Die Macht » Astros arent sure if hell pitch Tuesday.

CANTON, Ohio -- They came in No. 4 jerseys and wearing cheeseheads. They chanted Go Pack Go.It was Lambeau Field transported to Ohio, and only one man could have caused it.Brett Favre, welcome to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Believe me, I am an extremely blessed man, Favre said Saturday night during an emotional speech spiced with humor and playfulness. Play a game that I love so much for 20 years, to have all the wonderful things happen ... to share in that joy with you guys here tonight.And when he choked up talking about his late father, Irv, and how Favre spent his career trying to redeem myself to make Irv proud, the crowd offered loud and comforting support.Adding that this is tougher than any third-and-15, he spoke of his new goal once his father died in 2003:I said to myself, I will make it to the Hall of Fame so I could acknowledge the fact of how important he was. I would not be here before you today without my father, theres no doubt whatsoever.Footballs most durable quarterback (a record 299 straight regular-season starts and 321 including playoffs) and one of its greatest passers, Favre was the first three-time MVP (1995-97) and an NFL champion in 1996. He played with four teams, defining toughness and fortitude, particularly in 16 seasons with the Packers, a franchise he helped revitalize.A swashbuckler with no fear on the field -- in addition to completing 6,300 passes for 71,838 yards and 508 touchdowns, he threw an NFL-high 336 interceptions -- Favre was a three-time All-Pro and made 11 Pro Bowls. His enthusiasm and love for the game marked his career, which began in Atlanta in 1991 and ended with the Vikings in 2010. He spent 2008 with the Jets.And he just might not be done.I am going to ask Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson to let me play the first series tomorrow night, Favre joked.Joining Favre in the class of 2016 were Tony Dungy, a trail-blazing coach and Super Bowl winner; one of his stars, Marvin Harrison; Kevin Greene; Orlando Pace; Ken Stabler; Dick Stanfel; and Ed DeBartolo Jr.The first black coach to win an NFL championship, Dungy has been and a mentor to dozens of players and fellow coaches. Instead of concentrating on his role as a pioneer, he paid homage to those before him.Many of them never got the chance to move up the coaching ladder like I did, but they were so important to the progress in this league, Dungy said of the 10 African-American assistant coaches in the NFL when he broke in as a player in 1977. They were role models and mentors for me and my generation ... without those 10 laying the groundwork, the league would not have the 200-plus minority assistant coaches it has today.And we would not have had Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy coaching against each other in Super Bowl 41. I feel I am representing those 10 men and all the African-American coaches who came before me in paving the way, and I thank them.Dungy led the Indianapolis Colts to the 2006 NFL title. He also has a coaching tree that has featured Mike Tomlin, Herman Edwards, Jim Caldwell, Rod Marinelli, Leslie Frazier and Smith.A disciple of Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll, for whom he played on a Super Bowl winner, Dungy went 139-69 in 13 seasons, including 85-27 with the Colts from 2002-08. Before joining Indianapolis, Dungy turned around a perennial loser in Tampa Bay, taking the Buccaneers to the 1999 NFC title game.Be uncommon, not just average, he added before paying tribute to former NFL coach Dennis Green, who recently passed away. That thought has stuck with me throughout my life.Harrisons 143 receptions in 2002 are an NFL record. He retired in 2008 with 1,102 catches, now third behind Jerry Rice and Tony Gonzalez, 14,608 yards and 128 touchdowns. He had eight consecutive seasons with at least 1,100 yards receiving as Peyton Mannings prime target.Harrison made eight Pro Bowls, was a three-time All-Pro, and missed only 18 games in 13 NFL seasons.Pace was the blocking cornerstone of the Rams Greatest Show on Turf that won the 1999 NFL title. The top overall draft pick in 1997, he helped turn running back Marshall Faulk and quarterback Kurt Warner into NFL MVPs.Like Harrison, he had memories of the Canton shrine, too, recalling visiting the hall when he was 13.This occasion marks the fulfilment of each and every goal I have had, Pace said of his athletic career. This became my first goal, and here I am 27 years later standing in Canton, Ohio, accepting this incredible honor.Always a showman who also spent some time as a professional wrestler, Greenes 160 career sacks are third most in NFL history. In 15 pro seasons for four franchises, Greene played linebacker and defensive end with an unmitigated spirit.The best a football player can do is exhaust his passion, go out on his terms, and on the way having fun kicking peoples butts with his brothers, Greene said.In Greenes time with the Rams, Steelers, 49ers and Panthers he missed just a dozen games, and 10 times finished with at least 10 sacks, including 12 with Carolina at age 37.I am standing on the stage with the best ever, he said, Terrible Towels waving in the crowd, Steelers fans cheering when he mentioned Blitzburgh. This is pretty cool.Greene, whose father and brother served combat missions, drew a standing ovation from his fellow gold jackets and from the fans when he concluded by saluting the armed services.Nicknamed Snake for his elusiveness on and off the field, Stabler helped the Raiders win their first Super Bowl and make it to four other conference championship games in a five-year span. One of the first great left-handed pro QBs, Stabler, who died last year, was elected by the seniors committee.He was known for some of the biggest plays in Raiders history, including his intentional fumble forward in the closing seconds of a game against San Diego in 1978 that led to a touchdown -- the Holy Roller play -- and to a rule change.Stanfel, who died last year at age 87, also was a seniors committee selection. He helped the Detroit Lions win the NFL title in 1952 and 53. He earned All-Pro honors five times in his seven-season career, four years with Detroit and three with Washington, before retiring at 31 and going into coaching.I think he is the guard of the century, said his presenter, Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy.DeBartolos 49ers became the first franchise to win five Super Bowls. He was known as much for his compassion and care for people throughout his organization as for building a winning football team.To share this stage with these gentlemen is more than humbling. We may be wearing the same jackets, but they have shoes I could never fill.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Nike Shoes Wholesale China . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. "I have been having this neck ache thats been affecting my golf recently," Oyama said. Cheap Nike Shoes Free Shipping Wholesale . Parker had 26 points and eight assists and San Antonio beat Toronto 112-99 Monday night. "We won that game because of Tony Parkers aggressiveness," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His juice; his aggression all night long. http://www.cheapshoesnike.com/ . Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats. Nike Shoes Clearance Sale . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. Authentic Wholesale Nike Shoes . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. ARLINGTON, Texas -- George Springer set a positive tone right away for the Houston Astros against Yu Darvish.And they held on to avoid a late-season sweep, beating AL-best Texas 7-6 on Sunday and ending the Rangers seven-game winning streak.Springer led off the game with his 26th homer and scored his 100th run, and the Astros jumped out to a 5-0 lead against Darvish, whose shortest outing of the season lasted only four innings.That was a big win for us on a lot of levels. No. 1, to jump out ahead on Darvish, manager A.J. Hinch said. Its a good feeling getting on the plane, obviously, to salvage a game.The Astros, who have 24 games left, are still 9 1/2 games behind Texas in the AL West, and have won only three of 16 games against their division rival this season. And they have only three more head-to-head meetings remaining.Evan Gattis also homered for the Astros, though he struck out in each of his other four at-bats. His 24th homer was a solo shot in the fifth for a 6-2 lead right.Darvish (5-4), in his shortest outing this season, allowed five runs in four innings. He struck out four, walked three and had two wild pitches.Got him out of the game and got into their bullpen and fortunate enough to come out of here with a win, said rookie Alex Bregman, who had three hits. Thats what you have to do against good teams like this, get ahead of them early and continue to apply pressure.Chris Devenski (3-4) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings after taking over for starter Collin McHugh with one out in bottom of the fifth when the Rangers still had a runner on base and had already scored three runs in the inning to get within 6-5.I hung some. I made some good pitches, and I made some bad pitches. All the bad pitches got hit, McHugh said. Anything you can win a game on the road in the division, its a commodity. You take `em where you can get `em. Its not the prettiest of wins, especially here.CLOSING IT OUTKen Giles pitched the ninth for his eighth save in 11 chances. The final out coming when the righht-hander struck out hot-hitting Rougned Odor, who had three hits and three RBI earlier in the game.dddddddddddd Ian Desmond had a leadoff triple in the ninth and scored on Adrian Beltres groundout.BRUISED AND BLEEDINGRangers LF Carlos Gomez had blood streaming down his face after getting cut by his own helmet when sliding headfirst into second base on a stolen base in the sixth inning. The helmet popped off, bounced off the ground and into his face. A trainer came out and looked at Gomez, who then disappeared briefly into the dugout before returning with two bandages -- one on the bridge of his nose, and another over the top corner of his left eye. A few pitches later, he was picked off second base.TRAINERS ROOMAstros: Jose Altuve was the DH a day after suffering a cramp in his calf coming out of the batters box when he grounded into a game-ending double play. ... Hinch said INF Marwin Gonzalez was available as a defensive replacement or pinch-hitter, he hasnt played since leaving midway through Wednesday game because of a right hamstring injury. ... LHP Dallas Keuchel played catch for the first time since his scheduled start Friday was pushed back due to arm fatigue. Hinch said the Astros arent sure if hell pitch Tuesday.Rangers: C Jonathan Lucroy was back in the lineup and not feeling any lingering issues from flu-like symptoms that kept him to miss Saturdays game. ... RHP Keone Kela said he was OK after a liner deflected off the palm of his right hand in Saturdays game.UP NEXTAstros: Continue their stretch of 13 consecutive games against division leaders. They open a four-game series Monday at AL Central leader Cleveland before going home to play the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs and the Rangers.Rangers: Open a 10-game road trip when they will face three AL West rivals. That starts Monday in Seattle, and ends the following week with three games in Houston. ' ' '