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NEW YORK -- A wet field gave the New York Yankees one weird win. Luke Kuechly Panthers Jersey . Brett Gardner hit a tiebreaking homer off All-Star ace Yu Darvish, and New York beat the Texas Rangers 2-1 Wednesday night in a rain-shortened game called in the fifth inning under bizarre circumstances. Once the rain stopped, the grounds crew did its best to dry out the field. But both managers expressed concern about players getting hurt on the soft basepaths, and the game was called after an unusual delay that lasted 1 hour, 49 minutes. "The field was just not playable," umpire crew chief Dale Scott told a pool reporter. During the delay, the last-place Rangers reached an agreement to trade closer Joakim Soria to Detroit for minor league pitchers Jake Thompson and Corey Knebel. David Phelps (5-4) pitched out of a jam just before the storm, and Francisco Cervelli doubled twice to help the Yankees win for the fifth time in six games on a 10-game homestand following the All-Star break. Chase Headley had a double in his first start for New York after he was acquired in Tuesdays trade with San Diego. Phelps gave up five hits in his first career complete game. After a one-out triple by Leonys Martin in the fifth, the right-hander retired Chris Gimenez on a foul popup and struck out Rougned Odor. Phelps and Cervelli pumped their fists as they headed toward the dugout -- perhaps knowing how important that last out might be, making the game official with heavy rain in the forecast. Play was halted with one out in the bottom of the fifth, and the grounds crew struggled mightily to pull the tarp through the mud as a heavy downpour soaked the field. It appeared the teams were ready to resume at one point, but managers Joe Girardi and Ron Washington were worried about more injuries to their banged-up teams. "Neither one of us can afford to lose another player on the DL because of conditions players shouldnt be on," Girardi said. After much discussion with the umpires and head groundskeeper Dan Cunningham, a light rain returned and the tarp was put back on the field. Less than 10 minutes later, the game was stopped for good -- giving the Yankees the victory. "What made me complain was because of them not being able to get the tarp on the field," Washington said, adding he had never seen a similar situation in his career. "This game shouldnt come to us losing it. It should have been suspended." But there was no avenue for a protest, Washington acknowledged. New York lost a rain-shortened game to the Orioles on July 13, the last day before the All-Star break. "We lost in Baltimore because of Mother Nature. We won tonight because of Mother Nature. That just happens in our game," Girardi said. Darvish (9-6) allowed four hits and threw 67 pitches in his second complete game of the year. He struck out five and walked none. When the rain started, it took 13 minutes and three tries for the grounds crew to drag the soaked tarp over a drenched infield. Bat boys, clubhouse attendants and security guards in clear ponchos rushed out to help. One stumbled and briefly got trapped underneath. It took more than 30 men to finally finish the job, bringing a roar from the crowd. Only 15 minutes later, the rain had stopped and workers removed the tarp. But the playing surface was so wet, it took about 50 minutes to dry and prepare the field. A public-address announcement informed fans the game was scheduled to resume at approximately 10:05 p.m. But as Darvish headed back to the mound and other players warmed up, Girardi stalked around near first base testing the surface. He motioned for an audience, and the huddle that ensued included both managers, Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux and Cunningham, who appeared to be doing much of the talking. The umpires and grounds crew headed back underneath the stands, and Texas players milled around in front of their dugout for about 20 minutes waiting for word. Darvish flipped a ball, and even pawed at the dirt near third base. When the rain started falling again around 10:25 p.m., the tarp was placed back over the infield. And that was it. Cervelli hit a leadoff double in the third and scored on Darvishs second career balk. Gardner followed with his 10th home run, the first time hes reached double digits in seven major league seasons. "Thats amazing. Hes been doing that for us the whole year," Cervelli said. Texas scored in the third on Odors double-play grounder after consecutive singles by Martin and Chris Gimenez. NOTES: Rangers RF Alex Rios returned to the lineup after missing three games with a sprained right ankle. ... Washington said there are still "ghosts" at the new Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009. "I think they just came across the street," he said. ... RHP Michael Pineda (right shoulder muscle) is scheduled to throw 30 pitches over two innings in a simulated game Thursday. ... There wont be any update on RHP Masahiro Tanaka (elbow) for another two weeks, Girardi said. New York is hoping Tanaka can avoid Tommy John surgery and return in September. ... CC Sabathia had his season-ending knee surgery. DeAngelo Williams Panthers Jersey .S. -- Dylan Strome had two goals and an assist to lead Ontario past Sweden 6-3 in the fifth-place game Friday at the world under-17 hockey challenge. Jonathan Stewart Panthers Jersey . According to some observers, the 102-90 victory over the hapless, short-handed Milwaukee Bucks didnt rate because the expected lopsided blowout didnt materialize.BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona says midfielder Cesc Fabregas and defender Gerard Pique have recovered from injuries and will be available for Saturdays game against Granada. While the pair of Spain internationals return, midfielder Xavi Hernandez will not be included in the squad after failing to recover from a muscle strain to his left leg. The club also says winger Criistian Tello will miss two more games because of ligament damage in his right ankle. Kawann Short Panthers Jersey. Barcelona is already without forward Lionel Mess, goalkeeper Victor Valdes, defender Jordi Alba and defender Dani Alves. Barcelona holds a three-point lead over Atletico Madrid after 12 rounds, with Real Madrid trailing the defending champions by six points. ' ' '

Denny Morrison is having the Olympics of a lifetime. Danario Alexander Jersey . Three days after taking silver in the mens 1,000-metre long track speed skating event at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Morrison has added a bronze to his cabinet, this time in the 1,500 metres on Saturday. "Its been a long road with a lot of persistence and its finally paid off," an elated Morrison told CBC Sports after the race. Morrison, skating 15th of 20 pairs, capitalized on a strong opening lap to lay down a time of one minute, 45.22 seconds, and was the leader until Polands Zbigniew Brodka topped it for gold in 1:45.00. "What Ive found [in 1,500-metre races] is that I cant go out slow and conservative and try to beat the other guys who finish strong, I have to go out my way – go out fast, and just hang on," Morrison said. "And I was able to hang on just enough." There was more drama to come in the final pairing. Dutch skater Koen Verweij finished in a dead heat with Brodka, crossing the line in 1:45.00 as well. When the times were adjusted, Brodka ended up with the gold medal, a mere three thousandths of a second ahead. But it also meant that Morrison had his medal, after an agonizing wait to see if any of the 10 skaters after him could take his place on the podium. "It is [excruciating], you already want to puke," he said. "Youre already so tired and hurting, but man does it feel good to win [a medal]." Mathieu Giroux of Pointe-aux-Trembles, Que., finished in 19th in 1:47.65. Lukas Makowsky of Regina placed 28th in a time of 1:48.51. Teenager Vincent de Haitre of Cumberland, Ont., was 33rd in 1:49.42. Morrisons bronze puts Canadas medal count at 12, with four gold, five silver, and three bronze. Morrison, Giroux and Makowsky are expected to compete in the team pursuit event next week, as they attempt to defend their gold medal from the Vancouver Olympics. Morrisons efforts have been one of the highlights of the Olympics so far for Canada. Not even scheduled to compete in the 1,000-metres after falling in the event at the Canadian trials, Morrison was given a spot in the race thanks to teammate Gilmore Junio, who gave up his. The Fort St. John, B.C., native fully took advantage of the opportunity, taking silver in the 1,000 metres behind Stefan Groothuis of the Netherlands. Defending Olympic champion Mark Tuitert of the Netherlands finished fifth. American Shani Davis continued his disappointing 2014 Olympic campaign with an 11th-place finish. Canada now has two medals in long track, both from Morrison. The Dutch team has dominated the proceedings at Adler Arena, taking four gold and 13 medals so far in only seven races, matching the record set by East Germany in the 1988 Games in Calgary. With five long track events still remaining, the Netherlands will likely surpass that mark in the coming days. To compare, the other nations have eight long track medals combined. Its a big turnaround for the Dutch team from their Vancouver effort in long track, where it finished well below expectations with three gold and only seven medals total. Ryan Mathews Jersey . Though the league and union reached a general agreement in their new labour deal to test for human growth hormone, the union is waiting to see the specifics of the program before giving its final OK. The union has asked the World Anti-Doping Agency for documentation about the accuracy of the seven-year-old HGH test. King Dunlap Womens Jersey . Canada improved to 2-0 with the win after shutting out Finland 3-0 in the tournament opener two days earlier. Matheson opened the scoring against the Italians by converting a cross in the 33rd minute.TAMPA, Fla. -- Ben Bishop had a milestone game against one of the NHLs greatest goalies. Bishop stopped 23 shots to set Tampa Bays single-season record with 31 victories as the Lightning beat Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils 3-0 on Saturday night. "Hes got a few more than me," Bishop said of Brodeur, who tops the NHLs career wins list with 686. "Its always nice playing against the best in the game, if not the best ever. So, whenever you can get a win against him, you remember those." Bishop (31-11-6) broke the mark held by Nikolai Khabibulin, which was set in 2002-03. It was Bishops fifth shutout this season. "Youre watching the growth of Ben Bishop," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "He wants that next start. Hes not shying away from it." Bishop now has 49 career victories, including eight shutouts, in 97 games. Michael Kostka had a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay, which has won two in a row following a five-game losing streak (0-3-2). B.J Crombeen and Nate Thompson had the other goals for the Lightning. Brodeur made 29 saves for the Devils, who were coming off a 5-3 loss Friday night at Florida. Brodeur had beaten Tampa Bay twice earlier this season, allowing just one goal overall. "Its all about winning," Brodeur said. "It doesnt matter if I feel good in there. We didnt get the win. On a personal note, I was seeing the puck pretty good." The Devils are 11th in the Eastern Conference. "We all know whats at stake," New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer said. "Its a disappointing trip, but the season is not over." Bishop turned aside four shots by Michael Ryder, including a nice arm save, during the first two periods, and gloved a shot from the top of the left circle by Adam Henrique with 6 1/2 minutes to go in the third. Malcom Floyd Womens Jersey. Brodeur made a nifty glove save on Steven Stamkos shot 7 minutes into the second. After J.T. Brown had his penalty shot stopped by Brodeur at 11:19, Crombeen, positioned in the slot, redirected Kostkas shot past the New Jersey goalie for a 1-0 lead 1:07 later. Kostka made it 2-0 when he was left alone just outside the crease and put a back-hander past Brodeur with 3:02 left in the second. Valtteri Filppula assisted on both of the Lightnings second-period goals, and has six assists and seven points during a four-game point streak. Thompson scored at 16:41 of the third. The Devils had a goal by Jon Merrill disallowed at 5:01 of the first because of incidental goalie contact. "From the bench I couldnt tell," DeBoer said. "When I watched the replay, their guy obviously was the one who interfered with the goalie. So its disappointing that that call wasnt properly made. Its water under the bridge. Weve got to bounce back." New Jerseys Jaromir Jagr had his five-game point streak -- three goals, six points -- end. He had two shots and was minus-1. NOTES: Stamkos was held without a point for the fourth time in five games since returning from a broken right shin. ... Tampa Bay is 0 for 3 on penalty shots this season. ... New Jersey C Ryan Carter didnt play due to an upper-body injury. ... Crombeen had been a healthy scratch the previous four games and six of the last seven. ' ' '

NASHVILLE -- James Franklin appears to have a decision to make. Ryan Succop . Stay at Vanderbilt or take over as coach at Penn State. Vanderbilt athletic director David Williams said Thursday night he exchanged text messages with his football coach and Franklin "basically said that he is our coach. He hasnt made a decision." Williams would not confirm Franklin has an offer from Penn State, but has indicated Nittany Lions officials have been in contact with the coach. CBS.com was first among several media outlets to report Franklin is expected to be Penn States replacement for Bill OBrien, who left for the Houston Texans. "He just wanted me to know that the things that are being said that he has made a decision to leave are not true," Williams said Penn State had no official comment, but the university did announce Thursday night that a new compensation committee is scheduled to meet Saturday morning in a closed session to discuss a contract for someone not yet being identified by the school. The school also said there will be a brief public session Saturday morning. Earlier in the day Williams said Franklin had called "to let me know the reports that he had accepted another job were inaccurate. And I didnt ask anything more than that nor did he volunteer anything more than that." Williams said he met with Franklin on Tuesday night and spoke with him Wednesday, too. Penn State interim coach Larry Johnson said Thursday night he hasnt been told anything about his future. "Im still the interim coach until a new coach is named," Johnson said. "As of right now, Im continuing to do my part." Vanderbilt had only one winning season since 1982 before Williams hired Franklin in December 2010. The Commodores also had only four bowl berths before Franklin arrived, and he now has taken them to three straight bowls. The 41-year-old Pennsylvania native is 24-15 in his three seasons as Vanderbilts head coach, matching Dan McGugin for the most wins in school history over a coachs first three seasons. The Commodores are 16-4 over the past 20 games, second in the SEC only to Alabama. Vanderbilt won the final seven games of 2012 and the final five of 2013 in a stretch that also includes back-to-back bowl wins. Vanderbilt has gone 9-4 and finished in the final Associated Press rankings each of the past two seasons, including No. 24 in the poll released Tuesday. Vanderbilt hadnt finished in the final AP poll before Franklin arrived since 1948 under Red Sanders. Franklin was given a contract extension in December 2012 designed to keep him at Vanderbilt for years to come. Asked if Vanderbilt has worked to restructure Franklins deal since the Commodores beat Houston in the BBVA Compass Bowl on Jan. 4, Williams said they have an ongoing process to remain competitive. "We think that we had a good season and a successful season, and we constantly reward people for that," Williams said. OBrien guided the Nittany Lions through two seasons of severe NCAA sanctions after taking over for the late Joe Paterno and went 17-9. Miamis Al Golden drew interest from Penn State during this search, though he stated Saturday he intended to stay with the school. Former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Munchak, a former Penn State offensive lineman, and 49ers offensive co-ordinator Greg Roman also have reportedly gotten a look from Penn State. Justin Houston . -- Former California coach Jeff Tedford has been hired as offensive co-ordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rodney Hudson . Tim Thomas survived a third-period barrage from the New York Rangers, and Boston held on for a 2-1 victory on Sunday night that clinched the Northeast Division for the Bruins. OBERHOF, Germany -- Canadas Alex Gough came up just shy in her bid for a third consecutive medal Saturday, racing to fourth place in a luge World Cup event. Olympic bronze medallist Natalie Geisenberger led a 1-2-3 German sweep. Gough, a 24-year-old from Calgary, was fifth in the opening run before posting a track record of 42.393 seconds on her second run to move up to fourth. "It was a tight race but that was a world-class performance by Alex with good starts," Canadas head coach Wolfgang Staudinger said. "It is not easy to have a result like that in Oberhof. It is a very technical, demanding track that is simply difficult to get down so this is top-notch." Goughs track record was short-lived as Geisenberg clocked 42.050 on her second run to win in a combined time of 1:24.443, leaving world champion Tatjana Huefner 0.247 seconds back. Anke Wischnewski was third, 0.664 seconds behind. Goughs two-run time was 1:25.168. "It is so hard to get down this track clean because it is so difficult, but the Germans know every inch of it because they train here so often," Staudinger said. "That is why they are dominant." Huefner still leads overall World Cup standings, 60 points ahead of Geeisenberger. Aaron Murray. Gough is third. Earlier, Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken of Germany won their first World Cup race by taking the mens doubles on their home track. Germans Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt were 0.231 seconds behind. Austrias two-time Olympic champions Andreas and Wolfgang Linger were third, 0.655 seconds behind the winners. The top Americans were Matthew Mortensen and Preston Griffall in sixth place and Christian Niccum and Jayson Terdiman in eighth. "The track in Oberhof is a bit rough, but thats its character," Eggert said. "Even though everyone knows about it, we managed to make up for our lack in experience by having home advantage. It was a top-class event but we were optimistic about our prospects." The Lingers still lead the season standings after five of nine races. The Austrians have 410 points, with Wendl and Arlt close at 395. Eggert and Benecken are third with 355. "These are the most important weeks for us bearing the overall World Cup in mind," Andreas Linger said. "And, to be honest, Oberhof is not really among our favourite tracks. This is why were all the more happy about the result." -- With files from The Associated Press. ' ' '

The Montreal Impact confirmed on Thursday that 15 more roster members from their 2013 team would be returning for 2014. Dwight Freeney Womens Jersey . The team announced that it exercised the options on 15 players including goalkeepers Evan Bush, Maxime Crepeau and Troy Perkins, defenders Matteo Ferrari, Karl W. Ouimette and Maxim Tissot and midfielders Patrice Bernier, Felipe, Wandrille Lefevre, Calum Mallace, Justin Mapp, Zakaria Messoudi, Sanna Nyassi, Blake Smith and Collen Warner. Already under contract for next season were defenders Jeb Brovsky, Hassoun Camara and Adrian Lopez, midfielder Hernan Bernardello and forward Andrew Wenger. The team had previously confirmed in October that star striker and leading scorer Marco Di Viao would also be returning to the club in 2014. "We are happy to announce that 21 players will be back in 2014," said Impact sporting director Nick De Santis in a team release. "Its a very good core of players that will give us stability next season. The process to build a strong roster is well underway." Jeromey Clary Womens Jersey . -- For the final tournament at Sherwood Country Club, Tiger Woods seems intent on leaving a lasting impression. Michael Harris Chargers Jersey . That meant big trouble for the rest of the field at the Tournament of Champions. Stricker made even some of the longer putts look like tap-ins on his way to a 10-under 63, giving him a five-shot lead over Webb Simpson halfway through the PGA Tours season opener.Dear CFL and CFLPA, Lets get this deal done gentlemen. Trying to keep the CBA negotiations private just hasnt happened, and it sounds like these discussions are going nowhere fast! This letter is in no way an attempt to take sides on the issues, but just a reminder to both sides to stay focused on the big picture. The season must start on time. It is better for the teams, better for the players, and most importantly, better for the fans. First to the CFL head office. You guys know better than anyone that the players for years have made sacrifices to keep the league alive and are grossly underpaid in comparison to the rest of the world of professional sports. So when you make a final offer, rather than tell the other side what they wont get, tell them what they do get...which is a real nice raise in the form of the cap being pushed up substantially. By doing so you show the players that while you may think it is too early to go back to revenue sharing, you do want to give the players an increase in the cap they cant refuse, a real increase. Secondly, to the players association. Lets not get obsessive about revenue sharing; if you can see that the offer, and increase in the cap, shows that the league is making the players the priority, get the deal signed. I understand you are playing the "so many players sacrificed in the past so now it is time to draw a line in the sand" card, however, as one of those players that back years ago took over a thirty per cent pay cut on a signed contract, I can tell you going on strike would in no way honour those players. Back then we never thought we would take pay cuts so that future players could shut the league down, and in doing so put it in jeopardy. In fact it was just the opposite. We put the game first back then, and wanted to avoid any chance of a work stoppage. So if you want to be a voice for the players of the past that sacrificed, then make sure the league kicks off on time. The facts are that years ago players knew, due to the shaky financial ground that the league was on, that our contracts were barely worth the paper they were written on because at any time a GM could say, "I know you have a signed deal but we are ripping it up and you have to play for less money!" However, what was also true at the time was owners like David Braley stepped up and put millions into the league to make sure that this great Canadian tradition would ccontinue on for years to come. Malcom Floyd Jersey. So yes, the players got paid less than their contracts read, but while that was happening owners were losing, at times, millions of their own hard earned dollars. Players deserve more money, and owners like David Braley and Bob Wetenhall deserve to go a few years where they actually make a profit and make some of the money they have lost back. A new television contract has changed the financial landscape of the game. It should all but guarantee that teams can be profitable no matter what their win/loss record looks like in any given year. Owners and in the case of community-owned teams, the taxpayers, will start to see the fruits of their labour and players will be compensated better for putting it all on the line when they cross the stripes. All of which is a given and may be over-simplifying. However, once again to the league, make the salary cap bump substantial and reflect how much you respect the importance of the players. And to the players, there may be a time down the road when you can hold tough on revenue sharing, but that time is not now. So get a good raise, take care of some other issues, kick off the season on time, and support your families. My father once told me that if someone starts slinging mud in the gutter, dont head to the gutter and start slinging mud back, because all that happens then is that everyone gets muddy. To both sides in these negotiations, this cant be about greed, about the sacrifices of past players, or about egos. The game is too important and the league is realizing momentum like never before in its history. Most importantly, remember none of this is possible without the fans. Right now people are looking at buying their season tickets and trying to make plans for their summer holidays, and those plans are on hold. Fans in our Nations Capital cant wait to have a home team again, and this time with owners that are in it for the long haul. Those fans are now putting their plans on hold while these negotiations continue. It is time to end the, "I go high, you go low," negotiation strategy and sit down and hammer out a deal. Negotiating privately was a massive fail, and it looks like both sides are now trying to sway public opinion, and that is when egos get involved. If it gets to that, shame on both sides, because at that point you are both just covered in mud. Sincerely, Glen Suitor ' ' '

KITZBUEHEL, Austria -- Some of the races at this weekends classic Hahnenkamm World Cup event are under threat as mild weather and fog are softening the snow, organizers said Tuesday. Frank Alexander Panthers Jersey . "Conditions are quite critical with the high temperatures and the moisture," FIS mens race director Guenter Hujara said. A key problem is the Hausbergkante, the lower section of the 3.3-kilometre Streif course which is one of the marquee parts of the downhill race. Organizers have been transporting 1,800 tons of snow down from the mountains by helicopter to get the section covered. "Snow on the race line for the downhill is there, enough snow," said Hujara, adding that now freezing temperatures were needed to make the surface hard enough. "Well have to wait for how the weather behaves," Hujara said. "We need cooler temperatures and clear skies." Organizers have already prepared an alternative bottom section to the downhill course, using the final part of the slalom course instead. "We have not an easy problem to solve," race chief Peter Obernauer said. With Tuesdays first downhill training having already been cancelled last week and Wednesdays second session now doubtful after days of rain and fog, organizers could be forced to change the schedule. The weekend comprises a super-G and a combined event on Friday, the downhill on Saturday and a slalom on the final day. Hujara said the organizers main priorities are with the downhill and the slalom, and that they might have to sacrifice the other two races. "If we have no good conditions we will not damage the race course," Hujara said about Wednesdays training. "We will then focus on one good training Thursday." Organizers are reluctant to open the event as scheduled with the super-G because that race also uses the downhill slope and could severely damage the course. Alternatively, the FIS could swap Fridays races with Sundays slalom, which is on a different piste. And, if no downhill training is possible before Friday, the super-G and the combined event will be called off. The slalom would then take place on Friday, with the downhill training and the race on the following two days. The mild temperatures in central Europe have been affecting the Alpine skiing calendar for the last three weeks. Several races in Germany, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy have been cancelled or moved to other resorts. Pathers #43 Jersey .500. It was an important win coming off a 2-5 road trip through American League East-rival cities Tampa Bay and Boston and because the Tigers are scheduled to pitch the nasty trifecta of Doug Fister, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander over the next three nights. Pathers #67 Jersey . The assistants greeted Aldridge with compliments and high fives. Stotts had only one word for his high-scoring forward: "Thanks." Aldridge had 25 points and 16 rebounds in his return after missing seven games with a lower back contusion, and the Trail Blazers beat the Atlanta Hawks 100-85 on Thursday night to end a three-game losing streak.LIVERPOOL, England -- The two sides of Luis Suarez were on full display Sunday as the Liverpool striker first bit an opponents arm and then scored a last-minute equalizer for Liverpool in a 2-2 draw against Chelsea in the Premier League. In the latest chapter in his controversial career, the Uruguay international tussled with Branislav Ivanovic in Chelseas penalty box and television pictures showed Suarez biting the top of the defenders right arm. In 2010, Suarez was banned for seven matches for biting an opponent while playing for Ajax against PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch league, earning him the tag Cannibal of Ajax. Suarez issued an apology hours after the match, but was harshly criticized by both club officials and pundits. "Im sad for what happened this afternoon, I apologize (to) Ivanovic and all football world for my inexcusable behaviour," Suarez said on Twitter. "Im so sorry about it!!" As usual, Suarez was the centre of attention throughout a frenetic match at Anfield, giving away a penalty with a needless handball to allow Eden Hazard to convert the spot kick and put Chelsea ahead in the 57th minute. But the striker -- who is the Premier Leagues leading scorer -- made amends by glancing in Daniel Sturridges cross with seconds remaining at Anfield. That still failed to overshadow the biting incident that could land him another long ban. He was suspended for eight games last season for hurling racist insults to Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during a match. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers initially refused to comment on the incident, but criticized Suarez after watching replays. "Having reviewed the video footage and spoken to Luis, his behaviour is unacceptable and I have made him aware of this," Rodgers said in a statement issued by Liverpool. The clubs managing director Ian Ayre said Suarezs behaviour "is not befitting of any player wearing a Liverpool shirt and Luis is aware that he has let himself and everyone associated with the club down." Interim Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez, who was denied a winning return to the club he led to the Champions League title in 2005 during a six-year spell at Anfield, said he didnt see the biting incident and refused to comment Benitez recently said he would return to manage Liverpool one day and his family still lives on Merseyside. Mike Tolbert Panthers Jersey. . The draw left Chelsea in fourth place and one point behind Arsenal, having played a game less, in the race for Champions League qualification. Tottenham is a further point behind after its 3-1 win against Manchester City earlier Sunday. Oscar put Chelsea ahead in the 26th minute before Suarez supplied a superb cross for substitute Sturridge to sidefoot home in the 52nd. With his scoring spree this season -- the equalizer was his 23rd league goal of the campaign -- Suarez was starting to rehabilitate his damaged reputation this season. His penchant for diving aside, even his critics had been starting to warm to one of the worlds most gifted players. He is one of the leading contenders for the annual Player of the Year award voted on by fellow footballers. Yet he remains a magnet for controversy, with few people likely to forget his deliberate handball on the goal line in a World Cup quarterfinal in 2010 that prevented a goal and helped Uruguay qualify for the last four at the expense of Ghana. He was seen celebrating on the sideline when Ghana missed the spot kick. Suarez was foiled by Ivanovic as he attempted to kick the ball between the centre backs legs in the area. As the ball rebounded toward the edge of the area, Suarez turned to his opponent and images clearly showed him biting into Ivanovics jersey. Ivanovic shrugged off Suarez and immediately complained to referee Kevin Friend, but to no avail. Suarez wasnt even spoken to by the official, who clearly didnt see the incident. "I think it would be an injustice to Luis Suarez to talk about (the incident), he has been the best player in the league this season," Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said after the game. "I think he is the third best player in the world behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo." Suarezs equalizer came after the allotted six minutes of injury time in the second half and reduced the gap to local rival Everton to five points with four matches remaining. ' ' '

NEWARK, N. Zach Strief Saints Jersey .J. - The New Jersey Devils know the odds are against them as they chase a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Their latest win preserved their chances. Ryan Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 4:54 remaining to lift the Devils to a 2-1 win over the Capitals on Friday night. New Jersey jumped ahead of Washington into 10th place in the East, just three points behind eighth-place Columbus with five games remaining. "We gave ourselves a chance to stay relevant," Devils coach Pete DeBoer said. Tuomo Ruutu also scored for New Jersey, and Cory Schneider made 24 saves. "It was the best win so far this season," the Devils Jaromir Jagr said. "We showed up as a team." Alex Ovechkin scored for Washington, which lost its fifth straight. Jaroslav Halak stopped 29 shots. On the game-winner, Carter was sprung by a leading pass from Marek Zidlicky, and he snapped a shot that eluded Halak. "I saw the shot and it went in," Halak said. "Simple (as that). I dont make the save. To me it was an easy shot and I let it in." The Capitals lamented missed opportunities in the first 40 minutes that prevented them from taking control of a game that was up for grabs. "Its obviously difficult to swallow the loss. We played a good game, had a lot of Grade A chances (and) their goalie made some great saves," Capitals coach Adam Oates said. "Two goals against on the road should be enough. We just (didnt) score enough." Ovechkin opened the scoring 10:12 into the game with his 49th of the season. The sequence began with New Jersey defenceman Mark Fayne committing a defensive zone turnover. Nicklas Backstrom found the loose puck and moved it to Mikhail Grabovski, who passed it to Ovechkin for the quick shot. The goal was Ovechkins first even-strength point since Feb. 27. That was all the Capitals would get, as Schneider turned them away at every opportunity. Schneider stuffed Jason Chimera on a breakaway with 1:28 left in the first, and kept the puck out of the net during a second period flurry in which Julien Brouillette and Backstrom had chances from along the crease. "He made a good stop," Chimera said. "If that goes in, its a 2-0 game." Oates added: "You have to give their goalie credit, he made some big saves. We had breakaways, we hit posts, we had a lot of great chances." Ruutu drew New Jersey even with 7:39 left in the second with a redirection of Eric Gelinas point shot. The goal was Ruutus eighth of the season, and his third with the Devils following the March 5 trade from the Carolina Hurricanes. Both the New Jersey and Washington power-play units were ineffective. The Devils were 0 for 5 and Washington finished 0 for 3. New Jersey lost Patrik Elias in the first period after he was ridden into a stanchion by Washingtons Tom Wilson. Elias, New Jerseys second-leading scorer with 51 points, skated seven shifts totalling 3:36. "Youre short guys and everyone is going and everyone is contributing and its a good way to win and hopefully we can build off of that," Travis Zajac said. Both teams have five games remaining this season, and essentially need to win out and hope Eastern Conference wild card-leading Detroit and Columbus and ninth-place Toronto lose their remaining games. The Red Wings lead the Devils by six points, and the Blue Jackets are three ahead of New Jersey. Washington is another point back. "Yeah, definitely," Backstrom said when asked if he thought Washington had to run the table in order to qualify for the playoffs. "I think the best chance for us is to win every game." NOTES: Washington called up D Tyson Strachan from Hershey of the AHL on Friday morning. Strachan entered the game with 24 penalty minutes in 12 NHL games this season, and 56 penalty minutes in 57 AHL games. ... New Jersey scratched Stephen Gionta, Steve Bernier, Tim Sestito, Bryce Salvador, Ryane Clowe and Jon Merril. John Erskine, Jack Hillen, Patrick Wey and Connor Carrick were the Capitals scratches. ... The Washington chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association announced right wing Joel Ward was their nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy, awarded to the "player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." Nick Toon Saints Jersey . And in that time span, the Tampa Bay Lightning have remained near the top of the Eastern Conference without star forward Steven Stamkos. Saints #27 Jersey . For much of the night, Team Canada forced everyone to hold their collective breath while goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis and Latvia played with house money in the mens Olympic hockey quarter-final.WASHINGTON -- After scoring two goals for the first time in his NHL career, Dmitry Orlov was set to pace a big win for the Washington Capitals. But that changed when he committed a five-minute major penalty and helped pave the way for a comeback by the Philadelphia Flyers. Vincent Lecavalier scored at 2:45 of overtime and the Flyers rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 5-4 victory on Sunday. Trailing 4-2 entering the third period, the Flyers started their comeback when Jakub Voracek scored a power-play goal at 11:58. The Flyers were given a five-minute advantage when Orlov received a major penalty for boarding Brayden Schenn at 9:33. After Philadelphia sent goalie Steve Mason off for an extra skater, Claude Giroux sent the game to overtime, scoring his second goal of the game with 65 seconds left in the third. Adam Hall also scored for the Flyers, Kimmo Timonen had three assists and Mason made 25 saves. The defining play came when Orlov retaliated for a similar hit moments earlier by Schenn. "I understand you want payback, but youve got to be disciplined," Washington coach Adam Oates said. "You expect the other team to have a push. But lets not give them the push." Washington is familiar with the situation. It was the 14th time this season the Capitals blew a two-goal lead. "(The Flyers) are going to try to intimidate you and we just needed to play our game," Washington forward Eric Fehr said. "Thats not the style we play. We dont try to intimidate teams. We try to out-skill teams, out-work teams and try to score goals that way. We have to stick to our game plan and not get baited into theirs." Washington had a chance to pass Philadelphia in the Metropolitan Division and get into playoff position for the first time since Jan. 18, when it was mired in a seven-game losing streak. But the Flyers left D.C. with an uplifting victory. "Coming through in one of the biggest moments of the year right now is great to see," Mason said. "For us to be able to force overtime and get the one point at least and then come through and get the second one against a divisional opponent who is right behind us in the standings, its huge." After getting outshot 117-6 in the opening period, Philadelphia put 30 shots on goal to 12 for the Capitals. Ben Grubbs Saints Jersey. . "First period wasnt good. I thought that we were good after that," Flyers coach Craig Berube said. "I liked the second period. I liked the third obviously." Braden Holtby had 31 saves. Mike Green had three assists for Washington. Marcus Johansson and Jay Beagle also scored goals for the Capitals in a physical game. Washington took the lead as Troy Brouwer passed from behind the net to Orlov, whose slap shot rattled the corner post for his second goal of the season at 6:06 of the first. Philadelphia tied it at 11:22 of the period when Giroux scored on a slap shot on a power play. Even as some Flyers celebrated the goal, officials initially failed to count it. But 90 seconds of playing time later, after a stoppage and a video review, Giroux was awarded his team-high 20th goal. The Capitals regained the lead three seconds after the expiration of a power-play chance as Johansson tipped-in a red line pass from Jason Chimera for his eighth goal at 13:56. Philadelphia tied it at 12:50 of the second period with a turnover from Washingtons Alex Ovechkin, who left the puck near his own goal, expecting a trailing teammate to pick it up. But the Flyers Sean Couturier was the first one to it and passed to Hall for a blast from the point. Less than a minute later, Green assisted on a goal by Beagle to help the Caps retake the lead and also assisted on Orlovs second goal of the game at 16:23 of the second to give Washington a 4-2 lead going into the third period. But thats when Washington fell into Philadelphias aggressive style of play. "Thats the kind of game that that team wants to play," Oates said. "Theyre good at that. Were not." NOTES: Washington was without Mikhail Grabovski, who aggravated a left ankle injury in the first game after the Olympic break. The injury had forced him to miss eight games before the break. ... Goalie Ray Emery did not make the trip to Washington. He is day to day with a lower-body injury. As a result, it was Masons third start in less than 70 hours as Philadelphia did not give AHL callup Cal Heeter his first NHL start. ' ' '

TURIN, Italy -- Ten-man Benfica returned to the Europa League final following a 0-0 draw at tournament-favourite Juventus on Thursday, advancing on 2-1 aggregate.Philip Rivers Chargers Jersey . Juventus created numerous chances but either couldnt find the target or was denied by Benfica goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who had a standout performance. Even when Benfica was reduced to 10 men in the 67th minute as Argentine midfielder Enzo Perez picked up his second yellow card for a foul on Arturo Vidal, Jorge Jesus squad maintained its composure. "Were a squad that tries to defend to perfection, and we more than deserved to advance," Benfica defender Guilherme Siqueira said. Its the third time Benfica has reached the final, having been runner-up in 1983 and last year, when the Portuguese side was beaten by Chelsea. In the May 14 final back in Turin, Benfica will face Sevilla, which scored in added time of a 3-1 loss at Valencia to advance on the away goal rule. With Diego Maradona watching from the tribune, Juventus controlled for long periods and came close to scoring the lone goal it needed. Andrea Pirlo shot high eight minutes in and a bicycle-kick attempt from Carlos Tevez also went high in the 24th. In the 43rd, a header from defender Leonardo Bonucci went just wide following a free kick from Pirlo, and Tevez couldnt quite reach it at the far post. In first-half added time, Paul Pogba inspired another chance for Juventus, leading to a header from Vidal that beat Oblak, but defender Luisao cleared the danger off the line. A downpour accompanied by hail greeted the squads at the start of the second half, and Benfica came close with a shot from Rodrigo that sailed over the bar in the 50th. Pirlo found the target with a splendid free kick in the 62nd but Oblak made a leaping save in the top right corner. Juventus substitute Pablo Osvaldo thought he scored in the 81st but was ruled offside. There was a brief skirmish between the benches in the final minutes, resulting in red cards for Juventus forward Mirko Vucinic, who did not play, and Benfica forward Lazar Markovic, who had just exited and will now miss the final. Benfica actually ended with nine men, as defender Ezequiel Garay was carried off on a stretcher following a collision, and all three substitutions were used. The referee let the match continue for eight minutes of added time but even that wasnt enough for Juventus, which can console itself by clinching its third successive Serie A title with a win over Atalanta on Monday. Manti Teo Chargers Jersey . "He had fire in his eyes today," Matheny said. Lynn joined Philadelphias Cole Hamels as the major leagues first eight-game winners, and the St. Louis Cardinals extended the Braves longest losing streak in two years to eight games with an 8-2 victory Monday.Dan Fouts Chargers Jersey . 1 seed. James and Chris Bosh took the night off Monday, and the Heat were beaten 114-93 by the Washington Wizards in a no-contest game that guaranteed the Eastern Conferences top seed for the Indiana Pacers. So, no disappointment at all? "There would be no disappointment," said Dwyane Wade, who played because he needed some minutes after his recent nine-game layoff with a hamstring injury.CLEVELAND - Brad Malone scored twice, and the Lake Erie Monsters held off a Toronto Marlies comeback attempt to pick up a 3-2 win in American Hockey League action on Friday. Paul Carey scored the eventual winner for Lake Erie (24-26-6), with a power-play goal at 14:17 of the third period. Matt Hunwick had two assists. Spencer Abbott had a goal and an assist for the Marlies (33-19-4), aand Jerry DAmigo also scored. Marcus Gilchrist Womens Jersey. Monsters goalie Calvin Pickard stopped 38 shots for the victory, while Torontos Drew MacIntyre made 44 saves in the loss. Lake Erie scored three straight goals to put the Monsters ahead 3-0 with less than 15 minutes to play. Toronto responded with two goals in the final three minutes of the game, but fell short of the comeback. ' ' '

BUFFALO, N. Mason Crosby Packers Jersey .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have suspended newly acquired defenceman Rostislav Klesla for failing to report to the teams AHL affiliate in Rochester. The Sabres announced the move Sunday, a day after Klesla told Canadian broadcaster TSN that he intended to not finish the NHL season, and instead planned to continue his career in Europe. Buffalo acquired Klesla and goalie Michal Neuvirth in a trade Wednesday that sent goalie Jaroslav Halak and a third-round draft pick to Washington. The Capitals had acquired Klesla a day earlier in a trade with Phoenix. At the time of the trade to Washington, Klesla had been playing for the Coyotes AHL affiliate in Portland, Maine. From the Czech Republic, Klesla has 159 points in 659 games split over 13 NHL seasons. Packers #92 Jersey. PAUL, Minn. Carl Bradford Packers Jersey . 10 to the rafters before honouring the franchises first superstar the best way they could -- with a rocket-fast start.There is a fine line in sports betweeen age-old experience and just plain old age. Generalyl speaking in sports, getting older equates to more injuries and greater recovery time from said injuries. Yet the past two seasons, it was largely the younger pitchers of the Toronto Blue Jays, Kyle Drabek, Drew Hutchison and Brandon Morrow who were injured and, last year in particular, veterans R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle who pitched the most innings. I dont know if it should concern the Blue Jays or not at this point, but the two youngest and most economical  rotations in their division belong to the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles. With the Rays rotation as is right now with Jeremy Hellickson recuperating from an injury, David Price, Matt Moore, Alex Cobb, Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi, the likely fifth starter to start the season, have a cumulative age of 124. If Hellickson eventully supplants Odorizzi, the number will move up to 127 years. Without Hellickson, they will be spending a little over $16.4 million in total on their five-man rotation and $19.6 million when he returns. Not bad at all for a team that has been a post-season contender since 2008 and not one of those pitchers is above 28 years of age. The Orioles made the post-season two years ago and came fairly close again last season. Their projected rotation is slightly older and a bit more expensive than the Rays. The total age of their top-five starters will be 139 or 140, depending on whether Bud Norris or recently signed Korean right hander Suk-Min Yoon slots into the rotation. If Norris is in the rotation, the cash layout is about $20 million. If it is Lee it drops off a bit to $17 million and change. The oldest pitcher in the Os rotation is recent signing Ubaldo Jimenez at 30. The Jays and Boston Red Sox have the most 30-or-over starters at three apiece. Bostons highest paid starter is also their oldest in John Lackey, whos 35 and will be making $15.25 million this season. The BoSox will be paying just over $50 million to their top-five starters. If Ricky Romero somehow earns the fifth starters job, every one of the Jays starters will be 29 or over and their cumulative age will be 162. Thats an average age 32.2 and speaks to how the Blue Jays havent done as good a job at developing young pitchers, like the St. Louis Cardinals have, and how their prospects have either been set back by injuries or have been traded. If Esmil Rogers or Todd Redmond fills the five-slot, the age of the Jays pitchers will still total 161, good for the oldest in the division with Bostons starting five totaling 152 years of age or 30.4 on average. The Jays pay for their starting pitchers if Romero iis in the rotation will be $50. Packers #89 Jersey. 7 million, virtually the same as the Red Sox. Mark Buehrle will be making the most at $18 million, more than any Boston starter.  If Romero isnt in the rotation, the  payout for starters will be about $44 million. The Yankees, as usual, are in a class all their own. They will be paying out $77.8 million to their five starters, including about $23 million each to C.C. Sabathia and rookie Masahiro Tanaka. If Michael Pineda doesnt rebound after missing two years with shoulder troubles, they might have to add another veteran starter who would push their cash outlay even higher. Even with 39-year-old Hiroki Kuroda in their rotation, the total age of the Yanks current top five is 149 years or an average of 29.8 years old. What all this means is hard to say. After all, talent is talent at any age. But Tampa Bays average age of 24.8 for its staff, just sounds a lot better than the Jays average age of 32.2 and the Rays record since 2008 speaks for itself. - Did I miss something here? Roy Halladay signs a one-day contract with the Blue Jays over the off season, so he could retire officially as a member of his original ball club. There was all kinds of talk about him joining the organization, at least initially as a spring training guest instructor, with the role growing as the years progressed. Then, over the weekend, Halladay shows up at the Philadelphia Phillies camp as a guest instructor. Did the Blue Jays fumble the ball or did Halladay simply feel he owed something to the Phils for his years with that club? It makes sense in one regard. Roy would certainly know more about the Phils up and coming young pitchers than he would about the Jays at this point and, perhaps, felt he could contribute more there. Still, it would be a shame, if, somehow, the Blue Jays have lost Roy Halladay to the Phillies again. - I dont know if this means the wall blocking PED users from making the Hall of Fame is beginning to crumble, but relations are at least beginning to thaw. First, the Red Sox announced Roger Clemens would be inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame this summer and now Barry Bonds is at the San Francisco Giants camp as a special guest hitting instructor. Two of the most villified PED users are now being welcomed back into the fold. Then over the weekend, ESPNs Buster Olney, one of the great  clean-up hitters in the baseball media whose opinion carries a lot of weight, wrote an article on the "incongruity" of Barry Bonds not being in Cooperstown. It may take some time, but clearly, the movement has begun to include all of baseballs greatest stars in the Hall of Fame, no matter their sins against the fans and the game. ' ' '

LOS ANGELES -- Make no bones about it. JaWuan James Womens Jersey . Coach Mike DAntonis skeleton roster was no match for the opportunistic Charlotte Bobcats and Al Jeffersons dominating presence in the paint. Jefferson tied a career high with 40 points, 16 of them in the fourth quarter, and grabbed 18 rebounds to help the Bobcats send the floundering Los Angeles Lakers to their sixth straight defeat with a 110-100 victory Friday night. "I have those moments," Jefferson said. "They kept running plays for me and I kept scoring. In the first quarter, they werent going down for me, but I just kept staying with it because I knew sooner or later it would start going down for me. " Jefferson set a franchise record with his 11th straight game of 20 or more points, eclipsing the mark set by Jason Richardson in 2007-08. It was the 13th game this season in which an opposing player scored at least 30 against the Lakers, something that happened in 18 games last season -- and there are still 35 games remaining. Jefferson is averaging 19.9 points and 10.7 boards, but wasnt selected for the All-Star game and has yet to play in one in his 10 years in the league. "Ive been disappointed with the All-Star games, man, for many years. So I dont listen to the hype," Jefferson said. Gerald Henderson added 20 points for the Bobcats. Starting point guard Kemba Walker missed his sixth straight game since a sprained left ankle ended his career-opening consecutive game streak of 190. Ramon Sessions, who has started every game at the point during Walkers absence, had 13 assists and nine points. Sessions, along with starting power forward Josh McRoberts and reserve guard Jannero Pargo -- all former Lakers -- combined for 26 points and the Bobcats snapped a string of five straight defeats against Los Angeles. Charlotte shot 52.3 per cent from the field, improving to 5-0 when shooting at least 50 per cent. The victory was the Bobcats ninth on the road, four more than all of last season. Still missing Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Steve Blake, Jordan Farmar and Xavier Henry because of injuries, the Lakers lost for the 18th time in 21 games and are only a half-game ahead of last-place Sacramento in the Western Conference standings just four seasons after winning their 16th NBA title. Pau Gasol had 24 points for Los Angeles and Nick Young added 21 off the bench. The Lakers have given up 100 or more points in 14 consecutive games, matching the clubs longest such streak since a 17-game stretch in 1986-87. Trailing by as many as 20 points after a pair of free throws by Jefferson with 4:21 left in the third quarter, the Lakers sliced the margin to 86-73 on a four-point play by Ryan Kelly. Los Angeles got it down to 86-78 on a layup by Robert Sacre with 11:01 to play, but that was as close as the Lakers got. Jefferson scored the Bobcats first eight points of the final quarter to help keep the Lakers at bay. "Hes been doing this to a lot of people," DAntoni said. "We tried a little bit of everything. We dug. We tried to play him a little bit straight up, at first. We tried to double-team him." Jefferson, who signed a three-year, $41 million contract with the Bobcats in July, powered them to a 62-49 halftime lead with 18 points and eight rebounds. Charlotte shot 58 per cent in the half, and never trailed after Jeffersons finger roll gave the Bobcats a 26-25 lead with 1:37 left in the first quarter. In the other meeting this season, the Lakers beat the Bobcats 88-85 at Charlotte with a game-ending 13-4 run and 21 points by Kobe Bryant -- one of only six games the NBAs fourth leading scorer has played in this season because of a torn Achilles tendon and a fracture in his left knee. Jefferson was held to 14 points that night. NOTES: The game ball was being sent to New York to mark the final day of NBA Commissioner David Sterns tenure. He is retiring Saturday on the 30th anniversary of his first day on the job. ... Stern saw the Lakers win eight league championships, make 12 trips to the finals and record eight 60-win seasons during his reign. ... Stern presented the Lakers with their championship rings on seven occasions. The only exception was in October 2001, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Armon Binns Jersey . "From a mental standpoint, if this game would have got away from us, aint no telling what would have happened," Carmelo Anthony said. Matt Moore Dolphins Jersey . -- The Denver Broncos took another step in the renovation of their secondary Tuesday by agreeing to a four-year deal with Pro Bowl safety T.SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco 49ers and offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore have agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2017 season. The 49ers announced the deal Thursday. San Francisco selected Kilgore in the fifth round of the 2011 draft out of Appalachian State. He has played in 33 regular-season games, plus all six playoff games the last two seasons. He has split time at guard and centre. With veteraan centre Jonathan Goodwin set to become an unrestricted free agent, Kilgore could take over the starting centre role next season. Adam Joseph Duhe Dolphins Jersey. Goodwin has started every game for the 49ers the last three seasons under coach Jim Harbaugh. Niners general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement that Kilgores deal is "another example of our philosophy to extend the contracts of our own young players." ' ' '