expectations. He’s 17-10 with a 2.36 ERA and eight complete games, including a perfect game against Florida on May 29. Cole Hamels(notes) has been outstanding despite a 10-10 record. The 2008 World Series MVP has a 3.06 ERA and hasn’t allowed a run in his last 25 innings. Roy Oswalt(notes), acquired from Houston before the trade deadline, is 5-1 with a 2.30 ERA in eight starts for the Phillies.
If the Phillies hang onto first place or even if they have to sneak into the playoffs as the wild-card winner, they’ll be tough to beat because the Halladay-Hamels-Oswalt trio might be the best threesome in the majors.
“I compare it to ’04 and ’05 with Roger (Clemens) and Andy (Pettitte),” Oswalt said of Indianapolis Colts jersey
his days with Houston. “It seems like it pushes you more when you have guys go out there and throw seven (innings) every time out. It’s kind of an in-house competition to push each other and see how good each other can be.”

anks’ Pettitte goes 4 neat innings in rehab start

TRENTON, N.J. (AP)—New York Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte(notes) pitched four shutout innings in a minor league rehab start Thursday night and said it felt good to be back on the mound.
Pettitte allowed two hits and struck out four in Double-A Trenton’s Eastern League playoff game against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He had 37 strikes among his 51 pitches.
“I want to get back,” he football jersey
said after detouring to the bullpen for an additional 14 pitches. “I want to pitch in the big leagues as soon as I can and help my club. I feel I can give us a pretty decent four or five innings my next time out if I have to make a big league start.”
A healthy Pettitte is considered crucial to the Yanks’ chances of repeating as World Series champions. The 38-year-old is 11-2 with a 2.88 ERA in 18 starts with New York this year.
The location of Pettitte’s next outing could depend on how well Trenton does in the postseason. The Thunder won 1-0 Thursday night on Rene Rivera’s homer in the 12th inning and lead 2-0 in the best-of-five playoff series.
Pettitte hasn’t appeared in a major league game since July 18 because of a strained left groin and said he still needs to build stamina.
But he was generally happy with his control, particularly his ability to locate his fastball down and away for strikes. He also was pleased with his curveball, but not so much with his changeup, which accounted for one of his two wild pitches.
“It was a step in the right direction,” he said. “I feel my stuff will Dallas Cowboys jersey
get better each time I get out there.”
The Yankees are closely watching Pettitte’s progress in light of the continued ineffectiveness of starters A.J. Burnett(notes) and Javier Vazquez(notes), and the recent inconsistency of Phil Hughes(notes).
Pettitte bought steaks for his new teammates in keeping with a tradition of rehabbing major leaguers treating the minor leaguers to a clubhouse feast. He said he wasn’t displeased that his well-fed squad failed to score for him.
“The other guy threw the ball pretty well, too,” he said, referring to New Hampshire right-hander Zach Stewart(notes).
A season-high crowd of 8,072 watched the game at Mercer Indianapolis Colts jersey
County Waterfront Park.
Pettitte said he’s anxious to return to the Yankees.
“You feel like a zero when you’re not contributing, and you’re on the DL,” he said.