Sport makes fools of us all – though sometimes in the best of ways. Russia 2018 was supposed to be the first major tournament in Europe I had missed since failing to go to Italia 90, but Gareth Southgate Kyle Van Noy Youth jersey had other ideas.

I was there at Euro 96 when he did not “just belt it, son” against Germany, as his mother put it, so I have seen England go out on penalties in a tournament’s last four. But an odyssey Wesley Walker Youth jersey inspired by one World Cup semi-final will finally lead to another, provided my flights get me to Moscow on time on Wednesday afternoon. There have been some wonderful highs along the way – my biggest regrets are the matches I missed – yet it has undeniably been a torturous wait.
Logically, given 1990 was the first tournament summer of my life not dominated by exams, I should have been at Italia 90. My first England game had been five years earlier, seeing Gary Lineker scoring his first international goal against the Republic of Ireland. Several of those exams I had sat had been in Italian, too. Then a work opportunity arose that made staying in London the “smart” option; though it proved that way professionally, when Bobby Robson’s side went all the way to Turin, as an England fan “smart” left me smarting. I was not going to be caught out again.
Two years later, therefore, I was in Stockholm when David Platt finally scored our first goal of Euro 92, and 1-0 up at half-time we were on the verge of another semi-final. OK, so enduring the 0-0s in Malmö against Denmark and France had been painful, but now Graham Taylor’s team were back on track. Sweden and Tomas Brolin staged a derailment, however, and away from home, at least, it proved to be the start of a trend, not a http://www.authenticmilwaukeebrewersshop.com/Yovani-Gallardo-Jersey blip.
Worse was to follow – I finally went to a World Cup at USA 94 but without a team to support – before my generation’s second summer of hope and wonder, at home in 1996. By then it was not purely about my compatriots. Five non-England games at Euro 92, capped by Denmark’s final upset of Germany, had given me the tournament bug, confirmed by USA 94.
Seeing 12 matches in a home finals, at six of the eight venues, remains a treasured experience and one commemorated at least twice daily via a “Newcastle Euro 96” keyring. Yet the vivid memories of England’s post-hitting, penalty‑missing exit would be the only ones of a semi-final to sustain me for two more decades.
The last memory of Wednesday 26 June 1996 – of the long, silent trudge to Wembley Park tube station and being aggressively threatened for trying to look for a silver lining – is sadly redolent of what followed far too often, given the behaviour of some of the team’s followers. In Marseille in 1998 there was the sting of teargas; Euro 2000 was as pathetic off the pitch as it was on it, such as the moment I overheard one Brummie telling a Belgian barman matter-of-factly: “If wasn’t for the English you’d be a Kraut.” If you follow England because you love football and the team rather than because you hate other countries, you do find yourself doing an awful lot of apologising on behalf of others; on occasion, the desire to show that not all England fans are obsessed with the second world war and Northern Ireland becomes a justification for putting up with it all.
‘It all” includes successive quarter-final penalty shootout defeats to Portugal, at Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup; watching Italy lose a quarter-final shootout to Spain at Euro 2008 (because I go even if England don’t) then seeing the Azzurri win one four years later, against Roy Hodgson’s side in Kiev. Then there’s having to skip the group stages in 2010 and the team coming close to elimination even before I arrived in South Africa, just in time for a 4-1 http://www.officialnewjerseydevils.com/Adidas-Scott-Wedgewood-Jersey defeat by Germany, complete with Frank Lampard’s technology-inspiring disallowed goal.
I wasn’t there all the time. In 2001‑02 my employers were imploding and I feared for my job so did not go to South Korea and Japan; I found out that, yes, I was going to be made redundant one hour after we lost in the quarter-final to Brazil. Brazil 2014 was domestically impossible. Two years ago, though, I was in Nice for the easiest last-16 game anyone could have asked for. I still have my unused vouchers to collect my tickets for England’s Euro 2016 quarter-final, semi-final, final …

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The Cincinnati Reds traded right-hander Dylan Floro and a minor league pitcher to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday for two minor league pitchers.

The Reds also optioned utility player Brandon Dixon to Triple-A Louisville and recalled Tanner Rainey and Cody Reed from Louisville to bolster a depleted bullpen.

The Dodgers sent James Marinan and Anerurys Zabala to the Reds for Floro Justin Reid Jersey Texans , Zach Neal and international signing bonus pool space. Marinan锟絯ill report to Billings of the rookie-level Pioneer League and锟絑abala锟絫o Single-A Dayton.

Floro was 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 25 relief appearances this season with Cincinnati.

”He’s got a good arm, a heavy sinker Ian Thomas Jersey Panthers , puts the ball in the ground,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. ”He’s a guy that can go multiple innings if we need as well.”

Rainey had no record in five previous stints with the Reds this season. Reed had spent the entire season with the Bats.

Dixon hit .219 with a home run over 29 games M.J. Stewart Jersey Buccaneers , including 2 for 8 with two RBIs as a pinch hitter.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated right-hander Daniel Corcino for assignment.

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Andre Iguodala Jalyn Holmes Jersey Vikings , welcome back to the NBA Finals.

The Golden State Warriors cleared Andre Iguodala to play in Game 3 of the title series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, following a six-game absence to deal with a bone bruise around his left knee.

Iguodala hadn’t played since Game 3 of the Western Conference finals against Houston, and the Warriors went 4-2 in his absence.

”Andre helps us in every regard,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. ”He’s one of the smartest players in the league.”

Iguodala’s return figures to be another big boost for the Warriors Youth Mark Andrews Jersey , who lead the Cavaliers 2-0 in this series and now get the 2015 NBA Finals MVP back into their rotation.

Iguodala has averaged 11.4 points in 18 past finals games – including a 20-point showing for Golden State in last year’s title clincher against the Cavaliers. He had been starting for Golden State in these playoffs, part of what is known as the Warriors’ ”Hamptons 5” lineup in a nod to the four players who went on the recruiting trip to lure Kevin Durant to their team two summers ago.

Iguodala is averaging 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in this postseason.

”We talk about his versatility all the time,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. ”We talk about the ways that he can fill holes defensively and offensively for us, especially against teams that we have such familiarity with. He’s such a high-IQ type of guy that he’ll most likely find himself in the right place at the right time and help our rotation get back to what we’re consistently used to.

”Just for him Packers Elite Jerseys , just as a person, to be healthy and be able to play in The Finals now that we’re here, I think that would mean a lot to him and give us an emotional boost as well.”

With Iguodala, his value goes far deeper than stats.

Players Ian Thomas Jersey Panthers , coaches and even opponents rave about how he makes the Warriors better with his decision-making and how he’s a calming influence on the floor. And with Golden State already halfway to the four wins needed for another NBA title, his presence will make this comeback attempt by the Cavaliers in this series only more challenging.

”We all know what he’s capable of and how he helps this team,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said. ”So it will be a huge boost for us.”

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Dmitry Orlov scoring on Sergei Bobrovsky is a popular clip at a bar in their hometown in southwestern Siberia.

”They always show my goal to him Braden Smith Jersey Colts ,” Orlov said. ”My friends said that.”

Orlov and Bobrovsky are good friends going back to their time growing up together and have played together on the Russian national team with Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Artemi Panarin. They’re split on opposite sides of a first-round series between Ovechkin, Kuznetsov and Orlov’s Washington Capitals and Bobrovsky and Panarin’s Columbus Blue Jackets. Game 1 is Thursday night in Washington.

”They’re good players, obviously, and we need to work (against) them,” Orlov said. ”Panarin have good skill so we need to not give him a lot of space and Bob we need to put more shots, more traffic on him. If we win, it will be nice.”

Perhaps not since the Detroit Red Wings’ Russian Five has a Stanley Cup playoff series had so many prominent players from Russia Youth John Kelly Jersey , with all eyes on those them as potential X-factors. It starts with Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender who aims to rebound from starting his NHL playoff career 3-10 with a 3.63 goals-against average and .887 save percentage.

”He’s going to rise to the occasion,” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. ”He has every time he’s been challenged. If I had to pick anybody in the league to go into the playoffs with it would be him, and I think he’s pretty confident about the team in front of him.”

The team in front of Bobrovsky is led by Panarin, whose 82 points are 25 more than the second-closest Columbus player.

”The Blue Jackets have added a guy like Panarin, I think he’s a little bit of that difference make, just like we have some difference makers,” Washington coach Barry Trotz said. ”They can do some things that they maybe didn’t have in the past. He’s an exceptional player. We’ve got some exceptional players. Sometimes in those tight series Authentic Customized Vikings Jerseys , those exceptional players can be the difference.”

Ovechkin has made a difference all year, leading the NHL with 49 goals and scoring 19.1 percent of the Capitals’ total over the course of the 82-game regular season. Kuznetsov caught fire late, recording 11 goals and 17 assists in the final 18 games of the regular season.

”I would say he is mature, understands the game,” Ovechkin said of Kuznetsov. ”Everybody knew he would be a very good, solid player, a talent, and you can see how he plays right now.”

Some things to watch when Columbus and Washington meet in the playoffs for the first time:

GRUBAUER HOUR

Backup Philipp Grubauer got the nod to start Game 1 for the Capitals over 2016 Vezina winner and longtime No. 1 goaltender Braden Holtby. The 26-year-old German started a playoff game in place of Holtby in 2015 because of an illness Cheap Derwin James Jersey , but he earned the starting job this time around by closing out the season 7-3-0 with a 2.32 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. Holtby went into a slump in February and March, opening the door for Grubauer to seize the opportunity. But Trotz only named Grubauer his starter for Game 1 and said he’ll take the decision game by game.

TORTORELLA TIME

Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella will face the Capitals in a playoff series for the sixth time after going 3-2 with the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. Tortorella has beaten – and lost to – Washington this time of year with less-talented teams than he has right now, particularly after the addition of winger Thomas Vanek and defenseman Ian Cole at the trade deadline made Columbus a high-scoring machine.

”I think we’re playing some of our best hockey, both as a group and certainly the individuals,” Tortorella said. ”I think with them and the additions at the deadline, I think our group feels really good about itself.”

ACTIVE D

Washington’s John Carlson led all NHL defenseman with 68 points in the regular season and yet still might not be the best on the blue line in this series. Columbus has Norris Trophy dark horse Seth Jones, who along with Zack Werenski give the Blue Jackets some serious offense.

SPECIAL TEAMS

One area the Capitals have a huge advantage is on the power play and penalty kill, where they’re ranked seventh and 15th in the league. The Blue Jackets are 15th on the power play and 26th on the penalty kill. Since the trade deadline Royce Freeman Jersey Broncos , though, Columbus has scored on 25 percent of its power plays.

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AP Sports Writer Mitch Stacy in Columbus, Ohio, contributed.

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BOSTON — The Boston Celtics host the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night in a regular-season finale that won’t affect the postseason.

But while the Celtics go through the motions on Fan Appreciation Night Youth Rick Leonard Jersey , they will have a collective eye trained on the out-of-town scoreboard.

They are waiting to see who they will play in the first round of the playoffs that begin this weekend.

Tuesday night, second-seeded Boston had a chance to bury the Washington Wizards in the eighth spot in the final standings, leaving Washington in a first-round matchup with the top-seeded Toronto Raptors.

But the Celtics were thumped 113-101 by the Wizards, a team that played half the season without an injured John Wall and one you might want to avoid in the playoffs — with Wall rounding into shape. With the win, the Wizards, who engaged in a mean-spirited seven-game series against the Celtics last year, remained in a three-team scramble with the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat.

Through Tuesday, the Bucks were in sixth place Kenny Young Jersey Ravens , a game ahead of the Heat and Wizards — the Heat holding the 7-8 tiebreaker with Washington.

The Bucks will try to end the Philadelphia 76ers’ 15-game winning streak in Philadelphia (where the Sixers can clinch the third seed) Wednesday, thus finishing sixth — and also avoiding surrendering their No. 1 draft choice to the Phoenix Suns by finishing seventh or eighth.

Miami hosts Toronto in yet another potential first-round matchup and while the Raptors have clinched first in the East, they are in a close battle with the Golden State Warriors, second in the West, for home-court advantage in a potential final.

The Wizards, 3-1 against Boston this season, are at the out-of-the-money Orlando Magic Wednesday night for the back end of a back-to-back.

In one scenario, if the Sixers win their 16th straight win Customized Los Angeles Rams Jerseys , Washington and Toronto win on Wednesday night, the Celtics face No. 7 Milwaukee, which loses its draft pick.

Yes, it’s complicated.

Before Tuesday’s game, Celtics coach Brad Stevens said, “(The last-minute seeding) is no more than of a stress on our staff than the staff we’re playing against. At the end of the day, we’ll work and be ready to play Saturday or Sunday, whenever we play.”

Regardless of who they play Youth Green Bay Packers Hats , the Celtics, who have lost four of their last five, will be without Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Daniel Theis, although they did get some good news Monday on Marcus Smart.

The energetic Smart, who had surgery to repair a tear in his right thumb, is on target for a six-week return, which would be later this month. But he still won’t be around in the opening round — the loss of Irving and Smart putting more of a burden on Terry Rozier Youth Frank Ragnow Jersey , who has slumped and also suffered from an ankle injury in the last four weeks.

The Celtics are 3-0 against Brooklyn this season, but the three wins have been by a total of 12 points — and Irving was the leading scorer in each of the three games.

The Nets have won three straight — their first three-game winning streak of the season — and are 7-5 in their last 12 after losing 18 of 21.

“Things are maybe turning that corner that we wanted to get a little early in the season, but it’s better late than never,” Allen Crabbe said after his career-high 41 points led his team to a 114-105 win over the Chicago Bulls Monday night.

Boston is 7-0 against Brooklyn over the last two seasons.

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A look at what’s happening around the majors Wednesday:

STEPPING DOWN

The Mets march on in their difficult season a day after learning general manager Sandy Alderson had effectively stepped down because his cancer has returned. Officially Derrick Nnadi Jersey Chiefs , Alderson will take a leave of absence, but he said Tuesday that he was essentially ending his tenure both for his health and because he doesn’t think he’s been successful enough to continue. Assistant general manager John Ricco and special assistants J.P. Ricciardi and Omar Minaya will run the club’s baseball operations in Alderson’s absence. Minaya preceded Alderson as Mets general manager, and Ricciardi was GM of the Toronto Blue Jays from 2001-09.

CAIN NOT ABLE

Lorenzo Cain is missing the chance to face his former teammates this week due to a left groin strain. The Brewers center fielder was placed on the disabled list Tuesday Steelers Elite Jerseys , just as Milwaukee opened a series against Kansas City. Cain left the Royals last offseason for an $80 million, five-year deal with the Brewers, and he’s batting .291 with eight homers Cheap Customized Dallas Cowboys Jerseys , 48 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and an .832 OPS for the NL Central leaders.

MAKING BELIEBERS

Indians rookie Shane Bieber is off to a strong start and gets his first interleague test in a game against St. Louis. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA through three starts, including seven scoreless innings against Detroit last time out. Bieber has 22 strikeouts and three walks in 18 1/3 innings after walking just 18 batters in 274 career minor league innings. The Cardinals will counter with another promising young righty Youth John Franklin-Myers Jersey , Jack Flaherty (3-2, 2.50).

HEATING UP

Dallas Keuchel (4-8, 3.90) has been the weakest link in Houston’s rotation – which says more about the Astros than Keuchel – but he’s been sharp of late. Over his past two starts Cheap Alex Cappa Jersey , he’s thrown 12 innings without allowing an earned run, and now he’ll face a Toronto team that struck out 13 times against Charlie Morton in a 7-0 loss Tuesday to Houston.

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Baltimore Orioles reliever Richard Bleier is likely lost for the year with a shoulder injury Youth Braden Smith Jersey , yet another setback for the team with the worst record in the major leagues.

Bleier (3-0, 1.93 ERA) was the most effective pitcher in a bullpen that only recently got back injured Zach Britton and Darren O’Day.

Bleier walked off the mound in pain Wednesday after throwing a seventh-inning pitch against Boston. An MRI determined the injury to be a left shoulder latissimus strain, which probably will require surgery to repair.

”I don’t expect him to play again this year,” manager Buck Showalter said Friday. ”The worst case is that it’s a Grade 3 (strain) and he has surgery and returns sometime next season.”

Bleier, whose 31 appearances are most on the staff Giants Elite Jerseys , was placed on the 10-day disabled list.

”It’s a loss,” Showalter said. ”It’s very valuable to have a left-handed pitcher who can pitch to both sides. He keeps you from having to (warm up) behind him because you know you can leave him in there for an extended period of time.”

The Orioles made a flurry of moves Friday, recalling left-handed reliever Tanner Scott from Triple-A Norfolk, selecting the contract of infielder Corban Joseph from Double-A Bowie, optioning right-hander Yefry Ramirez to Norfolk and designating lefty D.J. Snelten for assignment.


Joseph was poised to make his big league debut at first base Friday night against Miami in place of Chris Davis Packers Authentic Jerseys , who has essentially been benched in the wake of a season-long slump.

Davis is batting .150 with four home runs, 15 RBIs and 86 strikeouts in 52 games. Making matters worse is that the slugger in the third year of a seven-year, $161 million contract.

Davis hasn’t played since Monday, and there’s no telling when he will be back in the lineup.

”Chris is continuing with some things that he’s working on,” Showalter said. ”When they come to me and say they think he’s ready to get back in the lineup Youth New York Jets Hats , we’ll put him back in there. But it’s nothing imminent.”

Asked to disclose whom Davis is working with, Showalter said, ”I’m not going to get into all that. When they think that he’s ready to play, he’ll play. I hope it’s tomorrow. I hope it’s the day after tomorrow. It’s not today, and there’s no closed end on it. I’m hoping it’s sooner rather than later.”

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Besides playing into the story in big ways, the underbosses also grant you some valuable bonuses and boosts in gameplay. For example, having Burke on your side gives the ability to instantly get a vehicle delivered to you anywhere in the city, not to mention Vito’s insider info on the Mafia. All three have specific perks that grant you access to new weapon upgrades, vehicles, and associates with even more perks. They’re definitely valuable allies to have when taking on a massive crime syndicate.Play Mafia Online!

Mafia City strives to give players options when approaching combat situations, providing more ways for you to do things stealthily or go in guns blazing. Most missions in the game will actually allow you to complete them through the sole use of stealth, without ever being spotted by an enemy (if you choose to do so and have the patience).

When you come to the provincial capital of Manitoba for the playoffs to face the Winnipeg Jets Colts Elite Jerseys , you know two things for sure: it’s going to be white, and it’s going to be loud. The fans inside MTS Centre wear white to playoff games — a tradition started three decades ago during the team’s first incarnation in Winnipeg. And they’re noisy. Really, really noisy

Bruce Boudreau will bring the Minnesota Wild to Winnipeg on Wednesday for Game 1 one of their first-round playoff series. Since the NHL returned to Winnipeg in 2011, Boudreau is in fact the only opposing coach to experience that atmosphere first-hand.

In 2015, Boudreau coached the Anaheim Ducks to a four-game sweep of the Jets in round one, including a pair of wins in Winnipeg. So Youth Michael Dickson Jersey , he’s not expecting to be intimidated by conditions inside the arena.

“They have a rabid fan base, but every team in the NHL has a rabid fan base at this stage of the game,” Boudreau said Tuesday, before the Wild boarded a northbound plane. “Noise isn’t going to bother you.”

If the Wild are going to get bothered, it will be on the rink, as they face a Jets team that has shown few weak spots in finishing second in the Central Division and earning home ice for the series.

“You have less room for error because they’re always coming at you. You can’t have a 10-minute break so to speak and play normal. You always have to be on your toes playing the right way because one line’s as good as the next line Youth Cody Latimer Jersey ,” Boudreau said of the Jets. “It’s not a question that they’re overly deep, it’s just you’ve got to play the same way to defend player A as player X on their team.”

What the Jets lack in playoff experience, with one of the youngest and perhaps hungriest rosters in the NHL, they make up for in enthusiasm, as the roster and the city are excited — perhaps overly so — for the start of the playoffs. This franchise, which started as the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999 Youth Kalen Ballage Jersey , has never won a playoff game, and the opportunity to do that for the first time is the talk of the town.

“Game day is going to be really exciting for us, but the hockey doesn’t change,” said Jets coach Paul Maurice, who coached the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2002. “It’s going to get faster and all the details are pushed harder by both teams, but the game that we want to play is what we’ve been working on for 82.”

The Wild lineup might look different Shaquem Griffin Jersey Seahawks , at least on the blue line, then in recent games when the puck drops Wednesday. Defenseman Jared Spurgeon has been out since last month with a groin injury but has been practicing and is hopeful to return. It would be a big boost for Minnesota, which is reeling from the loss of defenseman Ryan Suter to a season-ending leg injury.

“He’s getting better,” Boudreau said of Spurgeon’s status. “Still a game-time decision (Wednesday).”

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The Indianapolis Colts finally made a splashy signing Monday night.

It should make Andrew Luck happy Youth Baltimore Ravens Jerseys , too.

After adding only one player in the first five days of free agency, the Colts agreed to a deal with former Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron. Contract terms were not immediately available.

”I fell in love with the coaching staff. I fell in love with the GM, I fell in love with the staff and that’s kind of what pushed the envelope for me to want to be here,” Ebron told local reporters on a conference call. ”I really felt a lot of love and was shown a lot of support for my game, my family, the things I wanted to accomplish and at the end of the day Youth Nyheim Hines Jersey , my goals.”

It’s a chance for Ebron to start over.

The Lions drafted the highest-rated tight end in 2014 in the first round but Ebron never quite lived up to the hype.

In four seasons, he had 186 receptions, 2,070 yards and 11 TDs in 56 career games. He didn’t appear in all 16 games until last season when he caught 53 passes for 574 yards and four touchdowns.

Even worse, he developed a reputation for dropping passes – a problem Ebron said stemmed from a lack of mental focus and a problem he plans to fix next season.

Ultimately, that was enough for Detroit to cut ties with Ebron last week.

The Colts Youth Kansas City Chiefs Hats , however, thought enough of Ebron’s potential to give him another shot. He is expected to be paired with Jack Doyle, who made his first Pro Bowl last season, and Erik Swoope, a former college basketball player who had moved to No. 2 on the Colts’ depth chart.

”It’s a fresh start, it’s a whole new ordeal Youth Jaire Alexander Jersey , it’s a whole new world really that you’re stepping into,” Ebron said. ”It’s definitely something to look forward to. Obviously, you get to play the game that you love for another season. You just have to enjoy it.”

Ebron joins Denico Autry, a backup defensive lineman with the Raiders last season, as Indy’s only free-agent additions so far.

It’s not likely to be the last move made by general manager Chris Ballard, who has long espoused he prefers to draft and develop players rather than overspending in free agency.

Autry and Ebron both appear to fit the blueprint.

But Ballard did make a lot of noise Saturday with a trade that sent the No. 3 overall pick in next month’s draft to the New York Jets Browns Cheap Jerseys , who will presumably take a quarterback. In exchange the Colts got the No. 6 overall pick, two second-round picks this year and the Jets’ second-round pick in 2019.

The move gives Indy four picks in the top 50 this year and three picks in the first two rounds next year – all of which made Indianapolis an even better choice in Ebron’s mind.

”Growing up, I’ve never really been a fan of things that are already great because then what’s the point of really joining it?” Ebron said. ”I’ve always been a fan of trying to make something better, and I feel like I can do that with my talent and my abilities here. I feel like with Andrew Luck coming back and playing along with Jack, I feel like we can create something that most teams would want.”

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After four seasons of mostly mediocre results Cheap Miami Dolphins T-Shirts , the Detroit Pistons are moving on without Stan Van Gundy.

He won’t return as president of basketball operations and he isn’t staying on as Detroit’s coach, either.

Van Gundy held both those roles for four years, and at times the Pistons seemed to be making progress. But they made the playoffs only once during his tenure, in 2016, and the team announced his departure Monday. Owner Tom Gores said it was a difficult decision.

”I am grateful to Stan for everything he’s done for the Pistons and for the city of Detroit,” Gores said. ”He rebuilt the culture of our basketball team, re-instilled a winning attitude and work ethic, and took us to the playoffs two years ago. He went all-in from Day One to positively impact this franchise and this community.

”But over the past two seasons our team has not progressed, and we decided that a change is necessary to regain our momentum Uchenna Nwosu Jersey Chargers ,” Gores said.

The Pistons went 39-43 this season, missing the playoffs for the third time in four years under Van Gundy. They’ve made the postseason just once in the past nine seasons, and even a blockbuster trade for Blake Griffin wasn’t enough to salvage 2017-18.

The Pistons went 152-176 over the past four seasons under Van Gundy, and his personnel decisions have come under more criticism than his coaching. Detroit hasn’t been able to make the most of its draft position, spending first-round picks on Stanley Johnson, Henry Ellenson and Luke Kennard.

This past season, Kennard shot over 40 percent from 3-point range, but he was taken one spot ahead of Donovan Mitchell in last year’s draft. Mitchell has blossomed into a Rookie of the Year candidate for Utah.

The trade for Griffin was a bold one for the Pistons and left them with limited flexibility. Not only did the team take on Griffin’s big contract, but Detroit also sent a protected first-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Clippers in the deal.

Gores indicated last month that changes would be coming Youth Phillip Gaines Jersey , but it wasn’t clear if that might mean a front office shake-up or a coaching change. Now the Pistons are embarking on both.

The team’s news release Monday didn’t shed much light on the decision-making process of these past few weeks. It did say that Van Gundy wanted to return.

”Stan is a competitor and he wanted to finish the job,” Gores said. ”He retooled a roster that we think can be very competitive in the East. I know he’s disappointed, and that he cares deeply about his players, his staff, this organization and this city. He’s also a professional who will make sure this is a seamless transition, and someone I hope will be a friend and adviser to me long after this transition is completed.”

Van Gundy declined comment via text message Monday.

Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue was unaware and stunned to learn of Van Gundy’s dismissal. Lue played for Van Gundy on Orlando’s Eastern Conference title team in 2009.

”It’s just crazy to see that you let a great guy like Stan go,” Lue said before the Cavs hosted Toronto in Game 4. ”I know he’s emotional because he’s into the game, he loves the game that much. But as far as X’s and O’s, understanding different teams Jason McCourty Jersey Patriots , different schemes, his players, he’s one of the best as far as knowing the basketball game and what it takes.”

When Van Gundy was hired, he talked about how there would be a good connection between the front office and the coaching staff – that much was obvious, since he was going to be part of both. Setups like that aren’t unheard of in the NBA – Tom Thibodeau is Minnesota’s coach and president of basketball operations – but it’s not that easy to make it work.

Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer had the title of president of basketball operations, but he gave up that position last year. Now he’s no longer coaching the Hawks either .

Doc Rivers had dual roles with the Clippers, but last offseason, Lawrence Frank took over responsibility for basketball operations while Rivers remained the coach. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich also has the title of president, but he has help from general manager R.C. Buford Breeland Speaks Jersey Chiefs , a two-time NBA Executive of the Year.

A decade ago, the Pistons were one of the game’s most respected organizations after reaching the Eastern Conference finals six straight years and winning the NBA title in 2004. They sank quickly into irrelevance after that.

Detroit missed the playoffs the final five seasons of Joe Dumars’ tenure as team president, and Gores – who took over as owner in 2011 – eventually brought Van Gundy in.

The Pistons made the playoffs in Van Gundy’s second season, but they couldn’t build on that breakthrough. This past season was particularly disappointing because it may have been the most productive of center Andre Drummond’s career.

With Drummond leading the way, Detroit started 19-14 and won on the road against the likes of Golden State, Oklahoma City and Boston. Then an ankle injury to point guard Reggie Jackson derailed the season, and not even the trade for Griffin in late January was enough to push the Pistons to the playoffs in their first season at downtown Detroit’s new Little Caesars Arena.

”Would like to take a min to wish Stan the best and thank you for everything you’ve put into our team the last four years,” Drummond said Monday in a message on his Twitter account.

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AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.

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Forward Otto Porter Jr. missed a must-win Game 6 for the Washington Wizards in their playoff series against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night because of an injured left leg.

”It’s hard on him Bengals Elite Jerseys ,” Washington coach Scott Brooks said. ”It’s hard on all of us.”

The No. 8 seed Wizards entered Friday trailing 3-2 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series. They announced a few hours before the scheduled tipoff that Porter is sidelined indefinitely after having a medical procedure earlier Friday to prevent permanent damage to muscles in the leg because of compartment syndrome.

Porter has averaged only 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists while making just five 3-pointers during the playoffs.

He was Washington’s third-leading scorer during the regular season, behind John Wall and Bradley Beal, averaging a career-high 14.7 points, along with 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He was third in the NBA in 3-point field-goal percentage at 44.1 Hayden Hurst Jersey Ravens , another personal best.

”He hasn’t got a lot of things going offensively,” Brooks said. ”But I always felt that, any day now, he was going to have a bust-out game. It’s not going to happen.”

Top reserve Kelly Oubre Jr. moved into Washington’s starting lineup to take Porter’s spot.

Brooks said he also expected Tomas Satoransky and Ty Lawson to see increased minutes off the bench.

”You hate to hear that about a young man, to go down like that Panthers Authentic Jerseys ,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said about Porter, ”but they have a lot of guys that can step in and play that role.”

Porter received a max contract last offseason, when he was a restricted free agent and the Wizards ended up matching the Brooklyn Nets’ $106 million, four-year offer sheet for the forward.

That came after Porter set career bests of 13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds Cheap Oakland Raiders Hoodie , 1.5 steals and a 3-point shooting percentage of 43.4.

The Wizards drafted Porter third overall in 2013 out of Georgetown.

Oubre has been averaging 10.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in the series, along with playing active defense.

He was going to draw the tough assignment of guarding DeMar DeRozan in Game 6; Toronto’s All-Star guard came into Friday putting up 28.8 points per game.

But the Wizards also could use some better shooting from Oubre, who has been making only 41.5 percent of his field-goal attempts, including 3 for 16 – 19 percent – on 3-pointers.

”He’s going to get opportunities. Hopefully he can knock some shots down to get some confidence. He hasn’t shot the ball well for a while,” Brooks said. ”But he does a lot of other things. He’s aggressive. He’s an emotional player. He gives us a spark that way Youth Tanner Lee Jersey , and now he’s going to have to start the game with that same intensity he gives us off the bench.”

NOTE: Casey said backup PG Fred VanVleet would be available. VanVleet has been dealing with an injured right shoulder and appeared in only one game in the series.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to deals with wide receiver Sammy Watkins and middle linebacker Anthony Hitchens Nathan Shepherd Jersey Jets , filling two of their most glaring needs on the eve of free agency.

The 24-year-old Watkins intends to sign a $48 million, three-year contract with $30 million in guarantees, while the 25-year-old Hitchens agreed to a five-year deal, two people familiar with their decisions told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the contracts, along with several other moves made by Kansas City, cannot become official until the start of the free agency Wednesday afternoon.

The Chiefs have been looking for a playmaking wide receiver to pair with speedster Tyreek Hill since last offseason Chris Herndon Jersey Jets , but resorted to using Chris Conley in the role. Then Conley went down with a season-ending injury, robbing the Chiefs of their No. 2 wide receiver and forcing journeyman Albert Wilson into a more substantial role in their West Coast offense.

But questions persist about Conley’s health and long-term upside, and Wilson has agreed to a free-agent deal with the Miami Dolphins, leaving the Chiefs in the market for a wide receiver.

Watkins was considered one of the premier talents on the market.

The 2014 fourth overall pick of the Buffalo Bills spent last season with the Los Angeles Rams, where he caught 39 passes for 593 yards and eight touchdowns. And while he seems far removed from his best season in 2015, when he caught 60 passes for 1 Billy Price Jersey Elite ,047 yards and nine scores in a season shorted by injury, the Chiefs undoubtedly believe Watkins has yet to reach his ceiling.

It would help matters if he stayed healthy. Along with a calf strain and ankle sprain that season, he’s had hip issues in the past, and missed eight games in 2016 with a fractured left foot.

Buffalo decided to decline its fifth-year option on Watkins after all the injuries, and wound up sending him to the Rams last August for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a draft pick.

On defense, the Chiefs have been trying to get younger across the board Youth D.J. Fluker Jersey , releasing cornerstone linebackers Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali and shuffling their defensive backfield.

Hitchens, who The Kansas City Star reported will make about $9 million per season, would fill Johnson’s spot alongside Reggie Ragland in the middle of the defense. The 2014 fourth-round pick had 84 tackles in only 12 starts last season, when a knee injury sidelined him the first four games.

Hitchens also had a couple of pass deflections and nine tackles for a loss, and showed flashes of the same kind of instincts that made Johnson the Chiefs’ career tackles leader.

Watkins and Hitchens are expected to sign their contracts Wednesday, when the new league year means the Chiefs can finally consummate their agreed-upon trades sending quarterback Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins and cornerback Marcus Peters to the Rams.

The Chiefs will get cornerback Kendall Fuller and a draft pick back from Washington and two picks back from Los Angeles Authentic Customized Patriots Jerseys , allowing them to restock with younger players through the draft.

Kansas City intends to turn its starting quarterback job over to Patrick Mahomes II, whom former general manager John Dorsey traded up to select 10th overall last year. Mahomes dazzled during training camp and was dynamic in a Week 17 start against Denver, when the Chiefs were already assured of the AFC West title and their playoff positioning, allowing Smith to take the week off.

That performance against the Broncos is what made the Chiefs comfortable moving on from Smith, who had a career season that made him coveted by several other teams in the trade market.

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Stephen Curry and LeBron James spoke their minds last year. They have not changed their minds this year.

No matter whose team wins the NBA championship Trent Murphy Jersey Bills , neither superstar will be at the White House anytime soon.

On the day when the Philadelphia Eagles were supposed to be there to commemorate winning the Super Bowl – a visit that was canceled by President Donald Trump and had the White House accusing players who weren’t planning on attending of abandoning their fans – Curry and James were among those speaking out at the NBA Finals in support of the Eagles.

”I’m not surprised. It’s typical of him,” James, the Cleveland star, said Tuesday of Trump’s decision to cancel. ”I know no matter who wins this series, no one wants the invite anyway. So it won’t be Golden State or Cleveland going.”

On the eve of Game 3 of the Warriors-Cavaliers series, politics dominated the conversation.

Curry raised Trump’s ire last year when he said he wouldn’t go to the White House, prompting the President to disinvite him and the champion Golden State Warriors.

Curry said Tuesday that he spoke with a current Eagles player about the team’s decision-making process and how it went deeper than disagreeing with Trump policies and the ongoing issue of some NFL players choosing not to stand for the pregame playing of ”The Star-Spangled Banner.”

”It’s an important conversation Oren Burks Jersey Packers , but you can’t control what other people try to do, or try to control the narrative or things like that,” Curry said.

Curry said the team has been on the same page after his comments last year and Trump’s subsequent revoking of the Warriors’ invitation. ”And every team that’s won a championship since then has gone through that.”

There has been clear tension between many star athletes and the current administration throughout the Trump presidency. Trump has often blasted the NFL players who have kneeled for the national anthem, a protest that started in 2016 when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick did so to raise awareness of racism – more specifically, the killing of black men by police.

Trump said the Eagles’ event was called off because some of their players ”disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country.”

No Eagles players kneeled during the anthem last season.

”Instead the decision was made to lie Alex Cappa Jersey Elite , and paint the picture that these players are anti-America, anti-flag and anti-military,” the Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins wrote in a statement posted to social media Tuesday .

The WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx were not invited to the White House to celebrate their most recent title, something James called ”laughable.” Instead, the Lynx will spend Wednesday giving away new sneakers to more than 300 needy kids in Washington. Villanova, the reigning NCAA men’s champion, has not revealed if an invitation was sent. Many members of the U.S. Olympic Team that competed earlier this year in South Korea did not attend a White House reception.

Hockey’s Pittsburgh Penguins and baseball’s Houston Astros have accepted invitations to the White House for the traditional meeting with the President in recent months Dalton Schultz Jersey Cowboys , as have several college teams. When the New England Patriots went last year, half the team chose not to attend.

The Warriors, in lieu of going to the White House, spent that day taking a group of children to the National Museum of African American History and Culture a few miles away.

”I think the President has made it pretty clear he’s going to try to divide us, all of us in this country, for political gain,” said Golden State coach Steve Kerr Customized Houston Texans Jerseys , who has often criticized Trump and his policies. ”So it’s just the way it is. I think we all look forward to the day when we can go back to just having a celebration of athletic achievement and celebrate Americans for their achievement, their good deeds.”

Kerr also lauded the Eagles for being what he called ”fantastic citizens in their own community.”

”It will be nice when we can just get back to normal in three years,” Kerr said.

The overwhelming issue surrounding the Eagles’ planned visit was that most of the team was not going to attend, and that was a major factor in Trump deciding to pull the invitation.

”What else do you expect Trump to do?” Golden State’s Kevin Durant said. ”When somebody says they don’t want to come to the White House, he disinvites them. So the photo op don’t look bad. We get it at this point. But it’s good that guys are sticking to what they believe in and what they want to do. Like guys said before me, I’m sure whoever wins this series won’t be going.”

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The Super Bowl will have the usual flyover – except it will be anything but normal.

U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight is scheduled to perform the flyover at the start of the game Sunday. The Heritage Flight will consist of one F-16 Fighting Falcon Detroit Lions Jerseys Womens , two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, and one P-51 Mustang flying in formation over U.S. Bank Stadium. This is the first time the Heritage Flight team will conduct a flyover for a Super Bowl, and it will be broadcast live on NBC and in U.S. Bank Stadium from multiple vantage points, including from a camera mounted on the P-51 Mustang.

The teams in the flyover for the game will be the F-16 Viper demonstration team from Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; the A-10 Thunderbolt demonstration team from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Connor Williams Jersey Cowboys , Arizona; and a vintage P-51 Mustang from the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation in California.

”Never before in my more than 35-year flying career have I flown over the world’s biggest sports stage: 111 million eyeballs is quite the audience,” says Steve Hinton, who will pilot the P-51. ”I’m extremely proud to represent the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation and fly alongside Air Combat Command pilots to honor the countless servicemen and women past and present who selflessly serve our country.”

Hinton has logged more than 7,000 flight hours with World War II fighters at air shows all over the world.

”This particular warbird, Sierra Sue II Oakland Raiders Jerseys Womens , is one of my favorites to fly,” he says, adding he hopes he will be ”inspiring a new generation of pilots.”

How fast can vintage airplanes fly? At the same speed as current aircraft for the flyover. They will travel in formation at approximate speeds of 315 to 345 mph at an elevation of 1,000 feet above U.S. Bank Stadium.

”The P-51 Mustang is the most iconic fighter plane from World War II and a powerful symbol of the United States’ aviation combat history,” Hinton explains. ”It was a remarkable aircraft during its era Cheap Customized Cincinnati Bengals Jerseys , armed with high-caliber machine guns and the ability to carry bombs, rockets and fuel tanks under its wings. By the end of World War II, P-51s had had destroyed almost 5,000 enemy aircraft in the air, more than any other fighter in Europe. It’s a popular fixture in the Heritage Flight performances.”

Flying Sierra Sue II is fitting: In 2015 Carolina Panthers Jerseys Womens , the plane joined the Wings of the North vintage aircraft collection as the cornerstone of its new museum in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

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