Die Macht » in the NIT, averaging 12.3 poi

MacARTHUR: BLUE JAYS AND ORIOLES A RIVALRY RENEWED? TORONTO - Fans old enough to possess a keen sense of Blue Jays history must have smiled upon seeing Jose Bautista jaw at Orioles reliever Darren ODay on Saturday. There was the thrill of the moment, absolutely, as Bautista had snapped a 2-2 tie with his full count, two out, two-run home run in the eighth inning, propelling Toronto to a 4-2 win over Baltimore and a 10th-consecutive victory. ODay received his comeuppance for his behaviour on Friday night when, after striking out Bautista to end a sixth inning rally, he turned toward the outfielder and began screaming what were assumed to be unpleasantries. After Saturdays game, Bautista wasnt eager to play the accelerant to ODays pack of matches. "I told him just to keep talking like he was (Friday,") said Bautista of his message as he trotted down the third base line. "He kind of ran his mouth a little bit after he struck me out. I dont know where that came from but I didnt appreciate it and I let him know that yesterday and thats a little reminder today that I didnt appreciate it." As for personal history between the two, through an Orioles media relations official ODay wouldnt comment. Bautista pleaded ignorance. "Not that I know of," said Bautista. "Thats why I was caught off guard. I dont have a problem when pitchers celebrate getting a big out in a big inning but when youre staring at me yelling stuff and I cant really hear what youre saying, it upset me a little bit." Could this little back and forth between a Blue Jays star player and a usually dominant Orioles reliever be the first sign of a rivalry renewed? Maybe. After all, in order for a rivalry to exist both teams must expect success. Such a scenario is made possible by Torontos recent winning stretch. For the reader too young to remember the good old days and for the reader eager to take a trip down memory lane, a history lesson: 1989: The Blue Jays got off to a dreadful 12-24 start and replaced manager Jimy Williams with Cito Gaston. Meantime the Orioles, under manager Frank Robinson, were in a period of renewal after some dreadful seasons that followed their 1983 world championship. Baltimore either was tied for the lead or held sole possession of the lead in the American League East every day from May 23 to August 31. Thanks to winning summer months, including a 20-victory August, Toronto steadily climbed back into the race. Baltimore had remained relatively consistent, save for an 11-16 July. By the time the Orioles came to the SkyDome for a season-ending three-game series, the Jays had a one-game lead. Toronto won 2-1 on the Friday night to clinch a play-in tie for the division and then, thanks to a three-run eighth, won Saturdays game 4-3 to punch a ticket to the playoffs. That game is remembered for Tom Henkes game-ending strikeout of Baltimores Larry Sheets, which he followed with a celebratory fist pump shown on Jays highlight reels to this day. 1993: In its second season of existence, Oriole Park at Camden Yards played host to the All-Star Game. Gaston, having managed the Jays to the 1992 World Series championship, skipped the American League squad. Baltimore had a young right-hander by the name of Mike Mussina. Mussina, just 24 and in his second full season in the big leagues, was named to the AL pitching staff. Gaston hadnt planned to use him unless the game went to extra innings. In the ninth, with the AL cruising to a 9-3 victory, Mussina began to warm up in the bullpen. The hometown crowd assumed hed be brought in to pitch. It didnt happen. Gaston was vilified in Baltimore and heard jeers at Camden Yards for the remainder of his days as Jays manager. 1996: Prior to the season, Pat Gillick, the only general manager the Blue Jays had known through to the end of 1994 and the man who had built the back-to-back world championship teams, was hired to the same post by the Orioles. Not long after taking the job, Gillick signed Roberto Alomar away from Toronto and the Orioles would make the playoffs in both the 1996 and 1997 seasons. 2013: The rivalry dissipated in the late 1990s and through the 2000s. The Blue Jays and Orioles had become afterthoughts in a division dominated by the Yankees and Red Sox and later the Rays. Last year, the Orioles made the playoffs and had a winning record for the first time since 1997. No recounting of the Blue Jays offseason moves and sluggish start is needed. But the clubs current surge has it a game above .500 for the first time this season. The atmosphere in Rogers Centre this weekend lends to the big game feel. Both teams expect to win. Mix in a little bad blood and youve got the recipe for a rivalry renewed.DeAndre Hopkins Texans Jersey . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. Deshaun Watson Texans Jersey . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. http://www.officialhoustontexanspro.com/Lonnie-johnson-texans-jersey/ . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Houston Texans Jerseys . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. Kahale Warring Texans Jersey . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday.OMAHA, Neb. -- November college basketball games typically dont mean much in the big picture of a season.As far as Greg McDermott was concerned, No. 22 Creightons 79-67 victory over No. 9 Wisconsin on Tuesday night meant a whole lot.You could argue it might be the best win weve had since Ive been here when you consider where were trying to get the program back to, where the Wisconsin program is today, and in the manner that we did it, the Bluejays seventh-year coach said.Khyri Thomas scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half, breaking open a close game with a three-point play and 3-pointer on consecutive possessions, as the Bluejays beat a Wisconsin team reached the Sweet 16 and returned all five starters.Maurice Watson Jr. had 17 points and 10 assists and Marcus Foster added 15 points for the Bluejays (2-0).I think new can go super far, especially in conference play and in the (NCAA) Tournament, Thomas said. We have so many athletic guys.The game was part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games matching Big East and Big Ten teams the first week of the season.Coming in here, I knew it would be a heck of a challenge, Badgers coach Greg Gard said. Gregs got a very good team; hes kind of earmarked this year as being their year. Congratulate his team on playing very well. We showed at times some very uncharacteristic Wisconsin-like handlings of possessions where we got a little disheveled at times.Bronson Koenig scored 21 points and Nigel Hayes had 16 points to lead the Badgers (1-1). But Wisconsin made only 3 of 26 3-pointers after starting 8 of 13 from beyond the arc. The Badgers also committed 16 turnovers, 12 of them by starters.Nobody forces Wisconsin into 16 turnovers, nobody keeps Wisconsin off the free-throw line, McDermott said. For us to beat a veteran team like they are, that plays the right way, and the success theyve had in their careers, is really a feather in the cap for our team.Hayes, the Big Ten preseason player of the year, scored 11 points in the first 12 minutes and was held scoreless until there were 11 minutes left in the game.Thats wheen Creighton started its decisive run.dddddddddddd Cole Huffs jumper from in front of the Creighton bench put the Bluejays up 52-50. After Toby Hegner hit a 3, Thomas stripped the ball from Koenig, drove for a layup and converted a three-point play. Happ missed on the other end, and then Thomas drilled a 3 to make it 63-52.BIG PICTUREWisconsin: Typical November game. The Badgers glut of turnovers and impatience on offense, especially in the first half, will provide plenty of fodder for film study. Weve got to be able to touch the post more and try to play more inside-out, Gard said.Creighton: The Bluejays have one of the best home-court advantages in the nation, and they were fueled by it.The Bluejays got out to a quick lead, never let the Badgers go on a big run and got big-time defensive performances from 7-foot redshirt freshman Justin Patton and the 6-8 Huff.POLL IMPLICATIONSCreighton will merit a promotion in the Top 25 if it goes unbeaten this weekend in a tournament in the Virgin Islands. Wisconsin probably will drop, but not much.THOMAS RISEThomas went from struggling through conference play last season to becoming a major contributor in the NIT, averaging 12.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in three games.All of a sudden, his frame of mind changed going into the offseason, McDermott said. His motivation was better, his confidence is in a different place, hes eager to get into the gym because he tasted a little success in postseason basketball. That has carried over.ANTHEM PROTESTHayes and Jordan Hill, as they did in Wisconsins exhibition game and opener, stood a couple feet behind teammates during the national anthem. Hayes has said he doesnt take a knee on the court because it would be painful, so he chooses to stand back.UP NEXTWisconsin hosts Chicago State on Thursday.Creighton plays Washington State on Friday at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.---More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org ' ' '