miaowang123: Griner threw out the ceremonial first pit

miaowang123

I like it, I like it a lot. Brian Westbrook Jersey . I am speaking in reference to the city of Ottawa being back in the CFL and the Redblacks in the East. It was approximately two ago years the announcement was made and it looks like all is ready and the plan is active. This will be a challenge on a number of levels. The first is creating a winning football team. Second is creating a home field, stadium feel that pulls people to a game as much as a winning team. When I was young, now many years ago, I went to Exhibition Stadium to see the Argonauts play and Ivor Wynne Stadium to see the Tiger-Cats play as much to be a part of the atmosphere as to see the team win. I liked the crowd, the hot dogs, and the halftime marching band as much as anything on the field. And back in those youthful days it was rough. There were certain sections in both stadiums that if you were looking for trouble, all you had to do was walk through with an attitude and you would be confronted.  Yet even with that "fear factor", I loved going to the games. It was an event and an experience. If Ottawa can have success on two levels, a competitive team and empowering atmosphere, this can and will be a success, but you do need both. For those who have never been, Ottawa is a great place. A simple description but accurate, as the city and surrounding area has everything you need. It isnt what I would call an elite athletic mecca of football enthusiasm. It is no Regina, but as far as attracting free agents, Ottawa as a city is as affluent as any in Canada. I am sure that is one of the attractions of the Ottawa ownership group led by Jeff Hunt in that they do have the surrounding environment to progress and grow. And there is no comparison between previous ownership groups and the five main people presently involved, which means everything when times get tough and they always do. The single biggest challenge for Ottawa will be quality depth. Over the course of 18 games the season becomes a battle of physical heath, or maintaining physical heath. I think Ottawa will be able to find 24 good CFL starters but what happens when the starters cant start a specific game? Is the second team player a competent player or a detriment? Somehow Marcel Desjardins and Rick Campbell have to find players that can play right now. I guess you could say that about every team but I believe with Ottawa, it is a greater challenge. Other teams usually have a plan of development because they are established teams. Ottawa is not established with veteran status and leadership. It is all new and unique and youth will be more prevalent here than on any other team. It is an operating agenda of complete unknown because there are no previous reference points of success. Very exciting, but also very concerning. From the renovation of Landsdowne Park to the new TD Place, a very experienced coaching staff and management team, to an ownership group of wealth and commitment, a lot of things have gone "right" in Ottawa. The unknown will be the players and how quickly and effectively they work together as a team. You dont always need the best players, but you need players that are at their best working effectively with others. One of the positives that will come to the forefront as the season moves on is that because new players will have the opportunity to play, new stars will shine. New faces with new personalities will emerge and that creates a conversation and attraction. Selling football is about winning, but its also about finding an identity within the city. I am sure many Ottawa sports fans can name more than a few Ottawa Senators players. The same has to happen with the Ottawa Redblacks. They need their players to embody the personality associated to that name. And speaking of names I like, Im bordering on love of the name "Redblacks ." Our colours in Canada are red and white and the black and red fit with the Ottawa Senators. The more the CFL can associate with the NHL, the better in every way, in my mind. For those who dont like it; give it time. The name is open to interpretation within the individual imagination, so however you want to look at it, it is up to you. Too many Lions, Tigers, and Bears. The Redblacks is original and I like it. I like it a lot. Jerome Brown Womens Jersey .com) - Charlie Davies netted a pair of goals, including the series-winner on Saturday, as the New England Revolution battled the New York Red Bulls to a 2-2 draw in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Championship at Gillette Stadium and advanced to MLS Cup final via a thrilling 4-3 aggregate victory. Herman Edwards Jersey . -- Manager Bob Melvin shuffled the Athletics batting order and got the type of production he was looking for from the top of the lineup. PHOENIX -- Red and blue lights flashed in the darkness as rap music blared and smoke filled the Washington Nationals clubhouse. The party ended at the door of the managers office. Inside it, Matt Williams, the one person who should have been celebrating, was subdued, calmly talking about his teams latest comeback win. With his teams recent struggles, he was just happy to get a win -- no matter where it was. Pinch-hitter Kevin Frandsen and Danny Espinosa each hit solo homers in the ninth inning, helping the Nationals rally for a 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night in Williams return to the desert. "Its good win for us," Williams said. "We needed that." Williams was a fixture in Arizona before becoming Washingtons manager this off-season. His new team scored four runs early, shut down for four innings, and tied it when Espinosa hit the second pitch of the ninth by Addison Reed (1-3) just over the wall in right. Frandsen put the Nationals up by lining his second career pinch-hit homer to left and Rafael Soriano stranded a runner at second in the ninth for his eighth save. Tyler Clippard (3-2) pitched a scoreless inning, Ian esmond hit a two-run homer and Tyler Moore added a solo shot for Washington, which followed a three-game sweep by Oakland with its 11th comeback victory. "We needed that win," Espinosa said. "Coming off the series we just had, we really needed this. Its a good win." The Diamondbacks thought they had it. Arizona had 13 hits -- three by Aaron Hill -- and went up 5-4 when A.J. Pollock hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning. The bullpen did its job for three innings until it got to the ninth, where Reed struggled for his second blown save and Arizonas first loss when leading after eight innings (11-1). "There is not controversy here. He is our closer," Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. "He has done a (heck of a) job for us. Lets not forget that. It didnt work out tonight." Williams played for Arizona from 1996-2003 and was on the coaching staff from 2010-13 before getting his first shot at managing. He received a nice ovation when he was recognized and a video tribute played on the video board after the first inning. Williams current team limped into the desert for a three-game series against his old one. The NNationals have lost five of their eight position players from opening day to the disabled list, the latest first baseman Adam LaRoche, who went out Sunday with a strained right quad. Brian Westbrook Womens Jersey. The Diamondbacks have been headed in the opposite direction since getting off to the worst start in franchise history. Ten games under .500 after 18 games, Arizona has started to show signs of life, winning three straight series during a 6-3 road trip that ended Sunday. Both teams knocked the ball around the ballpark most of the night. Moore, LaRoches replacement, went 0-for-3 after being called up on Sunday, but had a quick impact in Mondays game, hitting a solo homer to left off Josh Collmenter in the second inning to put Washington up 2-0. Collmenter hit his first career double in the third inning and scored on Martin Prados ground-rule double to end Jordan Zimmermanns scoreless streak at 12 innings. Paul Goldschmidt followed with another run-scoring double and Miguel Montero drove him in with a single to put Arizona up 3-2. The lead didnt last long; Desmond lined a two-run homer to left in the fourth to put Washington back up 4-3. Collmenter allowed four runs on four hits in five innings. Pollock put Arizona on top again in the sixth inning, dropping a two-run homer onto the pool deck in right. Zimmermann allowed five runs on 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings. Randall elgado, Evan Marshall and Brad Ziegler each pitched a scoreless inning of relief for Arizona, but Reed gave up two homers that cleared by a few feet each in the ninth to give Williams bragging rights over his former team for at least one night. "I just have to keep the ball down and throw the ball where I am trying to throw it," Reed said. "Location is everything in pitching and right now I am leaving it over the middle of the plate." NOTES: Phoenix Mercury centre Brittney Griner threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... Frandsens other pinch-hit homer was June 22, 2013, against the Mets... Ziegler stretched his scoreless streak to 18 1-3 innings with a perfect eighth. ... Arizona RHP Bronson Arroyo, who will start the second game against Washington on Tuesday, is 2-0 and has not allowed an earned run in 14 1-3 innings his past two starts. He will face Stephen Strasburg, who is 2-0 with a 1.37 ERA in his past four starts. ' ' '