Infos » ad eight points and four rebounds in 24

With the Super Bowl over for another year and our mighty hockey teams about to chase after Olympic gold yet again, it seems a little strange to be talking about “team” when it comes to figure skating. When you think teams you imagine a group of people who all shop at the same jersey store and move together in a large pack with a common goal, which is usually scoring goals. But at these Olympic Games the idea of becoming a team in figure skating makes perfect sense because of a new event called, shockingly, the Team Event. Now before you get your mind all fired up with images of Patrick Chan spinning through the air and passing off a baton to Tessa Virtue as she floats by on the back of Scott Moir, I must tell you that it is not quite that interactive. And there are a few rules. First, teams are made up only of skaters who have qualified in their own discipline and will be competing at the Games. Canada will be able to choose its team members from the three men, two women, three pairs and three dance teams that it is sending to Sochi. One man, one woman, one pair and one dance couple from each qualified country will skate their short programs. Before the long program, two of the disciplines can be changed out. For example, Canada might choose to have different skaters compete in the long in the mens and womens events, meaning the pair and dance teams could not be changed. They skate, scores are given, math happens and voila, medals are handed out to the team with the highest total. If that sounds like it lacks a tad in the creative aspect of team play you would be right. Skaters are expected to pretty much repeat the exact same program, with maybe a few new elements, when they compete in their non-team events for the individual medals. Just for fun imagine the six members of the “team” all skating at once wearing matching uniforms... oh wait, thats hockey. If it all seems like it needs some intrigue, then consider that when picking the team certain questions of strategy come to mind. If you use only your best skaters, do you risk taking away from their chances for individual medals? With two possible changes before the long programs, do you split the duties up for the pair teams because they have their individual event first and have the least amount of time to recover ? Ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won Olympic gold in Vancouver but lost recently to the Americans at the Grand Prix Final. Do you keep them away from a head-to-head before their actual event? If youre Patrick Chan, reigning world champion in search of a gold medal, do you throw all those quads and hope you have some more left when your individual event begins on Day 6? I bet you that it would be a tad easier to make these decisions if you already knew who the other teams were... hmm? Personally, I am very excited for this team event. Not only is it more figure skating for fans and another chance at an Olympic medal for these athletes and the country they love, but it is going to be fun. It will bring the skaters together in a way that has never happened before in our sport. Those key decisions I mentioned will keep the water cooler conversations rolling. Oh, and I can hardly wait for the inevitable team chants. " Jump up high / Spin down low / Go Team Canada / Go! Go! Go! " Hey, its our first time at this team thing, give us a break. Dale Hunter Jersey . CSKA received the heavier punishment of playing its next European home game behind closed doors, after its supporters displayed racist and far-right symbols in the Czech Republic during a 2-1 loss to Viktoria Plzen on Dec. Nicklas Backstrom Jersey . The league announced Thursday that Tom Higgins is leaving that post effective immediately. http://www.officialcapitalspro.com/Denni...als-jersey/.com) - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mat Latos had an arthroscopic procedure performed on his right elbow last week, the teams official site reported Wednesday. Jakub Vrana Jersey . The two were in the batting cage moments before game time. Bautista was taking final warm up cuts. Pillar was hitting soft toss. The one-time utility player turned All-Star pulled aside the clubs young, fourth outfielder and offered him some advice. Custom Washington Capitals Jerseys . Parnell will be out much longer if it turns out he needs surgery. But first, he will try resting for two weeks before beginning a throwing program that could last up to a month, general manager Sandy Alderson said.MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Timberwolves youth movement is in full effect, with Andrew Wiggins and Co. ushering in a new era in the wake of Kevin Loves departure.When it came to winning time on Thursday night, however, it was all veterans on the floor. And thats what makes coach Flip Saunders believe the rebuilding effort wont be as drastic as some people expect.Thaddeus Young scored 19 points and hit a big 3-pointer with 90 seconds to play to lift the Timberwolves to a 97-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons, making Saunders a winner in his first home game as Timberwolves coach since 2005.Were trying to develop, but we also need some positive reinforcement and thats by getting some wins, Saunders said.Nikola Pekovic had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Ricky Rubio added 11 points, eight assists and seven boards.Caron Butler scored 24 points and D.J. Augustin had 20 points and six assists for the Pistons, who have opened the season with two straight losses on the road under first-year coach Stan Van Gundy.Andre Drummond had 11 points and 12 rebounds, but he was limited in the second half by foul trouble and the Timberwolves held off a late charge from Butler and the Pistons.Pekovic wasnt able to play much basketball during the summer while he recovered from bursitis in his foot that plagued him for almost the entire second half of last season. The Wolves have tried to develop a program to keep their $60 million centre healthy and it has been centred on a plan to measure his minutes much more closely this season.Pekovic laboured in the early going against the burly Drummond. He was just 2 for 6 from the field with three turnovers in the first half, but really started to assert himself in the third quarter.It was like two grizzly bears fighting each other, Young said.Pekovic had nine points and five rebounds in the quarter and drew three fouls on Drummond in the first five minutes of the period to put him on the beench.dddddddddddd With no presence in the paint, the young Wolves stormed out to a 19-point lead.Right now, Im just worried about the whole mental state of our team, Van Gundy said. What happened in the third quarter was inexcusable. It really is. If youre a professional athlete, it was inexcusable.Butler responded with a binge of his own, scoring 12 straight for the Pistons to start the fourth quarter and cut Minnesotas lead to 80-74. His 3-pointer with 1:43 to play tied the game at 80, but Young hit a big one on the other end to hold the Pistons off.TIP-INSPistons: Greg Monroe served the second of a two-game suspension stemming from an arrest last February on a DUI allegation. ... The Pistons shot just 42 per cent, with Drummond, Josh Smith and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope combining to go 15 for 43.Timberwolves: Kevin Martin made his season debut after missing the opener with a sore left ankle. Normally a starter, he came off the bench and had 12 points in 19 minutes. ... The Timberwolves and Rubio have until 11:59 on Friday night to reach agreement on an extension of his rookie contract. If they dont, Rubio will become a free agent next summer.WIGGINS DEBUTAndrew Wiggins, the No. 1 overall pick who headlined the trade that sent Love to Cleveland, had eight points and four rebounds in 24 minutes in his first home game. He had an impressive flurry in the third quarter, scoring on a soaring layup in traffic, hitting a jumper from the wing and adding a beauty of a turnaround fade-away jumper over Butler.Seeing the ball go in the hoop one time, that got me going, he said.TROUBLE BREWINGFor the second straight game, Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings did not play at all in the fourth quarter as Van Gundy rode Augustin. Im not frustrated. It is what it is. I dont make the decisions, Jennings said before quickly leaving.UP NEXTPistons: Host Brooklyn on Saturday.Timberwolves: Host Chicago on Saturday. ' ' '