5) And what makes that better? (If the aim was to make the most competitive tournament possible, there can be no doubt that Team Canada Two and Team USA Two would be stronger than Little Europe and Young North America, and the event would then have all players competing for their countries. Thats what they love so much about the Olympics, and the fans are no different.)6) Wouldnt that be strange, to have Canada playing against Canada, and USA vs. USA, and what if one of those matchups occurred in the final? (Okay, lets call that strange, but think about it--Canadian fans who want to be constantly reminded that Canada is number one could be twice as proud if Canada came away with both gold and silver medals, and theyd love to watch Canada beat two rivals in separate semi-final games.)7) How different might Team Canada 2016 be from the Sochi Olympic gold medallists? (Lets take a wild guess and say you should expect approximately half a dozen changes. Room must be made up front for Steven Stamkos, Claude Giroux, and Tyler Seguin. Mark Giordano should make it on defence and theres a good possibility that the goalies who back up Carey Price will be new faces.)8) While were at it, what about Team USA? (If six is the over-under, Id go under. The American team at Sochi was much better than it showed in the end, and there would be no reason to make major changes except for the fact the result needs to be different, and new blood might help. Theres plenty of it in an American talent pool that has never been deeper.)9) Should we ridicule the NHL All-Star Game and its 17-12 score? (No, if we havent done so already, we should cease to regard it as a game. Its just time on the ice for some of the NHLs top players at their mid-season social gathering.)10) Can we take a few more days of DeflateGate talk at the Super Bowl? (Much to the NFLs chagrin, it will not stop until the league announces its findings, and that promises to take a month or more. I have a hard time believing any more time is needed for an investigation that the NFL itself said should and would be wrapped up by now.)11) What will be in the leagues report? (Only three conclusions are possible--the Patriots cheated; theres a logical explanation for the deflated footballs; or there is no explanation for the deflated footballs. Findings that are kind to the Patriots would be easy to release right away, and that would clear the air around the Super Bowl. The leagues determination to push the matter aside this week does suggest that the Patriots will be accused of wrongdoing, and will be punished for it.)12) Have the Patriots done themselves any favours by addressing the situation the way they have, in press briefings by Bill Belichick and Tom Brady? (None whatsoever. My belief is that you shouldnt take questions if you dont have answers, and they went from having no answers to trying bad answers. Had they been giving testimony in a courtroom, their lawyers would have heard it but wouldnt have seen it, because their heads would have been in their hands. Had owner Robert Kraft spoken first, instead of waiting until yesterday, the Patriots would have delivered the sort of forceful denial that was required. It remains to be seen if it can be supported.)13) Does the NFL have a much easier time dealing with DeflateGate if the Seahawks are the Super Bowl champions? (Its hard to think otherwise. Whether or not the Patriots are found guilty or receive punishment, a Super Bowl win will be celebrated quietly and will seem tainted. Maybe thats not fair and maybe they dont care, but thats the way it is.)14) Can the Patriots play on Sunday as if none of this has happened? (No team prides itself more for its ability to focus on the task at hand. The Patriots promise thatll be the case this week, and especially on Sunday. Never mind if theyve done anything wrong, they will deserve a lot of praise for shutting out the distraction if they manage to win. But I dont think they can, and I dont think they will.)15) Who or what will be the difference in the game? (Marshawn Lynch. Give him the ball often enough and hes bound to have a big day against a New England defence that is average at best against the run. The classic matchup of Tom Brady vs. the Legion of Boom figures to be a sawoff. Both are too good to have a bad day. And Lynch is probably too bad to have a good one, apart from his rushing total. Even as it might be seen as a victory for good over evil if Seattle should win, Lynch is bound to even up those sides by grabbing his crotch during the celebration, or long after a 15-yard penalty can be imposed.)16) Some are saying Roger Goodell should recuse himself from the DeflateGate affair because of his close, personal relationship with Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Should he? (Yes, it would probably be a good idea, but you start to wonder what Goodell does to earn his annual salary of $40 million when investigations are conducted externally and rulings are constantly challenged and often changed on appeal. What remains of his power is needed and used to keep him in office.)17) Would it be a good idea, as new baseball commissioner Rob Manfred suggests, to ban the radical shifting of fielders? (Anything to boost offence is worth a listen, but in the case of defensive strategy that gobbles up ground balls that would otherwise be hits, the way to produce more hits is to convince batters to combat the shift by bunting or stroking pitches to wide-open, vacated spaces. But they refuse, so much so that you have to believe theyd rather make a hard out than get on base with a soft single……or well-placed double.)18) Are we to believe that the 2015 MLB season can proceed smoothly for the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays, given the fallout from the Dan Duquette-Paul Beeston affair? (The Jays can claim it is business as usual for them, with Beeston still at the helm, a new contract and retirement plan in place. The Orioles are left with a general manager who spent three months trying to wiggle free and land a promotion in Toronto, and during that time, he did precious little to address personnel issues that threaten to weaken the Os significantly. Its not Duquettes fault that the matter dragged on so long, but he needs to put it behind him and his team, and that wont be easy.19) Are you longing to watch "real" hockey after sitting through or ignoring the NHL All-Star Game, and if so, would you like to know where to find the best of it? (I didnt watch what happened in Columbus. The games to keep an eye on as the NHL schedule resumes are ones involving the Chicago Blackhawks. They have a six-game road trip that starts tomorrow in Los Angeles and also takes them to Anaheim, San Jose, Minnesota, Winnipeg and St. Louis. A good trip could send the Hawks to the top of the Central Division, where I believe they belong, but if they struggle as the schedule suggests is possible, they could return home as a wild-card team, trailing Winnipeg. Important games in the West, and each and every one should be intense.)20) What was the score of the Pro Bowl? (Im 100 per cent serious when I tell you that I sit here to write this on Tuesday morning and I do not know the answer to this question. I didnt watch the Pro Bowl either, I havent read about it, and I dont know which side won. I almost said "which conference". All I know is not to say that anymore.) Cody Parkey Jersey . The team announced the moves before Sundays game against Houston. Shaw was 1-4 with a 4.26 ERA in 43 games for the Diamondbacks. Bergesen was claimed off waivers from Baltimore on Friday. Chase Daniel Bears Jersey . Neither side would publicly confirm or deny any discussions were taking place, until the near unexpected happened. On Saturday night sources confirmed to TSN, the league and players agreed to terms on a new, tentative CBA, pending ratification by the unions players. A league source confirmed the CFLs board of governors must also ratify any potential agreement. http://www.authenticfootballshopbears.com/c-96-bears-joel-iyiegbuniwe-jersey.aspx . "No difference at all," chirped U.S. roommate and linemate James van Riemsdyk. "Its still the same cranky Phil. James Daniels Jersey . The Yankees made the moves before Tuesdays game against Baltimore. Robertson was listed retroactive to Monday. Robertson posted two saves in three games as the replacement for retired Yankees closer Mariano Rivera before getting hurt. Cody Parkey Bears Jersey . - The Chicago Bears have agreed to a one-year contract with free-agent centre Brian de la Puente.Long gone are the days where before the game, a goaltender could focus simply on taping a stick, getting his skates to feel right as far as sharpness or how tight or loose he wanted his pads. These certainly are factors that go into getting ready, but with todays age of video, breakdowns and readily accessible information, there is so much more preparation that goes into the mindset of getting ready for a team. When I first started at the pro level, the research was done by word of mouth, asking around from other players about tendencies. Coaches shared info sometimes with each other but ultimately you would watch highlights from TV, that was pretty much it. Now there are so many layers to the Pre Scout. What got me thinking about it was watching Peter Mrazek make a save on Mikko Koivu in a shootout on Wednesday night between Detroit and Minnesota. If you watch his glove position as Koivu skates towards the net, you could clearly tell that Mrazek knew his move in the shootout which is a very quick forehand-to-backhand move that finishes with a top shelf shot. His glove was waiting for it, and he made it look easy. The first thing that came to my mind was that guaranteed, the goalie coach had prepared him that if the game went to the shootout, Koivu would shoot and there would be a high probability that he would use that move. In todays world, that is a reality, where everything is on video and can be called upon instantly, not only for shootouts, but for tendencies showing that a player will shoot or deke in certain instances. I remember one time my goalie coach in Calgary, Dave Marcoux (now coaching in Carolina) had some clips for me before a game we played. He spoke of potential shots I would face from certain areas and who was good at executing in tight plays. He noted that if Danny Briere was on his forehand in tight, he always looked to go underneath the bar, no matter what the option. That stuck into my mind and I ended up making a glove save that night on him - it was completely a reaction play that had been planted by my goalie coach a few hours earlier. We see this every night where a goalie anticipates but also plays the odds as to where players will defer to their strengths, whether its Phil Kessel down the wall looking for that in stride above pad blocker shot, or that Tyler Seguin underneath the bar short side shot that beats a lot of goalies with the quick release. Every player has his tendencies, and the more familiar a goaltender gets with them, the more hes able to cheat or anticipate a potential destination for the shot. The harder ones to figure out are not just the young players whom you dont have much of a read on or you havent faced before, because like I said there is video on everyone in todays world. Instead, its the players who have multiple tricks in their bag who are capable of adjusting on the fly as to what you give him aas a goaltender.dddddddddddd And believe me, just because you may know the tendency of a shooter, doesnt mean you will be able to stop him. A prime example is Steven Stamkos, who is known to be lethal from the one timer spot on the power play on the top of the circle area on his forehand. Goalies will literally know where its going and almost cheat to the shot, but its so quick, and placed so perfectly, hes still able to score. Same with Alex Ovechkin. His shot comes with so much velocity, that if youre not in the perfect position, there is no reaction to it. Now the same can be said for the Pre Scout on you as a goalie. If you have a habit of dropping your right knee to turn your body to and defer to your glove ( I call it the lean), then guys will fake, freeze you and pick your blocker (this is where Marty Brodeur can be beat in todays game). The same can be said for Jonas Hiller. If you have a clean shot on him, regardless of where its from, he plays from his knees, so the play is to fire at his ears and try and beat him under the bar. Thats what he prefers to give a shooter, and Im sure his mindset is if a player can make that shot, more power to him. The farthest back I can remember an actual Pre Scout on players that was posted in the dressing room before a game was in St. Louis in the mid-1990s, Im not sure that its just a coincidence that Roger Neilson was our assistant coach, as he is known to have changed the game with video analysis, and also with his pre-scouting of teams. The report on each player that time talked about their strengths as far as if they were a good skater, had a big shot, good vision to pass, or would always pass in every situation (for example Adam Oates). Some details pointed to if they were tough, which hand they fought with. For anyone who potentially would have a scrap, it would say something like, is a lefty or can fight with both, meaning if you fought Jarome Iginla, he was capable of fighting with both hands so if you tied up his right (predominantly a stronger hand) he could do it with both. Or the report might say something unique that had to be paid attention to as far as likes to jump into rush, or will play high risk so be aware of that and try and expose that by having a high guy - maybe if you were talking about Brian Leetch. These are just examples of old school scouting reports, but now it has transformed into higher tech, with more camera angles, and certainly with more analysis on all levels to help a player get a competitive edge - and I dont know a team that does not try to take advantage of it in todays game. So while we all Pre Scout teams systems regarding forecheck, neutral zone, back check, defensive zone coverage - everything from a teams perspective - keep in mind goaltenders and shooters already know their opponents strengths and weaknesses. The key for success - is who executes. Wholesale HoodiesNFL Shirts OutletJerseys NFL WholesaleCheap NFL Jerseys Free ShippingWholesale Jerseys CheapCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '