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he Broncos have only one opponen
Topic Started: Feb 6 2013, 02:57 AM (62 Views)
lingzi

Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. Ray Lewis White Jersey . This week they discuss the MLB and MLS All-Star Games, the first-place Pittsburgh Pirates, and the reinvention of Adam Loewen. Dave Naylor, TSN: My thumb is down to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game which seems about as uninspiring to players as it is to fans these days. Remember when deciding home field advantage for the World Series was supposed to give this game some teeth? Well, someone forgot to tell the players, 16 of whom took a pass on this past weeks game for various reasons including Derek Jeter who was just days earlier baseballs feel good story. So if the players dont care, why should the fans? And more importantly, why should the result of such a contest be allowed to affect the World Series? An event which, unlike the All-Star game, actually matters. Steve Simmons, Toronto Sun: My thumb is down to the disconnect between Toronto FC and Major League Soccer. Now, we know Toronto is struggling on the field; off the field has issues as well. For instance, on July 27th - the night of the MLS All-Star Game, Toronto FC has a home game against Motagua of Honduras. Can you imagine this in any other sport? The Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held the other night in Phoenix - nobody would dare play a game the same night as the all-stars. This is a team and a league moving in completely different directions. You cant schedule against your league all-star game, it shouldnt be allowed. Its really that simple. Bruce Arthur, National Post: My thumb is up to the Pittsburgh Pirates who this week reached first place in their division. No, really. If the name sounds familiar, they were a pretty good Major League Baseball team back when Barry Bonds looked like a normal human being. Then Bonds left, ownership cheaped-out, and the Pirates sailed over the horizon - never to be seen again. The last time the Pirates finished .500 or better was 1992 - the longest losing steak in major team sports and yet here they are, powered by Andrew McCutchen, Jeff Karstens, and a quietly fantastic bullpen. Sure the division is a bit of a mess and sure it could all still crumble, but the Pirates have reached first place, and their poor, beleaguered fans should enjoy a little hope. Its been a long, long, long time coming. James Cybulski, TSN: My thumb is up to Toronto Blue Jays prospect Adam Loewen. Nine years ago the 66 lefty from Surrey, B.C. was the highest Canadian ever drafted in Major League Baseball, going fourth overall to Baltimore. Multiple stress fractures eventually led to the Orioles giving up on him and Toronto took a chance on the now 27-year-old in an attempt to rebuild him as a hitter. And so far its working. Loewens hitting .314 in Triple A Las Vegas with 14 homers to boot. The Jays are limited in their options with him which may be preventing a call-up, but if things continue to progress, we just might have a Canadian edition of Rick Ankiel on our hands. Bernard Pollard Jersey . The person told The Associated Press about the trade on condition of anonymity Wednesday because it has not been announced pending the completion of some routine logistical matters. The deal also sends guard Jerome Dyson and retiring centre Brad Millers $5.1 million contract from New Orleans to Minnesota, allowing the Timberwolves to clear space under the NBAs salary cap as they pursue free agents. Vonta Leach Womens Jersey . They have the worst record in baseball and are barrelling toward their second straight 100-loss season. http://www.thesuperbowlbaltimoreravens.com/justin-tucker-jersey . -- Sixth-ranked Florida State hasnt played its second game of the season yet and has already lost two key defensive players for the year. Brendon Ayanbadejo Jersey . As part of the Kraft Celebration Tour, Bathurst will host a special edition of SportsCentre featuring anchors Jay Onrait and Dan OToole when they broadcast live from the New Brunswick community on Wednesday, Aug. Maake Kemoeatu Jersey . The Winnipeg Goldeyes overcame an early 2-0 deficit to beat the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 4-2 Wednesday night before 2,178 fans at Newman Outdoor Field.DENVER -- The dinged-up thumb. The New Orleans defence. Neither came close to slowing down Peyton Manning on Sunday night. Despite banging his throwing thumb on an opponents helmet in the second quarter, Manning passed for 305 yards and three scores, led a pair of 90-plus-yard touchdown drives and easily outplayed Drew Brees to lead the Denver Broncos to a 34-14 victory over the Saints. Manning surpassed the 300-yard mark for the fifth straight time to match his personal best and set a franchise record for Denver (4-3). He completed 22 of 30 throws for a passer rating of 138.9. Willis McGahee ran for 122 yards and a score for the Broncos, who won two in a row for the first time this season and took sole possession of first place in the AFC West. "Its fine," Manning said about his thumb. "As a quarterback, your biggest fear is hitting your hand on the helmet of a defensive lineman. Its mostly the nail. Might be sore tomorrow." The Broncos gained 530 yards -- a season high -- against the NFLs worst defence. The Saints are the first team to allow 400 yards in seven straight games since 1950, which is as far back as STATS LLC can search its NFL database. Coming in on a two-game winning streak of its own, New Orleans (2-5) was hoping to get a boost from the return of linebackers-turned-interim head coach Joe Vitt from his six-game suspension for the teams bounty scandal. All he can do is stand on the sidelines, though, and linebacker Jonathan Vilma -- another Saint implicated in the scandal -- returned to the starting lineup, but he couldnt plug the holes, either. "Ive got to do a better job of preparing our football team," Vitt said. "Ive got to do a better job of getting the team ready physically, mentally and emotionally to play in a game like this. And quite frankly, theres things I need to do better." The Broncos held Brees and the leagues top passing offence to 213 yards and two scores, the second marking the first points Denver has allowed in the fourth quarter since opening week. Brees extended his record to 50 straight games with at least one touchdown pass. He also reached 301 career touchdown passes to climb past John Elway for sixth on the career list. Small consolation on a night in which the Broncos defence looked almost as good as the offence. "That was a very poor performance on our part," Brees said. "We were not able to sustain drives and we left our defence out there entirely too long. That was just very stale." The Saints converted only 1 of 12 third downs. "This football team has been through a lot," Vitt said. "But its not an excuse for the way we played tonight. Its not an excuse for dropped balls, missed tackles." Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard did extensive damage, finishhing with 13 tackles, two pass breakups, one sack, one forced fumble and one interception, when Vitt chose to go for it on fourth-and-2 from the Denver 47 early in the second quarter with the game tied at 7. Joe Flacco Limited Jersey. "They told me before the game they would keep me free to make plays," Woodyard said. Manning capitalized on Woodyards pick by leading Denver on a 56-yard drive for the go-ahead touchdown, capped on a 13-yard pass to Eric Decker, who was all alone when Jabari Greer slipped. Decker celebrated by spiking the ball a good 10 rows into the stands. A bit later, Manning followed through into a New Orleans players helmet while completing a 23-yard pass to Decker, leaving a trace of blood across the quarterbacks thumb. Manning handed off the next four plays and the Broncos settled for a field goal before halftime. But when Manning returned for the third quarter, he warmed up with no trouble and showed no signs of injury. He then answered any questions by going 4 for 4 to start the third quarter, moving the Broncos 93 yards and capping it with a 1-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas for a 24-7 lead. "I was really nervous at first but then I realized what a tough guy he is," Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley said about Mannings injury. Thomas finished with seven catches for 137 yards. Decker also caught a 2-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter for a 31-7 lead. He finished with 43 yards receiving. Denvers first scoring drive opened at the 2 and began with four straight runs by McGahee for gains of 4, 12, 7 and 3. That set up play action and Manning hit Thomas for 41 yards. Five plays later, Manning dropped back, peaked through the crowded line and somehow picked out McGahee among all the big men clogging things up. That little flip screen was good for 14 yards and set up McGahees 1-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. After getting through the toughest part of their schedule and reaching the bye week at 3-3, the Broncos have only one opponent on the rest of the schedule that currently has a winning record (Baltimore). Too early to call them front-runners, though they certainly played like it against one of the leagues most beleaguered teams. "Im sure the coaches will find some mistakes on the film," Manning said. "But it was what we were looking for." Notes: The Broncos lost a fumble in their 12th straight game, the longest streak in the NFL since the Cardinals lost 18 straight in 1996-97. ... Saints S Roman Harper left in the third quarter with a concussion. ... Manning threw for 300 yards, three touchdowns and completed 70 per cent of his passes for a record fourth straight game. ... The lead blocker on McGahees 1-yard touchdown was DT Mitch Unrein. ... The Saints fell to 2-8 lifetime against the Broncos. ' ' '
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