Dein erstes Forum » Well be addressing them all when we meet next month

TORONTO - Just before leaving his final news conference at the Sochi Olympics, Canadian hockey coach Mike Babcock made one final statement to reporters about the teams methodical run to gold. Tommy Bridges Jersey .Does anybody know who won the scoring race? Does anybody care? Babcock asked. Does anybody know who won the gold medal?Going undefeated through the tournament in February, Babcocks group lived up to and surpassed the expectations and pressure created after the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, where Canada also captured the gold.The 2010 team, we won, we got it done, and that was a special, special team, too, and it faced a different kind of pressure, Babcock said in a recent interview. This (2014) team was machine-like. It just was going to win, period.Team Canada rolled over Norway and Austria and beat Finland in overtime in pool play. It overcame a superhuman effort from goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis to beat Latvia in the quarter-finals, then dominated the United States and Sweden to capture the gold medal for the third time in the past four Olympics.That was more than enough to earn the Canadian Press Team of the Year honours for 2014, as voted by sports editors and broadcasters across the country. The mens hockey team was a runaway winner, receiving 36 votes, well ahead of 10 for the womens bobsled duo of Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse and nine for the womens Olympic hockey team.The Olympic mens hockey team was the best Canada has ever fielded, said Sean Rooney, sports editor at the Medicine Hat News. It wasnt that they had more talent, its that they played a disciplined style of game that took advantage of the talent they had.This group wasnt short on talent. Up front there was Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and enough depth that Team Canada didnt miss a beat when John Tavares went out with a knee injury. On the blue-line, Shea Weber and Drew Doughty were the leading scorers as defencemen carried the offence.Team Canada outscored opponents 17-3, but its most convincing victory may have been a 1-0 victory over the U.S. in the semifinals.I dont think the scores of the games were indicative, general manager Steve Yzerman said. I think our team played better than the scores. Defensively they were very, very good. Offensively they generated a ton of chances, just werent able to get more pucks in the net.Better than any team in recent Olympic history, this group was masterful at keeping the puck. As Babcock said, the other team cant score if it doesnt have the puck.When opponents did get it, goaltender Carey Price was there. In his five games, Price had a 0.59 goals-against average and .972 save percentage.He gave us confidence every time he was in the net, Babcock said. He never got the other team going by giving up a rebound or giving up a bad goal. He was just steady Eddie and he seemed to really enjoy it and embrace the moment. I thought he was spectacular.Just about everything Team Canada did was spectacular, starting with ball hockey at its summer orientation camp through a 3-0 rout of Sweden in the final. There was strife along the way, including Steven Stamkos breaking his leg and Martin St. Louis being left off the initial roster before replacing his Tampa Bay Lightning teammate.But none of that stopped Team Canada, which Yzerman meticulously designed to get the job done on the same international-sized ice that felled the Canadians in 2006.(Yzerman) gave me all the reasons why we were going to be that much better than we were in Vancouver, former Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson said. Everything that he talked about that day, he did it in spades with the management group and with Mike Babcock. We were just so well prepared, we learned from 2010 to make us even that much better in 2014.In Vancouver, Team Canada overcame early struggles amid the pressure of playing on home ice to make a run to the gold-medal game. Crosby then scored the overtime winner that a generation of Canadian hockey fans will never forget.Crosby scored just one goal during the Sochi Olympics and endured some criticism for that back home. While the captain played stellar defence and kept opponents top defenders busy, the likes of Jeff Carter and Jamie Benn took care of the goals.Hes not worried about that, hes worried about winning, Babcock said. I just think Toews and him, you go through it: Our group down the middle was spectacular to say the least. Getzy, John Tavares before he got hurt and then (Matt) Duchene. The group was incredible down the middle and they were committed defensively.The best defence in Sochi was an offence that held the puck in the offensive zone and wore down opponents. Yzerman credited Babcock for creating a game plan that was well-suited to the kind of international hockey Canada was forced to play.I think methodical is a very good word, but not to the point where it was prohibiting them from making plays, Yzerman said. It was just: Were playing against the best players in the world and its one-game elimination. We cant just run and gun, were trying to take the chance out of it.Team Canada left little to chance. It needed an overtime goal from Doughty to beat Finland and then Benn to score on a redirection against Jonathan Quick and the U.S., but the star-studded bunch was more or less a buzzsaw.Lionel Wild, sports co-ordinator at the Vancouver Sun, said Team Canada met the high expectations, handled the pressure of being defending champions in Russia (and) locked down their opponents with superb defensive team play. All their NHL stars bought in to a collective effort.Babcock was proud of how the team continued to get better over two weeks. The progression was noticeable and the result was a Canadian mens hockey team winning in Russia some 42 years after the 1972 Summit Series.I think we really enjoyed ourselves, enjoyed the competition, understood how tough it was and understood the obligation we had to Canadians as well, Babcock said. Great, great, great experience to get the opportunity to follow up on what we did in Canada, to follow it up in Russia. Understanding the 72 Series and all that stuff and all the history was special.And the way this group played created a template for future teams to follow. Its not old-school, rock em sock em Canadian hockey, but its a new version of that.Skill and speed are so valuable, a great asset, and then asking the players to play a specific way, and its not really go out and run teams and try and out-physical them, Yzerman said. I think we were strong, but the emphasis wasnt on physical dominance. The emphasis was on speed, skill and playing a disciplined game.Tennis stars Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard captured the male and female athlete of the year honours for 2014.---Follow @SWhyno on Twitter Jeimer Candelario Jersey .com) - Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett is active for Sundays matchup with the Miami Dolphins. Victor Reyes Jersey . The 42-ranked Czech saved seven break points while converting his one chance, and defeated the No. 3 seed in 1 hour 46 minutes. Rosol, who lost in the final in Stuttgart against Roberto Bautista Agut on Sunday, awaits the winner between Philipp Kohlschreiber or 2011 champion Gilles Simon. https://www.cheaptigers.com/779z-mickey-lolich-jersey-tigers.html .com) - Marc Gasol and the Grizzlies withstood 18 Dallas 3-pointers, as Memphis took control in the third quarter and fended off a Mavericks rally en route to a 114-105 win in a Southwest Division showdown.ORLANDO, Fla. - Marlon Byrd moved across Pennsylvania to Philadelphia. Tampa Bay is considering daring moves, and so is Texas. And the New York Yankees, as always, plan to be in the mix for some big-time deals. As the off-season market for trades and free-agent signings gets underway, Major League Baseball is considering some pretty radical changes for the entire sport next season. Expanded instant replay for umpires calls is virtually certain to be in place by opening day, and theres a chance a rule could be adopted to prevent runners from bowling over catchers at the plate. "Theres a pretty good possibility that something eventually will happen," MLB executive vice-president Joe Torre said Tuesday on the second day of the annual general managers meetings. "Whether its going to be soon enough to have it done this coming year, that remains to be seen. But I dont think its impossible." Outside the formal meeting room, Byrd and Philadelphia agreed to a $16 million, two-year contract, a huge step up from the $800,000 the outfielder earned this year from the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. And catcher Brayan Pena finalized a two-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds worth $2,275,000. They were the first of the 168 major league free agents to switch teams this off-season. Talk of limiting contact at the plate was the days most interesting development, one that could make Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. Torre said a written proposal will be developed that will be discussed when GMs gather again during the winter meetings, to be held at Lake Buena Vista from Dec. 9-12. "There are college rules where you have to slide. Im not saying thats what youre going to do," Torre said. "The players are bigger, stronger, faster. Its like in other sports. Theyve made adjustments and rules in other sports for that reason, to protect people." Torre said collisions when pitchers cover the plate on wild pitches and passed balls also are an issue. He planned to discuss the matter Wednesday with baseballs rules committee. A change for 2014 would need the approval of the players association. "Suffice it to say, the players have some thoughts of their own regarding home-plate collisions as well as a number of other topics," union deputy executive director Tony Clark, a former All-Star himself, said in an email to The Associated Press. "Well be addressing them all when we meet next month." Torre said agreements with players and umpires on expanded video review should be in place by January. "We expect to be all on the same page by the time we need to have it," he said. Virtually all umpires calls other than balls and strikes, checked swings and some foul tips will be reviewable. The system was tested last week during Arizona Fall League games, with two major league umpires reviewing video and making the final call. Baseball started using video review in 2008 but limited it to home run calls. Owners likely will give their go-ahead Thursday for funding and then approve the rules when they meet in January. "Im sure theyll do as much testing as tthey think is feasible, but ultimately theyll probably go with what they have," New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. Alan Trammell Jersey. "There probably will be bugs. ... It might be a little rough at the beginning, but I think that things will work out thereafter." GMs are spending much of this week in meetings, finding out which players might be available in trades and what prices agents are seeking for their clients. "Its not the most conducive time to be doing anything," Oakland GM Billy Beane said. With MLB receiving a large increase next year in revenue from national broadcasting contracts, agents are asking for more at this early point in the off-season. "I think its the agents job always to try to get as much as they can get, since theyve been part of the MLB landscape," Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said. "I dont think its ever changed." With 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner David Price two years from free agency, low-payroll Tampa Bay is exploring trades. The Rays $65 million payroll at the end of the season was 28th among the 30 clubs. "We just cant be afraid to make bold moves," executive vice-president Andrew Friedman said. "Its almost become a cliche of one eye on the present, one eye on the future. Its absolutely our operating philosophy. Its something that we have to do." Texas also could make a big trade splash. Rangers GM Jon Daniels will consider offers for middle infielders Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus to clear a starting spot for 20-year-old Jurickson Profar. "I dont think at this point were going to go down the same path we did last year where Jurickson broke in as a utility player," Daniels said. "Weve got three guys at the big league level. Weve got another two guys at Double-A in Luis Sardinas and Rougned Odor that we view as potentially impact big league guys, and I think the industry does, so were not doing our jobs if we dont at least explore it." While the Rangers are interested in re-signing Nelson Cruz, closer Joe Nathan could be headed elsewhere, perhaps Detroit. Byrd already knows his destination. The 36-year-old outfielder hit a career-high 24 homers last season for the New York Mets and Pittsburgh, which acquired him on Aug. 27. He batted .364 with one homer and five RBIs in six playoff games after hitting .291 during the season with 88 RBIs, one short of his career best. "Marlon adds a significant upgrade both offensively and defensively to our outfield," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement. "He has been particularly productive against left-handed pitching, which was a serious challenge for us this past season." Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said a determination of Alex Rodriguezs grievance to overturn a 211-game suspension wont deter the team from filling its holes. Rodriguez has a $25 million salary next year and could earn an additional $6 million payment if he hits six home runs and ties Willie Mays at 660. Re-signing second baseman Robinson Cano is a top priority. "Even with Alex as our third baseman, weve got a fair amount of money to start spending to try to fill the holes," Steinbrenner said, "and thats what were going to do." ' ' '