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Ndamukong Suh is the main reason why Detroit has the leagues best rushing defense. Now that hes available for the Lions, NFL rushing champion DeMarco Murrays job got that much tougher heading into his first postseason game. The NFC East-champion Dallas Cowboys rode Murray all season to produce the leagues second-best rushing attack and figure to be severely tested by Suh and Detroits defensive front in Sundays wild-card playoff game in Arlington. You can catch all the action at 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt. on CTV. Suh was initially suspended for stepping on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers left leg twice last Sunday in a 30-20 loss that ended a four-game win streak and gave the Packers the North title. He stepped on Rodgers once with each foot, which violated unnecessary roughness rules, according to the league. However, hearing officer Ted Cottrell handled Suhs expedited appeal Tuesday and ruled that he can play at Dallas (12-4) but must pay an accompanying $70,000 fine. Suh made it clear Wednesday he wasnt going to elaborate on the matter. Im just pleased with the decision and glad I have the opportunity - I can go against Dallas and help my teammates win the game, he said. I think thats most important. Suhs short-lived suspension came after Detroit center Dominic Raiola served a one-game ban against the Packers for stepping on a Chicago player the week before. I know Im chomping at the bit to get back out there, Raiola said. I just think this team is hungry. The more shots that people take at us, the stronger we get, the tougher we get. Detroit (11-5) limited opponents to 69.3 rushing yards per game with 133 tackles for a loss to lead the league in both departments. Now the Lions face their biggest challenge in Murray, whose 1,845 rushing yards broke Emmitt Smiths franchise record and were the third-most in the NFL over the last eight seasons. His 12 100-yard efforts matched the second-highest total in league history. Murray and an offensive line that had three players named to the Pro Bowl are why Dallas (12-4) averaged 147.1 rushing yards to trail only Seattle. If you look at the numbers, theyll tell you that they run the ball obviously as well as anybody in the league and you look at it statistically for us, were right up there at the top in the rankings in terms of stopping the run, Detroit coach Jim Caldwell said. So all in all, I think its going to be a real good battle. The running game has clearly bolstered Tony Romo, who is considered an MVP candidate after he led the NFL in passer rating (career-best 113.2) and yards per attempt (8.52). He finished fourth in the league with 34 touchdown passes. The fact that weve gotten stronger and better on the offensive line has certainly helped, coach Jason Garrett said. The fact that were running the ball well and more certainly has helped him but Tony has played awfully well ... Hes the guy who orchestrates and leads everything we do on offense. Romo looks to improve on a 1-3 playoff record in his first postseason appearance in five seasons. Counterpart Matthew StafAnd oh how the enigmatic goaltender shines in the spotlight, much to the chagrin of the league. Bryzgalov is just what the NHL hates: unique, outspoken, not from Red Deer. The embattled and well-traveled goaltender is the antithesis of the typical NHLer. His idiosyncrasies, strange even for a goalie, rankle the entire NHL establishment, from players to management to media to that guy who lives in the apartment below yours with his mother who has a "prominent Predators blog." And as Bryz adds some animation to the typically lifeless NHL discourse in his return to centre scrum, its interesting to consider why hockey hates him so. [Getty Images] For much of his career, Bryzgalov and his delightfully absurd aloofness was left to the bliss of the uncovered hinterland of the NHL. He was allowed to ply his trade in Anaheim and Phoenix with relatively little attention paid. But, in league circles, his oddities were well known, and even celebrated when the media required moments of levity. But upon his arrival in hockey hotbed, and noted goalie-killer Philadelphia, the affection the league had for Bryzgalov turned quickly to venom. His play certainly didnt help, but many an average NHLer with a slight sense of humour has been left to his own devices. But Bryzgalovs appalling strangeness in the eyes of the hockey establishment, a sinister outfit run by old white men housed in a secret lair below the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, made him a pariah, and nearly led to the end of his career. And by "end of career" I mean playing in Edmonton. Perhaps no player has incurred the wrath of the NHL like the man the Wild acquired as insurance, and who is now their last hope to extend the season. But why? Unfortunately, hockey lacks Bryzgalovs. Of the four major sports leagues, it by far eschews personality and flavour more than all others. Hell, out of any sport it certainly boasts the most boring membership. No interview is less interesting than conversations with hockey players. Vanilla mocks the rabid blandness of NHLers. And those in NHL circles who do have personalities, like Sean Avery, Ted Nolan, or P.K. Subban, find themselves ostracized from the community, or like Subban unfairly labeled as troublesome on and off the ice. One would think a league that has struggled to find a market against its more successful sports brethren would embrace personality, but thats not the hockey way. Bryzgalov is more than a goalie, more than a hockey player. Hes a genuinely interesting and interested person. He has big questions. Like, "Im very into the universe, you know like how was created, you know, like, what is it, you know? Solar system is so humongous big, right? But if you see like our solar system and our galaxy on the side, you know, like, were so small you can never see it. Our galaxy is like huge, but if you see the big picture our galaxy (is) like a small tiny-like dot in the universe." Bryz is the opposite of boring. [HBO] But hockey is a factory of boring. The sport grabs youngsters at an early age, sends them to cosmopolitan metropoli like Chicoutimi, Lethbridge, and North Bay, and where representatives of the old boys club teach them to lack in colour and dissenting opinion. There must be courses in stock answers and cliché given to aspiring NHLers, lest they find some horrific off-ice personality. One can imagine a factory churning out 62 defencemen and gritty fourth line centres somewhere outside of Medicine Hat whose only answers are limited to: • Gotta play all three periods and go hard into the boards. • Its the coachs decision. • I enjoy CBCs Heartland. Unfortunately, this formulaic tendency has corrupted on-ice play as well. In the past quarter century weve seen the game become more systems-based, removing individuality and scoring from the game. (Lets call this Lou Lamoriellos fault.)Hockey enjoys being the definition of innocuous. What it finds funny, or interesting, is in the Jeremy Roenicks of its world, a sort of low brow, low risk comedy that makes Canadian sitcoms look like the bastard children of Louis CK and Sarah Silverman. And that affection for the benign has lowered scoring, homogenized the product, and made beat reporters quest for an interesting quote an exercise in futility. Bryzgalov is the kind of guy you like to keep in your pocket and take out at parties. He was the star of HBOs24/7, an ambitious show that tries to find intrigue in NHL locker rooms.His personality is as endearing as it playful. Hes intelligent, well read, and happy to speak on any subject. And the NHL hates him for it. This is a man who when asked if he feared the powerhouse Pittsburgh Penguins before a playoff matchup with his Flyers responded, "Im not afraid of anything – except bear. But bear in the forest." Whats not to love? The pundits cited his personality as one of the reasons he failed in Philly, despite the fact that the Flyers organization is a wasteland for goalies whose failures have been the result of a flawed organizational concept as opposed to a Russian who enjoys tea and literature. Whats most painfully difficult to entertain in this NHL with a hatred of the entertaining is the notion that there arent more personalities like Bryzgalov. The difference with Bryz is that he shares his self with the world. I cant even describe the weird that my peers tend towards in the privacy of dark corners of Montreal bars, so one cant be naïve enough to believe that similarly intriguing oddity doesnt exist in NHL locker rooms. NHLers are only permitted to show their game face, or as Bryz puts it, "You know, I have many faces … masks. In home, I have one face. Public, I have other face. Uh … ahhhh, on ice I have different face. Day off I have four face. With you [media] I have fifth face." The tradition of the league has implemented a gag order upon its membership, which limits both its on- and off-ice products. The marketing of contemporary sport is about personality. Its what makes the moments between on-field greatness interesting. Chad Johnson, Dennis Rodman, or Steve Lyons would never be allowed to exist in the NHL. From a young age, their personalities would never be given the chance to blossom into anything other than milquetoast. Bryzgalov once said, "OK, they fire the puck from the blue line. Chief usually yelling block the shot at the defensemen. They doesnt have the goalie gear, but they have to block the shot. So who is more crazy, me or the defencemen? Who is more weird?" No one, Bryz. No one. And thats a shame. For both the sport and its fans. This is likely his last few weeks as an NHL goaltender. And then exit Bryzgalov, pursued by bear. Jaromir Jagr Jersey . Eller said the Oilers were a "junior team" that was "all over the place" before Edmontons 4-3 victory over Montreal on Tuesday night, Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins took offence to Ellers comments and used it to motivate his youthful team. John Carlson Jersey . Hattestad managed to avoid the carnage midway through the mens final, as a crash took out three skiers, essentially leaving two men vying for gold. The Norwegian posted a time of 3:38.39, outlasting Swedens Teodor Peterson, who took silver with a time of 3:39. http://www.officialcapitalspro.com/Evgeny-kuznetsov-capitals-jersey/ . -- Canada played to expectation up until halftime. Jakub Vrana Jersey . Patty Mills had 20 points, Tim Duncan had 11 points and 13 rebounds in limited action, and San Antonio rolled to a 110-82 victory over Milwaukee that kept the Bucks winless in the new year. Alex Ovechkin Jersey . Horford is out 3-to-4 months with a torn pectoral muscle for the Hawks, who have won two straight and five of six games. Atlanta improved to 2-0 on the residency with Saturdays 93-91 triumph over Minnesota, as Ivan Johnson scored his teams final four points, including the game-winning free throw with 4.The rules of the game of football are subjective. Make that, almost always subjective. Saturday at Carrow Road, the spirit of fair play trumped the rulebook, costing Norwich City three points. Fer play was denied, with Fair Play ruling the day. The least appealing match of the weekend on paper turned out to be the fixture with the darkest cloud hanging over. Norwich City and Cardiff City went 90 minutes without a goal. Cue the controversy. In stoppage time with a 0-0 score-line, Cardiff played the ball out of bounds for an injured Norwich player down on the field: a signal of true sportsmanship allowing the injured player to receive treatment. Its customary for the gesture to be extended in return, with the ball being played back to the opposition. When one team concedes possession to allow for an injured player to be seen, the favour need be repaid immediately. Or so convention says. Norwich City didnt oblige. Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall showed for the ball on the throw, completely out of goal and out of position. Ricky van Wolfswinkel decided instead to throw the ball to his Norwich teammate, Leroy Fer. With little hesitation, Fer passed the ball into the wide-open net. 1-0, Norwich City. Or so it should have been. Chaos ensued with Cardiff players confronting Fer, the teams pushing back and forth and confusion, en masse. Fer broke a cardinal rule. He didnt repay the gesture. Cardiff City players had every right to be incensed. But Fer did not break a rule of the game. With the scoreboard showing 1-0 and hostility raging, referee Mike Jones took matters in his own hands, calling back the goal and ordering the throw to be re-taken. The reason for the goal being disallowed, as described by Fer? Jones told the midfielder he didnt blow his whistle. But a referee doesnt have to blow his whistle to restart play. Jones clearly signaled for play to carry on so wherever the ball is thrown, the play is live and teams are free to carry on with proceedings. Fer was in his every right to do with the ball as he pleased. The laws of the game were not broken. Yet Jones, overseeing the proceedings made a moral decision, standing up for the unwritten rules of the game. Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay called Jones decision to disallow the goal, "common sense for football". Norwich manager Chris Houghton agrees, hitting out at his own player and backing the match official. Fer doesnt see things the same way. "Would I do it again? If it was a zero-zero game then yes, because I just want to win." Norwich City currently sits in the relegation zone. They need all the points they can get. If the Canaries are in a similar situation on the final match day of the season, you dont think the players would bypass an unwritten rule to fight for their Premier League lives? Of course they would. Yet, on this day in October, a referee made a moral decision and not a judgment based on the rules of the game. And these dropped points based on this disallowed goal could come back and haunt them. Showing a lack of sportsmanship, but not breaking a rule, cannot be deemed worthy of taking back a goal. We see a lack of sportsmanship on a weekly basis with players diving, trying to earn penalties, all in the name of winning the game. Referees cannot be relied upon to use common sense in every call thats made on the field. Handballs in the box, challenges as a last man back, a player taken down in the box – many of these calls are deemed black-and-white, despite being harsh. The laws of the game dictate the call being made. But if Saturday at Carrow Road is the precedent, the referee seemingly has much greater level of interpretation as moral arbiter of the contest. We have seen it done before when a player/team SHOULD give back possession of the ball in the name of sportsmanship. But in times of desperation, where wins and losses matter, the code has been ignored. We saw a similar goal count in Capital One Cup play earlier this season, with Yeovil not giving the ball back after Birmingham City goalkeeper Colin Doyle played the ball out of bounds for one of his injured defenders. The match official allowed the goal to stand, despite protestations and the poor form. Weve seen similar in top competitions, like the Champions League and World Cup, when teams put sportsmanship to the side in favour of their own fortunes. There is no arguing, common sense dictates van Wolfswinkel and Fer shhould have played the ball straight back to Marshall or another Cardiff player.dddddddddddd But the point is once the play happened, the goal should have never been called back. Fer may have acted like a jerk. His actions dont reflect well on he or the club. But the goal should have counted. It is a not referees job to manage fair play in this context. His or her job is to call the rules of the game. Its up to the players to play how they see best reflect on themselves and their club. Common sense didnt win out at Carrow Road. Wrong decisions did. Fer made the first wrong decision. Jones followed that up with a wrong decision of his own. Two wrongs dont make a right. Other Musings - The unreliability of Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has already been discussed at length in this space. Was his gaffe at Stamford Bridge the last straw? Late in a 1-1 game against Chelsea, Hart inexplicably charged out of his goal for a long-ball defender Matija Nastasic was in control of. With Fernando Torres closing in, Nastasic made the right decision to head back to his goalkeeper. Never mind the poor communication, Hart came charging out of his box like a madman, leaving his defender on the lurch, gifting Torres the match winner. Hart was out of his box and out of position even before Nastastic touched the ball. All the City goalkeeper had to do was keep his composure and stay in a balanced, reactive position inside his own box, something he failed to do at Villa Park as well. The sheer disappointment and negative body language of the City players and manager after the calamitous goal tells the story. They have lost faith in their goalkeeper. Being a top goalkeeper is more than just being a shot stopper. Hart is that. A communicator, thinker and leader from the back, he is not. Now were left with pundits proclaiming a resurrection of the goal scorer Torres. Only if scoring every goal were as easy. Costel Pantilimon was handed the start in the Capital One Cup Wednesday. He should get a look as the short-term number one until reinforcements can be found in January. Manuel Pellegrini needs reliability at the back. Someone who does not make massive mistakes is all thats required at present time for a team good enough to win the title. - Pellegrini snubbed Jose Mourinhos handshake after the 2-1 loss, heading down the tunnel without acknowledging his counterpart. Mourinho made a fool of himself, jumping into the crowd to celebrate after being gifted the winning goal. You would have thought Torres goal would be a wonder-strike by the way Mourinho reacted. The celebration was a slap in the face to Pellegrini. Such an egregious goal and mockery of a celebration shouldnt sit well with anyone. Earn the goal, then fine, celebrate as you will. But the shocking way the goal went down, Mourinho should feel fortunate to go in the lead. Mourinho should be embarrassed by his reaction. Need more reason why Mourinho didnt get his dream job as manager of Manchester United? - SAS is on fire. Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez have scored 14 of Liverpools 17 Premier League goals. Enjoy it while it lasts. The unpredictable Suarez is perpetually unsettled and could be tempted to move away from Anfield at any time. Suarez summer of discontent and posturing has been forgotten for the time being. Let the good times roll. How long does that last? It is of concern for Liverpool where they will find goals if injury or suspension hits the tandem. For the meantime, they deserve all the accolades they are receiving. The goals have been special and the play has been top quality. - Time for a formation change at Old Trafford? David Moyes team has started to show some of the bite accustomed to Manchester United. Yet the team hasnt yet hit top gear. The players available for selection seem to dictate United play a more narrow formation. The wing play has been poor, and with Moyes not yet trusting Wilfried Zaha, perhaps hes best off relying on wing production from Patrice Evra and Rafael from the back rather than the attacking wing positions. A 4-2-3-1 makes more sense, with Wayne Rooney, Shinji Kagawa, and Adnan Januzaj taking up the attacking midfield positions. Kagawa is wasted playing outside left, with a preference to come in field. And Januzaj was the top player midweek in the Capital One Cup, playing in the middle of the park with freedom to roam and create. @WheelerTSNgareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' 'ford is in the postseason for the second time after losing to New Orleans to close the 2011 season. The Lions have rallied to win both times when Stafford has faced Romo. Detroit erased a 24-point, second-half deficit in a 34-30 road victory Oct. 2, 2011, in which Romo threw for three scores as well as three interceptions. It was the first game in Dallas for Stafford, who went to high school in the area. Its always fun to go back there and play, Stafford said. Ive done it once in my career so Im (going to) do it again, it should be fun. The Cowboys blew a 10-point lead with less than 4 minutes left when Stafford scored a on a winning one-yard run with 12 seconds to go in a 31-30 win at Detroit on Oct. 27, 2013. He also threw for 488 yards - many to Calvin Johnson. Johnson posted the best effort of his illustrious career as he had career highs of 14 receptions for 329 yards - the second-best total in NFL history. He topped 1,000 yards for the fifth straight year, though his total of 1,077 marked his lowest in that span for Detroit, which averaged 20.1 points to rank 22nd. Dez Bryant set a Cowboys record with an NFL-best 16 TD receptions to go with 1,320 receiving yards for a team averaging of 29.2 points to rank fifth. Dallas won its fourth straight with Sundays 44-17 rout at Washington and was one of five teams that tied for the NFLs best record. We know what we have to do and we did exactly what we wanted to do, Bryant said. We just have to keep fighting, have to keep playing together. The Cowboys did suffer a blow when defensive tackle Henry Melton was lost for the season with a right knee injury against the Redskins. Detroit has dropped 10 of 11 playoff games in the Super Bowl era and its current seven-game losing streak is one shy of the tying the record held by Kansas City, which hasnt won a playoff game since 1993. Dallas has won once in its last eight postseason contests and fifth-year coach Garrett will make his playoff debut against Caldwell, who is 2-2 and guided Indianapolis to the Super Bowl after the 2009 season. 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He will make his Golldeyes debut tonight as Winnipegs starting pitcher.dddddddddddd Stoner, 22, has no record and a 3.60 ERA in five appearances out of the bullpen this season. Bratton, 23, recently completed his college career with the NCAA II University of West Alabama Tigers. The product of Oakville, Ontario went 4-4 with a 2.92 ERA in 13 starts as a senior with the Tigers this season. The Goldeyes have 22 players on their active roster, including 12 pitchers and 10 position players. 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