Die Macht » our hands. It came up tough,

WINNIPEG -- Players arent the only people on the field who will be held to a higher standard this season, as the CFLs new vice-president of officiating says the men in stripes will also be held to account. "We want to make sure that the officials are as prepared as they can be," Glen Johnson said Wednesday. "Were improving all of our training and development efforts. Were trying to evaluate them more consistently. Were going to make officials accountable for their performance." He said those who perform the best on the field will work the most, and the evaluation wont just include the usual crop of retired officials but will also include selected groups of coaches asked to provide feedback. Johnson spent 24 years as a referee and head referee in the league before being appointed to this new position in December. The leagues board of governors will be voting May 8 on proposed new rules this season and Johnson is currently touring all CFL cities to meet with teams and discuss those as well as other issues, such as a move to codify infractions more clearly in simple language. He said officials, players and coaches will know with more certainty what is and what isnt going to draw a flag. The proposed rule change that has drawn the most attention so far is a plan to make defensive pass interference subject to challenge and review by video replay but Johnson says there are many more. "Theres player-safety related ones where were eliminating some illegal low blocks. I think thats going to have a really positive impact on the game. Keeping players safe and healthy and having them play more is a good thing." Others are designed to improve game flow, such as not stopping to allow defensive substitutions if there are no offensive substitutions. "I think youre going to see a higher tempo," says Johnson. "Youre going to see more offensive output and more plays in a game, which I think just continues to add to our exciting game." Many quarterbacks in the league also may be happy with a proposal to allow them to use their own teams balls. "Were going to allow quarterbacks to condition and use their own footballs. . . Theyll be league-supplied footballs that they can condition, practice with during the week then they can bring them to the game and, as long as they meet a new ball standard, that quarterback can use his own balls during the game." As an example, he said some like to remove the new-ball finish while others may like to use a tack cloth on their ball. They must still be inspected by the referee to ensure they havent been doctored beyond league standards, but both teams will have their balls stamped so they remain separate during the game. The host team will supply balls for kicks that both teams will use. There will also be stricter curbs on taunting and objectionable conduct, including the verbal abuse of officials. Besides making pass interference subject to coaches challenge and review, there will be automatic reviews of all turnovers. The leagues board of governors must vote on all the proposed changes but Johnson says, historically, they have usually given their approval. But the one that did not get approved unanimously by the rules committee was the change regarding pass interference. Johnson says its one of the hardest calls for an official to make, given that theyre often far away from the spot where the play is being made and their view is sometimes blocked. Bob Horner Braves Jersey .J. Ellis have avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year contract. Deion Sanders Braves Jersey . The Wizards announced Friday that Webster had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. The operation was performed Thursday in Los Angeles. https://www.cheapbraves.com/ . -- Among the 31 players at the Montreal Canadiens rookie camp, none feels closer to cracking the NHL roster than right winger Aaron Palushaj. Ronald Acuna Jr. Jersey .Hoffenheim forward Anthony Modeste opened the scoring on a counterattack in the 15th minute, shooting though Jaroslav Drobnys legs after Lewis Holtby lost the ball in midfield. Chad Sobotka Braves Jersey .Y. - Brooklyn Nets centre Brook Lopez has a strained lower back and will miss at least a week.New Orleans. LA (SportsNetwork.com) - It may only be a $40,000 allowance race but Thursdays sixth race at Fair Grounds has drawn an excellent field of seven for the 5 1/2-furlong turf event. Breaking from the rail will be 2012 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint runner-up Unbridleds Note, the 2-1 second pick and a horse going for his first win of the year. Trained by Steve Asmussen for Mike McCarty, Unbridleds Note was fourth in last years Turf Sprint at Santa Anita as the 5-1 third choice less than two lengths behind repeat winner Mizdirection. His most recent victory came last December in Santa Anitas Daytona Stakes on turf as the 3-2 favorite. The 5-year-old was third on Oct. 31 in the Damascus Stakes on the Breeders Cup Friday undercard at Santa Anita. Back in February, Unbridleds Note posted consecutive fourth-place finishes in Santa Anitas Arcadia and Joe Hernandez Stakes. Sidelined until September, Unbridleds Note came back with a ninth in the Eddie D. Stakes. He has earned $665,517 from 20 career starts with five wins, three seconds and five thirds. Sum of the Parts, owned by End Zone Athletics and trained by Karl Broberg, is the 9-5 morning line favorite coming off a front-running local win on Nov. 29. The 5-year-old was claimed out of the race from longtime ttrainer Tom Amoss.dddddddddddd Well see how he does, Broberg said. Hopefully he wont regress in our hands. It came up tough, but we may be the controlling speed. Sum of the Parts will be ridden by Chris Rosier from post 4 after breaking from the outside post in his recent win. The 5-year-old has won nine of 25 lifetime starts for $876,189. Gantry, owned by Brittlyn Stable, is the 5-2 third selection in the turf allowance and will have Miguel Mena in the saddle from post 6. Mena fills in for the injured Richard Eramia who was hurt on Nov. 29 after his mount, Atoof, got spooked and threw the jockey after the days fourth race. The 7-year-old gelding was unable to repeat in the tracks Thanksgiving Handicap on Nov. 27 when he finished fifth out of seven. However, Gantrys last win came in the Colonel Power Stakes on March 15 over the same course and distance. Gantry has won 10 of 26 career starts for $824,331. Here is the field from the rail out: Unbridleds Note, Robby Albarado, 2-1; Rhetorical, Francisco Torres, 20-1; Voodoo Storm, Martin Pedroza, 12-1; Sum of the Parts, Chris Rosier, 9-5; Win Lion Win, Kerwin Clark, 12-1; Gantry, Miguel Mena, 5-2 and Solar Charge, Chris Landeros, 12-1. Post time Thursday will be approximately 4:50 p.m. ET. ' ' '