Dein erstes Forum » game-changer, a franchise quarterback who can help mask

Just when it looked like the field was reeling him in, Patrick Chan has raised his game and distanced himself from the pack. Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. Of course with the Olympics still over two months away, the questions are being asked; Is he ready too soon? Has he peaked too early? I personally believe there is nothing better for building confidence than knowing what perfect feels like, especially in back-to-back skates. This is something that has eluded Chan in the past. He has had a history of building a lead in the short and hanging on in the long, and of moments of brilliance followed by untimely baubles and stumbles. Now he knows what clean feels like and that he has the mind for it. What we saw in Paris from Chan was consistency and that, combined with his explosive power, was in a word - impressive. Impressive to watch. Intimidating for his competition, who now know that the game has just changed and they need to step up. In this seasons scores, Chans total in Paris has out-pointed the field by almost 30. Heading into the Grand Prix Final next week in Japan, all eyes are on Chan. He takes on the seasons top finishers and the phenomenal Japanese men; three of whom have qualified in the spots behind Chan and are hoping to gain some help with some home field advantage. A similar situation is unfolding in the pairs this season with the Russian team of Tatiana Volososhar and Maxim Trankov. What Chan did in Paris, they did in both of their competitions. They literally did not put a foot wrong in any program in either competition. The nine judges give a score for each element in the program (jumps, spins, steps, lifts) based on the quality of the element. The scores they give range from minus- 3 to plus- 3. Ninteen elements in two programs and they did not receive one minus, on any element, from any judge. All plus- 2 and plus- 3 with a sprinkling of ones. That just doesnt happen early in the season in the pairs event, where the programs are filled with high risk elements, the margin of error is great, and it takes a season for the teams to fully meld with the nuances of the choreography, the hidden technical difficulties and with each other. This season the Russians set and now own the three world records for highest short, free and total scores. This is a team with a clear focus. Until the Vancouver Olympics, Russia held the longest unbroken gold medal streak in the Winter Games. Russia had won every Pairs gold medal since 1964, until 2010 when Russian pairs not only didnt win gold, they failed to reach the podium. We did an interview with Tatiana and Max on TSN following those Vancouver games when they were a newly formed pair. Max spoke about Vancouver, but not about plans of redemption in the pairs event. He talked about how inspired and emotional he was watching Canadians Virtue and Moir in the ice dance event. He spoke about being in the Olympic arena when Scott and Tessa won gold and the whole country celebrated with them and he said "we want the same." It is a mission that seems inevitable. The chance of competing at a home games has also brought out inspired performances from the Russian women, and so the Grand Prix final will look a lot like the Russian nationals in the ladies event. Four teenagers aged 17, two 15 year olds and a 14 year old have qualified for the final. We have watched Russia produce a series of young talented superstars but they tend to come and go and have not been able to translate early season success into success at the big events. In the ladies qualifying, the competition entered and the depth of the field, played into who made the final. Olympic silver medalist Mao Asada and American champion Ashley Wagner have qualified, while great skaters like Akiko Suzuki and Carolina Kostner are left out of the final. I believe that the podium in Sochi will look very different from the one at the final, as a number of the worlds best and brightest will not be at the ladies event in Japan. As always at this time of year, the rivalry intensifies in the dance event where we will see this seasons first head-to-head match-up of Olympic Champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and World Champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White. Meryl and Charlie have the advantage in the points early in the season, but it is a game of inches with both teams capable on any given day. Unique this season in the ice dance event is the hotly contested battle for bronze. Canadians Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje are among the four teams in the hunt. What is intriguing is how much these teams have improved, and while ice dance has been sensational at the top for a number of years, the teams chasing the champions are bringing the sport of Ice Dance to a new level as a whole. Custom Los Angeles Lakers Jerseys . A quick first step to get to the hoop for a layup. A rousing dunk on the break off a high outlet pass saved by teammate Ramon Sessions. Cheap Lakers Jerseys . The 31-year-old Russian dominated the No. 3-ranked Ferrer throughout, breaking the defending champion and local favourite four times on the indoor hard court. https://www.lakersjerseycheap.com/ . The 36-year-old Colts receiver is going back to the playoffs as a division champion. Los Angeles Lakers Store .The South African had three birdies on the front nine and another four after the turn at Leopard Creek Country Club to move to 16-under 128 overall.Grace, who won all four of his European Tour titles in 2012, dropped his only shot of the competition on the par-3 fifth. 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The Packers (8-7-1) have grown accustomed to nail-biters on their way to winning a third straight division crown. The most important close call came Sunday at Chicagos Soldier Field, when Aaron Rodgers found Randall Cobb for an unlikely 48-yard touchdown catch on fourth-and-8 with 38 seconds left to cap the comeback from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 33-28 win. Whats more, it sent the Bears — Green Bays fiercest division rival — home for the winter. The victory and touchdown reception that featured two key Packers who returned from injuries had sports talk radio shows buzzing throughout Wisconsin on Monday. "Oh man, Its a great a feeling," running back Eddie Lacy said Sunday night about watching time expire on the clock. "Were about to go to the (playoffs), and now we have to keep it going." But the Packers had only Sunday night to celebrate. "Im sure some guys went past midnight," McCarthy said. It was back to business on Monday in Titletown, and as if to emphasize the point, McCarthy sported a suit and tie when he spoke to reporters. "It is playoff time, and were focused on the 49ers," he said. Coach Jim Harbaughs team will visit Lambeau Field on Sunday for an NFC wild-card game. The 499ers beat the Packers 34-28 in San Francisco in Week 1, back in September.dddddddddddd Last season, the 49ers eliminated Green Bay from the playoffs en route to the Super Bowl. As much as McCarthy would like to disregard the statistics, on defence at least, the numbers dont paint a pretty picture. Green Bay is 25th in the NFL in total defence, giving up 372 yards a game. After a solid start to the season, the Packers have fallen to 25th against the run, allowing 125 yards per game. It is unknown if pass-rushing linebacker Clay Matthews will return to action after breaking his right thumb for a second time this year. He wont play on Sunday. But the Packers do have Rodgers back after the 2011 NFL MVP missed nearly two months because of a fractured left collarbone. He is the ultimate game-changer, a franchise quarterback who can help mask other flaws on the team. McCarthy said he cant think of a better two-minute drill in his coaching career than the one the Packers executed Sunday night to help win the game. "I think this is probably his finest hour as a Green Bay Packer," McCarthy said of Rodgers. The road back to the post-season has been strewn with obstacles. Besides Rodgers, Cobb and Matthews, injuries have also deprived Green Bay of tight end Jermichael Finley, defensive end Johnny Jolly and cornerback Casey Hayward. Projected left tackle Bryan Bulaga was lost in training camp. But McCarthy believes a team identity has emerged late in games over the last month. The defence staved off the Bears last-ditch drive with an interception by cornerback Sam Shields. Call em the "never-give-up" Packers. "When you really have to earn it to get in," McCarthy said, "yeah, its very rewarding." Notes: Lacy has been bothered by a sprained right ankle the last three games, but McCarthy said Monday that early information indicated the rookie came out of Sundays game in better condition than after the previous game. ' ' '