ekansekans's blog: "df"

Sitting courtside early before the Raptors preseason game against the Wizards. A few quick thoughts on the NBA. 1. KYLE LOWRY: Makes his debut on Wednesday night. We finally get to see the entire squad and the internal competition created by more talented players like Lowry is a "Positive Problem" for head coach Dwane Casey. Calderon, Lucas, and Lowry - let them fight it out for minutes. Should be fun. Curious to see how playing two of them together will work out. 2. EMEKA OKAFOR (Wizards): Dominated at UConn and has been a solid/decent pro. Blocks shots and rebounds well. His offensive game is inconsistent and needless to say a bit robotic. Hes a guy that gives you consistent effort and will be a stable influence for his team. Impactful? No, but steady. 3. DEMARCUS COUSINS (Kings):  Very talented big man and totally expect him to take another step this season. Immaturity has been an issue but its time for him to get it done. A beast on the boards and is quite crafty inside. Has the tools to be a significant player. Time the maturity catches up with the talent. Keep an eye on him - there comes a point when the light truly has to come on. 4. RAYMOND FELTON (Knicks): Out of shape last year and it showed. No Jeremy Lin in the Big Apple - lots of pressure for him to produce. Tough minded and highly competitive. Like his ability to push it and set the tone on defence. Hes got to be consistent shooting the ball and make others better. Hell be key to how far the Knicks can go. Need good point guard play - hes got to deliver. 5. JOSH CHILDRESS (Nets): Liked this pickup for Brooklyn. Was a good player early in his NBA career, then overseas and onto Phoenix - has kind of gotten lost in the shuffle. Can shoot the ball with range and is an efficient player in the team concept. Lets the game come to him and will be a positive addition to the Nets second unit. Youre always looking to find second unit guys who are of a current reasonable dollar value to you and I think he makes perfect sense for them. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys . The Laval linebacker, taken 10th overall in last weeks CFL draft by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, has been invited to the Philadelphia Eagles rookie minicamp. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . When the Detroit Red Wings signed free-agent forward Damien Brunner over the summer, they did so with the idea of playing him alongside Henrik Zetterberg. http://elevatedcolor.com/hot.html . Ron Tugnutt is the Canadian teams goaltending coach and has personally experienced that kind of pressure. In addition to a long NHL career, Tugnutt twice represented Canada at the mens world championship.CANTON, Ohio -- They blocked and tackled and got lost in those scrums at the line of scrimmage, overshadowed by the guys who handled the ball and soaked in the moments of glory. It all changes in Canton this weekend, when a group of linemen become the stars of the NFLs most prestigious event. Four linemen will be among the six players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night -- Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Willie Roaf and Dermontti Dawson. Running back Curtis Martin and cornerback Jack Butler will join them. In several ways, its fitting that the ones who protected the quarterbacks and tried to get them to the ground are the ones getting top billing. "Any coach will tell you the backbone of your team is the offensive line and the defensive line, and it is appropriate that these guys go in together," former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. For this group, its about time. "These guys like Willie Roaf and Jack Butler and Cortez Kennedy and Dermontti Dawson, how often do you hear their names called unless theyre doing something that they shouldnt be doing?" said Doleman, who had 150 1/2 sacks. "These guys are awesome players who are so deserving of the Hall of Fame, and Im so proud to be going in with them." The six inductees are the centerpiece of a special weekend in the northern Ohio city, which had to do without one of its main events last year. The Hall of Fame game was called off because of the NFL lockout, costing the hall and the city a lot of money. The game returns on Sunday night, with more than a little intrigue of its own. The New Orleans Saints, hit hard by their bounty scandal in the off-season, will open the preseason against the Arizona Cardinals. Labor issues still play a role, though -- replacement officials will be used because the refs union has been locked out. Itll overshadow the preseason, at least for the first game. "I know therell be a lot of attention based on what happened with their off-season," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. The weekend started with a big moment for the hall itself. A 10,000-square-foot centre named for Bills founder Ralph Wilson, Jr., was dedicated, a major expansion that will provide more space for documents, photographs and artifacts. Then, those big guys were ready to get the big moments, the ones usually saved for someone else. "Every quarterback who wins the Super Bowl, he goess into the Hall of Fame," Doleman said.dddddddddddd "Its like, Come on! That position probably deserves more scrutiny than any other position on the field because you can have an average quarterback with a great offensive line, and he gets all the glory. Theyre enabling him to throw the ball and do what he needs to do." On Saturday, some of those Hall of Fame passers will be in the audience applauding a group of players known for their years of excellence at the games basics -- blocking and tackling. "A very down-to-earth class, not a lot of egos involved," Roaf said. "We all are happy about what we achieved, but (theyre) good guys and good players to go in with." Making it even more special is the fact that the linemen havent had much chance experience in those confetti-spray celebrations on Super Bowl Sundays. "The fact we have four linemen going in is real special," Roaf said. "Also, none of us have rings. We all had real good careers, but none of us played in the Super Bowl other than Dermontti." The only "skill position" player going into the hall this weekend is Martin, who finished as the fourth-leading rusher in NFL history. He has chosen former coach Bill Parcells -- who has been nominated but not elected to the hall -- to present him for induction. "My career wouldnt have been half of what it was if it wasnt for Bill Parcells," Martin said. "He helped me be a better running back, but also to be a better professional and be a better man. He is still a huge part of my life." A couple of others will be honoured as well. Len Dawson, already in the Hall of Fame as a quarterback, will receive the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television award for his work with the Kansas City Chiefs radio network, NBC and HBO. He was inducted in 1987. Tom Kowalski will be honoured posthumously with the 2012 Dick McCann Award from the Professional Football Writers of America. The Detroit Lions beat writer covered the team for 32 years. He died in August at age 51. "Well, Ill say this: they dont give that award out lightly," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "You mention some of the guys who have won it in the past, they dont give it away to just anybody that doesnt know football. Tom always made it his business not just to write articles, but to write accurate articles and he worked very hard to get it right and understand the game." ' ' '