Photo portraits, the perfect gift for Christmas!

With Christmas just around the corner many people start the difficult task of personal and thoughtful gifts for your loved ones. Also can do with time on their side to find the perfect gift more stressful and the people really to find a recipient for a nfl jerseys
gift of love, not just a mediocre mind that he forgot. Pencil portraits, photographs are a popular choice for Christmas gifts this year looks more like a demand than ever, below are some of the main reasons why the pen portraits are so popular at Christmas.
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Photos are a wonderful way to get the special moments in the life of Cowboys jersey
a man and a wonderful aspect of the installation, framed on the wall and remember admired and enjoyed every day. Pencil portraits with a huge amount of details that give a realistic look at the artwork, drawn not only a sketch. You can be sure that a portrait is not received in pencil, then forgotten, like so many gifts are for Christmas. On numerous occasions I knew I gave you has a gift for a loved one placed on one side and barely used since. Good thing to know with a picture of what is not.
Many people buy family portraits as an investment, an element of the provision of children and their children, which in turn is a wonderful idea and an overview of the joy that lasts a portrait for you.
The portraits are also a great surprise gift idea, like the portraits and pictures taken by a camera and can be sent electronically to the artist's portrait, you will not worry for hours and do not worry, she likes the result.
When you see the impressive results in his hands is sure to understand how wonderful pen portraits of Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
the photographs. Be sure to choose a qualified professional portrait and complete the work in retail you want. Portraits Portraits are very popular and many artists book very quickly in the months before Christmas, you need early enough to ensure you get your beautiful work of art at the time.

COLTS, WALGREENS HOST FREE FLU SHOT CLINIC

INDIANAPOLIS – On Tuesday, September 21, the Indianapolis Colts, Walgreen’s and La Plaza teamed up to provide a free flu shot clinic for individuals served by La Plaza, an Indianapolis community center that serves more than 7,000 Latino families every year. This clinic was designed to help educate the football jerseys
Hispanic community about the importance of getting a flu shot.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends flu shots for everyone over the age of 6 months beginning in early September. Only one flu shot is required this season, as the 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against H1N1 as well as two other seasonal flu viruses.

Tuesday’s clinic was also a part of the NFL’s league-wide celebration of Bears jersey
Hispanic Heritage Month and featured Colts players David Caldwell and Joe Reitz. The players met with the clinic participants, signed autographs helped keep the participant’s minds off of the little stick from the flu shot.
Walgreen’s stores from all over central Indiana sent representatives to La Plaza to distribute the flu shots. Their staff also provided free diabetes screenings at the clinic.
For more information of all the Colts outreach efforts, visit
About Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is a special time and opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Bills jersey
Hispanic players, coaches, front office staff and our fans. One of the distinguishing characteristics of football is the way it brings diverse groups of people together on a common ground. In serving our fans our goal is to fully engage all groups and help them experience the thrill of NFL football.

Panthers LB Davis wishes he'd worn knee brace

Thomas Davis glanced down at the large knee brace in front of his locker on Thursday and shook his head.
The Carolina Panthers linebacker is convinced that if he had been wearing it in June, he wouldn't be sweating through a second grueling rehabilitation from a torn knee ligament in seven months. Davis thinks that bulky brace would have allowed him to be preparing for Sunday's game against Cincinnati instead of football jerseys
vowing to return sometime in November.
''If I had it on I don't think we'd be standing here talking about a second surgery, Davis said.
It was the lone moment Davis strayed from his upbeat tone. He had just finished what he called his first pain-free, full-speed running session. He glanced over at the schedule on the wall in the back of the locker room and pointed at Nov. 14 at Tampa Bay as the target date for his return from a second torn anterior curiae ligament.
How confident is Davis he'll be back this year?
''If I was betting man I'd bet everything I had. How about that?'' Davis said. ''But seeing I'm not a betting man...''
The speedy outside linebacker then said he'd rate his chances of playing in 2010 at 75 percent.
''I've been running for a while now, but today was the first day it felt 49ers jersey
really good,'' Davis said. ''Like no pain, just straight out running. I had my brace on. I'm not making that mistake again.''
Davis blamed himself for not wearing the brace on his right knee as he made a speedy recovery from the first torn ACL suffered in a Nov. 8 loss at New Orleans. The first injury ended Davis' best season a pro, perhaps even worthy of a Pro Bowl invitation.
Davis was making a rapid recovery and was clocked at running the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds. Shortly thereafter he was participating in a June workout without a brace when he went down a second time while backpedaling.
''It was my choice. It was based on how I felt,'' Davis said on not wearing a brace. ''We felt strongly about how the recovery went the first time. I was able to go out and run full speed and do all these things that you normally wouldn't be able to do at five months, six months. It was just one of those things that happened.''
The second recovery has gone better, Davis said, because the ACL was repaired with a piece of his patellar tendon instead of his hamstring, which got him back running quicker.
The Panthers, who placed Davis on the reserve physically unable to Saints jersey
perform list, have a three-week window after Week 6 to decide whether to put Davis on the 53-man roster.
Davis vows that will happen and he'll become a brace-wearing man.
''Not the rest of my career,'' Davis said, ''but definitely the rest of this year.''

24 sep 10 Lopez hits 3 homers, Mariners beat Blue Jays 6-3

TORONTO (AP)—In a difficult season for Seattle, Jose Lopez(notes) has struggled to match the career-high 25 home runs he hit last year. For one night at least, he was back to his old self.
Lopez hit three home runs, Michael Saunders(notes) added football jersey
a two-run drive and the Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Wednesday night.
“Now I feel like the same guy as last year,” a smiling Lopez said.
Lopez hit a solo shot off starter Kyle Drabek(notes) in the third inning, led off the sixth with a drive against reliever Brian Tallet(notes) and connected off reliever Shawn Camp(notes) in the eighth. It was his first multihomer game of the season and fourth of his career.
“When I hit the third one, I touched first base and felt like ‘Yes!”’ Lopez said, raising one fist in the air. “I felt really happy.”
Lopez, who has 10 home runs, hit all three homers to left field.
“I think (Lopez) showed me up a little bit,” Saunders joked. “He’s the hero tonight.
“It’s nice to see,” Saunders added. “Hopefully this gets him rolling and he can finish the season strong because he’s really not a 10-home run guy, he’s normally putting up more than that.”
Mariners ace Felix Hernandez(notes) had one quibble with Lopez’s power surge: it happened one day before his next start. Hernandez’s message to Lopez? Save some for tomorrow.
“I said no, if I get it tonight, I get it tonight,” Lopez replied.
It was the 11th three-homer performance in Mariners history. Mike Cameron(notes) had Seattle’s only four-homer game, doing it May 2, 2002, against the Chicago White Sox.
Saunders added a two-run shot in the second as the Mariners won for the third time in five games after a seven-game losing streak.
Vernon Wells(notes) had a solo shot, Toronto’s major league-best 233rd. The Blue Jays hit a club-record 244 homers in 2000.
Seattle’s starting lineup had combined for only 38 home runs, fewer than the major league-high 49 of Toronto’s Jose Bautista(notes), but it was the Mariners who came out on top in this one.
“(Lopez) was on today,” Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston Indianapolis Colts jersey
said. “I think we certainly made some mistakes today, but he sure let us know we made them.”
Seattle, which has scored a major league-low 481 runs, improved to 37-19 when scoring four runs or more.
David Pauley(notes) (3-8) came in winless in five starts but earned his first victory since Aug. 18 by allowing two runs and six hits in six innings.
“Tonight, everybody was clicking,” Pauley said. “Lopez had a phenomenal game today. It’s fun to watch games like that.”
Pauley walked two and matched a season-high with five strikeouts.
Jamey Wright(notes) pitched two innings and former Blue Jays reliever Brandon League(notes) worked the ninth, surrendering an RBI groundout to John Buck(notes).
Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki(notes) went 1 for 5, leaving him two hits from becoming the first player to record 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons. Suzuki leads the majors with 198 hits.
Bautista went 1 for 4 with a double.
Fans cheered when Bautista hammered a 2-1 pitch down the left field line in the fifth, but the ball hooked foul. Bautista got a loud ovation as he returned to home plate to pick up his bat.

Making his second career start and his home debut, Drabek (0-2) allowed three runs and four hits, including two homers, in five innings. The key player acquired by Toronto in last December’s trade with Philadelphia for Roy Halladay(notes), Drabek walked one and struck out three.
“Looking back at it, we should have brought him up after the All-Star break,” Gaston said.
The Mariners opened the scoring in the second when Ryan Langerhans(notes) hit a two-out single and Saunders followed with a homer to center, his ninth.
Lopez made it 3-0 with a two-out shot to left in the third before Toronto closed the gap with a two-run fourth. Wells led off with his 29th homer, and second in as many days, and Edwin Encarnacion(notes) had an RBI-groundout.
Lopez homered again on Tallet’s first pitch of the sixth, then greeted Camp with a two-run homer in the eighth.
Notes: The Mariners promoted four players from Triple-A Dallas Cowboys jersey
Tacoma, recalling INF Mike Carp(notes), OF Greg Halman and RHP Anthony Varvaro and purchasing the contract of INF Matt Mangini. … Seattle DH Russell Branyan(notes) and OF Franklin Gutierrez(notes) were both unavailable because of flu-like symptoms. … Blue Jays third base coach Brian Butterfield and bench coach Nick Leyva said they will apply to replace the departing Gaston as Toronto manager. Hitting coach Dwayne Murphy said he is not interested in the job.

Johnson's ability, heart are showing no bounds SOLOMON: Johnson shrugs off injury

LANDOVER, Md. - The name on the back of the white No. 80 jersey was Johnson. It might as well have been "Amazing."
The name on the back of the burgundy No. 37 jersey was Doughty. nfl jerseys
It might as well have been "Helpless."
In a day filled with spectacular plays, the most memorable one saw Amazing outjump Helpless to make the touchdown catch that kept the Texans' hopes alive.
The Texans took advantage of it, claiming a 30-27 overtime victory over the Redskins to start this season of promise 2-0. The Texans also took sole possession of first place in the AFC South for the first time in franchise history.
Afterward, almost everyone talked about the remarkable catch made by the world's best wide receiver. Andre Johnson. No. 80. Amazing.
Johnson's catch over Washington safety Reed Doughty - a leaping grab on fourth-and-10 from the Redskins' 34-yard line - tied the score at 27 with 2:03 left in the game.
"I didn't know he had that in him," an excited Texans owner Bob McNair said. "That would have been a magnificent dunk if it was a basketball game. He just wanted that ball. He just literally soared up in the air and made a magnificent catch.
"If he hadn't caught that ball, we were out of it. It was over."
If it is left up to Johnson to make a play, the Texans would almost never lose a game. He is that good. That much better than most of the people who try to cover him. Too big. Too fast. Too strong.
Worth the money
That is why McNair went against the norm and renegotiated Johnson's contract this past offseason, despite the five years remaining on a Texans-friendly deal.
In a wild offensive shootout with more than 900 passing yards, the best offensive player on the field was Johnson.
The Redskins had Johnson double-covered on the play, but cornerback Phillip Buchanon, Johnson's college teammate at Miami, inexplicably peeled off. By the time Matt Schaub launched the throw, it was Johnson against Doughty in the south end zone at FedEx Field.
"In that situation, I put my money on Andre 10 out of 10 times," Texans safety Eugene Wilson said. "That was just one of the most … no, that was the most clutch play I've ever seen."
Wilson, a former Patriot, has played on two Super Bowl championship Dallas Cowboys jersey
teams.
"Unbelievable," said fellow receiver Kevin Walter, who had an impressive game with 11 receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown. But his performance wasn't quite Johnsonesque.
Johnson, who this season could become the first player to lead the NFL in receiving yards for three consecutive years, finished with 12 catches for 158 yards and, of course, that wondrous game-saving scoring grab.
Done? No way
Not that the story needed additional flavor, but Johnson had left the game late in the third quarter, with the Texans in a 17-point hole, because of a badly sprained ankle.
Team doctors told coach Gary Kubiak that Johnson was done for the day. Johnson wasn't so sure.
"I was a little discour-aged," he said. "I was run-ning around on the sideline and wasn't feeling too good at first. (I) came inside, came back out, started feeling a little better, and I was able to make some plays."
Johnson laughed when he said that. He didn't want to talk openly about having to take a shot to numb the ankle and dull the pain. Relying on a painkiller isn't typical for Johnson. He is blessed with a rock-solid frame that generally holds up to the punishment of football. He is one of the league's best-conditioned athletes and works hard preparing for the season with a grueling offseason training regimen.
Though he typically dishes out more punishment than he takes, injuries are a part of the sport. After a catch, he landed with his foot turned the wrong way, and the ankle got twisted.
He tried to walk it off. He tried to run it off. He tried a new tape job. Even after the shot, the medical staff wasn't sure he could give it a go. But he tapped Kubiak on the shoulder anyway.
"He walked over to me and said, 'I'm playing,'?" Kubiak said. "He tells me he's playing, he's playing."
On Johnson's first play back, the Texans didn't look his way, but he realized he could run nearly at full speed, which meant the Redskins were in trouble.
Biggest catch of career
On the Texans' next possession, Johnson had a 29-yard catch on Chargers jersey
third-and-10 to keep the drive moving, then made the catch that he says was the biggest of his career, topping a miraculous fourth-down catch on a game-winning drive against the Dolphins two years ago.
"I just knew that we needed a play to win, and that's pretty much it," Johnson said. "I was given the opportunity, and I was able to make it."

Questions, questions ...

Chan Gailey admitted after Sunday's game he didn't have the answers. Then, on Monday, he benched Trent Edwards and made Ryan Fitzpatrick the starter. I don't have any answers, either. But as we contemplate the new Fitzpatrick era, I have 25 burning questions:
1. What did Gailey find out about Trent during the first two regular-season games that wasn't clear as day on the game films from the last two Bills seasons? If he was going to hand the job to Fitz' after the first crisis, why didn't he have a true open quarterback competition, as he promised?
2. Wasn't it astonishing to hear Edwards say he had no idea who cheap nfl jerseys
was going to be the Bills' starting running back against Green Bay until he got to the game? Are you telling me the coaches don't let the quarterback in on the game plan?
3. Is there much doubt that the Bills' offense, which after Sunday was dead last in the NFL by more than 60 yards a game, will finish in the bottom quarter of the league for an eighth straight season?
4. Might Lions rookie running back Jahvid Best, who gained 232 yards from scrimmage against the Eagles, have been a better value with the 30th overall pick than C.J. Spiller was at No. 9?
5. Do you think Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will enter next year's NFL draft if the Bills have the No. 1 pick, knowing there might not be a season and his college coach, Jim Harbaugh, wanted no part of Buffalo?
6. Did the Bills' defensive leaders bolt the locker room early Sunday because they were afraid they'd say what they really felt about the offense?
7. Do you think right guard Eric Wood thinks Aaron Maybin is earning his signing bonus yet?
8. Isn't it a little troubling that Alex Carrington, a third-round pick, can't even get on the field for this team?
9. How many losses before Jerry Jones comes to his senses and admits Wade Phillips is a mediocrity as a head coach?
10. Is it still Dick Jauron's fault that safety Donte Whitner isn't making any game-changing plays?
11. On second thought, would a franchise like Green Minnesota Vikings jersey
Bay really want Marshawn Lynch to be set loose in the community?
12. Isn't it sad that the Bills have gone 56 games since their last 300-yard passer? Heck, is 200 yards so much to ask?
13. Why do so many NFL coaches leave their starting quarterbacks in the game at the end of blowouts?
14. So do you figure Gailey thinks the hecklers had a point?
15. Isn't a shame that Kawika Mitchell wasn't as good at tackling as he is at tweeting?
16. Don't you think Riverside's Mike Williams would be a better option at No. 2 receiver than Stevie Williams?
17. Does Marcus Stroud seem like a guy who's just playing out the string?
18. The tackles are a joke, I know, but are the Bills' interior offensive linemen any better than average right now?
19. Are you feeling sorry for Fred Jackson? Isn't it amazing that he averaged 4.5 yards a carry for this offense last year?
20. Wouldn't it be refreshing to see some genuine sign of passion from inside that Bills locker room?
21. Why, oh why, don't they ever have Lee Evans run patterns over the middle of the field? Why doesn't Evans demand it?
22. Will Bill Belichick keep a straight face on Wednesday's conference call when he gushes about the talent on the Bills' roster?
23. Can Maybin be any worse in coverage than Indianapolis Colts jersey
Chris Kelsay?
24. Wasn't this going to be a break-out year for Chris Ellis?
25. So what happens if Fitzpatrick flames out the next two weeks? Gailey said the change is permanent, but is anything permanent at One Bills Drive, including the franchise?

TEXANS 30 | REDSKINS 27 (OT) John McClain grades the Texans

Matt Schaub was sacked five times and hit five more times, but he rallied the Texans from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit by throwing for a career-high 497 yards.
Grade A+
running backs
The Redskins kept Arian Foster from hitting the cut-back lanes, football jersey
but he still ran for 69 yards on 19 carries. He caught three passes for 69 yards.
Grade B
wide Receivers and tight ends
Andre Johnson had 12 catches for 158 yards and a great 34-yard touchdown catch that tied the score at 27. Kevin Walter had 11 receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown. Joel Dreessen's 28-yard catch set up the winning field goal.
Grade A+
offensive line
It didn't dominate the way it did last week. The run blocking was decent.
Grade C-
defensive line
Mario Williams was a demon with three sacks and three Cowboys jersey
hurries. Overall, the linemen did a good job against the run.
Grade B+
linebackers
Zac Diles and DeMeco Ryans combined for 13 tackles. The linebackers did a terrific job of stopping the run but had problems in pass coverage.
Grade C
secondary
Donovan McNabb burned the secondary with one long play after another, throwing for 426 yards. The cornerbacks need to improve in a hurry.
Grade F
special teams
Neil Rackers kicked field goals of 47, 43 and 35 yards, the Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
last one the game-winner. He missed from 47. The Texans had too many penalties on returns. Bernard Pollard had a huge block of a field goal.
Grade B
coaching
Nobody has to tell Gary Kubiak and his staff how badly their team played on both sides of the ball and special teams at times, but the Texans made enough plays to win.

YANKS MAKE A'S 1ST ORDER OF BUSINESS - ALL ALONE IN TOP SPOT AFTER ROMP

The Yankees open September exactly where they want to be - staring down at the rest of the AL East.
The hot bat of Mark Teixeira and a dismal A's offense helped nfl throwback jerseys
the Yankees to a 9-3 victory in front of 44,575 fans at Yankee Stadium. The victory, along with the Rays' loss to the Blue Jays, snapped the tie atop the division, leaving the Yankees alone in first for the first time in nine days.
With 30 games left in the season the race for October is set to hit full throttle. The Yankees survived an August in which they endured injuries to Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte, a brutal schedule with just two off days and inconsistent starting pitching. They went 16-13 in the month despite the obstacles.
"We came out of it still in first place, which is where we want to be," Teixeira said. "We'd love to be 10 games up, but this division is too tough. We're just going to keep fighting and put August behind us and look forward to September."
Last night, it was another home run from Teixeira, his 30th of the season, plus longballs from Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson that allowed the Yankees to build a big lead and cruise past the A's for their fourth straight victory, their longest winning streak since a seven-game run in the first week of July.
It wasn't all pretty for the Bombers. Phil Hughes walked five batters, tying his career high for the second straight outing, and ran his pitch count up to 98 in five innings. The final numbers were not awful - four hits in five innings and two runs allowed - but it was a performance that is not going to allay any fears the Yankees might have about Chargers jersey
their young right-hander.
"I was embarrassed for myself, so I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been for our guys who were battling at the plate to sit out there and watch that," Hughes said.
As for the Hughes Rules, his season inning count sits at 149 1/3 innings with five or six starts left and a limit believed to be in the 170-175 range.
Hughes escaped big innings, but was down on himself after the game.
"It's never fun to pitch that way," he said. "Everyone says, 'Way to battle.' It's like, I don't want to battle every time. I'd like to get a good one in every now and then."
Derek Jeter, who went 0-for-3, also continues to struggle. He is now hitless in his past 12 at-bats and is in a 2-for-30 skid.
Last night the Bombers feasted on Rutherford, N.J. native Vin Mazzaro. They touched him for seven earned runs on seven hits and three homers.
The Yankees put up three runs in the first on two hits and an error. One of the hits was a rare triple by Jorge Posada, the 10th of his career and his first since April 26, 2008.
Now, the sprint to the postseason begins, and the Yankees enter the stretch drive alone in Bears jersey
first.
"I thought we battled through a tough month with some injuries and an extremely tough schedule physically," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I thought our guys played extremely hard and found a way to have a winning month. In our division, that's extremely important."

Minnesota Twins promote 3 pitchers, including starter for tonight

The Minnesota Twins have promoted right-handed pitchers Matt Fox, Rob Delaney and Alex Burnett from Class AAA Rochester, and Fox will start tonight for the pitching-depleted team against Texas at Target Field, the Twins announced today.
The Twins moved first baseman Justin Morneau to the 60-day football jerseys
disabled list to make room on the 40-man roster for Fox. Morneau has been out with a concussion since July 7.
The Twins' pitching staff has been depleted recently by injury and overwork. In Thursday night's 10-9, 13-inning loss to Detroit, the Twins had to use starters Brian Duensing and Nick Blackburn in relief.
Fox is 6-9 with a 3.95 earned-run average for Rochester this season. His last start was Monday, when he allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in six innings.
With the Phillies holding a one-run lead against Florida on Tuesday night, Charlie Manuel stuck with his setup man, Ryan Madson, for the ninth inning even though the righthander had already pitched in the eighth.
That's because Phillies closer Brad Lidge wasn't available.
After the 8-7 victory over the Marlins, Manuel revealed that Lidge has had soreness in his right elbow, the same one that was surgically repaired in the off-season and has forced the closer to spend two stints on the disabled list in 2010.
Manuel said Lidge was not likely to be available until at least Friday. The Phillies are off Thursday.
"I'm always concerned," Manuel said. "It came up two days ago. He pitched and it's a little tender."
Lidge downplayed the injury.
"I'm not concerned," Lidge said. "I had a little hyperextension [on Saturday]. There's a little pain. I pitched through it [on Monday]. I'll definitely be back for sure on Friday."
In Game 2 of Monday's doubleheader, Lidge recorded his 21st save of the season. He allowed a hit but struck out two.
Lidge has a 3.38 ERA this season. Since blowing a save July 31 in Washington, the closer has allowed just one earned run in 161/3 innings.
"It is different from what I had before," Lidge said. "But instead of trying to throw through the pain and maybe make it worse, we decided I should take two nights off. It really is minor."
The fifth starter
For now, the Phillies are noncommittal on whether Kyle Kendrick or Vance Worley will start when the fifth pitcher makes his next turn in the rotation Saturday at New York.
"We have time," pitching coach Rich Dubee said.
Dubee said he was impressed by Worley, who pitched five innings in Monday's first game. He allowed two runs on six hits and struck out five. Worley ran into a few jams and limited the damage in his first major-league start.
"I like the way he competed," Dubee said. "He worked with tempo and composure."
Meanwhile, Kendrick has struggled. In his last four starts combined, Kendrick has struck out Indianapolis Colts jersey
five. In that span, he has a 7.84 ERA in 202/3 innings.
Granted, Kendrick is not a strikeout pitcher and relies on a great deal of luck since opponents normally put a lot of balls in play.
Dubee said the fact that Kendrick has made 79 career starts as opposed to Worley's one will not factor into the decision.
"We don't have reservations about anyone here," Dubee said. "That's why they're here. If we think they give us the best chance, we'll go with them."
Brown scratched
About two hours before the first pitch, rookie Domonic Brown was scratched from the lineup with a strained right quadriceps. After an examination during Tuesday's game, Brown said doctors told him he was day-to-day.
Brown said he has felt the tightness for about a week. Sliding into home plate in the second inning of Monday's second game made things worse.
There was a little more pain today," Brown said. "I iced it down and went out there for early hitting and it didn't feel too good. So we didn't want to make it any worse."
He was honored Tuesday as the Paul Owens Award winner for best position player in the Phillies' minor-league system. Righthander Scott Mathieson won the award for pitchers. The two players will receive their awards during a pregame presentation Sept. 19, when the Phillies host Washington.
Extra bases
Coming off Monday's rehab appearance for triple-A Lehigh Valley, reliever Danys Baez (back spasms) Dallas Cowboys jersey
said he would be ready to come off the disabled list Friday when eligible. . . . Rod Nichols, the pitching coach at Lehigh Valley, will join the Phillies on Wednesday as an additional coach for the remainder of the regular season. . . . Shane Victorino is the Phillies' nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given annually by Major League Baseball as the highest community service honor.

POSADA, UMP SHARE APOLOGIES

Jorge Posada blasted his 17th home run of the season in the second inning yesterday and made an apology on his way around the bases.
As Posada jogged toward third base, umpire Dana DeMuth nfl jerseys
made sure to walk close enough to get Posada's ear. DeMuth threw Posada out of Wednesday night's game after the Yankees catcher argued a called strike three in the eighth inning.
Replays showed Posada was right and the ball was clearly outside. DeMuth must have realized he made a mistake when he saw the video because he went out of his way to say something to Posada. Posada did not reveal what DeMuth said, but called him a "class act."
"I apologized to him, too," Posada told The Post.
After the ejection, Posada completely lost it and had to be held back by manager Joe Girardi.
Yesterday's home run off Dallas Braden was Posada's fourth in his last 11 games. He has hit three of his last four homers off left-handed pitchers.
*** Nick Swisher exited the game with stiffness in his left knee after his first inning at-bat. Swisher Minnesota Vikings jersey
fouled a ball off the same knee in Toronto on Aug. 24. He missed one game, but has played in every game since last Friday.
Swisher said he felt something in the knee after making a play in the outfield Wednesday. He then felt it warming up yesterday, but thought he could play through it. When he grounded out in the first inning, he realized he could not sprint to first base.
Curtis Granderson replaced him in the lineup to start the second. Swisher is day-to-day and hopes to return to the lineup today.
"I thought I'd be able to battle through it," Swisher said. "That first ground ball I hit I struggled getting out of the box and I said 'All right, let's not be dumb about this.' "
*** Andy Pettitte (left groin strain) said he felt fine yesterday, the Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
day after throwing his latest bullpen session. He will throw a simulated game tomorrow morning. If that goes well, a minor league rehab assignment is likely the next step. . . . Alex Rodriguez (left calf strain) hit in batting practice for the second straight day and took grounders at third base. Girardi said Rodriguez reported no problems. He is eligible to come off the disabled list Sunday. . . . Minor league third baseman Brandon Laird was named the Double-A Eastern League's MVP and Rookie of the Year. Currently at Triple-A, the 22-year-old hit .291 with 23 home runs and 90 RBIs for Double-A Trenton.

Saturday’s American League Capsules

BALTIMORE(AP) —CC Sabathia(notes) became a 20-game winner for the first time in his stellar career, pitching the New York Yankees past the Baltimore Orioles 11-3 Saturday night.
Sabathia (20-6) leads the majors in victories. He twice finished seasons with 19 wins, and succeeded this year in his third try at No. 20.
Sabathia already had a Cy Young Award, a World Series championship and several All-Star selections to his credit over 10 seasons. Winning 20 games was about the only thing missing on his pitching resume.
The big lefty allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings for the AL East leaders. Sabathia, denied the milestone nfl jerseys
win in a home loss to the Orioles on Sept. 7, walked one and struck out four, improving to 14-2 all-time against Baltimore.
Robinson Cano(notes) and Curtis Granderson(notes) homered for the Yankees. Cano’s two-run shot put the second baseman at 101 RBIs. That gave the Yankees three infielders with 100 or more RBIs in a single season for the first time in franchise history - first baseman Mark Teixeira(notes) and third baseman Alex Rodriguez(notes) previously reached the mark.
Jeremy Guthrie(notes) (10-14) took the loss.
Rays 4, Angels 3, 10 innings=
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Carlos Pena(notes) hit a tying single with two outs in the ninth inning for Tampa Bay, then shortstop Brandon Wood’s(notes) throwing error with two outs in the 10th lifted the Rays over the Los Angeles Angels.
The Rays stayed one-half game behind New York in the AL East, and continued to hold a sizable lead over Boston in the wild-card race.
Reid Brignac(notes) opened the Rays 10th with a double off Bobby Cassevah(notes) (0-2), and pinch-runner Jason Bartlett(notes) went on third on John Jaso’s(notes) grounder.
Slumping Ben Zobrist(notes) walked, Carl Crawford(notes) popped out and Evan Longoria(notes) was intentionally walked to load the bases. Willy Aybar(notes) hit a grounder on a full-count pitch up the middle that Wood fielded, but he made a wild throw.
Rafael Soriano(notes) (3-2) threw a perfect 10th.
Blue Jays 4, Red Sox 3=
BOSTON (AP) - Jose Batista hit his major league-leading 49th homer, extending his own club record set one night earlier, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox.
Batista’s homer in the first inning sailed over the Green Monster seats and into a parking lot across the street. The Blue Jays’ slugger established the franchise home run record in Friday’s win. George Bell held the previous mark with 47, set in 1987.
Ricky Romero(notes) (13-9) pitched six innings for the win. Kevin Gregg(notes) got three outs for his 33rd save.
Josh Beckett(notes) (5-5) gave up three earned runs and 10 hits in seven innings.
Twins 4, Athletics 2=
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Rookie Danny Valencia(notes) hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the sixth inning, sending Kevin Slowey(notes) and the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins over the Oakland Athletics.
The Twins’ magic number for clinching the division is five. They lead Chicago by 10 games.
Slowey (13-6) set a career high for wins, giving up two runs and five hits in Chargers jersey
6 2-3 innings. Matt Capps(notes) earned his 40th save and 13th in 15 chances since coming to Minnesota.
Landon Powell(notes) homered and doubled for Oakland. Rookie Chris Carter kept struggling, going 0 for 2 with a pair of strikeouts - he is 0 for 29 with 13 whiffs since making his major league debut this season.
Dallas Braden(notes) (9-13) went six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and four walks.
Tigers 6, White Sox 3=
CHICAGO (AP) - Pinch-hitter Scott Sizemore(notes) connected for a three-run homer in the eighth inning, lifting Justin Verlander(notes) and the Detroit Tigers over the Chicago White Sox.
Chicago lost its fifth in a row.
Verlander (17-8) pitched a six-hitter and struck out eight. He struggled in only one inning, giving up three runs in the fifth.
Sizemore, batting for starting second baseman Will Rhymes(notes), hit a tiebreaking home run with two outs. Reliever Sergio Santos(notes) (2-1) gave up two singles in the eighth before Sizemore homered off Chris Sale(notes).
Rangers 6, Mariners 1=
SEATTLE(AP) - Cliff Lee(notes) shut down his former teammates for eight innings in his first start in Seattle since a July trade.
Lee (12-8) allowed six hits and struck out eight for his second consecutive win after three losses and a no decision. Lee improved to 4-5 with the Rangers as they close in on their first postseason berth since 1999.
Bengie Molina(notes) had three hits and two RBIs and Jeff Francoeur(notes) hit a two-run double to lead the AL West-leading Rangers.
Seattle’s Franklin Gutierrez(notes) hit a solo homer in the seventh.
Jason Vargas(notes) (9-11) lost his sixth straight.
Indians 6 Royals 4=
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Matt LaPorta’s(notes) first career grand slam powered Cleveland past the Royals on a long, stormy night that included four rain delays totaling 3 hours and 40 minutes.
LaPorta’s grand slam off Sean O’Sullivan(notes) (2-6) gave Bears jersey
Cleveland a 5-0 lead in the fourth. Then Jai Miller(notes) and Mike Aviles(notes) hit two-run homers for Kansas City in the fifth off Justin Germano(notes).
The rain delay in the top of the fourth lasted only 2 minutes. The stoppage after the sixth was 1 hour, 39 minutes.

Colorado’s Jimenez beats Dodgers for 19th win

LOS ANGELES (AP)—The Colorado Rockies remember the bitter disappointment they felt last year when the Dodgers beat them at Chavez Ravine on the next-to-last day of the regular season to wrestle the NL West title away from them.
That won’t happen this time around, not with Los Angeles in fourth place and 11 games out cheap nfl jerseys
under retiring manager Joe Torre.
Troy Tulowitzki(notes) hit a two-run shot Friday night for his 12th homer in September, powering Ubaldo Jimenez(notes) to his 19th victory and leading the surging Rockies to a 7-5 victory just hours after Torre said he would step down at the end of the season.
The Rockies, still vying for their first division title in the franchise’s 18-year history, have 15 games left—including a three-game set against the Giants at Coors Field on the next-to-last weekend of the regular season.
“The bottom line now is that it’s a 15-game season,” manager Jim Tracy said. “It’s all in front of us. We don’t have to look behind us. All we have to do is keep staring straight ahead and doing what we have to do. I don’t think any win is any bigger than any others. Every game is big at this point in time with three teams involved.”
Last season, the Rockies entered September six games out of first place with a 72-59 record before going on a 20-9 surge that put them within one game of the front-running Dodgers with two games left. But a 5-0 loss to Clayton Kershaw(notes) forced Colorado to settle for a wild-card berth.
Jimenez (19-6) tied Roy Halladay(notes) and CC Sabathia(notes) for the major league lead in wins as Colorado closed within 1 1/2 games of NL West-leading San Francisco, which lost 3-0 to Milwaukee. They also trail San Diego by a full game.
“I love our chances. We’ve been here before, and we’re starting to smell it,” Tulowitzki said. “We’re playing very meaningful games down the stretch. We dug ourselves a hole early in the season, but we always climb out of it. And we got a huge win on the road tonight.”
Torre ended weeks of speculation about his status for next season prior to the game, announcing he would end his three-year stint with the Dodgers. His replacement will be hitting coach Don Mattingly, whom the 70-year-old Torre had as his bench coach in New York before bringing him out west after 12 seasons as Yankees manager.
“Baseball has been my life, and hopefully will continue to be my life in some capacity,” Torre said. “When I came out here, it was just to find out if managing can be fun again, and it’s been fun. … But you have to make some decisions by instinct, and my instinct tells me it’s time to go.”
Jimenez allowed four runs and six hits over 6 1-3 innings. The right-hander was 1-4 in his previous seven starts.
“We took Ubaldo as far as we Indianapolis Colts jersey
could take him, because nothing was easy for him,” Tracy said. “They just kept chipping away at him and he had a lot of traffic that he had to deal with.”
Jimenez, the first Rockies pitcher with more than 17 victories in a season, has three more starts in his attempt to become the first Dominican-born 20-game winner since Bartolo Colon(notes) won 21 with the Angels in 2005.
“Just to be mentioned in that category would be really big,” Jimenez said. “When the season is over, maybe I’ll have time to think about what I’ve done. But right now I don’t worry about whether I win 19 or 20. I’m just trying to be out there for my team and I’m just happy every time the team wins.”
Todd Helton(notes) had four hits for Colorado, including a run-scoring single. His 40 homers and 126 career RBIs against the Dodgers are the most he’s had against any team.
Colorado reliever Matt Belisle(notes) was brought in to face Casey Blake(notes) with the bases loaded in the seventh and struck him out before retiring Matt Kemp(notes) on a groundout to preserve a 7-4 lead. Huston Street(notes), the fifth Rockies pitcher, got three outs for his 20th save in 23 chances despite giving up an RBI single to Blake.
Tracy said he had no reservations about giving Belisle a rematch with Blake, who hit a grand slam against him on Aug. 27 in the Dodgers’ 6-2 win over Jimenez.
“We made it a little bit more interesting than you’d like to see,” Tracy said. “I think it’s safe to say that the two outs Matt Belisle recorded in the seventh were the two biggest outs of our season thus far—getting Casey Blake and Matt Kemp.”
Hiroki Kuroda(notes) (10-13) yielded five runs, three earned, and seven hits over six innings. The right-hander is 0-4 with a 6.25 ERA in seven career starts against the Rockies.
The Dodgers were trying to improve to 3-0 against Jimenez this season, but Tulowitzki put them in a hole with his 24th homer after Eric Young(notes) reached on an error by shortstop Rafael Furcal(notes) to begin the game. Tulowitzki is batting .377 over his last 15 games with 29 RBIs.
“I couldn’t have picked a better time,” Tulowitzki said of his streak. “A lot of people talk about how I started the season, and I wish I got off to a decent start. But I know I’m going to finish strong, and that’s when the team needs you most.”
The Rockies broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth with consecutive RBI singles by Melvin Mora(notes), Seth Smith(notes) and Miguel Olivo(notes). They tacked on two more in the seventh on RBI singles by Helton and Mora against former closer Jonathan Broxton(notes).
NOTES: Torre and Mattingly both acknowledged the standing ovation they received from the crowd of Dallas Cowboys jersey
38,449 after the third inning. … Jimenez has given up only eight homers this season, the fewest by any of the 29 NL pitchers who have made at least 29 starts. He has allowed an average of 0.51 homers per nine innings since giving up Barry Bonds 762nd and final homer on Sept. 5, 2007. … Kemp struck out in the sixth inning, breaking the single-season Dodgers franchise record of 153 that he set in 2008.

AL Capsules

BALTIMORE (AP)—CC Sabathia(notes) became a 20-game winner for the first time in his stellar career, pitching the New York Yankees past the Baltimore Orioles 11-3 Saturday night.
Sabathia (20-6) leads the majors in victories. He twice finished football jersey
seasons with 19 wins, and succeeded this year in his third try at No. 20.
Sabathia already had a Cy Young Award, a World Series championship and several All-Star selections to his credit over 10 seasons. Winning 20 games was about the only thing missing on his pitching resume.
The big lefty allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings for the AL East leaders. Sabathia, denied the milestone win in a home loss to the Orioles on Sept. 7, walked one and struck out four, improving to 14-2 all-time against Baltimore.
Robinson Cano(notes) and Curtis Granderson(notes) homered for the Yankees. Cano’s two-run shot put the second baseman at 101 RBIs. That gave the Yankees three infielders with 100 or more RBIs in a single season for the first time in franchise history — first baseman Mark Teixeira(notes) and third baseman Alex Rodriguez(notes) previously reached the mark.
Jeremy Guthrie(notes) (10-14) took the loss.
Rays 4, Angels 3, 10 innings
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—Carlos Pena hit a tying single with two outs in the ninth inning for Tampa Bay, then shortstop Brandon Wood’s(notes) throwing error with two outs in the 10th lifted the Rays over the Los Angeles Angels.
The Rays stayed one-half game behind New York in the AL East, and continued to hold a sizable lead over Boston in the wild-card race.
Reid Brignac(notes) opened the Rays 10th with a double off Bobby Cassevah(notes) (0-2), and pinch-runner Jason Bartlett(notes) went on third on John Jaso’s(notes) grounder.
Slumping Ben Zobrist(notes) walked, Carl Crawford(notes) popped out and Evan Longoria(notes) was intentionally walked to load the bases. Willy Aybar(notes) hit a grounder on a full-count pitch up the middle that Wood fielded, but he made a wild throw.
Rafael Soriano(notes) (3-2) threw a perfect 10th.
Blue Jays 4, Red Sox 3
BOSTON (AP)—Jose Batista hit his major league-leading 49th homer, extending his own club record set one night earlier, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox.
Batista’s homer in the first inning sailed over the Green Monster seats and into a parking lot across the street. The Blue Jays’ slugger established the franchise home run record in Friday’s win. George Bell held the previous mark with 47, set in 1987.
Ricky Romero(notes) (13-9) pitched six innings for the Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
win. Kevin Gregg(notes) got three outs for his 33rd save.
Josh Beckett(notes) (5-5) gave up three earned runs and 10 hits in seven innings.
Twins 4, Athletics 2
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Rookie Danny Valencia(notes) hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the sixth inning, sending Kevin Slowey(notes) and the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins over the Oakland Athletics.
The Twins’ magic number for clinching the division is five. They lead Chicago by 10 games.
Slowey (13-6) set a career high for wins, giving up two runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. Matt Capps(notes) earned his 40th save and 13th in 15 chances since coming to Minnesota.
Landon Powell(notes) homered and doubled for Oakland. Rookie Chris Carter kept struggling, going 0 for 2 with a pair of strikeouts—he is 0 for 29 with 13 whiffs since making his major league debut this season.
Dallas Braden(notes) (9-13) went six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and four walks.
Tigers 6, White Sox 3
CHICAGO (AP)—Pinch-hitter Scott Sizemore(notes) connected for a three-run homer in the eighth inning, lifting Justin Verlander(notes) and the Detroit Tigers over the Chicago White Sox.
Chicago lost its fifth in a row.
Verlander (17-8) pitched a six-hitter and struck out eight. He struggled in only one inning, giving up three runs in the fifth.
Sizemore, batting for starting second baseman Will Rhymes(notes), hit a tiebreaking home run with two outs. Reliever Sergio Santos(notes) (2-1) gave up two singles in the eighth before Sizemore homered off Chris Sale(notes).
Rangers 6, Mariners 1
SEATTLE(AP)—Cliff Lee(notes) shut down his former teammates for eight innings in his first start in Seattle since a July trade.
Lee (12-8) allowed six hits and struck out eight for his second consecutive win after three losses and a no decision. Lee improved to 4-5 with the Rangers as they close in on their first postseason berth since 1999.
Bengie Molina(notes) had three hits and two RBIs and Jeff Francoeur(notes) hit a two-run double to lead the AL West-leading Rangers.
Seattle’s Franklin Gutierrez(notes) hit a solo homer in the seventh.
Jason Vargas(notes) (9-11) lost his sixth straight.
Indians 6 Royals 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Matt LaPorta’s(notes) first career grand slam powered Cleveland past the Royals on a long, stormy night that included four rain delays totaling 3 hours and 40 minutes.
LaPorta’s grand slam off Sean O’Sullivan(notes) (2-6) gave Minnesota Vikings jersey
Cleveland a 5-0 lead in the fourth. Then Jai Miller(notes) and Mike Aviles(notes) hit two-run homers for Kansas City in the fifth off Justin Germano(notes).
The rain delay in the top of the fourth lasted only 2 minutes. The stoppage after the sixth was 1 hour, 39 minutes.

Bayern sues UEFA officials over corruption report

MUNICH (AP)—Bayern Munich filed suit Wednesday against the head of UEFA’s disciplinary service and another official, after a magazine report claimed the duo were behind unsubstantiated corruption allegations against the club.
Bayern said it filed a criminal complaint with Munich prosecutors against Peter Limacher and fellow UEFA employee Robin Boksic, following the allegations in a report in Germany’s Stern magazine.
UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino responded that nfl jersey
Bayern was “overreacting,” and denied that Europe’s football authority suspected the German champion of conspiring to lose a 2008 match against Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg.
“We have never considered (Bayern) to be guilty of anything, and I am surprised to see them attacking UEFA like this,” Infantino said in a statement.
Infantino said Limacher was “at the forefront” of UEFA’s fight against match-fixing, and that the body was ready to take legal action to defend its own and his integrity.
UEFA said it has written to Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge expressing shock at his club’s legal move. Only last week, Rummenigge talked of his close working relationship with UEFA president Michel Platini after the two former European footballers of the year shared dinner in Geneva during a gathering of Europe’s top clubs.
Stern reported on its website that Boksic was the source of 2008 allegations that Russian crime bosses manipulated a UEFA Cup semifinals match between Bayern and Zenit. German prosecutors said at the time they had no evidence to start an investigation.
Bayern said the magazine report indicates that the two officials discredited clubs “including FC Bayern Munich, with gross falsehoods and defamatory statements.”
Bayern said the two officals “must be severely penalized.” The Indianapolis Colts jersey
club called for a statement from Platini and said it “expects immediate action with regard to the continued employment of Peter Limacher and Robin Boksic.”
Infantino said UEFA placed its “entire trust” in Limacher, who has helped the body work with a specialist police fraud unit in Bochum, Germany, to investigate nearly 300 matches across Europe which are suspected of being fixed for betting coups by a Croatian crime syndicate based in Berlin.
“UEFA and the clubs are on the same side in such a battle, and we should remain united, to be stronger against corruption,” Infantino said.
UEFA said it would clarify “the past contribution of Robin Boksic to certain match-fixing investigations” and address allegations against him.
Stern also reported that World Cup organizer FIFA had questioned the quality and accuracy of Boksic’s investigative work when he was involved in anti-corruption operations during the tournament in South Africa.
“As a matter of principle FIFA does not discuss issues of security publicly,” football’s world governing body said in a statement to The Associated Press. “However, FIFA takes all initiatives available to it to protect the integrity of the game.”
FIFA said it would not comment on legal action between UEFA and Bayern.
In the UEFA Cup semifinal match at the heart of Dallas Cowboys jersey
the case, Bayern lost 4-0 away to Zenit in May 2008 after the sides drew the first-leg 1-1 in Germany.
Munich prosecutors were contacted several months later by a Spanish judge who was investigating Russian mobsters based in Spain, whom the judge suspected of involvement in fixing the return match in St. Petersburg.

Togo minister denounces fake team as mafia-owned

LOME, Togo (AP)—The fake Togo national team that played Bahrain last week was made up of “unidentified players and their shadowy handlers” who belonged to a “mafia group,” the Togolese sports minister said Wednesday.
Christophe Tchao told The Associated Press that the team, which lost 3-0 at Bahrain’s National Stadium in Riffa on Sept. 7, did not have the necessary authorization from his ministry to represent the country in an international friendly.
“This rule was not complied with by the group of nfl jerseys
unidentified players and their shadowy handlers,” Tchao said. “It is obvious that the players belonged to a mafia group, who aided and abetted them to leave Togo without authorization.”
Tchao said he had ordered the federation to provide his ministry with full details of “the scandalous participation of a group of Togolese players in a friendly match with Bahrain.”
The Bahrain Football Association also appears to have been tricked, after a former Togo football official said his signature was forged in the letter to the Bahraini federation that set up the match.
The AP has received documents showing the name of Kodzo Samlan, a former secretary general at Togo’s interim football federation, as the signatory in a letter dated Aug. 17 and addressed to BFA general secretary Ahmed Jassim Mohammad.
The documents were provided by the BFA, which said they were supposed to prove the game was legitimate.
However, Samlan said he stopped working for Togo’s federation in May.
“So I could not have written that letter,” Samlan said.
Another clue that the match was illegitimate was the substitution only minutes before the start of the match of the initial squad list with a completely different team document that contained unknown players.
Mystery also surrounds the role of another former Togo federation Minnesota Vikings jersey
employee, Tchanile Bana, who is listed on the documents as one of five officials who accompanied the fake team to Bahrain.
Bana, a former member of the national team’s technical staff, was banned from football for two years by Togo’s government last month after taking a team to an international tournament in Egypt without permission.
Bana could not be reached for comment.
The incident is a further embarrassment for Togo after its football federation was dissolved by FIFA last December. The federation is due to elect a new leadership next month.
Togo chairman Seiyi Memene said the federation will investigate the incident with the aid of FIFA, which says it has not yet received a request from Togo for help.
FIFA said it wouldn’t comment as the match was not played under its control.
The BFA intends to formally complain to Togo’s federation, but said it is blameless in the incident.
Bahrain coach Josef Hickersberger called the match “boring” and “a wasted opportunity” and said the Togo players were not fit enough to play 90 minutes.
Togo’s real national team played in Botswana three days before the Dallas Cowboys jersey
fake match, losing 2-1 in an African Cup of Nations qualifier.
AP Sports Writer Michael Casey in Doha, Qatar, contributed to this report.

Jaguars looking for more from West Coast trip

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP)
When the Jacksonville Jaguars headed West last season, things went south.
In a hurry, too.
The Jaguars were outscored 61-3 in trips to Seattle and San Francisco, embarrassing losses that still haunt players and have them motivated for a better showing this weekend in San Diego.
''We have some serious demons to exercise on the West Coast,'' guard football jersey
Uche Nwaneri said.
Coach Jack Del Rio already has altered his normal travel plans, completely scrapping last year's cross-country itinerary. Instead of flying out Friday afternoon and taking an extra night to recover from the long plane ride and adjust to the three-time-zone difference, the coach is having his team fly Saturday afternoon.
''The West Coast wasn't real good to us last year,'' Del Rio said Wednesday. ''We'll travel out Saturday, land, meet, go to bed, wake up, get taped and play. It's going to be very much a short, tight business trip.''
The Jaguars (1-0) also expect better results.
Jacksonville played its worst game of the season in Seattle last October. Defensive end Quentin Groves caused a three-car accident on his way to the airport, missed the charter flight and got fined. Leading receiver Mike Sims-Walker missed curfew before the game, got benched and fined.
Things really bottomed out when the Jaguars took the field.
The Seahawks picked apart Jacksonville's secondary, sacked David Garrard five times and handed the Jaguars their most lopsided loss (41-0) in Del Rio's seven seasons.
Star running back Maurice Jones-Drew vented his frustration three days later, questioning play-calling, personnel decisions and the team's offensive identity.
Looking back, Jones-Drew believes youth and inexperience were the real problems.
''That's not an excuse,'' he said. ''We should have prepared better to play, but having that year under our belt and seeing what happened - going 61-3 on both trips - there's a different mindset here about that.''
Jacksonville's second West Coast trip in 2009 went slightly better, but the result was the same. San Francisco jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first half and coasted to a 20-3 victory in late November.
''We traveled out there and I felt great going into the Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
games, and I'm sure everybody else felt great,'' Garrard said. ''But that's not what the scoreboard said and it's not what the stats said. It really is just playing better and executing and not beating ourselves and not having costly turnovers and penalties and those kinds of things.''
Poor execution was the common thread.
In Seattle, Jacksonville converted just twice on third down, punted eight times, fumbled twice, was flagged nine times and gave up nearly 400 yards on defense.
In San Francisco, the Jaguars converted three times on third down, punted four times, fumbled twice, were flagged six times and surrendered 203 in the first half alone.
''However we played last year really doesn't affect how we play this year,'' cornerback Rashean Mathis said. ''We haven't had a good showing. It's important for us as a team to take a mindset in there. Regardless of how far we have to travel, regardless of what precautions we have to take, regardless of what adverse situations, we still have to come play good football.''
The Jaguars are planning the usual things for the long flight, including plenty of rest and staying hydrated. Jones-Drew said that didn't happen last season.
''You have to prepare your body different ways,'' he said. ''We kind of treated it like it was a two-hour flight. That's no excuse. We still should have went up there and won. But that's what happens when you don't prepare your body the right way. Mentally, we were prepared. I just think we didn't do some of the right things to take care of our bodies.''
The Chargers have their own issues to deal with this week. They're dealing with a short week following a Monday night loss at Kansas City. But coach Norv Turner, who has coached on the East Coast and the West Coast, believes much of that stuff can be overblown.
''My experience (is) the better the Minnesota Vikings jersey
team you're on, the better you handle it,'' Turner said. ''People make a big deal out of it, but when you go play good, I've never heard people say they overcame the time distance, the time change. It's part of this league and it's part of what you have to do to handle it.''

Delhomme slowed by ankle

Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme is wearing a walking boot and not practicing because of a right ankle injury suffered in Sunday's opener.
Delhomme got hurt while throwing a game-swinging interception in the first half of nfl jersey
a 17-14 loss against Tampa Bay, his debut with the Browns.
Coach Eric Mangini did not reveal medical results and declined to characterize Delhomme's injury. Mangini said that the 35-year-old QB is ''getting better.''
''He's sore,'' Mangini said. ''In terms of how long he will be out, he's a pretty tough guy. I'd say it's day to day.''
Delhomme was equally vague in discussing his injury. He wore a calf-high boot on his right leg as he spoke to reporters in the locker room before Wednesday's practice. Delhomme couldn't recall having an ankle injury in his football career.
He underwent an MRI on Tuesday but did not say what those tests revealed.
''I'm a big believer in what's said in the Dallas Cowboys jersey
training room, stays in the training room,'' he said.
Delhomme will get treatment all week and isn't sure yet about his status for Sunday's home opener against Kansas City.
''I'm always optimistic about anything,'' he said. ''We're just going to be aggressive in our treatment and see where that takes us.''
If Delhomme can't play, backup Seneca Wallace will start. Wallace, who will get the snaps with Cleveland's starting offense on Wednesday, made 14 starts during seven seasons with Seattle.
Delhomme stayed in Sunday's game after getting hurt. He Minnesota Vikings jersey
favored his right leg, but Mangini said the team's medical staff cleared him to continue playing. Delhomme finished 20 of 37 for 227 yards and one touchdown.
Mangini also said nose tackle Shaun Rogers will miss practice.

Eagles-Lions Preview

It was a tough start to the season for the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions.
After both teams saw their starting quarterbacks knocked out of nfl jerseys
action in Week 1 losses, the Eagles visit the Lions on Sunday.
Philadelphia lost Kevin Kolb to a concussion during its 27-20 home defeat to Green Bay last Sunday, and the Lions will be without Matthew Stafford as he recovers from an injured shoulder suffered in their controversial 19-14 loss at Chicago.
Kolb remains a possibility for Sunday but hasn't passed a necessary concussion test, and coach Andy Reid is unsure as to when his quarterback will return to action.
"Listen, I'm going to listen to the experts and I'm going to follow what the protocol is here and that's how I'm going about it," Reid told the Eagles' official website.
With Kolb on the sidelines, Michael Vick stepped in with a performance reminiscent of his days with Atlanta. He was 16 of 24 for 175 yards with a touchdown and added 103 rushing yards on 11 attempts.
"I felt like I battled, I fought, I had that instinct and desire to win. I had that old feel," Vick said. "... I feel like if I had been out there for four quarters, maybe we would've had a chance to win the game."
He connected on a 17-yard score to Jeremy Maclin in the fourth quarter.
"I thought Michael was phenomenal," Reid said. "He brought the team back, he kept his poise."
Philadelphia sustained three other significant injures to middle linebacker Stewart Bradley, center Jamaal Jackson and fullback Leonard Weaver. Bradley's status is unknown after suffering a concussion, while Jackson and Weaver were placed on injured reserve.
"Those are two good football players," Reid said regarding Jackson and Indianapolis Colts jersey
Weaver. "... It breaks your heart to see either one of them (go down)."
While Stafford doesn't need surgery, his unavailability comes as another huge blow for the Lions, who thought they had beaten the Bears last Sunday.
With Detroit trailing 19-14 and 31 seconds left in the game, Shaun Hill threw the ball up to Calvin Johnson, who grabbed it and got two feet down in the end zone for what seemed to be the winning touchdown.
However, it was ruled that Johnson failed to maintain possession of the ball throughout the entire process of the catch.
"I found out after I sprinted halfway across the field that it didn't count," Johnson said. "It is what it is, and now it's over."
Despite the loss, the Lions are confident with Hill under center. He went 9 for 19 for 88 yards with an interception last weekend.
"He's a veteran quarterback - he's been around a long time, he knows how to prepare, he knows how to be ready for those situations, he's been in that role before," coach Jim Schwartz said.
Hill was 10-6 as a starter for San Fransisco from 2007-2009 and is eager to show that he can get the job done.
"Everybody plays this game to actually play it, not just to practice," Hill said. "So I'm very excited for the opportunity."
Jahvid Best made his NFL debut last week after the Minnesota Vikings jersey
Lions selected him with the No. 30 overall pick in April. He carried the ball 14 times for 20 yards with two touchdowns and caught five passes for 16 yards.
Including playoffs, the Eagles have won five straight against the Lions, with four of the meetings coming in Philadelphia. The Eagles won 30-13 in their last visit to Detroit in 2004.

Saints LT Bushrod not getting too comfortable

METAIRIE, La. (AP)—Jermon Bushrod(notes) doesn’t like to use the word “comfortable,” at least not when talking about playing left tackle for the New Orleans Saints.
The second-year starter figures there isn’t much room for error when protecting reigning Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees(notes) from some of nfl jerseys
the best pass rushers in the league. The fact that Bushrod’s primary competition for his job - Jammal Brown(notes) - was traded to Washington in the offseason doesn’t change that.
“I don’t really like to try to get comfortable in this whole situation, truthfully,” Bushrod said, recalling how he struggled against DeMarcus Ware(notes) of the Dallas Cowboys in the Saints’ first loss of last season.
When the Saints were 13-0 last December, Bushrod recalled, he thought he had a good grasp of what it took to be a starting left tackle in the NFL. During the next game, Ware had two sacks, two forced fumbles and three quarterback hits.
“It kind of all backfired on me, so you just got to continue to fight to stay hungry and … continue just to get better on a day-to-day basis,” Bushrod said.
Bushrod had never played an offensive snap when Brown, a 2005 first-round draft pick out of Oklahoma, was injured during the 2009 preseason.
Now, as Bushrod begins his second season as a starter, he is performing confidently as Brees’ blind-side protector, whether he admits to feeling secure about his position on the club or not.
He was often left one-on-one against Minnesota Vikings star defensive end Jared Allen(notes) in the Saints’ season-opening 14-9 win last week, and Allen didn’t register a sack.
“We won the battle,” Bushrod said. “I really don’t harp too much on Dallas Cowboys jersey
individual-type things. We just went out there as 11. This is not an individual game. It’s a team game. There were times I counted on my teammates to help me out and vice versa.”
Although the 26-year-old Bushrod has a left tackle’s build at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, he wasn’t a household name coming out of Towson and was taken by the Saints in fourth round of the 2007 draft.
He then spent two seasons learning the position behind Brown before finally getting his chance in 2009. By the time last season was over, he had a Super Bowl ring. Yet it wasn’t clear whether he’d get his starting job back until Brown, a two-time Pro Bowl player who was in the midst of a contract holdout, was traded to the Redskins in June.
“It was hard seeing a guy like that go because I was behind him for 2 1/2 years,” Bushrod said. “He’s a great player. He’s a great friend. Seeing him leave was tough, but I guess it was an opportunity for me to go out here and continue just to fight to get better.”
Coaches and teammates say Bushrod is getting better. When asked if Bushrod played well against Allen, who had 14 1/2 sacks last season, Saints coach Sean Payton replied, “He sure did.”
Veteran right tackle Jon Stinchcomb(notes) agreed.
“He had a heck of a game,” Stinchcomb said. “(Minnesota’s) front four is elite and constantly he was in one-on-one situations, and constantly he stepped up to the challenge. So I thought he played very well against a very quality opponent.”
Bushrod is playing under a one-year, $1.7 million tender he signed as a restricted free agent. So at this point, there’s no telling what Bushrod’s future holds after this season.
The Saints also used a second-round draft choice last spring on Southern Cal left tackle Charles Brown(notes), who is a reserve lineman for now.
“I understand we brought another guy in, but it’s a fight daily,” Bushrod said. “You can’t ever get too comfortable because playing in Indianapolis Colts jersey
this league is a privilege and it’s hard work.”
Notes: After three days off, the Saints returned to team headquarters on Tuesday. They’re scheduled to take Wednesday off before returning to practice Thursday through Saturday. … The Saints travel on Sunday for their Monday night game at San Francisco.

Shanahan gives Haynesworth a positive review

It’s at least a minor upset.
Albert Haynesworth(notes) made it through the regular-season opener – and the postgame scene—with the Washington Redskins without a major disturbance.
Haynesworth could not have been happy with his role as a football jerseys
bit player in the upset victory over the Dallas Cowboys at FedEx Field, but he wasn’t complaining afterward.
The big question for him, though, was how he felt about the prospect of being traded. Rumors swirled a week ago at this time that the Redskins were working to trade the defensive lineman to the Tennessee Titans.
“It's not my decision,” Haynesworth said, according to Paul Tenorio of the Washington Post. “I'm just a player.”
Per the report, Haynesworth got 16 snaps, mostly at nose tackle, the Minnesota Vikings jersey
position he was so opposed to playing during the offseason.
“I played OK,” Haynesworth said. “I made a few tackles and did what I was supposed to do.”
The evaluation that matters most was favorable for Haynesworth today. Coach Mike Shanahan was positive when asked by reporters about the $100 million man.
“(He) played hard,” Shanahan said. “He's getting more comfortable with the 3-4 scheme.”
Follow me on Twitter: Dallas Cowboys jersey
BradBiggs
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Live Trippin’: Tuesday, noon PT

After attending the season-opening Favre-fest in New Orleans last Thursday and the Michael Vick(notes) Rehabilitation Tour in Philadelphia three days later, my head is officially spinning from the fast-developing storylines a week into the 2010 NFL season. Or maybe that’s just the sleep nfl jerseys
deprivation, or the Peet’s iced tea withdrawal, or the sensation of having watched Calvin Johnson’s(notes) disallowed catch over and over and over in an attempt to figure out how, in modern day pro football, it was not a touchdown.
Whatever – with each team now having played a game, we’re now in position to start drawing conclusions. While most of them are laughably premature (that’s what she said) these proclamations are perfect fodder for Live Trippin’, and I look forward to hashing them out with my favorite cyber-companions.
Are the 49ers the most relentlessly overhyped team in recent memory?
Are Tom Brady(notes) and the Patriots back in a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
big way?
Can Dennis Dixon(notes) keep winning and create a quarterback controversy in Pittsburgh?
Beginning Tuesday at noon Pacific time, and continuing for a generous hour, we’ll break it all down and decide what’s what. I’d also love to get your thoughts on my fan’s guide to the impending labor drama and Parts I and II of my fifth annual NFL owner rankings.
Oh, and there’s still time to politic for your team’s place in this season’s inaugural ’32 Questions,’ which returns Wednesday.
By that point, I really, really hope my head is Dallas Cowboys jersey
back to normal.
Yeah, I know – cue the Michael Scott clip once more …

Report: CB Vasher signs with Lions

Nathan Vasher(notes), a former Pro Bowl cornerback with the Bears who was cut by the Chargers at the end of training camp, has been signed by the Lions, according to the Detroit News.
The Lions allowed 362 passing yards in Week One and will look to cheap nfl jerseys
Vasher to help plug some leaks in the secondary. Vasher played six seasons in Chicago, starting 46 games and making a Pro Bowl appearance in 2005, when he had a career-high eight interceptions. He recorded only one INT in each of the past three seasons, a reason he fell out of Minnesota Vikings jersey
favor with the Bears' ball-hawking approach.
The way we see it
Detroit lacks playmakers at cornerback, especially after Indianapolis Colts jersey
Aaron Berry(notes) suffered a shoulder injury on opening day. If Vasher can revert to his elite form, however unlikely that might be, the signing will qualify as a very smart one for the Lions. More likely is that he'll provide some needed depth.

SNAP ANALYSIS-Soccer-Italy strike shows player power is growing

By Mark Meadows
MILAN, Sept 10 (Reuters) - The Italian footballers’ association has called a strike for the top-flight Serie A matches on Sept. 25 and 26, dealing a blow to league bosses who had hoped to curtail player power in the modern game. [nLDE6890P2]
The strike is over the lack of nfl throwback jerseys
a collective contract between the trade union and the clubs guaranteeing players’ basic rights.
The association is also unhappy with clubs trying to force its members to move teams before the end of their contracts when they are no longer required.
* Fans, pundits, federation officials, governments and club owners across the soccer world have long complained about the vast amount of money top soccer players earn for what many young people would choose to do for free if they had the chance.
The idea of player power has entered the soccer vocabulary in recent years especially when it comes to footballers demanding or more often than not getting transfers to bigger clubs despite being contracted to another team.
Now the boot is on the other foot and it is the players in Serie A who feel they are “being treated like objects” by clubs who tell them they are no longer wanted and try to force them to move teams irrespective of having a contract.
* The proposed strike and the fallout could lead to detailed changes in how soccer contracts work, much like the Bosman case which allowed players to walk away from a club once their contract ended.
Some Serie A club bosses want to be able to rip up the final year of Minnesota Vikings jersey
an underperforming or overly expensive player’s contract and only pay him 50 percent of what he would have been due that season to make him leave for another club.
But players who see out their contracts despite barely playing, accused by detractors of picking up huge cheques for no work, believe the law is on their side.
* The strike could have implications for other soccer and sports leagues all over the world. The Italian players’ association, which has held strikes in the distant past, has recently talked of striking again over a series of disputes but they were often viewed as empty threats.
Now the strike looks set to go ahead, with AC Milan defender and association member Massimo Oddo saying it will definitely happen, Serie A players have sent a powerful message that they can cripple a multi-million dollar industry just like that.
It could encourage other disaffected player unions to seek similar action, with industrial disputes being largely confined to American sports like NHL in recent years.
* The financial impact of the strike on Serie A, which broke away from the rest ofDallas Cowboys jersey
the Italian league at the start of the season, could be sizeable.
Television broadcasters and sponsors will not be amused and any threats of further strike action could further paralyse the league, which has only just recovered from a 2006 match-fixing scandal which seriously damaged the brand.

Serie A players to strike over contract dispute

* Player’s association calls strike for Sept. 25/26 games
* Row over treatment of players in last year of contract
(adds league quotes, views of expert)
By Mark Meadows
MILAN, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Rebellious Serie A players announced plans to strike during matches on Sept. 25 and 26 because of football jerseys
a contract dispute, throwing Italian soccer into more disarray on Friday and spooking other leagues and sports.
The Italian footballers’ association has been sabre-rattling for months after a collective contract between the trade union and the league guaranteeing players’ basic rights expired in the close-season and talks over a renewal faltered.
“The association, in perfect symphony with the players of Serie A, has decided not to go on the field for the fifth round of matches of the Serie A championship on Sept. 25 and 26 in protest against requests to impose new contractual rules,” AC Milan defender Massimo Oddo told a news conference in the city.
A full programme of Serie A games is planned for that weekend and if the strike happens it will cause havoc with broadcasters and the league schedule for the rest of the season.
Italian soccer has only just recovered from the chaos of a 2006 match-rigging scandal while wholesale changes have been made at the football federation after the national team were dumped out of the World Cup in the group stage as holders.
The players’ association, which did strike in 1996 over similar grievances, has threatened to strike again several times in recent seasons over an array of disputes but it has stepped back from the brink or come to an agreement with bosses.
COMPLEX ISSUE
This time the weight of ill-feeling over a complex contract issue has been greater.
“There will definitely be a strike,” said union member Oddo, a 2006 Italy World Cup winner who now rarely plays for Milan.
“The strike is against the lack of Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
a new collective contract but also the fact we players feel we are treated like objects.”
The top flight Serie A, which formed a breakaway division from the rest of the Italian league at the start of this term with club bosses vowing to run things their way, had said they would propose a new collective deal this Monday.
“To call a strike is an extreme choice,” league chief Maurizio Beretta said in a statement having arranged his own hastily arranged news conference in Rome.
“The idea of arriving at the negotiating table with a loaded gun is not the best way to forge agreement.”
Allied to the absence of a collective agreement, the players’ association has become alarmed by the trend of clubs trying to force players to move teams in the last year of their contracts when they are no longer wanted.
Fans and some club presidents have long lamented the vast amount of money top soccer players are paid and the fact that if a footballer wants to move clubs he can invariably force through a transfer by inferring he will not give his all for his team.
The association has hit back by saying some clubs had wanted to rip up the last year of a contract of a well-paid player they no longer wanted and only pay him 50 percent of what he was due.
Professor Tom Cannon of Liverpool University, an expert in football finance, said other leagues would quiver at the strike prospect even though the issue is centred on Italy for now.
“Owners are trying to get more control of Dallas Cowboys jersey
their own finances,” he told Reuters. “The issues emerging in Italy have not arisen in England or Spain yet but clearly there are financial concerns across Europe.
“I still don’t think the strike will happen. My expectation is a deal will be done but it’s not impossible.”
Serie A matches will be played as normal this weekend

Villa sends signed shirts to trapped Chilean miners

MADRID, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Barcelona striker David Villa, whose family have worked in mining for generations, has sent two signed shirts to the 33 workers who have been trapped down a Chilean shaft for more than a month.
The 28-year-old from the Spanish mining region of nfl jerseys
Asturias signed one Barca shirt “be strong” and wrote a personal message on another for Franklin Lobos, a former professional soccer player who is one of the trapped workers.
“I am part of Minnesota Vikings jersey
the mining family and I share the concern of the relatives but everything will turn out well,” Villa was quoted as saying by Spanish sports daily El Mundo Deportivo.
“I wanted to let them know that I am with Indianapolis Colts jersey
them, that all of us who know what it’s like in a mine are with them and that the whole world is watching them and supports them,” he added.

Sounders FC training Wednesday at Starfire -- photo reel

With football season here, so too is football weather. And on a cold, overcast, rainy afternoon Sounders FC held one last training session before a big home game against defending MLS champion Real Salt Lake tomorrow night.
Personnel continues to be the big issue and football jerseys
some news was positive. Sanna Nyassi is back from international duty. Mike Seamon, Nathan Sturgis and Nate Jaqua were all training in full and didn't appear to be limited in any way. Also, a new face was around and I'm pretty sure it was this guy filling in as a third-string goalkeeper.
A couple others, however, are a bigger concern. James Dallas Cowboys jersey
Riley wasn't around and coach Sigi Schmid said he'll be out 1-3 weeks with an ankle sprain. Blaise Nkufo's knee is still bothering him and he'll see a doctor today.
Let's get to the shots:

Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid quotes from Wednesday

(On Sanna coming back, how'd he say the trip went?) "It was good. Flight connections caused a delay for him to return by a day. Sometimes when you're going that far, it happens. He didn't play in the game; he was happy that they won. It was good win for them and he feels all right. Sanna never has trouble sleeping so he probably slept enough hours on the flight."
(On injury updates) "Obviously Seamon was fine. He nfl jerseys
was out there and did all of training. Sturgis got through fine, so he's in. Jaqua's fine. For us Riley is much improved over yesterday but probably not enough where he can play. They put him on a crutch yesterday, today he was walking without it. The x-rays were negative so it's just a matter of a week to three weeks, but he's a pretty quick healer. I think there's a shot by the time we play Columbus for him."
(And Blaise?) "Blaise is still being bothered a little bit by the knee. He gets seen again by the doctor this afternoon."
(So Riley's is a sprain?) "Yeah."
(On RSL legitimizing '09 title with '10 form) "I think winning the MLS Cup last year gave them confidence. They got in as the last-seed team. To win any competition, you need to have a break go your way here and there. Just like in the Open Cup for us, our first game with penalties against Portland that could've gone either way. They got fortunate on their game as well, got through on penalties and it gave them confidence. They were a quality team. They were building the team. They have a good Dallas Cowboys jersey
addition in Saborio, as a forward, who's done very well for them. The team stayed pretty much intact so they got another year of playing together. When you look at their team, Morales is in his third or fourth year with the team. So you look Morales, you look Espindola now, you look at Beckerman, you look at Wingert, you look at Olave, you look at Borchers, and Russell I think now is in his third year. They have all been together three years and that's what it takes. It's the same thing that happened to me in Columbus where the team then understood each other and you didn't make a lot of changes. You had quality players and the players got to understand each other and know where each other would be on the field. Their starting lineup has been pretty consistent. So they're at that stage now. They grew into that stage because they kept the team together."
(On possibility of being last team into the playoffs) "Getting into the playoffs is good enough. It's like you can't date the prettiest girl at the dance unless you get invited to the dance. So it doesn't matter if you're the last one at the dance or the first one there, you still have a shot. For us, it's the same thing. Just getting to the playoffs is what we need to do, what we want to do. We are not that concerned with positioning or match-ups or who we are going to play after that. It's just a matter of Minnesota Vikings jersey
making sure we play a good game at home and that we play one really, really, really solid game on the road and we can get ourselves into the MLS Cup final."
(On Thursday's game being on national television, does it add anything?) "Yeah, I think all of the guys know because their friends will be watching all across the country. Although it's on pretty late on the East Coast, but for all the insomniacs there it's a good occasion. I think the guys know it's something everybody is watching. A lot of the other players in the league are watching, so it's sort of a showcase game for them."