to be distributed to prospective ownership groups. Sites could potenti

One of figure skatings brightest stars and most colourful characters is gone. Toller Cranston, a larger-than-life star on and off the ice who helped revolutionize the sport, died at his home in Mexico from an apparent heart attack, a Skate Canada spokesperson said Saturday.He was 65.Cranston, a six-time Canadian senior mens champion who won bronze at the 1974 world championships and 1976 Olympics, was known for his dramatic showmanship on the ice. While he never won an Olympic or world title, his unique artistic vision forever changed the sport.There was a moment of silence in his honour between the mens event and the ice dance Saturday night at the Canadian figure skating championships in Kingston, Ont.In a sport that later became full of high-flyers replete with arsenals of quad jumps, Cranston was all about the artistry.He is his own work of art, the Globe and Mail wrote in 2003.When he hung up his skates, Cranston kept on creating with a paintbrush. He was one of a kind, said Brian Orser, a former Canadian and world champion, Olympic silver medallist and now in-demand coach. Nobody will ever be like him. And such a great contribution to figure skating but me, personally, (it was) just his sense of humour and his outlook on life and (his) free spirit ... (he was) somewhat of a rebel. Always spoke his mind, wasnt always so accurate but he spoke his mind.A member of Canadas Sports Hall of Fame since 1977, Cranston was always one of a kind.A skater with a painter’s eye, his original artistry and dramatic showmanship on ice broke new ground in figure skating and thrilled audiences, said Skate Canada.Cranston was born in Hamilton, grew up in Kirkland Lake, Ont., and Montreal before settling in Mexico once his skating days were done.He was also an avid artist and his work was exhibited in galleries and museums around the world.He lived a unique life, cycling in and out of the public eye after his skating career. In his 2000 book When Hell Freezes Over, Should I Bring My Skates? Cranston wrote of knocking hockey star Wayne Gretzky off a bicycle, chasing jazz singer Nina Simone down a Montreal street trying to recover a fur coat, of his costume sticking to the ice on the Rideau Canal during an outdoor show in Ottawa, and much, much more.Within the skating world, Ive been privileged to have had a textured and multifaceted career, he told The Canadian Press in an interview at the time.Im not blowing my own horn. Im just making a point. With all the other things that surround my skating career, what skater in Canada or in the world has done those things? Nobody.When Hell Freezes Over, Should I Bring My Skates? was a sequel to his 1997 autobiography Zero Tolerance.Olympic pairs silver medallist Debbi Wilkes trained with Cranston in the later years of her career, when Cranstons career was just getting going.He was a crazy person, but absolutely mesmerizing, an artistic genius even then, she said.Wilkes recalls one particular practice when the two were standing along the boards.He had tears in his eyes and he said Nobody understands, I have these ideas, things I want to do, but everybody just laughs at me, Wilkes said.Cranston won national titles from 1971 to 76 and placed second at the 1971 North American championships in Peterborough, Ont. He won Skate Canada International events in 1973 and 75.He finished fourth at the 1975 world championships in Colorado Springs, and was fourth again a year later in Goteborg, Sweden.Cranston was 26 when he reached the Olympic podium at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck.He was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1976 and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1977.Toller Cranston was a stellar athlete and a trailblazer for sport in our country, Marcel Aubut, the president of the Canadian Olympic Committee said in a statement. His creative performances and artistry on the ice helped revitalize the world of figure skating, and his contributions helped inspire future generations of Canadian skaters.Toller was a passionate competitor and an icon to many in his sport. He will be truly missed and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.In 1995, Cranston received a Special Olympic Order from the Canadian Olympic Committee. He was also an illustrator, author, designer, choreographer and sports commentator.While Cranston had worked in the past with some skaters on their routines, later on in life he called himself estranged from the skating world. He washed his hands of the sport, in part because of the new judging system implemented following the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics that he believed had killed the skatings popularity and stifled its creativity.But he had no shortage of opinions about the Canadian champions who followed him.He called Elvis Stojko a great competitor, one dimensional. He applauded Orsers combination of art and sport and liked the dramatic element Kurt Browning brought to the table.And he marvelled at Patrick Chan.Im on another planet watching Patrick Chan with binoculars and applauding along with the rest of the world, Cranston said from his Mexican hideaway in 2012.I dont think I could watch him skate live, Id commit suicide out of depression at how good he is, Cranston added, erupting in loud laughter.Chan met Cranston once when he was a young boy training at the Toronto Cricket Club with his late coach Osborne Colson.You could tell he was special, Chan said of Cranston. Hes a unique individual and he only said good things about me, and of course Mr. Colson raved about me to him. (Cranston) was always complimentary and optimistic about me, which was so nice.Cranston did not shy away from confrontation, taking on the CBC after he was let go as a commentator. And his relationship with Canadian figure skating officials was stormy at times.Cranston returned to the public eye briefly in 2010 when he was a guest judge on CBC TVs Battle of the Blades. The judging panel eliminated defending champion Jamie Sale and former NHL star Theo Fleury.Cranston found a home in Mexicos San Miguel de Allende, savouring its history, perfect weather and interesting inhabitants.The people are as international as any town can be: London, Paris, Rome, New York and San Miguel. I have seven neighbours — six come from different countries, he said in 2012.San Miguel seduced me, he added.Wilkes last saw Cranston at the 2013 world championships in London, Ont.Nobody could enter a room or a rink the way he could. He loved being the centre of attention, she said. Autopsy results were pending. There was no immediate word on funeral plans. Freddy Peralta Brewers Jersey . -- Shanshan Feng was alone in her opinion about the pin positions in the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Eric Thames Jersey . The 23-year-old Neustaedter will move at the end of the season when his contract with Moenchengladbach expires. He signed a four-year deal with Schalke. https://www.cheapbrewers.com/149y-jacob-nottingham-jersey-brewers.html . Of course that doesnt mean hes ignoring it. Thats actually rather impossible given the behind-the-scenes access to the Toronto Maple Leafs the network is getting. Eric Thames Brewers Jersey .com) - DAngelo Harrison posted 21 points to guide No. Brewers Jerseys China . -- Canadas Milos Raonic defeated Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France on Saturday to advance to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open.BUFFALO, N.Y. - NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressed optimism that the Bills will remain in Buffalo and suggested the franchise will need a new stadium to ensure its long-term viability. In calling the Bills recently negotiated 10-year lease agreement a "short-term solution," Goodell on Wednesday said a new stadium would be the next step in finding "the right long-term solution." "We all want to focus and get that stadium built," Goodell said. "Im confident well get there." Goodell spoke during a pre-NFL draft event in New York City, and his comments were provided in a transcript released by the NFL. Goodell said hes had numerous discussions with perspective owners and public officials regarding the Bills, whose future is uncertain after the teams owner and founder Ralph Wilson died in March. The Bills will be put up for sale, opening the possibility of a new owner eventually relocating the franchise. The commissioner shed light on what the NFLs approach will be in determining the next Bills owner and the franchises status in western New York. Goodell said there would potentially be two votes taken by NFL owners. The first would approve sale of the team to the prospective owner selected by Wilsons estate. If necessary, a separate vote would be required to approve any relocation of the franchise. "We are making those two separate votes," Goodell said. "The intention is that whoever buys the team will make the team work in western New York." The Bills are essentially locked into playing at Ralph Wilson Stadium through the end of the 2019 season under the terms of the lease the franchise reached with the state and Erie County in December 2012. The Bills would inncur a $400 million penalty by broaching the prospect of moving during the leases term.ddddddddddddThere is a one-time exception that would allow the Bills to break the lease for just under $28.4 million in 2020. Goodell became the first to publicly suggest the Bills will require a new stadium. Previously, Bills officials and state and local leaders have called that a possibility, while not ruling out the potential of making more renovations to Ralph Wilson Stadium, which opened in 1973. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has already recognized the likelihood of the Bills needing a new facility. On Tuesday, he state hired AECOM, a California-based architectural and design firm, to identify three or four sites across the region that could serve as the teams new home. AECOM officials will begin touring sites on Monday and have until July 11 to produce a feasibility study to be distributed to prospective ownership groups. Sites could potentially include Buffalo as well as Niagara Falls. The study will include estimates on the facilitys revenue-generating potential through seats, suites, sponsorship, parking and concessions. The firm also will study the potential for developing real estate around the potential stadium sites, and consider the benefits and costs of building a stadium with a retractable roof. It has not been determined how the cost of a new stadium would be divided. Officials believe having the framework of a new stadium plan in place would help represent the regions commitment to keeping the Bills to a new owner and the NFL. The state has stepped up its timetable because of the possibility a new owner could be selected by Wilsons estate by the end of July and presented for approval at league meetings in October. ' ' '