Marktplatz » ... its not nice to have Mark crash. No

TSNs Jack Armstrong offers his thoughts on Andrew Bynum, Al Horford, the Toronto Raptors, the atmosphere for the Portland vs Miami game, and the long list of injured players. 1. ANDREW BYNUM (Cavs): Grow Up! Youre a professional athlete. These are your prime earning years. Dont mess it up. For the life of me I cant comprehend how guys dont realize that there is no other walk of life that theyre going to make the kind of money they make and have the fun they do being a pro athlete. Once its gone, its very difficult to recapture what you blew. Sure, maybe he has other off-court interests; youve got a long life to enjoy those. Capitalize on what youre doing now and dont be silly. Its a shame: talented guy who needs to get with the program. 2. AL HORFORD (Hawks): Significant blow to Atlantas season losing one of my favorites in the league. He was having another steady season at 18+ ppg and 8+ rpg. Thats hard to replace. Thank goodness they signed Paul Milsap (17 and 8 per game) as a free agent this past summer. Theyre going to have to ride him a bunch in the post area; hes more than capable. The nightly loss of Horford will be a big hole to fill though considering the lost Josh Smiths athleticism and scoring ability this past off-season. The Hawks are still a capable team that will be in the playoff hunt. It will just get harder to maintain that third spot in the East Standings. 3. TORONTO RAPTORS: Im afraid to snap my fingers right now for fear theyll come out of the zone theyre in at this stage. Theyve been really fun to watch and the energy, effort, and commitment to team has been top-notch. Ive got my fingers crossed it continues; its been an enjoyable stretch of hoops to say the least. The Raptors have a really difficult stretch of games coming up however, take a good look at the schedule. The travel will be frequent and the rest/prep time will be minimal. The true test for this group will be whether they can handle some of the adversity thats ahead. If they play the way theyre playing right now, they can hang with anyone. Theres still plenty of time for GM Masai Ujiri to evaluate his team and make decisions in a calculated, big-picture way to determine whether he wants to buy, hold or sell. You need to see guys get put through the ringer a good bit to see what youve got and just as important you need to evaluate what each team in your conference has and doesnt have to determine how you want to build your eventual contending team. 4. PORTLAND/MIAMI: Not sure if you caught the Heat/Blazers game on Saturday night or even caught the highlights but wow! The energy in the arena in Portland, one of the three best playing atmospheres in the NBA (OKC and Golden State are the other two), was off the charts. The action on the court was equally good. Sometimes when youre around pro sports you can get a bit cynical once in a while. When you see the level of passion and love for the sport and competition that both teams had it gives you goose bumps. The great teams and great players have incredible pride and a wonderful makeup. Thanks to the players on both teams for giving folks their moneys worth. 5. INJURIES: Last week we had Russell Westbrook and Al Horford added to the long list of elite players with significant injuries this year. There are a lot of theories as to why its happening. Ill just say this: Im firmly convinced that players are overtraining and not allowing their bodies enough rest/recovery time. In addition, many players hire their own workout guys in the off-season with their own theories/approaches that tend to differ from what they hear from their teams. I dont like that pattern. Im a huge believer in perfect practice makes perfect. When you train improperly or utilize varying training methods at different times youre exposing yourself to greater harm. In season, teams need to be more conscious of reducing the amount of time players spend on their feet. Its all about quality vs. quantity. Am I a bit concerned? Yes. Balance and moderation have got to be looked at more rather than obsessive overkill. Dont mistake activity for achievement! Nike Air Max Cheap Wholesale . Joining him in this years class were Switzerlands Patrick Huerlimann and Norways Eigil Ramsfjell. The announcement was made at the world mens curling championship at Capital Indoor Stadium in China. Outlet Air Max Cheap . Hes coming back to fulfil them. One of Europes top coaches, Blatt was hired Friday by the Cavaliers, who ended a sweeping, 39-day search with an out-of-the-box selection they hope changes their fortunes. http://www.airmaxsneakersonsale.com/cheap-air-max-97.html . At least 90 players who had college eligibility remaining are expected to enter the draft, shattering last years record number of 73. "Its a humongous number, so the first reaction is it makes you step back a little bit," said NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, a former scout with the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. Buy Air Max Plus Tn . The star receiver certainly isnt celebrating it with the Texans mired in a franchise-record 13-game skid. Cheap Air Max Tn .com) - Bradley Beal deposited a season-high 33 points and John Wall posted another double-double as the Washington Wizards went on the road and beat the Houston Rockets, 104-103. HARROGATE, England -- Marcel Kittel of Germany won the first stage of the Tour de France for a second straight year after a late crash brought down British rival Mark Cavendish in the presence of royals on Saturday. Kittel, who earned four Tour stages last year, won the 190.5-kilometre (118-mile) run in mainly bucolic Yorkshire countryside from Leeds to Harrogate. The German raised his arms skyward and cried after he edged Peter Sagan of Slovakia in second, and Ramunas Navardauskas of Lithuania in third. "I am incredibly proud of this victory," Kittel, a Team Giant-Shimano rider who also won two Giro dItalia stages in May, said through a translator. "It happened pretty easily. It was like coming out of a tunnel. I was able to accelerate like never before. "Its really awesome. Deja vu, yeah." Christian Meier of Langley, B.C., was the top Canadian, finishing 141st in 4:44:07, while Svein Tuft, also from Langley, placed 163rd in the same peloton. The two favourites for victory in the three-week race, Alberto Contador and Chris Froome, finished safely in the trailing pack that clocked the same time as Kittel. With fewer than 400 metres to go, and the speedsters rushing ahead, Cavendish veered slightly to his left, tilted his head and bumped into Australias Simon Gerrans. The two crashed alone, with Cavendish landing hard on his right shoulder. Cavendish got up gingerly and cruised over the finish line -- cradling his right arm. X-rays revealed he separated his right shoulder, a Tour statement said. Omega Pharma QuickStep said in a separate statement that a decision about whether he will continue the race will be made on Sunday morning. "Im gutted about the crash today," Cavendish said in the statement. "It was my fault. Ill personally apologize to Simon Gerrans as soon as I get the chance. In reality, I tried to find a gap that wasnt really there. I wanted to win today." Many British fans were hoping for a win by Cavendish, a native of the Isle of Man, whose mother is from Haarrogate.ddddddddddddPrime Minister David Cameron, Princes William and Harry, and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, were on hand among throngs of British fans who lined the route -- a testament to the cycling craze in the U.K. England hosts the first three stages of this 101st Tour before riders enter France on Tuesday. In all, the 198 riders are to cover 3,664 kilometres (2,277 miles) of road before the July 27 finish in Paris. Stage 2 on Sunday covers 201 kilometres from York to Sheffield, in southern Yorkshire. Cavendish previously said that winning the first Tour stage was his main goal this year. He was hoping to capture his first yellow jersey and his 26th Tour stage win. "Its sad because he (Cavendish) was racing in front of the home country," Sagan said. Added Kittel: "I hope he gets well soon. Im looking forward to seeing him on the race tomorrow ... its not nice to have Mark crash. Nobody wants that." A second German excelled on the English roads: Veteran Jens Voigt took the polka-dot jersey as the races best climber, after getting out early on a three-man breakaway that first cleared three low-grade hills including Buttertubs pass. At 42, the Trek Factory Racing rider is the oldest competitor this year: This is his 17th Tour, equaling the record. The nervous first day included more mishaps. Untold tens of thousands of fans turned out in such big numbers that a train service shuttle between the start and finish towns was crammed, and some had to wait for 90 minutes or even longer to get aboard -- or gave up altogether. Yorkshire, the largest county in England, has paid richly for the right to host the Tour. The peloton sped by abbeys in ruins and sights like 14th century Bolton Castle, near Leyburn, before finishing in Harrogate, known for its spas. Nearly three dozen countries are represented at this Tour, led by France with 44 riders. Its the second time cyclings greatest race has begun in Britain, though the Tour also crossed the English Channel for stages in 1974 and 1994. ' ' '