In Sochi, the most memorable moments were not always golden. [url=http://www.shopusaicehockey.com/Dustin-Byfuglien-Jersey/]Dusti

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In Sochi, the most memorable moments were not always golden. Dustin Byfuglien USA Jersey . Much has already been written about the Olympic champions in figure skating at these Games. Their achievements deservedly applauded, their celebrations ongoing, and their names will go down in history. While I too applaud their efforts and accomplishments, there were numerous performances other than the winning ones that also provided for me some noteworthy and unforgettable moments. Collectively, the Pairs Short Program, the Free Dance and the Ladies Free Skate had some of the best skating I have ever seen. Quality, competitiveness, variety and depth had us first riveted and then lifted us to our feet. We were left in awe of the events remarkable performances and the audience certainly got more than their moneys worth. Speaking of audience, the Russian audiences were always vociferous in their appreciation of their own and were often an intimidating presence for others in Sochi. In my mind, they were a game-changer more so in these Olympics than in any of the other Games that I have attended. It felt a little more like a hockey crowd and while they didnt cheer when one of their skaters competitors made a mistake, the excited chatter when an error occurred was noticeable and undeniable. It created a strange buzz throughout the skating events. The Russian skaters, for the most part, thrived on it and capitalized. Such was the case for the second-ranked Russian team of Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov who, for me, stole the show in the Pairs. This was the team that in the last season - despite being injured and missing two months of training - has totally reinvented themselves. In one season, they have added new lifts, perfected the triple-twist and revamped their skating style and technique dramatically. It was the improvement of their overall quality of skating that impressed me the most and gave them a new found power and command. The fact that the Olympics were at home and that they were training alongside the World Champions provided the perfect fuel for the improvements they made. One saw clearly that the Russians are back in form to dominate in the Pairs event once again if the rest of the field doesnt take notice and respond quickly. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir in the Ice Dance delivered the moment they had hoped for at centre ice in Sochi. Their Free Dance was undoubtedly their best of the season and was a skate that will be remembered for years to come as an "all-time great performance." What they have done for the sport of ice dance with their beautiful lines, connection to each other, versatile portrayals, and athleticism is they have clearly defined the sports identity. They bring the sense of dance to the forefront and stay true to it usually at a price, because the artistic risks they take add technical difficulty, which I believe has often gone unrewarded. The Free Dance event was spectacular in Sochi with all teams delivering dramatically and once again the wonderful careers of Meryl Davis and Charlie White and Tessa and Scott were revered and celebrated. Did the judges get it right? The debate will rage on and in the end there were no losers, only winners in what was a captivating dance event. The ladies were as hot in the Free Skate as the men were not. Coming in, the mens free skate had the potential to be the best mens event ever. Patrick Chan, with his world renowned edges and choreographic complexity combined with his mastery of the quad, set the bar for what was expected to win gold at the these Games. He had been the driving force in mens skating since Vancouver and it was the teenager from Japan, Yuzuru Hanyu, who had been able to move in and keep pace this season. They had been so impressive all year that it felt to me that they were exhausted from the expectation and belief that it would take "perfect" to win in Sochi. The men tried valiantly but left points on the table and in the end, it was Japan who had its first ever gold medal in mens Olympic skating. In hindsight, the wacky competitive schedule that the men had to endure will likely be revamped. It was the first time in at least 30 years that they had to compete on back-to-back days at the Games. That fact in itself can be challenging but on top of it, when the men finished the short program just before midnight, they had the draw and the mandatory press conference for the top finishers which took them into the early hours. They were left with about a seven hour turnaround at the village before they had to return for the morning practice. The guys werent complaining but their legs did late that night when they competed in the Free. After a stellar lead up season and awesome practices in Sochi, one could only "feel" for the guys that they didnt have "that moment" in the Free Skate at the Games. In all of the wonderful moments that made up the Ladies event, it was the performances of Japans Mao Asada and Carolina Kostner of Italy that touched and inspired me most. Both were personal victories for these skaters, who after the Vancouver Games came at the challenge of Sochi in very different ways but with the same intense personal conviction. Mao, second in Vancouver with her trademark triple axel, decided that her favorite jump - while worth more than any other - was not enough to make up for some of her other jumping deficiencies. So she committed herself to taking apart her technique and relearning and rebuilding her jumps from the ground up. It was a long, almost three-year process. I watched and admired her work ethic and her respect for her craft throughout the rebuild process in her determination to have no weaknesses. To watch her triumph in the Free Skate was a delight! Its so good for the sport and Im so happy for her. In 16th after the short, Mao was too far back to contend but for me her performance was the evenings big winner. Mao won our respect and hearts and so too did Kostner with her charming Bolero. Carolina, in her previous two Olympics, literally fell apart. In the Vancouver Games, her Free Skate was so desperate that she sobbed as she finished. Of that skate she said, "I felt ashamed and nobody should have to feel that way at an Olympics." So, this was about righting that wrong. Her goal this time was not about placements, even though she was a contender. It was, she said, about leaving the ice with a smile on her face. Her performance touched everyone, and especially those of us who have witnessed her turbulent past and watched her new found love for the sport. One couldnt help but admire her excellence and feel her sense of joy and gratitude. She left the Games this time with a smile and a medal, and for me it just doesnt get better than that! James van Riemsdyk USA Jersey . 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According to a police report, Douglas is accused of grabbing his girlfriend by the neck and slamming her against the wall several times while he carried her from the elevator to their Hartford hotel room early Sunday morning.(SportsNetwork.com) - The dismal performance of the NFC South this season means a very good football team will not be participating in the conference playoffs. The Detroit Lions are intent on making sure that good team isnt them. The Lions will try to keep on the heels of the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North against an improving Minnesota Vikings team beginning to blossom under rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The Lions enter Week 15 at 9-4, one-game behind the Packers in the division and tied with three other teams (Philadelphia, Dallas and Seattle) for the second best mark in the conference, one-game south of Green Bay and Arizona, who are both 10-3. One of those teams wont be making the postseason because the winner of the NFC South (either 5-8 New Orleans and Atlanta or 4-8-1 Carolina) will have its ticket punched. That makes every game ultra-important for the Lions, who will be searching for a rare season sweep of the Vikings after beating them in Minneapolis, 17-3, back on Oct. 12. Detroit kept pace in the playoff race last weekend by taking care of business against hapless Tampa Bay, winning 34-17 behind Matthew Stafford, who had three touchdown passes, and Joique Bell, who scored twice. Stafford went 26-for-34 for 311 yards with touchdown passes to Bell, Calvin Johnson and Joseph Fauria for the Lions, who have won two straight after consecutive road losses. I feel good, I feel confident in what we are doing, said Stafford. The guys on offense are feeling pretty confident in what weve been doing here lately, and the guys up front are keeping me clean most of the time. Johnson finished the game with eight catches for 158 yards, while Bell had 18 carries for 83 yards and a rushing touchdown while adding five catches for 50 yards for Detroit. Our guys certainly played a good team game today, said Detroit head coach Jim Caldwell. It certainly wasnt perfect, they never are. Our offense was controlled and we ran the ball better than pretty much any game this year. The Vikings, meanwhile, have been playing better recently behind Bridgewater, who is 4-2 in his last six starts with a passer rating of 91.0 in those games. Only the Packers Aaron Rodgers, New Orleans Drew Brees and Atlantas Matt Ryan have performed better among NFC quarterbacks over that span. Last weekend Jarius Wright turned a quick Bridgewater smoke screen into a winning 87-yard touchdown in overtime, lifting Minnesota over the New York Jets, 30-24. I knew it was going to be a touchdown, said Bridgewater after seeing Wright run past the last defender. I knew once we got that play set up, it was up to Jarius to do the rest. Bridgewater completed 19-of-27 passes for 309 yards and a pair of touchdowns with an interception to lead the Vikings to their second straight win. Wright finished with 123 yards on four catches, and Charles Johnson also scored with four catches for 103 yards. Weve seen nothing but flashes from him since he arrived here, said Bridgewater about Johnson, who was plucked off Clevelands practice squad. Matt Asiata led Minnesota with 54 rushing yards and linebacker Gerald Hodges returned an interception for a touchdown for the first score of the game. The Vikings lead the all-time series by a significant 69-35-2 margin but the Lions have won two of three, including the win in October. WHAT TO WATCH FOR The Lions have been known for late-season collapses, losing six of their final seven games a year ago and dropping nine straight in the month of December before disposing of the Bucs last weekend. Things have changed under first-year coach Caldwell. Its a new day. He said it from the beginning, coach Caldwell, put it on Caldwell, veteran center Dominic Raiola said. We keeping ddoing it every week and its getting fun around here. David Backes World Cup Jersey. The more we just worry about whats going on right now, handle the day, the better off were going to be. Stafford has been making it especially fun over the past two weeks against Chicago and Tampa, completing 60-of-79 passes for 701 yards with five TDs and no interceptions. His hot streak coincides with the health of the All-World Johnson, who has caught 19 passes for 304 yards and three TDs in those two games. Weve definitely found a rhythm, Johnson said. Im feeling pretty good ... the best Ive felt in a little while. Stafford still has some demons to exercise, however. He threw just eight TD passes and had 12 picks with a dismal 70.0 passer rating in Detroits nine- game Christmas time swoon before righting the ship a bit against Tampa Bay. I feel good. I feel confident in what were doing, Stafford said. The guys are catching the ball, which is always great. The Vikings figure to be much tougher than the Bears and Bucs, though, especially on defense where Mike Zimmer has put together a unit that can give up some yardage but has two elite playmakers in right end Everson Griffen, who is second in the NFC with 12 sacks, and safety Harrison Smith, the only player in the NFL with at least three sacks and three interceptions. Chicago is 30th against the pass and the Buccaneers are 24th while Minnesota is sixth, allowing just 220.8 passing yards a game, limiting Stafford to 185 yards in the first matchup between the two teams. The other aspect for the Lions which isnt new or at least not new enough is discipline. Long regarded as one of the NFLs dumbest teams under previous coaching regimes, Detroit is still committing far too many penalties. I am more interested in winning. But I know one thing: If you have too many (penalties), they lead to problems, they lead to deficiencies, they lead to losses, Caldwell said. That is an area we have to get straightened away. The Vikings have something in Bridgewater, who brings a rare sense of calm to the pocket you dont often see from young quarterbacks. The former Louisville star seems to have the innate feel to make good decisions and is very accurate in the short to mid-range areas. This franchise is Teddys. I know that was a good headline for you, Zimmer said. Thats what he needs to do. He needs to take it over. This is his team now. The deep ball has been a problem but even that seems to be improving thanks to the emergence of Johnson, a 6-foot-2 rangy receiver with tremendous straight- line speed and rare leaping ability, who has been creating tremendous separation. (Johnson is) a great route runner. Hes a guy whos very patient, Bridgewater said. The Lions defense, which allows an NFL-low 17.2 points per game, forced Bridgewater into his worst start as a pro back in October, intercepting him three times. Thats an issue because Minnesota will likely be without three starters on its offensive line. Right tackle Phil Loadholt and right guard Brandon Fusco are done for the season with torn pecs, while left guard Charlie Johnson will likely miss the game with a sprained ankle. OVERALL ANALYSIS Despite trailing the Packers, the Lions control their own destiny because they are 3-0 in the division and beat Green Bay in the Motor City back in September. The Lions close the regular season with three straight NFC North matchups -- against the Vikings and at Chicago before a Week 17 matchup at Green Bay, where they have dropped 22 straight. There is no room for error for the Lions especially over the next two weeks and Minnesotas offensive line troubles should be enough to slant things toward Detroit. Sports Network predicted outcome: Lions 24, Vikings 20 NFL Jerseys China ' ' '