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OTTAWA -- Henry Burris couldnt pass up the chance to help build a franchise from the ground up. The veteran quarterback signed a three-year contract with the expansion Ottawa Redblacks on Tuesday, just six days after getting released by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. "The opportunity to be a part of something fresh and new was something that my family and I just couldnt turn down," Burris said after being introduced to the media. "We had to be a part of this. This is an opportunity of a lifetime to leave your fingerprints, your footprint on a growing organization that will be around for years and years to come. "To know that we were a part of what started this, thats a great way as far as your legacy to leave a print." The move ends a whirlwind week for Burris, who was released by the Tiger-Cats after the club signed Zach Collaros to be their starting quarterback. The 38-year-old -- who was cut by Hamilton despite leading them to last seasons Grey Cup game -- should provide immediate stability and leadership for the expansion Redblacks as the CFL returns to the nations capital this season. "I really dont look at this as an expansion team," said Burris. "Last season in Hamilton we had the youngest team in the league on both sides of the ball and I was changing (diapers) day in and day out. I expect some of the same challenges (in Ottawa). "As weve seen in this league its not how you start, its how you finish and that gives you plenty of time to overcome your growing pains and to make your mistakes early on." Ottawa will be Burris fourth CFL team after stops with the Calgary Stampeders, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and the Tiger-Cats. He won two Grey Cups during his time with the Stampeders and was named the games MVP in 2008. Burris led the Tiger-Cats to last seasons Grey Cup, where Hamilton fell 45-23 to Saskatchewan. He was tops in the league with 4,925 passing yards in 2013 to go along with 24 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. In 15 CFL seasons, the native of Spiro, Oklahoma, ranks fourth all-time in regular-season passing yards (51,529), touchdown passes (324) and completions (3,672). After getting his walking papers from the Tiger-Cats, Burris was immediately approached by the Redblacks and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Both teams offered enticing opportunities, but apart from getting a chance to set the standard with a new team, Ottawa offered Burris something Winnipeg couldnt -- the opportunity to play in front of his family. Knowing this would be his final contract, Burris said he has a number of relatives in Springfield, Mass., who are already looking forward to making the trip to Ottawa to see him in action. "To be close enough to family where they can actually come and spend time with our family and get to know our children and also see this guy that used to be called little Henry now playing football and living out his dream playing professional football," he said. "We have family that live about five hours away from here and trust me theyre all excited because now were playing at home for them." The Redblacks currently have three quarterbacks under contract that started CFL games last season. Ottawa acquired 34-year-old Kevin Glenn and Thomas Demarco through the expansion draft, and also has Matt Faulkner on its roster. It was widely believed that Glenn, who split time under centre with the Stampeders in 2013 and finished with 2,710 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions, would be Ottawas starter. But any question as to who would lead the team into training camp was answered when Ottawa general manager Marcel Desjardins introduced Burris as the "new starting quarterback for the Redblacks." "Kevin is a great friend of mine and it was definitely tough making that decision, especially knowing that he was going to be here," said Burris. "But this is a business and for me this is my last go-around and Kevin hes got a lot more go-arounds left in him." Desjardins said the plan right now is to head to camp with all three quarterbacks. "For us to have three quarterbacks who have started and played a lot of games in this league is a benefit to our organization," said Desjardins. "Its not to say teams wont reach out to us and we wont reach out to teams, but when we decided to make this signing we decided that if we go to camp with these three guys were probably in as good a position as anybody in the league at quarterback." Desjardins added that he hopes the signing of Burris will show other players that the organization is serious about being a contender right from the start. The Redblacks are the CFLs third attempt at a franchise in Ottawa. The Rough Riders folded in 1996 after 120 years of operation. The expansion Renegades began play in 2002, but folded after just four seasons. Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell said he looks forward to having someone with Burris experience join the team. "When we step on the practice field for the first time were not going to feel like an expansion team having players like Henry and others who have won a lot of football games," said Campbell. "Thats going to help bring us on a lot faster." Burris will be 39 by the time the team takes to the field for the regular season, but Campbell said he sees no reason for concern. "I had to compete against him as a defensive co-ordinator this last year (with Calgary) and I thought physically he looked as good hes ever looked. His arm is live and hes running around and doing all those things. If you didnt know his age you wouldnt say that hes slowing down at all." Note: The CFL announced Tuesday that free agency will begin on Feb. 11 instead of Feb. 15. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China . Consider it received. Attacking on offence early and often, the Penguins topped the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Saturday night as Jussi Jokinen scored the go-ahead goal in the third period to help give Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference playoff series. Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys . - Chris Davis hit a two-run double, scoring Nelson Cruz in his Orioles debut in Baltimores 9-7 win over to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. http://www.clearancenfljerseys.com/. - The width of Alec Martinezs shin guard was the difference between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks in their playoff series opener. 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"I guess we felt like last nights game was pretty easy and tonight was going to be the same way, but Turkey came out and they gave us their punch from the beginning," forward James Harden said. "We took it and we were sluggish. That second half we played a lot better." Kenneth Faried scored 22 points, Anthony Davis all of his 19 in the second half, and the U.S. rebounded from a rare deficit at halftime to beat Turkey 98-77 on Sunday in the Basketball World Cup. A night after crushing Finland by 59 in its biggest rout ever while using NBA players in the former world championship, the Americans couldnt take control against Turkey until early in the fourth quarter after compiling a 17-1 run. "I think we didnt come ready to play in the first half and we cant afford to do that if we want to win a gold medal," Davis said. "So weve got to come out ready to play no matter who were playing against." The Americans trailed 40-35 at halftime and Turkey led by six early in the third before the Americans could finally get the game into the quicker tempo they prefer and pull away to win the rematch of the 2010 gold-medal game in Istanbul. But it was a much tougher one than expected after the Americans hammered Finland 114-55 while Turkey was being outplayed for most of its opener by New Zealand before pulling out the victory. Harden added 14 points for the U.S. and Kyrie Irving added 13, playing extended minutes in the second half while struggling Derrick Rose sat. It was tied at 59 with 3:10 left in the third before the Americans closed the period with a 7-1 burst to lead 66-60 after Farieds basket. The U.S. then ran off 10 in a row to open the fourth and open a 76-60 cushion. The Americans havent lost since the semifinals of the 2006 world championship and outside of their victories over Spain in the last two Olympic gold-medal games, havent been in danger much since then. But they needded a long time to start looking like the team that is so considered the tournament favourite by so many.dddddddddddd "Before the game we talked about we trying to keep the tempo low, in fact slow down the game and we did it very well first half. I think actually three quarters we did it very well," Turkeys Ender Arslan said. "But after, physically United States team is great, they played 40 minutes ... so we get a little bit tired after third quarter and they still played at the same level." The U.S. beat Turkey 81-64 four years ago to win gold, and though the Turks have eight players remaining from that team, they no longer have their best player, Hedo Turkoglu, or fellow NBA veteran Ersan Ilyasova. Cenk Akyol led Turkey with 12 points. The Americans had to break from their pregame warmups to retake the official team picture that every team took Saturday before their opening games, because they were still wearing sweats instead of their uniforms. They soon had bigger problems than a fashion faux pas. It was 16-all after one, and Turkey controlled the tempo in the second quarter, getting to the foul line as the Americans showed moments of frustration with the pace and some calls that went against them. Baris Hersek and Emir Preldzic made consecutive 3-pointers late in the half to give Turkey a 38-32 lead. Unable to force the turnovers or missed shots to get their transition game going, the Americans looked ordinary in the halfcourt. Davis, who scored 17 points in the opener and had been the Americans best player this summer, was scoreless with one rebound in the half, playing just 10 1/2 minutes while picking up two fouls. "I tried to come out in the second half and just be a different player, just be the player Im used to being," he said. Rose showed his timing still isnt back after a nearly two-year absence, missing both shots, turning it over twice and not getting an assist in the first half. He didnt get back into the game until the U.S. had opened the big fourth-quarter lead. The Americans are off Monday before continuing pool play Tuesday against winless New Zealand. ' ' '