4) Speaking of which, if you invested time in the Cleveland Browns-Washington game, it is time to vote on the most interesting thing you saw. Cheap Jerseys . Was it Johnny Manziel "flipping off" the Washington bench, or the five holding penalties called against the Browns defence….in the first quarter?5) You will notice that I didnt mention the name of the Washington team. CBS analyst Phil Simms says he might do the same, while his play-by-play partner Jim Nantz feels it is not his place to "take a stance" on the controversy that will not go away. Whos right? I will only say that Nantz is, indeed, "taking a stance" by using the "R" name--hes saying he has no problem with it.6) Milos Raonics steady rise in the world tennis rankings is worthy of praise, but wheres the breakthrough victory that will signal the dawn of true greatness? The two views of Raonic are that it is inevitable, and that it will never come.7) It is time to tell MLB commissioner Rob Manfred how to save time and make games shorter. Are you with me in admitting that the appeal of the "sport without a clock" has waned?8) So lets begin with the toughest question--Should baseball actually use a clock to make the pitcher deliver the ball to home plate within 12 seconds of receiving it in his glove? The answer here is "yes", because the "discretion of the umpire" is a phrase that doesnt serve baseball well in any application.9) For instance, umpires can be encouraged to call more strikes, which usually means theyre supposed to call "high strikes", but they dont. Isnt it time for strict adherence to one strike zone, never mind the idea that umpires have their own strike zones? And, that strike zone, should you need a reminder, is between the top of the knees and the mid-point between the batters pants and the top of his shoulders, as he is about to swing.10) Batters arent supposed to step out of the batters box with both feet. So why are they allowed to do that for just about any reason, or for no reason? Stop them with called strikes.11) Mound conferences. The manager or pitching coach is allowed one trip, after which the pitcher must be changed. Whats wrong with applying the same restriction to catchers and infielders?12) Intentional walks. Why not save the time it takes to deliver four wide pitches and just wave the batter to first base?13) Video review. Baseball has lost its way with the introduction of challenges to umpires calls. Their number must be limited, and so too, the length of time they consume. Did it not occur to MLB that the only valid criticism of this innovation would be if the umps wore the headsets for more than, say, 90 seconds?14) And now it is time to offend the purists (I used to be one myself), or have I done that already? If the reason for this overhaul is to shorten games, there must be something done when an extra-inning game stretches to the ridiculous length of five or six hours. Draw the line where you think it belongs--Ill pick 12 innings--and for all innings beyond that, softballs international tie-breaker applies. (Each half-inning begins with a runner at second base).15) Kudos to the Montreal Alouettes for battling the Saskatchewan Roughriders to the very end of last Saturdays game, won 16-11 by the defending Grey Cup champs. But is there anyone not named Tom Higgins who would have done what the Montreal coach did after cutting Saskatchewans lead to two points with just over three minutes to play? What Higgins did was to order a one-point convert following the Als lone touchdown, when a successful two-point try would have evened the score. Ah, but what if the two-point play failed? Well, Montreal would have trailed by two, needing a field goal to win, which basically was what Montreal needed if the deficit was a single point. In summary, there was much to gain and little or nothing to lose by trying for two, and Higgins didnt.16) How good are the Calgary Stampeders? Well, if youre not willing to answer by saying "Theyre the best team in the CFL", try this: "Theyre good enough to be 6-1 without the services of the leagues top player in 2013, Jon Cornish". And wont it be good to see Cornish in action again on Sunday in Ottawa? (Ya, okay, perhaps not if youre Ottawa).17) Do you want the latest reason why its so frustrating being a Chicago Cubs fan? In their recently-completed four-game series against the Mets, the Cubs managed to hold the Mets to 16 hits, exactly four per game. And they split the series.18) Heres a stat that baseball needs to adjust--the "hold", which is awarded to a relief pitcher if he takes the mound with his team leading by three runs or less and departs without surrendering the lead. On Sunday, St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal walked three batters and was responsible for two of them crossing the plate, but because that still left the Cardinals in front for a one-run victory, Rosenthal, blown save and all, got his first "hold" of the season. What he got that he deserved was "the hook".19) If there must be a hockey question in August, here it is--what is the name of the Carolina Hurricanes head coach? (I had to look it up. Why dont you do the same, because the point of this exercise is lost if his name appears here. Or maybe you know it, which puts you ahead of me, unless you can name the NHLs five rookie general managers. It took me a couple of minutes, but hey, its August).20) Will the Los Angeles Clippers continue to employ cheerleaders, or would owner Steve Ballmer suffice? Cheap Jerseys China . Marian Gaborik had two goals and an assist and Martin Jones made just 17 saves to record his fourth shutout of the season as the Kings snapped a three-game losing skid with a 3-0 victory over the lowly Oilers on Thursday. Cheap Jerseys Authentic . -- Arizona coach Sean Miller rose from his seat every time Roberto Nelson touched the ball and yelled "Shooter!" He could have been talking about his own team, too.BOSTON – It will stand as their eighth consecutive loss to the Bruins. And yet as they left TD Garden amid the slush and snow of a winter storm on Thursday evening, there was a sense among the Leafs that they had finally stood toe to toe with their long-time bully, only to fall just short. "Tonight we deserved a better fate," Randy Carlyle said proudly of his teams effort in a 4-2 loss, their second to Boston this season and eighth straight dating back to last year. "If we can manage to commit to that type of effort night in, night out well win our share of games." His group matched the intensity and engagement of one of the Eastern elite – highlighted early when Mark Fraser squared off against Adam McQuaid – generally adhering to a smart, conservative road game. But as a team of the Bruins calibre will do, they punished the Leafs for their limited mistakes, edging in front for good with a pair of goals – from Tyler Seguin and David Krejci – in the middle frame. "They just took advantage of small, little mistakes and that was the difference," said Jay McClement, scoring for the third consecutive game, his goal cutting the Bruins lead to one with five-plus minutes remaining in the final period. "When you play teams like that you have to cut down on your mistakes. You know youre going to make them, but obviously they made us pay for a couple there. But we played hard, we played the way we wanted to coming in, we just fell a little bit short." The Leafs played to their blueprint, sustaining pressure with their forecheck while grinding with a cycle game down low, but opposite the second-best defensive team in the conference they failed to generate many second chance opportunities and could beat Bruins backup Anton Khudobin only twice on 27 shots. They didnt allow much conversely at the other end – 24 shots at Ben Scrivens – but their mistakes – a couple of forced forays into the neutral zone, Korbinian Holzer most prominently, and a casual backcheck or two, notably Nazem Kadri on the eventual game-winner – landed square in the back of the net. "Theyre opportunistic," Carlyle said of the Bruins, now 10-0-1 this season when scoring first. "Its not like youre talking about a bad hockey club over there." Not entirely proud of their near-meltdown in a 5-4 win over the Senators at home just a night earlier, the Leafs offered a hearty effort in a proving ground against the Bruins, more in line of what will be required in a furious push to the postseason. The Penguins come to town on Saturday, another hardened test for a club trying to assert its place in the Eastern Conference. "I think we did a lot of things that we are asking of our group and we were not rewarded for the work I think that we put in," Carlyle concluded. "Thats the type of hockey that were going to expect our hockey club to play every night." Five Points 1. Leafs vs. Bruins After an empty 0-for-6 mark a year ago and two losses this season the Leafs have now dropped eight straight to the Bruins. In Boston, the results are equally one-sided; the Bruins are 10-1-1 in the last 12 home games against Toronto. "Theyre always a tough team to play against, especially in this building, definitely will be a good measuring stick to see where we are as a team," said James van Riemsdyk prior to the game. The Leafs last beat the Bruins at TD Garden on March 31, 2011 when Kadri potted the shootout winner in a 4-3 victory. 2. Missed opportunity early The Leaf power-play entered the evening as the seventh-best league-wide on the road, but the unit failed to capitalize on a prime opportunity in the opening frame. With Chris Kelly already whistled off for a slash on Phil Kessel, Daniel Paille was then called for high-sticking, handing the visitors a brief, but potentially impactful 23-second 5-on-3 advantage. Tyler Bozak managed the only decent chance, his back-hand attempt stopped by the right pad of Khudobin. The Leafs have scored just three goals this year with the two-man advantage. 3. Second half intensity With the second half upon them, the Leafs can expect the hockey to get tighter as the chase to the playoffs begins in earnest. "Any time in a year, whether its a shortened year or not, as soon as the halfway point comes around and you get down to the quarter point of the season everything is ramped up," Dion Phaneuf noted. Cheap Jerseys From China. . "Youre going to see the intensity of games increase as they do every year down the stretch and this is the stretch run." The Leafs boast a 6-7-0 mark against the current batch of playoff teams in the East. 4. Dissecting a potential Gardiner recall By all accounts, Jake Gardiner is back to being, well, Jake Gardiner. But for the time being, the 22-year-old remains in the American Hockey League with the Toronto Marlies. A unique skill-set within the organization, now would seem the obvious and prudent time to recall Gardiner. A look into the clubs likely thought process, however, reveals a decision with some nuance and perhaps explains why he is not in the NHL at the moment. First and maybe most importantly is the waiver dynamic. Holzer is the only defender among the current group of eight who can be reassigned to the Marlies free of the waiver process. Designating the 25-year-old would seem simple enough, but because he has played the past 14 games on the top pairing with Phaneuf and the team has had success (11 wins in 15 games before Thursdays loss), the option is not so clear-cut. Mike Komisarek holds a no-movement clause so he remains and the organization likely isnt at the point of placing John-Michael Liles through such a process. Mark Fraser and Mike Kostka are the next options, but they both require waivers and the Leafs surely have no interest in risking the loss of either one. So what to do? The Leafs could re-assign Holzer, who struggled against the Bruins on Thursday but has garnered generally consistent minutes, thereby creating an opening alongside Phaneuf. Carlyle could theoretically fill that void by moving Carl Gunnarsson back to his previous position alongside the captain, shifting Phaneuf back to the right side. Carlyle could then slide Gardiner onto a pair with Kostka, a duo that managed much success with the Marlies during the lockout. Recalling Gardiner therefore would force the Leafs to alter two of their three pairs. And while that might not necessarily be a bad thing considering the unique dynamic Gardiner brings to the table, it is a whole lot of change at the midway point of a hectic season. The team has also enjoyed success so there may be no inclination for change just yet. The time will come though; injuries are inevitable, trades remain a distinct possibility and performance can falter. And the Leafs are simply a better team with Gardiner on it; a decision is likely to sort itself out. 5. 22 games for Lupul Seemingly lost in the Leafs conversation is the continued absence of Joffrey Lupul. Lupul missed his 22nd straight game on Thursday night as he continues to recover from a fractured right forearm. When evaluating the Leafs surprising success this season, its worth pointing out how much of it theyve done – all but three games – without their 29-year-old All-Star left winger. Lupul continues to skate and work towards recovery with no definitive timeline in sight. Leafs GM Dave Nonis noted earlier this week that once the broken bone in Lupuls forearm is fully healed he can work toward strengthening the area before moving toward shooting the puck and eventually returning to practice. Quote of the Night "I thought we worked extremely hard. I think we did a lot of things that we are asking of our group and we were not rewarded for the work I think that we put in." -Randy Carlyle, on his teams performance against Boston. Stat Watch 7 games: Nazem Kadri extended his point streak with his 11th goal of the season. Kadri has totaled six goals and five assists during the seven-game run. 92 per cent: Leaf penalty kill over the past 15 games (43-47), perfect opposite three Bruins power-plays on Thursday. 3: Goals for Phil Kessel in 20 career games against Boston. 2-11: Mikhail Grabovski in the faceoff circle on Thursday. 6: Fights for Mark Fraser this season. Fraser fought Adam McQuaid in the opening frame against Boston. 2-3-0: Leaf record on the second half of back-to-backs this season. Minute Watch 15:04: Korbinian Holzer, his second-lowest mark of the season. Up Next The Leafs return home to host Sidney Crosby and the Penguins on Saturday. wholesale jerseys authentic wholesale jerseys nfl cheap cheap jerseys Cheap Jerseys chinawholesale jerseys ' ' '