233 career homers and a .244 averag

On all levels the 100-year anniversary of the Canadian Skating Championships was an overwhelming success. In honour of the anniversary, over 80 Canadian champions of the past were in attendance to witness one of the best Canadian Championships in many years. What made this championships so successful was first and foremost the inspired and at times heart wrenching performances of Canadas best as they tried to validate four long years of effort in a few short minutes of competition. What we saw was strength in all of the disciplines. Strength across the board, which reminds me of the good old days - the 1988 Calgary Olympics when Canada had its biggest medal haul in skating at the Games, winning medals in three of the four disciplines. Its interesting to note that this will be the biggest Olympic skating team from this country since those 1988 Games and with the addition of the team event it looks likely that Canada will equal or top that medal total from 26 years ago. The audiences were terrific in Ottawa. They were loud, enthusiastic and large in numbers. The packed house on Saturday got their moneys worth and gave numerous standing ovations in return. Highlights for me were plentiful. The womens competition, which in the past has often been the least hotly contested title, was instead more competitive and intriguing that it has ever been. Kaetlyn Osmond showed her trademark composure and charisma after coming back from a season of injuries to defend her title and to prove that her breakout season last year was no fluke. She has a presence that fills the arena and an elusive blend of raw talent and solid technique which is mixed with the soul of an artist. What I find most appealing in Kaetlyns character is the refusal to take herself or the magnitude of the moment too seriously. Each moment is met with a smile, a giggle or a shrug, and with eyes sparkling. This is supposed to be fun, right? To watch her compete is to believe just that. That it is fun. Gabby Daleman at only 15 years of age showed a feisty competitiveness and raw athleticism on her way to winning silver and a ticket to Sochi. Her triple lutz-triple toe, the most difficult triple-triple combination being executed in the world of womens skating, was as good as they come. This kid can fly and showed a focus and nerve quite remarkable for her age. As good as the two at the top are, the rest of the field showed us that they will continue to be pushed, as the final flight was filled with youth, triple jumps and engaging personalities. This bodes well for the seasons to come. Speaking of youth, in the mens event it was 14-year-old Roman Sadovsky and 15-year-old Nam Nguyen who brought the house to its feet and the scores to new heights in the penultimate flight. These are the numbers that the final group of men were challenged to beat. What we saw was a glimpse of where the next Patrick or Jeffery or Kurt might come from. They were back-to-back exceptional scores, for remarkable performances by young teenagers and once again the future looks bright. Patrick Chan, who came in without challengers due to the fact that Kevin Reynolds was not in peak competition form because of skate malfunctions, was not as sharp as usual and showed signs of his focus being a little split between the here and now, and the larger challenge looming that is the Olympics. But, "not his best" is still world class, and it was the kind of performance that will keep him on his toes without chipping away at his confidence. A rock solid foundation to build on for the games. The drama came in the pairs competition with the intense rivalry building once again between Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch the worlds fourth-ranked pair and world bronze medalists and defending Canadian champions, Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford. Like last year the teams were separated by less than a point after the short program with Kirsten and Dylan just behind. That meant that they were the first of the two teams to skate in the free program showdown. About the performance in the free, Meagan said "We didnt know what they did before us, but we did hear a New Canadian Record!" and so they knew that the bar had been raised yet again. Both teams set Canadian records that night and both teams brought the fans to their feet in appreciation of the pairs finesse and fearlessness. The evening wound up with the Ice Dance event which was a "something for everyone" type of affair. It was filled with a variety of genres, an abundance of athleticism and dramatic and emotional musical interpretations. The final flight of dance was of such a high standard that the teams fighting for the third Olympic spot knew that only "their very best" and "not a step wrong" would get them there. In the end it was Alexandra Paul and Mitch Islam after two seasons of mishaps and heartaches who nailed the Olympic spot. Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje won silver, wowed the crowd and showed with their fluid and refined Tango that they are absolutely Olympic podium worthy. The final skate of an awesome day fell into the capable hands of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. They closed the show and the final chapter of their competitive life at Canadians with their Olympic free dance, a standing ovation and a final good bye. A fitting end to a fabulous day. Mark Jackson Jersey . TSNs coverage of the Third Round gets underway Sunday with Game 1: Los Angeles at Chicago at 3pm et/Noon pt. TSNs broadcast schedule for the Third Round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs is as follows: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Los Angeles Kings• Game 1: Los Angeles at Chicago – Sunday, May 18 at 3pm et/Noon pt• Game 2: Los Angeles at Chicago – Wednesday, May 21 at 8pm et/5pm pt• Game 4: Chicago at Los Angeles – Monday, May 26 at 9pm et/6pm pt Featured in the broadcast booth for TSN are play-by-play announcer Chris Cuthbert and game analyst Ray Ferraro, with Farhan Lalji contributing reports from rinkside. Allan Houston Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.nbaknicksauthority.com/john-starks-knicks-jersey-c-12/ .ca. In Sundays Blackhawks-Penguins game, Pittsburgh defenceman Brooks Orpik laid a huge hit on Chicagos Jonathan Toews. Now in my view, Orpik can be clearly seen leaving his feet while delivering a moderately high hit. Custom New York Knicks Jerseys .com) - John Wall supplied 24 points and 11 assists in leading the Washington Wizards to a 102-91 win over the New York Knicks on Christmas Day. Kristaps Porzingis Jersey . The 26-year-old Regina native teamed up with Denny Morrison and Mathieu Giroux to win gold in 2010. Makowsky also was 13th in the 5,000 metres and 19th in the 1,500m in Vancouver. He also represented Canada at the 2014 Games in Sochi, helping the pursuit team finish fourth and finishing 28th in the 1,500.SAN FRANCISCO -- Dan Uggla needed a fresh start. The San Francisco Giants needed a healthy second baseman who could step in and produce. Both are hoping they can solve each others problem. A week after being released by the Atlanta Braves and just days after signing a minor league deal with San Francisco, the Giants purchased Ugglas contract from Triple-A Fresno. They put him in the starting lineup for the opener of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. "I know what I bring to a clubhouse. I know what I can bring on the field, and Im just looking forward to going out there and having fun with the guys," Uggla said after slipping into his newly stitched No. 22 Giants uniform. "No added pressure here on my end. Ive been in some dark places and battled my own struggles the last year and a half. But thats over now. Im here to have fun." The Giants have had little production from their second basemen this season. Marco Scutaro and Ehire Adrianza were placed on the 15-day disabled list before the game. Scutaros strained lower back has kept him out for all but five games this season -- though the Giants are still hopeful he can come back -- and Adrianza has a strained right hamstring that is considered minor. As a result, the Giants signed Uggla to a minor league deal Monday. They also designated left-handed pitcher Jose De Paula and infielder Nick Noonan for assignment Friday to make room for Uggla and infielder Tony Abreu, who was also called up from Triple-A. Uggla went 2 for 7 with two walks and an RBI in two games for Fresno. Giants manager Bruce Bochy had hoped Uggla could play more in the minors before calling him up. The latest round of injuries just didnt allow it. Bochy said hes hoping Uggla can pull off a turnaround similar to the kind Pat BBurrell and Jeff Francoeur did after signing with San Francisco in the middle of recent seasons.dddddddddddd "Sometimes change is good," Bochy said. "We like taking a look at players who have a track record, and he has an outstanding track record. You look for them to be available, and really, the timing was perfect for us." Uggla will cost the Giants only $500,000. The Braves are responsible for the $18 million hes guaranteed over the rest of this season and next season. The 34-year-old second baseman has 233 career homers and a .244 average. He had five straight 30-homer seasons for the Marlins and Braves from 2007-11 and has made three NL All-Star teams. But since 2012, Uggla has hit just .196 with 43 homers and 143 RBIs in 1,101 at-bats. He said hes working on "staying short" in his swing instead of trying to hit home runs. "Were human. Were going to fall out of whack sometimes," Uggla said. "We have to get ourselves back into the right places some way or another. And for me, thats just trying to get the barrel to the ball and staying as short as I can." More than anything, Uggla is excited for another opportunity in the majors. He has some familiarity with his new teammates, playing with pitchers Tim Hudson in Atlanta and Yusmeiro Petit with the Marlins, but otherwise the Giants offer a clean slate. Uggla said he was excited to play in front of the nightly sellouts at AT&T Park. He compared the feelings before his debut with San Francisco to opening day. "Anytime you do have an opening day or a first game, thats kind of similar to the butterflies you get on opening day. Its a fresh start," he said. "Im excited about it. I got all the right nerves going, the anxious, excited-ness going. Im looking forward to getting it going." Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '