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RIO DE JANEIRO -- With fireworks forming the word Rio in the sky and supermodel Gisele Bundchen shimmering to the tune of The Girl From Ipanema, Rio de Janiero jubilantly welcomed the world Friday to the first Olympic Games in South America.After one of the roughest-ever rides from vote to Games by an Olympic host, the city of beaches, carnival, grinding poverty and sun-kissed wealth opened the two-week Games of the 31st Olympiad with a high-energy gala celebration of Brazils can-do spirit, biodiversity and melting pot history.The low-tech, cut-price opening ceremony, a moment of levity for a nation beset by economic and political woes, featured performers as slaves, gravity-defying climbers hanging from buildings in Brazils teeming megacities and -- of course -- dancers, all hips and wobble, grooving to thumping funk and sultry samba.Brazil also packaged its party with solemnity, lacing the fun and frivolous show with sobering messages about global warming and conservation. Images of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, swirling in the Earths atmosphere were followed by projections of world cities and regions -- Amsterdam, Florida, Shanghai, Dubai -- being swamped by rising seas.The peace symbol, tweaked into the shape of a tree, was projected onto the floor of the Maracana Stadium that filled with thousands of athletes from 207 teams.The heat is melting the ice cap, a voice intoned. Its disappearing very quickly.The crowd roared when Bundchen, the Brazilian supermodel?and wife of?New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady,?sashayed from one side of the 78,000-seat Maracana Stadium to the other as Tom Jobims grandson, Daniel, played his?grandfathers famous song about the Ipanema girl tall and tan and young and lovely.In a video preceding the show, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the Games celebrate the best of humanity and appealed for an Olympic truce, calling on all warring parties to lay down their weapons during the two weeks of sporting achievement.There were times after the International Olympic Committee selected Rio ahead of Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid in 2009 when it seemed that the city of 6.5 million people might not get its act together for the worlds greatest sporting mega-event. The spreading health crisis of the mosquito-born Zika virus kept some athletes away.Promises to clean Rios filthy waters remained unfulfilled. The heavy bill for the Games, at least $12 billion, made them unpopular with many. Heavily armed security stopped a small group of protesters from getting close to the stadium ahead of the ceremony.But with more than a dash of gambiarra, the Brazilian art of quick-fixes and making do, Rio is ready.Our admiration is even greater because you managed this at a very difficult time in Brazilian history. We have always believed in you, IOC president Thomas Bach said.The honor of officially declaring the Games open fell to Michel Temer, Brazils unpopular interim president, who was loudly jeered and faced shouts of out with Temer. He was standing in for suspended President Dilma Rousseff. Her ouster less than four months before the Games for alleged budget violations was one of many obstacles in the works of Brazils Olympic preparations, and it impacted the opening ceremony itself.?Fewer than 25 foreign heads of state were expected, with others seemingly staying away to avoid giving the impression of taking sides amid Brazils leadership uncertainty. As Brazilian officials took their seats in the stadium, there were shouts of out with Temer from sections of the crowd.Jamaicas Usain Bolt, the two-time defending champion in the Olympic 100- and 200-meter races, skipped the ceremony, as expected. Bolt announced his decision earlier in the day. Friday was the fourth anniversary of Bolts winning the gold in the 100 at the London Games.Also missing was 75-year-old Brazilian soccer great Pele, who announced earlier Friday that he was not physically able to attend the opening of the Olympics. He had previously said this week that he had been invited to light the cauldron, although that was not confirmed by Rio organizers.Instead, the cannonball-shaped cauldron was lit by Brazilian marathoner Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima. At the 2004 Games, an Irish spectator wearing a kilt, knee-socks and a beret tackled de Lima while he was leading the Olympic marathon. Rather than gold, he fell back to take bronze.Greece, the historic and spiritual home of the Games, led the march by athletes into the stadium. They were joined by the first Refugee Olympic Team of 10 athletes displaced from Syria, South Sudan, Congo and Ethiopia. Their flag-bearer, Rose Nathike Lokonyen, fled war in South Sudan and ran her first race in a refugee camp in northern Kenya. Only Brazils team, which marched last, drew a louder roar from the crowd than the refugees.The athletes were given tree seeds, plus cartridges of soil. When the trees sprout, they will be planted in a Rio park.With USA emblazoned on the back of his jacket, Michael Phelps carried the flag for the U.S. team, the largest with 549 competitors. At his fifth Olympics, it was the first time the record-holder of 22 medals had marched in an opening ceremony, having skipped previous ones to save energy for competition.On behalf of all 11,288 competitors (6,182 men and 5,106 women), Brazilian two-time Olympic champion sailor Robert Scheidt pledged not to take banned drugs -- an oath likely to ring false to fans after the scandal of government-orchestrated cheating in Russia. As a consequence, Russias team was whittled down from a hoped-for 389 athletes to around 270.Iran picked a woman, archer Zahra Nemati, as flag-bearer for its team made up overwhelmingly of men. Another woman pushed Nematis wheelchair. The archer was paralyzed in a car accident as a teenager.Shoals of samba dancers flowed in a rainbow of colors, but many showed less flesh than normal for Brazil, seemingly mindful of their global TV audience.After the grandeur of Beijings opening ceremony in 2008 and the high-tech, cheeky inventiveness of Londons in 2012, Rios was earthier and less swish but more sobering with its gloomy environmental look at the future and deliberate penny-pinching. Creative director Fernando Meirelles said the budget, slashed by half as Brazils economic recession bit ever harder, is 12 times less than London, 20 times less than Beijing.It is pretty tacky to be overspending, he said. It is not a good message for the world. When 40 percent of the homes in Brazil have no sanitation, you cant really be spending a billion reals for a show. In the end, I feel good that I am not spending money that Brazil hasnt got.In the U.S., NBC faced social media criticism for its decision to delay the broadcast of the ceremony so it could be shown in prime time in all time zones. Frequent commercial breaks, including eight in the first 65 minutes, also proved frustrating for time-shifting viewers accustomed to fast-forwarding through ads.NBC began its telecasting of the festivities an hour after they begin in Rio on Friday. On the U.S. West Coast, the telecast of the opening ceremony wasnt set to start for another hour. NBC didnt start streaming the event through its app or Olympics website until the television coverage began, and streamers had to authenticate their account with a cable or satellite service.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.Brian Hunter Astros Jersey . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. Jose Cruz Jr. Astros Jersey . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. https://www.cheapastros.com/ . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. Aledmys Diaz Astros Jersey . Numbers Game examines the deal that sees Michael Del Zotto and Kevin Klein switch places. The Predators Get: D Michael Del Zotto. Cesar Geronimo Astros Jersey . A forerunning sled crashed into the worker Thursday at the Sanki Sliding Center. The unidentified worker broke both legs and was airlifted to a nearby hospital.Penriths generation next have shocked and entertained all comers this NRL season but now face their sternest test - finals footy.The Panthers will climb into sixth with a win over Manly in their last-round fixture at Pepper Stadium on Sunday night however it matters little - they will face Canterbury at ANZ Stadium in week one of the finals regardless.After six wins in their past seven including four on the trot, the black cats are shaping as the competitions dark horse.Most sides dont know what to make of them - given their penchant for second phase play (they lead the league for offloads and third in tackle busts).However their ability to handle finals footy remains an unknown quantity.Of the 17-man squad which will take on the Sea Eagles, just four remain from their last finals appearance against Canterbury in 2014 - Matt Moylan, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Josh Mansour and Jeremy Latimore.While the likes of Peter Wallace and Trent Merrin add plenty of experience, their ability to handle sudden death is yet to be seen, especially for the likes of young key-position players Nathan Cleary and Bryce Cartwright.Weve been in pretty good form, last week was a really intense game, it was like a final against the Titans, coach Anthony Griffin said.Weve got to treat tomorrow night likke a final because it carries a lot of weight for us.dddddddddddd.If we can have a really good 80 minutes tomorrow night the players will have had a good month of football which would prepare them well for whats to come.Unless Manly (13th, 8-15) can muster a victory against the Panthers, 2016 will go down as their second-least successful year since 1965 - only behind 2003 when they won just three games.While a summer of soul-searching awaits the Sea Eagles, the Panthers are facing a bright future.I came here with a really open mind and didnt have any expectations, Griffin said.It was a whole new list and for them I was a new coach.It wasnt a matter of where we finished or where we might get to, its just trying to create something we can build on for the future.STATS THAT MATTER* Penrith has won five of its past six matches against Manly, including a 20-point comeback in round 14.* Sixteen of Penriths 23 matches this season have been decided by eight points or less.* Manlys 44 points conceded against Melbourne was its worst defensive performance of the year and the ninth time they have conceded 30 points or more this season.Source: Fox Sports Stats ' ' '