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 Geplaatst: 05-09-2019 06:45:17 Onderwerp: ORLANDO, Fla. [url=http://www.airforce1levne.com/air-force-1 |
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| ORLANDO, Fla. Nike Air Force 1 Pánské Levně . - The Carolina Panthers believe Steve Smith lost "top-end" speed, a big reason the franchise parted ways with its all-time leading receiver. Speaking publicly for the first time since cutting Smith two weeks ago, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday they had to "move on eventually." "He didnt lose his speed," Rivera said at the NFLs annual meetings. "He lost his top end. Steve still fought and would still find ways to make plays. But as far as the football decision goes, we have to move on eventually. This was an opportunity to do it." Smith wasnt unemployed for very long. He signed a three-year contract with Baltimore about 24 hours after the Panthers released him. Rivera said the desire to give young receivers Marvin McNutt, Tavarres King, Brenton Bersin, Kealoha Pilares and Toney Clemons opportunities factored into the decision. "With Steve around, they may never get that chance to develop," Rivera said. Rivera also made it clear the Panthers intend to select a receiver in the NFL draft in May — and hopefully replace Smith. "The thing we have to all understand is that eventually its going to happen; its inevitable," Rivera said. "In this game, its inevitable. A lot of great ones have moved on and gone on and played a couple of more years somewhere else. For us (Rivera and GM Dave Gettleman), this is a very hard decision. I know Dave anguished over it for several days before the decision was made, and we had a lot of discussions about it. Its one of those things that you have to, at some point, make the move to go forward." The decision was not popular among Carolina fans. A third-round draft pick out of Utah in 2001, Smith made an immediate impact as a rookie, returning the opening kickoff of the season for a touchdown against Minnesota. He became the first Panthers rookie selected to the Pro Bowl, earning that honour as a return specialist. Known for his feisty behaviour on the field, Smith became a dominant receiver over the next 12 seasons. He ranks 19th in the NFL in career receptions. He caught 64 passes for 746 yards and four touchdowns in 2013. Smith is Carolinas leader in receptions (836), yards receiving (12,197) and touchdowns (67). As productive as Smith was, his fiery personality often rubbed people the wrong way, and some viewed him as a distraction in the locker room. Smith had run-ins with teammates on at least two occasions. He punched out fellow wide receiver Anthony Bright in a film room fight and later socked cornerback Ken Lucas on the field during a practice at training camp in Spartanburg, S.C. On both occasions, Smith was suspended by the team. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said they had few reservations about bringing in the 34-year-old Smith, even with his history and his age. "Chemistry is really important, and its something that I think every team should be working really hard to try it build," Harbaugh said in Orlando. "It starts with the type of person that you bring in as a coach and then as a player. But through our investigations, I guess you can call it, we came away feeling really good about the impact Steve is going to have on our team that way. "Hes a tough competitor. Hes a mature, grown man. Hes a family man. Hes a man of faith. I think the world of him." The Panthers signed veteran Jerricho Cotchery to a two-year contract, giving them some experience at the position after releasing Smith and seeing Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn Jr. and Domenik Hixon leave in free agency. Rivera insisted the team will miss Smith, even though hes not the player he was in his prime. "Hes got a lot of football left," Rivera said. "Hes still explosive. ... He practices so hard. He competes so hard. I think hes at the point now where he has to manage himself and know that, Hey, I cant practice every day like that. "Steve has a lot to prove. Hes got that chip on his shoulder going forward. I know hes going to be 35, but I still know hes going to be a very competitive guy. Hes going to will himself to do some things. But I think as the season wears on, if he hasnt taken the time that hes needed off between the games, he might slow down. But he still has some gas in the tank." ___ Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Air Force 1 Sleva . With their coach gone, they finally played offence the way he would have wanted. Amare Stoudemire made all seven shots in the first half, Anthony passed and shot well, and the Knicks shook off the surprising departure of their coach to rout the Portland Trail Blazers 121-79 on Wednesday night, snapping a six-game losing streak. Nike Air Force 1 Dámské Levně .500. The Jets have now won nine of their last 11, and five of their last six road games. With the win they moved to within two points of Vancouver in the west, the Canucks holding down the eighth spot. Vancouver lost in Boston, while the other big game saw Dallas win in Phoenix. http://www.airforce1levne.com/ . Paul George and Darren Collison each scored 17 points and Roy Hibbert added 11 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers (9-3), who won their third straight.Wimbledon, England (Sports Network) - No less than four former world No. 1 women exited the Wimbledon draw on Wednesday, including former champion Maria Sharapova and reigning two-time Australian Open titlist Victoria Azarenka. Portugals Michelle Larcher de Brito stunned the third-seeded Sharapova in 6-3, 6-4 fashion on some slick grass on Court No. 2 at the famed All England Club, while the second-seeded Azarenka pulled out of her scheduled second-round match because of a knee injury. Sharapova took three different spills during her shriek-filled match against the 20-year-old Larcher de Brito and also fell to the court during warm ups on the weird Day 3. The Russian superstar left the court at one point in the second set to get some treatment on her left hip and was never able to get all the way into her match on Wednesday. Sharapova saved four match points in the 10th game of the second set, but the 131st-ranked Larcher de Brito converted on a fifth when the Russian netted one final forehand. The career Grand Slam winner Sharapova captured her lone Wimbledon title in 2004 by upsetting Serena Williams in the final and was the 2011 runner-up here to Czech slugger Petra Kvitova. Sharapova was this months French Open runner-up to the great Williams and also lost to Williams in last years Olympic gold-medal match on the grass here at the All England Club. Meanwhile, Azarenka was slated to take on Flavia Pennetta in the second round, but she was clearly hobbled during her first-round win over Portugals Maria Joao Koehler on Monday. Azarenka did a split behind the baseline during the match and injured her right knee, which required treatment on three occasions as she completed a 6-1, 6-2 triumph. The 2012 U.S. Open runner-up tried to warm up on Wednesday morning before the match, but was unable to play, giving Pennetta a walkover into the third round. Azarenka said that medical tests showed she had a bone bruise in the knee and was unable to recover in time. "We tried to do everything as possible, but it was just very significcant fall," she said. Air Force 1 Damske. "To recover in two days after that seems impossible with the compensation on the entire body by finishing that match." Azarenka was a semifinalist here each of the last two years. The eighth-seeded former Wimbledon champ Kvitova reached the round of 32 without lifting her racquet, as Kazakhstans Yaroslava Shvedova pulled out of their second-rounder because of a right arm injury. In addition to Azarenka and Sharapova, two other former world No. 1s exited the draw, as Czech Petra Cetkovska defeated ninth-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki, who was nursing an apparent foot or ankle injury, 6-2, 6-2, and, making her Centre Court debut in front of members of the Royal Family, rising 19-year-old Canadian Eugenie Bouchard took out 12th-seeded Serb Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-3. The former U.S. Open runner-up Wozniacki has never reached a Wimbledon quarterfinal, while Ivanovic is a former French Open champ who hasnt advanced beyond the fourth round at the All England Club since a semifinal showing back in 2007. The 66th-ranked Bouchard captured the girls juniors crown at the All England Club last year. Five of the top-10 womens seeds are already gone just three days into the fortnight. American Sloane Stephens, seeded 17th, snuck past former top-10 German Andrea Petkovic 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 8-6. Stephens was an Aussie Open semifinalist in January. In other action involving seeds, No. 19 Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain overcame Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, No. 25 Russian Ekaterina Makarova edged out Spaniard Garbine Muguruza 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, Italian Karin Knapp doused No. 27 Czech Lucie Safarova 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, and No. 29 Alize Cornet of France drubbed Taiwans Su-Wei Hsieh 6-3, 6-2. Also on Day 3, Puerto Ricos Monica Puig beat Spaniard Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 and Czech Eva Birnerova dismissed Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko 6-3, 6-4. Watch exclusive bonus online coverage throughout the competition on TSN.ca, including full coverage of select matches not being televised. ' ' ' |
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