Not just a nurse - 7 reasons to be proud of what you do

Have you ever heard of this dialogue?
1. You're more than done.
In blood pressure, change dressings or insertion of football jersey
a catheter takes knowledge and skill. A nurse needs to know when and why do these procedures and to do with the information. Nurses must be vigilant to detect subtle changes in the patient's condition.
2. To teach and encourage patients to provide for themselves.
If people do not care for themselves, because the care they need. We teach patients after illness or injury, to become independent again.
3. To advise patients who are sad or in a crisis.
Whether you give a drug or a physical exam to take every opportunity to develop a trusting relationship with the patient.
Therefore, patients can recover their feelings with you physically and mentally.
4. Advocacy for patients and their families if they can not defend themselves.
Remember that your doctor is reluctant to give analgesics to patients with pain? You were the one who convinced the doctor to medication management of patients for adequate pain.
5. They coordinate the care of San Diego Chargers jersey
patients what they need when they need it to receive.
How many times has matched the supply of patients to get an X-ray image, participate in physical therapy and taking meals in case of necessity?
6. They are important advisors to their patients.
You're the first person in consultation with the doctor together to determine the status of their patients. Consultation with other members of the health care system, patients receive the best care possible.
7. Make changes to the health care system that works for the benefit of patients.
Your patient was waiting to take medication for pain, get an error occurred in the system. They shall take measures to ensure that no other patients have the same problem.
The next time you are asked, what are you doing? Reply with pride: I am a nurse. Then educate them about what they can become a nurse in question.
Nancy Ban field Johnson, RN, MSN, ANP, nurse teachers, offers lectures and workshops for nurses and clinical management capacity and knowledge about the compatibility of professional teaching improve productivity and grow Chicago Bears jersey
and develop professionally. His approach with his feet on the ground is very motivating and gives practical and creative solutions to solve problems in nursing practice. Nancy helps organizations recruit and retain nurses by improving their working environment and cooperation between nurses and other health professionals.

FIRST ANTHEM ANGEL HONORED IN 2010

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts are proud to announce the first “Anthem Angel” of the 2010-2011 seasons: Harold House.
Harold House, nominated by fellow nfl jerseys
educator James A. Tucker, has contributed to the needs of children throughout Indiana for more than 30 years. zm92az@yahoo.com

Harold House is a local educator of national prominence and has dedicated his time and talents to the youth of Indiana through numerous initiatives. He has promoted the participation of special needs students in the Payback Classic by having football players serve as mentors for children with exceptionalities. Vikings jersey
Harold has also assisted in the development of the Pacers Academy at Union Station, a program which provides opportunities for at-risk students. In addition, Harold has raised funds amounting to over $200 million for community programs that assist vulnerable youth. Harold has been named the National Public Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers and received the Eli Lilly & Company’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Harold was also named Outstanding Special Education Teacher by the National Association of Teachers in 2008 and has served as a former mayor and municipal judge. Currently, Harold works as teacher and special education compliance monitor at the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center.
In honor of Harold’s outstanding service, he received Colts jersey
four (4) VIP Club Seat Tickets the Colts vs. Giants game, a feature story with their photo in the Colts game day magazine (the Scout), as well as on-field recognition at the game.
“Anthem Angels…Honoring Everyday Heroes” was established by the Indianapolis Colts and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield to pay tribute to Hoosier “First Respondents” who have gone above the call of duty in human-service related professions.

Adjustments pay off for Bears

The way Jay Cutler was getting drilled early on; the Chicago Bears looked like they were in for a rough afternoon in Dallas last week.
Then, everything changed.
The Bears made some big adjustments on offense and came nfl jerseys
away with a 27-20 win in which they turned as many heads with their execution on the sideline as they did with their performance on the field. Now, they're 2-0 heading into their Monday night game against Green Bay.
The Bears came away with the win last week in large part because of the adjustments offensive coordinator Mike Martz and line coach Mike Tice made.
''Once you start getting coordinators of Mike Martz's caliber and (Mike) Shanahan and Jeremy Bates and some of those guys - that's what they're able to do, is find plays that are going to be successful no matter what the circumstances are,'' Cutler said.
Many wondered how Cutler and Martz would coexist.
Well, it's been nothing but praise between the two.
It's notable that Cutler mentioned Martz alongside two of his mentors in former Broncos coach Shanahan and Bates, his position coach and coordinator in Denver. It's telling that he did not mention former Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner. The two never seemed to click last season, and Cutler wound up throwing a league-leading 26 interceptions as the Bears missed the playoffs for the third straight year.
They brought in Martz in the off-season, hoping the architect of the ''Greatest Show on Turf'' could help Cutler limit the picks while energizing a struggling offense, and so far, the results are promising.
There are still issues on the line. Cutler again was getting hit hard in the early going as the Cowboys launched an all-out blitz, but several adjustments by the Bears paid off.
''I'm not trying to dodge (the question),'' Martz said. ''This isn't about the play-calling.''
Yet to many, the decisions on the sideline played a big role in the success on the field, even if Martz insisted it was more about better execution than X's and O's.
The Bears inserted Kevin Shaffer at left tackle after Chris Cowboys jersey
Williams went down with what coach Love Smith called a ''significant'' pulled hamstring on their third possession. When it became apparent that Williams wasn't coming back, they made another switch and moved Frank Moyle to his spot and put Shaffer on the right side.
They also started going with quick passes to counter the blitz, like on tight end Greg Olsen's 39-yard touchdown.
They threw in screens and went with extra blockers to help open things up and came away with a win over a team that many expected to contend for a championship.
They did all that after managing 13 yards on the first three possessions, with Cutler getting sacked once and having another wiped out by offsetting penalties. He was getting hit when he dropped back, a familiar sight after he ran for his life last season, but the Bears did something they rarely seemed to do in the past.
They adjusted successfully.

''We did a good job of adjusting over the course of the game with what we were going to try to counter attack them with, just short passes, getting the ball in guys' hands and letting them run in space was a good adjustment for us and led to some big plays,'' Olsen said.
Clearly, the Bears believe in Martz.
Olsen said they began buying into the system about as soon as the ink dried on the contract, yet he also insisted the Bears trusted Turner.
''I think we did have trust last year,'' Olsen said. ''I think a lot of factors went into why we weren't successful. Things kind of steamrolled on us a little bit, and once that happens it just got kind of out of hands and we weren't able to get everything stopped, and I don't think it had to do with so much of Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
our trust in what we were doing. I think we felt confident each week going out, but this year I think everyone wholeheartedly, 100 percent has bought in months ago. I think when he got here and implemented this offense in the off-season, I think guys right away said, 'Wow, there's a lot going on here, there's so many opportunities that he's going to put us in to be successful, and across the board, for all positions, everybody included.''

24 sep 10 Helms, Uggla lead Marlins past Mets

MIAMI (AP)—Despite being in third place in the NL East, the Florida Marlins are still looking to have a strong finish to the season.
Wes Helms(notes) had two of his three RBIs in a five-run nfl jerseys
first inning, Dan Uggla(notes) drove in a pair of runs and the Marlins held on for a 7-5 victory over the New York Mets on Wednesday night.
“Nobody likes to lose, whether you’re in it or out of it,” Uggla said. “We had a rough stretch there. Philly and the Cubs really put it on us, but every day is a new day. These last three have been fun.”
Alex Sanabia(notes) (5-3) allowed three runs in five innings for the Marlins, who have won three straight.
“He’s been outstanding,” Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez said. “He’s putting himself in the picture and a very good situation for next year.”
Leo Nunez(notes) got the Marlins out of a jam in the eighth and Clay Hensley(notes) pitched the ninth for his fifth save.
With the Marlins leading 6-3 in the eighth, the Mets loaded the bases with one out while facing Jose Veras(notes), who then issued a walk to Josh Thole(notes), forcing in a run. Veras was replaced by Leo Nunez and Chris Carter drove in a run with a groundout to pull the Mets to 6-5. Nick Evans(notes) struck out to end the inning.
Uggla had an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to make it 7-5.
Hensley allowed a two-out triple to Carlos Beltran(notes) before Uggla made a diving play to his left to retire David Wright(notes) for the final out.
“They made some really good plays at the end,” Mets first baseman Ike Davis(notes) said. “It’s hard to start rallies when they make plays like that.”
The Marlins got off to a quick start, thanks to a wild first by Chicago Bears jersey
Jonathon Niese(notes) (9-10).
He walked three, including Mike Stanton(notes) with the bases loaded. Helms followed Stanton’s walk with a two-run double and Brad Davis’(notes) RBI groundout made it 5-0. Uggla started the scoring with an RBI single.
“I had no fastball command,” Niese said. “They eliminated the fastball, sat on the off-speed that I was throwing for a strike, which was my cutter. I don’t think one of their hits were on a fastball.”
The Mets cut the deficit to 5-3 on an RBI single by Jose Reyes(notes), a solo homer by Beltran, and a sacrifice fly by Lucas Duda(notes).
“I was able to see the ball good and hit it hard anywhere,” said Beltran, who had three hits. “It’s good feeling when you feel like that at the plate like you have chances every time you step into the plate.”
Niese allowed six runs, five hits, and six walks while striking out seven in 5 2-3 innings.
“This time of the year he could have easily packed it in,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. “He didn’t have great stuff, but he went out there and fought.”
Notes: The Marlins won the season series with the Mets, 12-7 and won all six games at Sun Life Stadium. … Marlins Hanley Ramirez(notes) (sore left elbow) and Emilio Bonifacio(notes) (hamstring) were held out of the lineup. … Marlins LF Logan Morrison(notes) walked in the first inning to extend his New Orleans Saints jersey
streak of reaching base safely to 41 games. Only Mark Teixeira(notes) has had a longer streak (42) in the big leagues this season. … Reyes struck out in the first inning ending his streak of 48 plate appearances without a strikeout. … Miami Heat guard Mike Miller threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Reid makes himself look fickle

Where is the most hated man in sports – an extraordinary distinction, wouldn’t you agree, given the inexhaustible supply of candidates? – regarded as a savior?
Philadelphia, of course.
Only in Philadelphia, land of perpetual quarterbacking controversy, could a nfl throwback jerseys
mistake as asinine as the dumping of Donovan McNabb beget another mistake, to wit, the dumping of Kevin Kolb.
Actually, dumping Kolb is the least of it. On Sunday, coach Andy Reid swore up and down that Kolb was still his starter. On Monday, he repeated himself: “Let me state it again, I know I'm using poor English here, Kevin Kolb is the No. 1 quarterback.”

By Tuesday, it was Michael Vick’s team.
Now, in making the change, Reid shows himself to be as fickle as the Eagles fans – but less honorable. What a combination: knee-jerk like a fan, two-faced like a politician.
Let’s rewind. The last couple of Sundays have seen Michael Vick account for 599 yards (459 passing, 140 on the ground) without an interception. He was particularly impressive on Sunday against the Lions, when he threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns, earning his first win since 2006.
Of course, the fans wanted Vick. The backup quarterback is always the savior – only more so in Philly. Problem is, the coach is supposed to be take a longer view than the guys swilling bad beer and eating chips.
As Vick’s miraculous performance came against the league’s 31st-ranked defense, it’s worth recalling how Kolb tore up the NFL’s 30th-best just a year ago. Again, it was the season’s third Sunday. Kolb went 24 for 34 for 327 yards, throwing two touchdowns without an interception. As it happened, that game – a 20-point victory over Kansas City – turned out to be his 2009 finale. Though it made Kolb the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300-plus yards in each of his first two starts – both for an injured McNabb – he wouldn’t throw another pass all season.
Still, Kolb’s audition was more than enough to fortify the McNabb haters, whose ranks had been legion since draft day 1999, when they booed his selection over Ricky Williams. Such a reception was preceded by a warning from none other than Mayor Ed Rendell: “If you don’t draft Ricky Williams, we’ll meet at Vikings jersey
City Hall and burn the Vet down.”

Welcome to Philly. McNabb would be selected to six Pro Bowls. He’d lead the Eagles to five NFC championship games and a Super Bowl. But what he couldn’t do was always more talked-about than what he could. An alternative line of thinking evolved among the haters: You can’t win with the guy. Gradually, it became the company line.
Finally, last April 4, McNabb was traded to a division rival, the Washington Redskins, for a second-round pick and either a third- or fourth-round choice next year. In short order, Kolb was given a contract extension. With a $10.7 million signing bonus – as reported last week by our Adam Caplan – it’s worth $12.26 million guaranteed through next season.
The Eagles gave away the most difficult position to fill, that of franchise quarterback. Still, right or wrong, their choice was clear. Vick, you may recall, was never part of the conversation. It was between McNabb and Kolb. And in going with Kolb, the Eagles had marked a course for their future. Going into the season with an average age of 25 and no starter older than 29, the Eagles figured their quarterback would mature with the rest of the roster.

But all that measured, rational talk of building for the future lasted a mere fortnight into the regular season. McNabb threw for 426 yards on Sunday, a week after engineering an upset of the Cowboys, a team the Eagles lost to three times last season. On that same opening day, Kolb was concussed on Philadelphia’s second possession.
Rendell, now the governor of Pennsylvania, wasted little time, Colts jersey
arguing on his local post-game show that the Eagles “cut their losses” with Kolb.
As Rendell is in his final term, let me be the first to nominate him for Eagles GM.
Maybe he could sign Vick to a long-term deal.

Vick to start at QB for Eagles

PHILADELPHIA (AP)
Michael Vick earned himself a starting job by being - of all things - a pocket passer.
Vick will take over as the Philadelphia Eagles' No. 1 football jerseys
quarterback, coach Andy Reid said Tuesday, a day after he announced he would go back to Kevin Kolb.
''When someone is playing at the level Michael Vick is playing, you have to give him an opportunity,'' Reid said. ''This isn't about Kevin Kolb's play. You're talking about Michael Vick as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now.''
Vick is considered the greatest scrambling quarterback in NFL history, but he won the job over Kolb by demonstrating he no longer has a run-first mentality.
Kolb missed the last six quarters because of a concussion, and Vick played well in his absence. Kolb was cleared to practice and was expected to run the first-team offense on Wednesday.
''Kevin is fine. It's not an injury-related issue,'' Reid said. ''It's not about judging him. He's going to be a championship-caliber quarterback.''
Vick threw for 175 yards and one touchdown and ran for 103 yards in a 27-20 season-opening loss to Green Bay. He had 284 yards passing and two TDs in a 35-32 win at Detroit on Sunday.
Kolb started two games in his first three seasons before he became the team's No. 1 quarterback after Donovan McNabb was traded to Washington. Kolb struggled in the first half against the Packers in the season opener, but he became the first QB in league history to throw for 300 yards in his first two Buffalo Bills jersey
career starts last year.
Though the Eagles have been grooming Kolb to be the starter since drafting him in the second round in 2007, Vick forced Reid to make a difficult decision by playing better than he did when he was a superstar in Atlanta.
''Michael did an exceptional job and my job is to evaluate the players,'' Reid said. ''It's my obligation to make the proper decision.''
Vick's start against the Lions was his first in nearly four years. A three-time Pro Bowl pick during six seasons with the Falcons, Vick missed two seasons while serving an 18-month sentence in federal prison for his role in a dogfighting operation. He signed a two-year contract with the Eagles before last season, then played sparingly behind McNabb and Kolb.
Vick has completed 63.8 percent of his passes and has posted consecutive games with a passer rating above 100 for only the second time in his career.
''His accelerated play was brilliant,'' Reid said. ''This is what I think is right. He's back and maybe even a little better.''
The knock on Vick used to be that he moved too quickly through his reads and took off running. He clearly benefited from watching McNabb operate the offense last year, and has excellent teachers in Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. Vick proved against the Lions that he can be effective in the pocket. Despite getting sacked six times and being under constant pressure, he scrambled enough to buy time and find open receivers.
Given Philadelphia's struggles on the offensive line, Vick's speed and quickness is vital. Kolb has a quick release and can escape pressure, but few quarterbacks have are as elusive than Vick.
In 2006, Vick set a record for QBs with 1,039 yards rushing. His Steelers jersey
10 career 100-yard rushing games are the most by a QB, and he ranks third behind Randall Cunningham and Steve Young with 4,094 yards rushing.
''I think his play has even exceeded expectations over the last two weeks,'' Reid said. ''Very few quarterbacks can go out and play the way he played the last couple weeks and do the things that he did.''

What made Reid change his mind?

The decision was made official on Tuesday, but not the one anyone but Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid knew was coming. Michael Vick has taken over as the starting quarterback.

Yes. Really.
Reid made a complete 180-degree turn from what he said after Sunday‘s victory over the Detroit Lions and what he had been saying for several days, that Kevin Kolb would be the starter once he was medically cleared to play after his concussion.
So, why did Reid, a man of nfl jerseys
conviction, change his mind?
Having covered Reid for many years, I know this has to be a strictly a football decision and nothing else. It’s really about winning. When he makes a decision, he usually sticks to it. It’s not about someone getting in his ear or letting outside influences sway him one way or the other.
“I’ve had the full support of the front office,” Reid said. “I counseled with (GM) Howie Roseman today and bounced some things off of him, but the first person I met with on this decision was Kevin Kolb.”
But what changed after the team got back from Detroit Sunday evening?
Reid didn’t give the exact time line, but he did say he took his time making the decision.
“Listen, when you deal with a decision like this,” he said, “you take as New Orleans Saints jersey
much time as you possibly need to take, and so I did that. It’s not my obligation to tell people my decision. It’s my obligation to make the proper decision. That’s why I took the time to do that.”
All 32 NFL teams receive the tape (coaching tape in NFL jargon) of their last games the next morning. In fact, very early in the morning. So, Reid saw how well Vick played against Detroit before his news conference on Monday afternoon. By watching the tape, he could see all 22 players on the field at the same time. He could see every good and bad decision, but he also could see Vick had a terrific game.
The left-handed quarterback didn’t try to run after going through just one progression, as he has been criticized for so many times in the past. He was willing to stay in the pocket and run the plays as they were designed by Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg leading up to the game. In fact, Vick did some things he rarely did earlier in his career.
As a pro personnel source from another team told FOXSports.com Tuesday evening, Vick may have performed better than he ever did with the team that drafted him back in 2001.
“Did you see the game? I don’t believe the guy has ever played San Francisco 49ers jersey
better. I don’t recall him ever playing that well for Atlanta,” the source said. “It was like he went through some kind of mental transformation. I know he was the talk around the office for a bit on Monday.”
And now Vick will have his chance to show that the transformation will continue going forward. If not, he’ll be looking for a job again next season.

Left out in the cold - again | PHILLIES 5, BREWERS 4 4 home runs not enough to beat ace Halladay /

Philadelphia - For the second consecutive night, the game-changing play was rooted in left field.
Friday night it was a misplayed fly ball by Ryan Braun, football jerseys
who thought he heard centerfielder Lorenzo Cain call him off, that fell for a double and eventually led to the winning run. Braun was not charged with an error, but the 1-0 defeat could have been placed at his feet.
This time, the mistake was much less Braun's fault, but he was charged with the error and because of it the winning run once again crossed as the Philadelphia Phillies took another game, 5-4, from the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park.
The Brewers have lost five straight and dropped this one despite keeping Phillies ace Roy Halladay from a quality start for the first time since Aug. 8. Carrying a one-run lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, righthander Kameron Loe allowed consecutive singles to Shane Victorino and Carlos Ruiz. Left-hander Zach Braddock replaced him and walked pinch-hitter Wilson Valdez on four pitches before getting Jimmy Rollins to hit into a fielder's choice, with Victorino forced out at the plate.
With one out and the bases still packed, Placido Polanco hit a fly ball to medium left field. Braun caught the ball and threw home as Ruiz, not the fleetest of foot, tagged from third. The throw tailed toward the foul side of the plate, and in an effort to avoid a collision at the plate, catcher Jonathan Lucroy moved to the infield side and the ball skipped to the backstop. Ruiz scored, and as Braddock retrieved and threw the ball home, Valdez came around and slid under Lucroy's tag for the go-ahead run.
"The throw was a little bit up the line and I was in front of home plate," Lucroy said. "The ball kind of went behind the runner and he came inside the line like he was going to hit me and I lost the ball for a second. I jumped out of the way and the ball went by.
"I made a mistake. I should have been deeper on the plate. I should have went to my left instead of my right. I just didn't see it because it was behind the runner." Manager Ken Macha said Lucroy should have conceded the run and went up the line to cut off the throw, but Lucroy tried to stay in to make a play until the last second and it ended up costing the Brewers the game.
The offense tagged Halladay for four home runs - Prince Fielder, Alcides Escoleaving bar and two by Corey Hart - the most he has allowed to any team this season.
The first two homers, second-inning blasts by Fielder and Escobar, made Halladay look San Diego Chargers jersey
vulnerable and turned a pitching matchup surely favoring the Phillies before the game into a push.
But Brewers right-hander Dave Bush has had problems keeping the ball in the yard and it persisted against the Phillies as they got Bush for back-to-back shots in the bottom of the second to tie the score, 2-2. Ryan Howard hit the first and Jayson Werth got the second.
The Brewers bounced back on Hart's first homer in the third, thanks to Halladay a fastball right down the middle. But once again Bush couldn't hold the lead. He walked leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins, who later scored on a single by Chase Utley to make it a 3-3 game.
Bush would leave after six innings with that score intact, but Halladay would not. He went one more inning and hung a curveball to Hart that he hit for a wall-scraping homer to left-center, leaving Halladay in line for his third consecutive loss in as many starts.
But it was not to be as that bottom half of the inning came back to sink the Brewers and give Halladay the victory.
"It would have been nice to put up zeros after we scored to give a chance to extend the lead," Bush said. "That's always frustrating, but even after the third run I was able to put up three scoreless innings and give us a chance to take the lead again.
"It wasn't the sharpest I pitched all year but we had a chance to win the game against one of Chicago Bears jersey
the best pitchers in the game.".
Copyright 2010, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)

Freddie's ready, waiting for chance;First chance in majors likely to come soon.;After slow Triple-A

About the only thing that's not coming easily to Braves first base prospect Freddie Freeman right now is the waiting.
With every passing hour, he inches that much closer to nfl jerseys
September and a likely first call-up to the major leagues.
Whether it comes Sept. 1, when rosters expand, or the Braves wait until the end of Triple-A Gwinnett's season Sept. 6, it appears just a matter of time now. So Freeman has to fill his, lest the anticipation gets the better of him.
"I can't really think about that," said Freeman, the highest-rated position player in the Braves' farm system who figures to take over at first base next season. "I don't want to put too much pressure on myself, so I block out everything."
That is no simple task for a guy with the Atlanta right fielder for a roommate. His father Fred likes to scavenge the Internet for the latest roster scenarios. And just about everybody else Freeman knows asks the same question: When?
Freeman said Jason Heyward doesn't bring it up. He understands how it is, waiting for that call. His father knows he doesn't want to talk about it, too, so he often keeps his thoughts to himself.
As for everybody else, Freeman might give an "I don't know" or a "We'll see" when asked about it. But he can't hide a little twinkle in his eye. It's getting harder by the day.
Even his manager, Dave Brundage, who happens to believes Freeman is ready, has taken to calling him "Fred" instead of "Freddie" for all the maturing he's done this season in Gwinnett.
"He says, 'No, it's Freddie. My dad's name's Fred,' " Brundage said. "And I said, 'Well yeah, but you're maturing and it's been fun to watch. To me you're no longer Freddie, you're Fred.' "
Freeman started the season like a typical 20-year-old in Triple-A. He was 49ers jersey
overaggressive (one walk in his first 14 games), got himself out on a healthy dose of first pitches ("I like the ambush," he said) and hit only .259 with five homers through May. He then had a scare with a knee injury and missed seven games.
Shortly after he came back in early June, Gwinnett hitting coach Jamie Dismuke suggested he open up his stance to help him get to inside pitches. Freeman took off.
He hit .318 in June, .333 in July and .402 in August, through Wednesday's game. For the season, he's hitting .317 with 35 doubles, 17 home runs and 83 RBIs in 119 games. He's second in the International League in doubles and third in RBIs, slugging percentage (.522) and OPS (.900).
"I kept getting jammed and flaring everything to left," Freeman, a left-handed batter, said of his early-season struggles. "I couldn't get to that inside pitch. Once I opened it up, I was able to get my hips through the ball. And it's been like that ever since. Seem to be finding some more holes since then."
There was that twinkle in his eye again.
So much of what Freeman touches these days turns golden. He even helped turn a triple play on Wednesday night behind pitcher Scott Diamond, the first he'd ever taken part in or seen in person.
That was just hours after Freeman had mastered the clubhouse pingpong table yet again. He set a goal to unseat Wes Timmons as the G- Braves champion. Mission, like almost everything this year, accomplished.
Freeman's only lapse lately came last week, after the Braves traded for Derrek Lee and it became apparent that the team wasn't prepared to turn over first base to a 20-year-old down the stretch.
Freeman went 1-for-5 with "the three worst at-bats he's had probably in the last two Saints jersey
months," Brundage said. He called Freeman into his office after the game.
"Why don't you prove them wrong?" Brundage suggested. "It's just showing, 'Hey, you know what? I'm ready.' That's the approach you need to take. You can't control anything that goes on up there. The something you can control is standing in those shoes right here."

Phillies erupt for nine runs in seventh inning in wild win over Rockies

DENVER - Shortly after the credits rolled, leaving the audience staring in stunned contemplation at the 4-hour epic they had just witnessed, Ben Francisco dressed quietly at his locker in preparation for the late-night flight back to Philadelphia. On a night when the stars took center stage, where the Chase Utleys and Ryan Howards and Jayson Werths of cheap nfl jerseys
the world stole the show with their prodigious seventh-inning home runs, it was easy to forget the little pinch-hit at-bat that occurred with runners at the corners and one out in a tie ballgame. It was a nuanced performance in a supporting role, destined for both critical acclaim and mass-market anonymity.
"Just trying to keep it going," Francisco said as he finished tucking his dress shirt into his slacks.
The Phillies beat the Rockies last night, 12-11, finishing a 6-1 road trip that cut their deficit behind the Braves in the NL East to two games. They did so after notching a nine-run seventh inning that wiped out a four-run deficit, then withstanding a four-run Rockies rally that ended with the tying run being forced out at third base for the final out of the ninth.
The stars were numerous. Utley hit an RBI single and a grand slam in the seventh to set a new career-high with five RBI in an inning. Werth tied the game at 7 with a solo shot. Howard provided the first big blast in the comeback with a two-run home run.
Still, it was Francisco who Charlie Manuel singled out after the game. The Phillies already had scored four runs in the seventh when the reserve outfielder stepped to the plate, and with one out and the ninth spot in the line-up at the plate, they would have been content if the rally ended there. They already had negated the two hanging changeups from Joe Blanton that led to four Rockies runs in the second, three on a homer by Chris Iannetta and another on a blast from Dexter Fowler. They already had endured several untimely bounces, including a sixth-inning run that Colorado manufactured by way of two bunts, an infield single, and an apparent pickoff at second base that was scuttled when Brian Schneider's perfect throw popped out of Jimmy Rollins' glove on the tag.
But Francisco wasn't content. He looked for a fastball, got it on the first pitch, and slapped a single to rightfield that gave the Phillies an 8-7 lead and turned the line-up over. Three batters later, Utley hit his first grand slam since April 2006 (also at Coors Field), and the Phillies capped off their biggest inning since May 2 against the Mets, when they Bears jersey
scored nine runs in the fourth inning against Johan Santana.
"It was huge," said Howard, who hit his 25th home run of the season and his second in three games. "To come back in that situation and to tie the game, and then have 'Benny Fresh' come up and get that hit and put us up. The momentum was right there on our side."
The Phillies (76-58), who start a three-game series against the Brewers at Citizens Bank Park tonight, return to Philadelphia following last night's 1-day swing through Colorado for the make-up of a May 11 rainout. Sixteen of their next 22 games are at home, where they are 40-25 this season. The Braves start a three-game series at Florida tonight after losing to the Mets, 4-2, last night.
Until the final out, though, the Phillies had little chance to breathe easily. The Rockies answered in the bottom of the seventh with three runs off righthander Chad Durbin to cut the lead to 12-10. In the eighth, Jose Contreras loaded the bases before getting Eric Young Jr. to ground into an inning-ending forceout. In the ninth, Brad Lidge retired the last two batters he faced with the tying run on second and the go-ahead run on first after the Rockies pushed a run home on a ground out by Troy Tulowitzki.
"That was an incredible game," said Lidge, who recorded his 19th save after a fielding error on Howard and a single by Carlos Gonzalez put the tying run on first with no outs. "It was a lot of fun to watch our team come back and continue to hit against a team that also decided to continue to hit. And, in the end, we were the last ones standing, and it shows the character of our guys."
Phillers
Mike Sweeney and Placido Polanco both appeared to emerge unscathed from painful hit-by-pitches. Polanco was hit on his chronically sore elbow in the first inning but stayed in the game and later hit a single and a double. Sweeney was hit on the right knuckles in the sixth, forcing a run home, but labeled himself fine after the game . . . Joe Blanton allowed six runs in 4 1/3innings. David Herndon induced a big doubleplay after replacing him with two men on base in the fifth . . . Lefthanded-hitting Brian Schneider, who hit a three-run homer vs. the Dodgers on Tuesday, started against Rockies righty Jhoulys Chacin, the second time in 3 days that Carlos Ruiz has been out of the lineup. Charlie Manuel said he simply wanted to get Ruiz another day off . . . Prior to the game, Manuel was presented with a U.S. flag that was flown in Iraq in his honor. According to a Phillies spokesman, the presentation was made by Levittown native and current Colorado Springs resident Marc Gahagan, a member of the U.S. Special Forces who recently returned from Iraq. Ruiz and Brad Lidge Bills jersey
also met with Gahagan prior to the game.

NFP Saturday Tailgate

Week 3 is typically put up or shut up time in the world of college football.
While there are still major programs playing against lower-level competition in the third week, many teams are entering into league play or competing in tough nonconference action.
Common excuses cited for sloppy play on nfl throwback jerseys
opening weekend — being mere weeks removed from fall camp, inferior conditioning, overlooking opponents — need not apply anymore.
This week, the nation gets a chance to see teams exposed — as contenders or pretenders.
So fire up the grill and let’s start this weekend’s tailgate.
Underrated game of the year?
It may not be the sexiest game of the season, but the Iowa-Arizona matchup in Tucson Saturday night likely will be one of the best games of the year — and it’s the week’s lone matchup involving ranked teams on both sidelines. Last season in Iowa City, the Hawkeyes beat the Wildcats 27-17. However, quarterback Nick Foles was not under center for the Wildcats until early in the fourth quarter of that contest. Matt Scott, who was the starter at the time, threw a critical interception late in the third quarter to shift the momentum of the game.
This season, Foles is firmly entrenched under center, and the Wildcats are averaging over 46 points per game. Foles is completing more than 83 percent of his passes for 287 yards per game, and top receiving target Juron Criner has 12 catches for 236 yards and a score. Keeping the Arizona offense balanced is tailback Nic Grigsby, already has found the end zone five times and is averaging 8.4 yards per carry.
The Hawkeyes, however, are all about defense, a sound ground attack and just enough of the Ricky Stanzi magic to get the job done. Iowa is giving up just 216 total yards per game — including just 71.5 yards per game on the ground, where they have yet to yield a score. Led by All-American end Adrian Clayborn and tackle Karl Klug, this unit is stingy.
On the other side of the ball, Iowa effectively moves the chains by employing a productive rushing attack led by Adam Robinson and Jewel Hampton, along with the steady arm of Ricky Stanzi. The Hawkeyes are averaging 36 points and 457 total yards per game and run the ball just about as much as they pass. Their well-balanced offense and stout defense give them the best opportunity to knock the Buckeyes from the top of the Big Ten ladder.
But before they enter Big Ten play, taking care of the Wildcats on the road is priority number one. Offense or defense…who ya got? I know which unit I always defer to — let’s just say I believe pitching wins in the MLB playoffs. Did I just tip my hand?
Actually, I don’t recommend betting against the Hawkeyes, but something tells me Mike Stoops’ boys steal a 20-19 home victory…
Contenders or Pretenders?
So the Iowa-Arizona matchup in Tucson is the class of the schedule this week. But if we had “Monster Saturday” last week, why not have “Validation Saturday” this week? These matchups will act as good barometers of just how successful or unsuccessful a team’s season could be in 2010.
Nebraska at Washington: This one could have been a battle of unbeatens but Washington fell in its opener to BYU. Quarterback Jake Locker wasn’t able to rescue the Huskies against the Cougars, but he did rally the team from a 10-0 deficit last week against Syracuse. He suffered a bruised wrist in the game but will be ready to go Saturday. Meanwhile, the Blackshirts have been playing well and are primed for their first road test. But can freshman Taylor Martinez take his dual-threat act on the road to Seattle and steal a nonconference victory in hostile territory? Or can Nick Holt’s defense put the clamps on Martinez?
Arizona State at Wisconsin: With starting wide receivers Nick Toon and David Gilreath out for the game against the Sun Devils, quarterback Scott Tolzien’s job will be a lot more difficult. Expect John Clay to carry a heavy load, as Wisconsin is one of just six teams to have averaged at least 200 yards per game on the ground in each of the last three seasons. Can the Sun Devils stop clay? Last week, Northern Arizona had just 69 yards on 34 carries. But this defense will be entering Big Ten territory — and John Clay is a different animal.
Clemson at Auburn: Can Kyle Parker lead his Clemson offense into Auburn and score a big victory for the ACC? In the battle of the Tigers, the stage is set for Parker’s showdown with Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton. While Clemson’s ground game is still a force without C.J. Spiller(notes), the passing attack is still looking for a go-to guy. Parker may have to rely on tight end Dwayne Allen a lot Saturday if Auburn generates consistent pressure. Meanwhile, Newton will face a run defense that has been susceptible to the run, giving up 166.5 yards per game on nearly four yards per carry in two games against inferior opponents. With Gene Chizik emphasizing the need to rely less on Newton and more on Auburn’s backs in the running game, this could be bad news for Clemson.
Texas at Texas Tech: The Longhorns have put an emphasis on the running game this season to give new quarterback Garrett Gilbert time to settle in to his starting role. But against an aggressive Red Raiders defense led by outside linebacker Brian Duncan, who basically plays defensive end in their 3-4 scheme, Gilbert will have to take it to the air — and look for Mike Davis and Malcolm Williams. The passing attack of the Red Raiders under Taylor Potts hasn’t missed a beat without Mike Leach(notes), and receiver Lyle Leong already has five touchdowns. The Red Raiders’ rushing attack hasn’t been as prolific as Tommy Tuberville had hoped, but it’s going to have to be to keep the Longhorns honest. Will the athletes on Mack Brown’s squad be too much, or will the Red Raiders out-scheme their way toward a Big 12 victory?
Don’t sleep on…
Air Force at Oklahoma: The nation’s longest home winning streak will be on the line in Norman when the Falcons visit the Sooners. OU is coming off of a surprisingly easy victory over an overmatched Florida State squad, while Air Force was able to handle BYU 35-14 last week. Perhaps the Cougars will find rough waters as they prepare to say goodbye to the Mountain West Conference. Air Force leads the nation in rushing at 423 yards per game — over 90 yards per game more than any other team in the nation. Falcons quarterback Tim Jefferson not only can run, but the third-year starter has an arm, as well. While he doesn’t get many opportunities to showcase it in Air Force’s option attack, he may need to against the Sooners. If Air Force can avoid third-and-longs, this game could get really interesting. But if the Sooners dominate the line of scrimmage and provide a heavy dose of DeMarco Murray, the Sooners could roll.
Want more? Check out my four most underrated games on the weekend slate from my Four-down territory post Friday afternoon.
Skinny posts
…North Carolina receives a boost this week with the return of Colts jersey
running back Shaun Draughn, who was one of the players suspended for the LSU game. Draughn, who was the Tar Heels’ starter the past two seasons, has been cleared to play against Georgia Tech and should help in the Heels’ quest to rebound from their loss to the Tigers in the opener. Draughn has rushed for a combined 1,433 yards and four touchdowns the past two years and may be able to take advantage of a Georgia Tech run defense that is allowing 159.5 rushing yards per game.
…Could Jordan Jefferson’s days as the LSU starting quarterback be numbered? Despite the Tigers’ 27-3 win over Vanderbilt last Saturday, Jefferson did not play well under center. After the game, head coach Les Miles admitted that his play wasn’t good enough. “We’re going to continue to evaluate our quarterback situation, and frankly, we’re going to expect more out of the position, period.” Jefferson will start this week against Mississippi State, but what if Dan Mullen’s Bulldogs are able to move the ball against the Tigers defense and the game becomes a bit of a shootout? Will Jefferson be able to move the ball without turning it over? Or will Miles look to backup Jarrett Lee, who was well-known during his freshman year for throwing interceptions that went the other way for scores? If Jefferson can’t improve his accuracy and TD-to-INT rate, however, Miles may make a move. With Terrence Toliver, Reuben Randle and Russell Shepard at receiver, talent like that can’t go to waste — which is what will happen if the signal caller can’t get the ball to them consistently.
…So much for the ACC Coastal division being the strongest division in major college football. Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina and Virginia Tech have all gone down early — with the Hokies sitting at 0-2. There’s still plenty of time for these teams to get going as conference play kicks off, but the rep of the ACC has taken yet another hit in what was expected to be a showcase season.
…For all the talk of Virginia Tech having the best backfield in the nation — and I had a front seat on the bandwagon — neither Ryan Williams nor Darren Evans has eclipsed 100 yards on the ground. They have combined for 51 carries and 174 yards and two scores on the season.
…Kansas redshirt freshman Jordan Webb started in place of Kale Pick at quarterback last week against Georgia Tech, and he helped put behind a tumultuous week for the Jayhawks with a 179-yard, three TD effort in his first career start. Not only was Kansas coming off of a season-opening loss to North Dakota State in head coach Turner Gill’s debut, but the program was dealing with the abrupt retirement of athletic director Lew Perkins. For the Jayhawks faithful who weren’t thrilled with the Gill hire, he showed against the Yellow Jackets that he can flat-out coach.
…The Old Ball Coach dedicating his offense to the run? Believe it, as freshman Marcus Lattimore’s name was called 37 times last Saturday against Georgia in his first SEC game. He tallied two 2-yard TDs, and Spurrier will continue to keep it on the ground with the bruising tailback because the Gamecocks have a defense that can keep them in every ballgame — as long as the offense remains balanced.
…Missouri didn’t miss running back Derrick Washington last weekend. Freshman Henry Josey scored on three of his first four carries and finished with 112 yards on just seven carries against McNeese State. Josey began the game as the third-string tailback after Washington was kicked off the team before the season.
…How good has Oregon’s special teams played thus far? With Kenjon Barner filling in for LaMichael James at running back in the opener against New Mexico, cornerback Cliff Harris filled in for Barner returning punts and returned two for scores. With James on the field against Tennessee last week, Barner was back returning punts and took one 80 yards to the house. Harris? He merely returned an interception for a touchdown.
…Much of the coaching hot seat talk in the Big Ten entering the season surrounded Michigan’s Rich Rodriguez and Ron Zook of Illinois. But Minnesota’s Tim Brewster also made my coaching watch this offseason, and if the first two weeks of the season are any indication, it could be a tough year for Brewster and the Cowboys jersey
Golden Gophers. A week after almost losing to Middle Tennessee without its best player, South Dakota finished the job last week. Up next for the Gophers? A USC team that has yet to hit its stride. A defense that features 11 new starters had no answer for South Dakota quarterback Dante Warren, who accounted for 433 total yards and five touchdowns. Will Matt Barkley and the Trojans get back to their scoring ways this week?

Jarret Johnson expects to play Sunday

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Although Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Jarret Johnson(notes) didn’t practice for consecutive days due to a back injury, he predicted that he won’t have any problems playing Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
He’s listed as questionable on the injury report.
“I’m good,” Johnson said Friday after practice. “I’m good to go.”
Johnson is known for his durability. And he football jerseys
downplayed the severity of the injury, which involves back spasms.
The last time Johnson missed a game was seven years ago: Dec. 21, 2003.
“We decided not to take a chance of putting it back into spasms,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “So, they do a good job of taking care of that.”
Meanwhile, tight end Todd Heap(notes) expects to play Sunday after being limited in practice for the past two days with a strained right shoulder.
“I’m feeling better every day,” Heap said. “I feel good right now. I have to see how it feels on Sunday. It felt better.”
Rookie nose guard Terrence "Mount" Cody is hoping to make his NFL debut Steelers jersey
after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee during the preseason.
Cody was out for the opening game against the New York Jets, but practiced on a limited basis this week and is questionable on the injury report.
“I feel like it’s pretty good,” said Cody, who indicated that his knee isn’t quite 100 percent yet. “The only thing that could stop me is if the coaches don’t let me play. I’m just real excited to get out there and show what I can do and how much of a good player I am.”
Middle linebacker Ray Lewis(notes) said that his foot injury isn’t a big issue. He practiced all week, but is questionable on the injury report as well as inside linebackers Jameel McClain(notes) (knee) and Tavares Gooden(notes) (thigh).
“I’m good,” Lewis said.
The Ravens appear to be getting cornerback Lardarius Webb(notes) ready for Sunday.
He’s no longer on the injury report.
“I think there’s a chance he’ll play,” Harbaugh said. “It just depends on how he feels as we get close to the game. We said last week he practiced 100 percent, and he did. And he’s practiced 100 percent again this week. So, he’s doing well.”
Webb, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Vikings jersey
Dec. 20 against the Chicago Bears, predicted that he’ll be a game-time decision.
“Ain’t nothing really changed,” Webb said. It’s the same thing, going to be the same decision.”

Max Starks, Casey Hampton ruled out

The Pittsburgh Steelers have ruled out nose gard Casey Hampton(notes) and offensive tackle Max Starks(notes) for Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans.
Hampton is dealing with a hamstring injury, and Starks has a nfl jerseys
sprained ankle.
Chris Hoke(notes) and Jonathan Scott(notes) are slated to replace them in the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, rookie draft picks Emmanuel Sanders(notes) (wide receiver, quadriceps), and Jason Worilds(notes) (linebacker, shoulder) are doubtful.
Wide receiver Arnaz Battle(notes) (knee), quarterback Byron Leftwich (knee) and cornerback Bryant McFadden (groin) are probable.
The Titans ruled out tackle Mike Otto(notes) (knee).
Defensive tackle Tony Brown(notes) (knee) and defensive end San Francisco 49ers jersey
William Hayes(notes) (knee) are questionable.
OWINGS MILLS, Md.—It’s impossible to miss hard-hitting Cincinnati Bengals middle linebacker Rey Maualuga(notes).
He’s a big, talkative presence who’s extremely active against the run.
“I’m going against another great linebacker, but the game I had last week against the Jets I could be pretty much ready for any game throughout the season,” Baltimore Ravens fullback Le’Ron McClain(notes) said. “This is a big challenge. He’s a downhill, fast-flow type of guy. He gets to the ball fast. He uses his hands well.”
Maualuga was a standout at USC, but fell to the second round due to concerns about off-field issues involving alcohol.
After being arrested for driving under the influence this offseason, Buffalo Bills jersey
Maualuga went to a rehab center.
“He’s just a good football player,” offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said. “I think we all saw it in college, and he’s played well since he’s been in the league. He plays hard. He’s not afraid. He’s aggressive. He’s downhill. Good football player.”
The Ravens are game-planning for Maualuga, who's quick and strong.
“He’s physical, he’s kind of like a Bart Scott(notes),” offensive tackle Marshal Yanda(notes) said. “Runs fast, downhill type of guy.”

Marseille loses 1-0 to Spartak in Champions League

MARSEILLE, France (AP)—Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta scored a late own goal to give Spartak Moscow a 1-0 win at Marseille in the Champions League, despite the French side dominating most of the match.
After Marseille wasted several chances to score, the Russian side broke quickly in the nfl jerseys
81st minute, and when Dmitriy Kombarov crossed from the left Azpilicueta stuck out a leg and diverted the ball past goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.
Marseille coach Didier Deschamps is convinced that Marseille must win in Moscow to qualify from the group stage.
“It’s the worst scenario for us to lose the opening game because I think our main challenger will be Spartak,” Deschamps said. “In any case, I think that we will certainly have to go and win over there.”
Marseille should easily have won the Group F match, but Argentina midfielder Lucho Gonzalez headed wide of an open goal in the 76th after France winger Mathieu Valbuena set him up with a perfect cross to the back post.
“I don’t think we played badly but we were lacking something,” Marseille midfielder Benoit Cheyrou said. “We had a lot of luck at the end of last season, and tonight it’s the opposite—with us scoring an own-goal and hitting the post.”
Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac then hit the post with a stunning strike in injury time at Stade Velodrome.
Cheyrou twice went close inside the first 15 minutes but was Dallas Cowboys jersey
denied both times by inspired goalkeeper Andrej Dykan.
“It is going to be very hard (to qualify) but we have to carry on,” Cheyrou said. “We’re not eliminated tonight. Of course we have lost three points, but we have to keep going and stick together.”
Brazilian striker Brandao then failed to test Dykan properly with a soft header when well placed in the 44th, and Cheyrou was thwarted again by Dykan when he turned away his spectacular volley a minute later.
Deschamps had seen enough wasteful finishing and replaced Brandao with Gignac with 30 minutes left.
“When you dominate and you can’t score you’re never safe,” Deschamps said. “At the moment, when we were at our best and created a lot of chances, we just couldn’t finish.”
But Marseille could not find a way past Dykan, who denied Nigeria left back Taye Taiwo and Valbuena before Gonzalez’s glaring miss gave the Russian team another reprieve.
Gonzalez had a chance to make amends for his terrible miss in the Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
80th, with Valbuena again the provider, but he sliced his shot well wide from 15 yards (meters) with no defenders in sight.
With two minutes of injury time played, Gignac latched onto a brilliant headed pass from fellow substitute Jordan Ayew and hit a powerful first-time shot from 20 yards that beat Dykan but smacked against the left post.

Al Shabab, Seongnam win in Asian Champions League

SEOUL (AP)—Saudi Arabian clubs Al Shabab and Al Hilal are well positioned to reach the semifinals of the Asian Champions League after they recorded impressive wins Wednesday in the first leg of their quarterfinals.
Al Shabab won 2-0 away at South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai, while nfl jersey
Al Hilal dominated Al Gharafa of Qatar in a 3-0 home victory.
Seongnam Ilhwa of South Korea, meanwhile, had a 4-1 home win against domestic rivals Suwon Blue Wings while Iranian club Zob Ahan came away with a win after Mahdi Rajabzadeh converted a 75th-minute penalty to secure a 2-1 victory over defending champions Pohang Steelers of South Korea.
Igor Castro, who earned the home team the penalty, had given Zob Ahan the lead in the 18th, but Brazilian compatriot Mota equalized for Pohang Steelers in the 56th.
Al Shabab scored midway through the second half when Fahad Hamad knocked in a rebound from a saved shot, and despite being reduced to ten men late in the half when Abdulmalek Al Khaibri was dismissed, the Saudi club still boosted its advantage ahead of the second leg with a goal from Uruguyan Juan Manuel Oliveira.
Oliveira, who had a prolific stint with Universidad de Chile, helping that club to the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores, had been signed for the Saudi club by Al Shabab’s new Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati.
Al Hilal dominated much of the match against a clearly outclassed Al Gharafa and secured the emphatic win with goals from Mohammed Al Shalhoub, Ahmed Al Fraidi and Indianapolis Colts jersey
substitute Waleed Algizani.
Al Hilal got things going early after only 13 minutes, as Thiago Neves fed a pass into the area that the defense failed to clear. The ball eventually fell to Yasser Al Qahtani, who then fed Al Shalhoub and the midfielder slid it past keeper Abdulaziz Abdulla’s near post.
Al Hilal threatened several more times before halftime, including a cross from Al Shalhoub from the left that Neves failed to get his foot on. Neves flicked another shot wide just after halftime before his free kick was fumbled by Abdulla, allowing Al Fraidin to score.
Al Hilal completed the victory with their third with five minutes remaining when Algizani got past two defenders and managed to fire a low shot into the back of the net.
Seongnam, more accustomed to the poor and uneven playing surface on its home ground, won convincingly over Suwon.
Seongnam’s Montenegran striker Dzenan Radoncic opened the scoring in Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
the eighth minute but Yeom Ki-hun equalized for the Blue Wings with a trademark curling freekick.
Colombian Mauricio Molina restored Seongnam’s advantage.
Both teams were guilty of some bad misses before Radoncic headed home powerfully to make it 3-1 and, it was made 4-1 in the closing stages when So Hong-yeung’s attempt was bundled into the net.

Arizona RB Wells goes through limited workout

Arizona's Beanie Wells went through a limited workout Wednesday and coach Ken Whisenhunt says the team will ''really test'' the running back's injured knee on Thursday.
That could lead to a full practice Friday and make Wells available nfl throwback jerseys
to play in Sunday's game at Atlanta.
Wells did not practice all last week and sat out the season opener at St. Louis with a bruised right knee.
Meanwhile, Arizona receiver Early Doucet was being examined for a sports hernia. If that's the case, he will have it repaired, Whisenhunt said, and would be sidelined for ''a couple of weeks.''
Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald again went through a full practice with a brace on his sprained right knee. Fitzgerald was noticeably slowed by the injury against the Rams, but says he expects to be improved against the Falcons.
Wells said his knee felt good after his first practice since he was hurt in the team's preseason finale on Sept. 2.
''The motion is there and the pain is very minimal, so we'll see how it goes from there,'' he said.
Without the dynamic second-year back from Ohio State, Arizona rushed for 112 yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry in Sunday's 21-17 victory at St. Louis, including a 76-yard touchdown drive in which the Cardinals ran on all five plays.
However, starter Tim Hightower lost two critical fumbles, one at the St. Louis 6-yard line early in the game and one at the end of the contest when Arizona simply needed to run out the clock to secure the victory. Instead, rookie Sam Bradford had one last shot, but his long pass was intercepted by Adrian Wilson in the end zone.
Wilson blocked a field goal, had two interceptions and sacked Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
Bradford, earning NFC defensive player of the week honors.
Wells rushed for a team-high 793 yards last season, second most only to Denver's Knowshon Moreno among NFL rookies.
''We're going to really test him tomorrow,'' Whisenhunt said. ''Based on that, he should practice Friday, which will obviously give him a chance to play.''
The oft-injured Doucet went out in the first half against St. Louis, pressing rookies Stephen Williams and Max Komar into significant playing time behind top receivers Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston.
Fitzgerald, a four-time Pro Bowler who has started every game since he came to the NFL in 2004, said he expects more of himself than he was able to show in Sunday's opener.
Fitzgerald's injury was a factor in the poor timing he had with quarterback Derek Anderson.
''I need to get myself together so I can be the best player I can be for him and this ball club,'' Fitzgerald said. ''We haven't worked extensively together and that's going to come with time. We're going to be better than we were last week. We can't turn the football over (four team fumbles) and do the things that we did that almost cost me the game.''
Anderson threw to Fitzgerald 15 times and completed three, including a 21-yarder for what proved to be the winning touchdown with 3:56 remaining.
Asked how many of those passes he would have Minnesota Vikings jersey
caught had he been healthy, Fitzgerald said, ''I can count about six or seven of them, just looking back. But that's going to come, and hopefully come sooner than later.''
Defensive end Kenny Iwebema (knee) and safety Hamza Abdullah did not practice on Wednesday, when the team worked out indoors the ''bubble'' practice facility at Arizona State University.

Bills once again counting on LB Ellison

Linebacker Keith Ellison has heard it many times before how he's too small to effectively play his position in the NFL.
So it didn't bother him that the skeptics raised those concerns once football jerseys
again this offseason, when the Buffalo Bills announced they were switching to a 3-4 system, a scheme not particularly suited to someone with Ellison's 6-foot, 220-pound frame.
''According to most people, I'm not the prototypical-sized linebacker for any defense,'' Ellison said with a laugh Wednesday. ''Football's football. My job is just to do whatever they ask of me.''
It's a no-nonsense approach that's served Ellison well because - for the fourth time in his five seasons in Buffalo - he's being asked to make the jump from backup to a starting job.
Ellison will start alongside fellow middle linebacker Andra Davis on Sunday, when the Bills play at Green Bay. He'll be in the lineup after injuries have played havoc at the position.
Starter Paul Posluszny will miss about three weeks after spraining his right knee in a 15-10 season-opening loss to Miami on Sunday. And that came two days after veteran Kawika Mitchell was placed on season-ending injured reserve because of a foot injury.
Enter, Ellison, the team's ''Mr. Reliable,'' a 2006 sixth-round draft pick who has proven to be a key injury-replacement in having started 38 games for the Bills - and at least seven in each of his four previous seasons.
He started as rookie in place of Takeo Spikes. In 2008, he took over after Angelo Crowell was hurt. And then came last year, when he had at least one start at all three linebacker positions after a string of injuries struck the entire Bills defense.
''This is old hat for me,'' Ellison said with a shrug. ''I feel totally prepared. I've been the backup, and there's always somebody going down. So I've always been ready to step in.''
This stint as a starter might represent Ellison's biggest challenge. He'll be playing in the middle of a scheme where, unlike the 4-3 system, the linebacker is asked to directly take on linemen in defending against the run.
Ellison is aware of that, and plans to rely on his quickness to shed blocks to get to the ball carrier.
He proved capable against the Dolphins on Sunday. Taking over after Posluszny was hurt on the opening play of the third quarter, Ellison finished with six tackles on a defense that gave up only 3 points and six first downs on Miami's seven second-half possessions.
The Packers' Aaron Rodgers-led offense presents a more formidable Dallas Cowboys jersey
test, though Green Bay will be without starting running back Ryan Grant, who sustained a season-ending ankle injury last weekend.
On the bright side for Buffalo, outside linebacker Reggie Torbor practiced Wednesday and is expected to start against the Packers after missing last weekend's game with a chest injury. Veteran linebacker Akin Ayodele, signed last week to replace Mitchell, is also expected to fill in for Ellison in certain situations.
Coach Chan Gailey emphasized that Ellison will be getting most of the playing time, because he's more accustomed to the system and proved able to play the position this offseason.
''He's one of those guys who has instincts, he's around the ball a lot,'' Gailey said. ''He's doing a good job. The only thing he doesn't have is size. Everything else he's got.''
Looking back, Ellison wasn't any more worried this year than in the past about making the Bills roster, even though he missed portions of spring minicamps and training camps due to a nagging injury.
''Antsy? Not too much because you know it's out of your control,'' Ellison said. ''It's nothing I could control, if they wanted to keep me or not. I thought I put my best effort forward.''
NOTES: Posluszny referred to his injury as a ''slight sprain,'' and he hopes to be back within a few weeks. He said he was hurt when his teammates landed on him as they gang-tackled running back Ronnie Brown along the sideline. ... C Geoff Hangartner was held out of Minnesota Vikings jersey
practice as a precaution after he hurt his left ankle against the Dolphins. Gailey said the player will be evaluated to determine whether he can practice Thursday. ... RB Fred Jackson said his injured left hand has healed enough where he doesn't intend to wear a protective pad as he did Sunday.

Dallas linemen Colombo, Kosier back at practice

For the first time in a month, Tony Romo took snaps behind the guys he's counting on to be the front wall of the Dallas Cowboys' offense.
He may get to do it Sunday, too.
Right tackle Marc Colombo and left guard Kyle Kosier returned tonfl jerseys
practice Wednesday for the first time being lost to knee injuries during training camp. Barring any setbacks, they'll be in the lineup for the home opener against the Chicago Bears.
''They've both had injuries before, so they know how you come back from them,'' line coach Hudson Houck said. ''Many times, you're a little cautious if it's your first injury. I think they'll be fine.''
Just as important, their return would send fill-ins Alex Barron and Montrae Holland to the bench.
Barron had three holding penalties against the Redskins - including the final play, wiping out a potential game-winning touchdown catch and costing Dallas the game. Holland wasn't as much of a liability, but the presence of two backups sure seemed to affect Dallas' play-calling.
With Romo mostly taking quick drop-backs and throwing short passes, the Cowboys racked up 380 yards but scored just one touchdown in a 13-7 loss.
''Certainly having Kosier and Colombo, guys who have been starters for us for the last three years, back in the lineup will help,'' offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. ''We'll see how they do in practice, but the other guys have to be ready to go.''
Indeed, Barron and Holland took some snaps with the first team just in case.
Barron also worked on cleaning up his technique. Sloppy form is what led to him to keep grabbing at Redskins to try keeping them off Romo.
''We've identified the issue,'' Houck said. ''I think that's the important thing. We know how to correct it. ... It's all technique. It's not athletic ability, it's not want-to, it's not preparation. Some of the issues are how he sets and what he does. We'll address it; we've got the answer. We've just got to get it now where it's a habit.''
The St. Louis Rams gave up on Barron this Indianapolis Colts jersey
offseason, sending him to Dallas for a backup linebacker they ended up cutting. Penalties were part of the reason they dumped Barron.
He was flagged for holding seven times last season, tied for the most in the league. They were accepted five times for 50 yards, both of which were also tied for most in the league. He was penalized five more times for false starts.
He's leading the pack in holding penalties this season. Nobody else even had two, much less three.
''You never want to have a game or plays like that, being that the game could have been won,'' Barron said. ''It was one of those things you got to deal with and look at the tape and talk about a couple of things to work on and work on those things and get better.''
Colombo practiced with braces on both his knees, the left one that was torn up early in his career and the right one, which was operated on last month. Doctors removed several fragments that had become troublesome, some likely floating around for years.
He initially was expected to be back by the opener, but wasn't even cleared to practice until this week.
''The guy is as mentally tough as any guy I've ever been around,'' said Houck, whose NFL coaching career dates to 1983. ''I anticipate that he'll be better than ever. All these loose parts he had in his knee, he's had in there for quite some time, so it's been bothering him. Now, it's clean out there. The only thing now is the incision. That's sealed up and ready to go.''
The Cowboys like running behind Colombo's bulldozing blocks. They also like the attitude he brings. They've been missing him for eight straight regular-season games as he missed seven last year because of a broken leg and a high ankle sprain. (His replacement then, Doug Free, now starts at left tackle.)
''Marc Colombo has been a consistent player for us,'' coach Wade Phillips said. ''I think you get the same thing, day in, day out all the time and that same thing is very good. Hes a very good leader. He is our leader in our offensive line as far Minnesota Vikings jersey
as meetings and practice and pushing everybody. You miss him there.''
Kosier sprained his knee two days after Colombo was hurt. He was expected to miss up to three games, so he's actually back a little early.
His value is best judged by Dallas' record when he plays (36-15) and when he doesn't (6-8).

Pats send RB Maroney to Broncos

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP)—The Denver Broncos obtained running back Laurence Maroney(notes) from the New England Patriots on Tuesday, adding another nicked-up player to a rushing attack burdened by injuries.
Each team received an undisclosed 2011 draft pick in the deal nfl throwback jerseys
that reunites the Patriots’ first-round choice in 2006 with Josh McDaniels, New England’s offensive coordinator before he became Denver’s head coach last season. The trade is pending a physical examination.
The Patriots gave up on Maroney after he failed to emerge as a solid No. 1 back since being drafted out of Minnesota. He was limited by a shoulder injury to three games in 2008. In four years with New England, he rushed for 2,430 yards and 21 touchdowns and tended to run side to side rather than hit openings quickly.
He was inactive with a thigh injury for the Patriots’ season-opening 38-24 win on Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Fred Taylor(notes) led the Patriots rushers in that game with 71 yards on 14 carries. They also have Sammy Morris(notes), Kevin Faulk(notes) and BenJarvus Green-Ellis(notes) at running back.
Maroney led New England’s rushers with 757 yards and nine touchdowns last season and ran for a career-high 835 yards in 2007.
He should have a greater opportunity to play with the Broncos.
Their backfield has been in a state of Minnesota Vikings jersey
flux ever since starter Knowshon Moreno(notes) (hamstring) and backup Correll Buckhalter(notes) (back) were injured during the first 7-on-7 drill of training camp on Aug. 1.
Denver brought in free agent LenDale White(notes), but he sprained his ankle on his first full day of workouts and then tore his right Achilles’ tendon in the preseason finale. He is out for the season after undergoing surgery last week.
The Broncos rushed for 89 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries in their 24-17 loss to Jacksonville in Sunday’s opener. Moreno, who missed all of the preseason, gained 60 yards on 15 carries with one touchdown, and Buckhalter, who had just a handful of carries before the opener, ran six times for 15 yards.
Lance Ball(notes), a second-year pro who was cut four times before being signed to the Broncos’ practice squad last November, capitalized on his carries during camp to earn a roster spot, and the Broncos brought in Andre Brown(notes), who was cut by the New York Giants. He missed the opener with a turf toe injury.
Moreno was McDaniels’ first draft pick after coming to Denver to replace Mike Shanahan. But the 12th overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Georgia hurt his knee on his first series in that preseason after a protracted holdout that had fans nicknaming him “Know-show.” He never seemed to find a rhythm during the regular season, failing to record any 100-yard games and repeatedly failing in short-yardage situations.
McDaniels blamed the old offensive line, which was Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
small by NFL standards because it was built for Shanahan’s zone-blocking scheme, not the power system that McDaniels prefers. McDaniels beefed up his line last spring by drafting guard/tackle Zane Beadles(notes) and center J.D. Walton(notes).
AP Sports Writer Arnie Stapleton in Denver contributed to this report.

Browns hoping Jim Brown will attend ceremony

CLEVELAND (AP)—The Browns are doing all they can to tackle Jim Brown.
Team president Mike Holmgren has reached out again to the Hall of nfl jersey
Fame running back, asking Brown to reconsider not attending this Sunday’s ring of honor ceremony at halftime of Cleveland’s home opener against Kansas City.
Brown, the greatest player in team history and one of the NFL’s all-time best, is at odds with the Browns over losing his job as a team adviser. He recently informed the Browns he would not take part in the ceremony when the team inducts its 16 Hall of Fame members as the initial class into the new ring of honor.
Brown is angry that Holmgren reduced his responsibilities as an adviser to owner Randy Lerner. Never afraid to speak his mind, Brown sent a scathing letter to Holmgren, telling him he would not stay with the club to be “that of the greeter, that of a mascot.”
Holmgren said he has attempted to work things out with Brown, and hopes he will attend Sunday’s game.
“I haven’t heard from Jim, but the door is open,” Holmgren said as the Browns kicked off a week of festivities tied into their ring of honor. “After he declined, I wrote another letter to him and again expressed my feelings on how much we would like him there, but understood that he might not be able to come.
“I left the door open. I’m holding out Minnesota Vikings jersey
hope that we get that call in the next couple days.”
Holmgren said Lerner has also written to Brown in an attempt to smooth things over with the 74-year-old. Holmgren did not know if any of the other six living Hall of Famers or members of the other families had attempted to contact Brown.
“It wouldn’t surprise me because a lot of those fellas are relatively close,” Holmgren said. “Not only do they share the football part of it, but I think they bump into each other at the Hall of Fame occasionally and things like that. It wouldn’t surprise me. But I don’t know.”
Holmgren said the only living member who won’t make it for the ring ceremony is Mike McCormack, a two-way star for the Browns from 1954-62. McCormack, who lives in the Seattle area, recently had surgery.
Holmgren wasn’t able to attend Cleveland’s opener in Tampa Bay on Sunday. While recovering from a foot operation, Holmgren hurt his back.
“I had to have an epidural,” he said. “My back, because of my foot, all of a sudden went wacko. My foot was not an excuse, but my back. I watched the game laying on my stomach in my den, looking up at the TV. Right now I’m in a lot of pain. Dallas Cowboys jersey

“I’ll be there Sunday. I’m not missing another game.”

Jaguars get key contributions from 3 newcomers

ACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP)—The Jacksonville Jaguars gave Aaron Kampman(notes), Kassim Osgood(notes) and Tyson Alualu(notes) nearly $31 million in guaranteed money this year.
After one game, the Jaguars are already seeing a return on nfl jerseys
their investment.
Kampman, Osgood and Alualu—three of the team’s top newcomers in 2010— turned in three of the team’s top performances in Sunday’s 24-17 win over Denver.
Kampman had nine tackles, six quarterback pressures and was involved in two sacks. Osgood caught a 24-yard touchdown pass that turned out to be the game-winner. And Alualu disrupted Denver’s run game and recorded a sack in his NFL debut.
“I thought it was great for our football team that some of the guys we feel like we’ll be able to count on stepped up right away and showed that they’re gonna be those kind of guys for us,” coach Jack Del Rio said Monday.
Kampman, a two-time Pro Bowl defensive end during his eight seasons in Green Bay, played his best game in nearly two years.
Playing nine months after reconstructive surgery on his left knee, Kampman was on the field for nearly every one of Denver’s 61 plays. He sacked Kyle Orton(notes) on the opening possession, stalling the drive and knocking the Broncos out of field-goal range. He got Orton again in the third quarter, ending another drive.
“Kampman’s a monster off the edge and brings leadership, savvy,” tight end Marcedes Lewis(notes) said. “He’s going to help the younger guys grow and give them an understanding of what’s expected on the defensive line and how hungry you have to be to make those plays.”
Osgood, a special teams ace who made the Pro Bowl in three of the last four seasons, left San Diego in hopes of finding a bigger role in Jacksonville. The Jaguars obliged, getting him on the field for several plays in the opener. David Garrard(notes) even hooked up with Osgood in the fourth quarter.
Osgood dropped to his knees to celebrate his first TD reception in six years and was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Del Rio questioned the call, but also acknowledged that it was the correct under the rules.
“That’s a rule that’s intended to eliminate Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
showboating,” Del Rio said. “That was just sure exuberance, joyful celebration, no mocking, no taunting, but he went to the ground. You can’t go to the ground. It’s the rule. It was enforced properly, however, I would like to see a commonsense application.”
Coaches and teammates joked about Osgood’s penalty Monday, telling him to “act like he’s been there before,” he said.
“I’m just trying to concentrate now on finding out when I can get another touchdown,” said Osgood, who also helped down a punt at the 4-yard line. “I’m already moving on to how I can in the end zone again. Hopefully, it’s only a couple-day wait.”
The Jaguars waited nearly a week to get Alualu in training camp following a holdout, then another two weeks for him to return from a calf injury in the preseason.
The missed time hasn’t slowed him down. Alualu, the 10th overall pick in April’s NFL draft, had three tackles and a sack. He also clogged up the middle, helping the Jaguars hold Denver to 3.6 yards a carry.
“He gets better every game,” Lewis said. “He’s a powerful guy, stout in there.”
Kampman and Alualu have raised the bar for the defense, which had a league-low 14 sacks last season.
“We feel like we’ve fortified our defensive front, that we’re gonna be better up front, and that will allow to be much better defensively,” Del Rio said. “We expect to be.”
Del Rio also expects more solid performances from the team’s newcomers.
The Jaguars have been hoping for Dallas Cowboys jersey
similar outings for years. But they never got much from first-round draft picks Matt Jones(notes), Reggie Williams(notes) and Reggie Nelson(notes), or notable free agents Hugh Douglas, Stockar McDougle(notes), Jerry Porter(notes), Drayton Florence(notes), Torry Holt(notes) and Tra Thomas(notes).
So far, this year looks different.
“It’s a good thing,” Lewis said.

AFL-CIO takes stand against NFL owners

FL players have a new teammate in their labor fight—the AFL-CIO.

One of the nation’s largest unions said Monday it had sent all of nfl jersey
the league’s owners a letter warning that a lockout in one of America’s “few thriving” industries could cost thousands of Americans their jobs and cities more than $140 million in revenue.

It also urged owners to release financial statements, something NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith has sought for more than a year. The AFL-CIO called the owners’ refusal to provide financial documents “troubling.” “While we are happy to hear that negotiations with the union are continuing, we are disappointed that in the face of your threatened lockout, financial demands and proposed increase in regular season games you have refused to provide any information about your team’s profit (or loss) as justification for your requests from NFLPA members,” said the letter, dated last Friday.
The AFL-CIO urged owners to consider the potential ramifications a lockout would have on non-football employees such as stadium workers and hotel and restaurant employees, and offered to assist NFLPA leaders by reaching out to elected officials in NFL cities and Congress to seek public hearings on the league’s labor issues. The letter was signed by AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka and executive vice president Arlene Holt Baker.
In reply, the NFL asked the AFL-CIO to ensure that the union commits to serious negotiation.
“We share the interest of the AFL-CIO in achieving a negotiated settlement that is fair to fans, clubs, and players, who have received more than $20 billion in salaries and benefits under the current CBA, and who have experienced steady growth in compensation despite the worst economic downturn in our lifetimes,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.
“We pledge to the AFL-CIO the firm commitment of the NFL clubs to reach a fair settlement that is good for everyone, especially fans. Nobody knows better than the AFL-CIO that it takes two parties to reach a labor agreement, and we call on the AFL-CIO to encourage the NFLPA to make the same commitment to collective bargaining that NFL owners have made.”
Players at the season-opening game Thursday night and six of Sunday’s 12 afternoon games walked to the hash marks before their games and raised their index fingers as a sign of union solidarity. Afterward, some players cited the very language that appeared in Minnesota Vikings jersey
the letter sent to the owners.
“It’s a show of solidarity saying that, ‘Hey, we’re in it together with all the workers in the stadium, all the police officers that are working extra in here, all the firefighters, all the medical staff, all the businesses around the stadium,”’ Houston offensive lineman Eric Winston(notes) said Sunday.
“That’s what it’s really all about. It’s about the $140 million that every city loses if we don’t have football next year.”
The current collective bargaining agreement expires in March, and Smith has repeatedly said he believes owners are preparing for a lockout. He cites the television deals that will pay owners whether the games are played or not as evidence of the owners’ intentions, and union reps also have advised players to save additional money.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell counters that the money must eventually be paid back if the games are not played, and that everyone wants to get a deal finished that assures long-term labor peace in America’s most popular sport.
But the issues cited in the letter run deeper than what most consider the key issues to labor peace—salary caps and percentages of the owners’ revenue.
Union leaders are also asking owners to provide more extensive long-term health benefits to ex-players, and contends some owners are attempting to change state laws to limit worker’s compensation benefits.
“We know that our fellow union brothers face tremendous risks, extremely short careers and a high likelihood of post-career health concerns,” the letter said. “Thus, we were surprised to learn that there is no guaranteed health-care for the injuries they suffer from professional football. We also have learned that they must play at least three years to secure only five years of post-career health care and that the NFL is currently challenging hundreds of worker’s compensation cases.”
The NFLPA also is considering another way to avoid a lockout—decertifying the union.
Should the union decertify, it could have the right to Indianapolis Colts jersey
sue the league under antitrust laws if the players are locked out. It is sending out voting cards now because, logistically, getting enough signatures after the season would be difficult, if not impossible.
Associated Press Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner also contributed to this report.

Jason Williams tries to work his way back from broken leg

Unrestricted free agent Jason Williams(notes) continues to work out and prepare for the season at home in London, Ontario. Even if he has no idea where he’s going to play this season.
Coming off a season in which he only played 44 games nfl jersey
because of a broken leg, the former Red Wings forward is hopeful that his waiting will come to an end in the next couple weeks.
“There’s nothing concrete, but we have interest from a couple different teams,” Williams told Sporting News. "I’m hoping I can find out this week.”
Williams, 30, scored just six goals last season but has proved he’s a capable scorer when he plays a full season. In 2008-09, while splitting time with Columbus and Atlanta, Williams scored 19 goals in 80 games, including a career-high seven power Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
play goals.
He never felt the same last season while recovering from the broken leg, but said the injury won’t be an issue this season.
“There are a lot of guys who have come back from more severe broken legs,” he said. “I feel pretty good. The training is going pretty well.”
He said he hasn’t seriously considered the KHL as an option and hopes to avoid attending an NHL training camp only on a tryout.
“Rookie camp starts a week before main camp. Sometimes Indianapolis Colts jersey
G.M.s and scouts look over at the younger players and say, ‘Maybe this guy isn’t quite ready this year,’ ” Williams said. “It’s all about being patient and waiting for the opportunity.”