spot. There have also been some nice bonuses. B

Canadian pairs and dance duos are at the top of their game early in the season at Skate Canada International. World bronze medalists and Canadian pairs champions Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford posted the highest total score of the season and won their first-ever Grand Prix gold at the recent Skate Canada International in Kelowna, B.C. Once again they challenged themselves this season by upping the ante technically, with the addition of a throw quadruple salchow. Only one team tried the risky throw in competition last year with no success and Meagan and Eric are one of only two teams that are likely to include it this year. Their strategy is unapologetically athletic and they are hoping that if they keep raising the technical bar higher and completing their elements well enough, the risk will produce big rewards and make them world title contenders along with the artistic Russian teams. Early in the season added technical risks tended to be their undoing as their dividends werent seemingly apparent until later on at Nationals and Worlds. This year, however, they have started out on fire and already look to be improving on last years World bronze win. In regard to their long program, I think this years routine is the perfect vehicle for them to showcase their athleticism while drawing in and engaging the audience in their performance. Canadian ice dancers were impressive in Kelowna, winning gold and silver. World silver medalists Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje won gold by a comfortable margin and received instant standing ovations. While they delivered a convincing win, coupled with crowd pleasing performances on home ice, their real test will come in December at the Grand Prix Final where they will face off against the worlds best. It was an impressive first outing but what matters now is where they take the material from here. Past seasons have shown us that they are tenacious in their pursuit of improvement and refinement, so stay tuned. Silver medalists in the dance, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are off to a terrific start this season and made their eighth place finish at Worlds look like simply a stepping stone to bigger and better things this year. Their new material was well received and well rewarded, including that of their free dance, which I see as the best work they have done to date. Its inviting and easy to like while also showcases their innovative and superior skating quality. Results for Canadian skaters in the singles events were slightly subdued at Skate Canada due to the withdrawals of Kevin Reynolds, Elladge Balde and Kaetlyn Osmond due to injury. The big news for Canadians on the mens international stage is the emergence of 16-year-old Nam Nguyen on the Senior Grand Prix circuit. He shocked more seasoned competitors at Skate America, the season opener, with his bronze medal win. On his way to the bronze he defeated the current Olympic bronze medalist, Denis Ten and also finished ahead of U.S. Champion Jeremy Abbott with a flawless long program. What was most impressive was the fact that it was Nguyens senior Grand Prix debut and he managed to nail a quad salchow in the free skate. Coming into this season Nam was not a skater who the contenders would figure into the mix. Now hes got the top guys glancing sideways at him, knowing that with the newfound quad and the impressive technical scores he has put up in the free skate, he can surely be a fit to play spoiler at any upcoming event. Nguyen will compete at the Cup of China this weekend alongside his training mate, Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan. Japanese men have won the first two Grand Prix events and Yuzu has said hes hoping to ride the wave to gold at the Cup of China. As strong as the Japanese men are, its the Russian women who are dominating the ladies events this season. It is possible - in fact quite likely - that the Russian women could win all of the Grand Prixs and qualify four or five spots out of a total six spots at the final. Thats how deep their women are. With the National Champ on the sidelines, Canadian hopes in that event shift now to the national silver medalist Gabrielle Daleman who begins her quest this Grand Prix season in China. She is young, a capable jumper and a determined competitor who is looking to move from her 13th place finish at worlds. She will be up against a tough field so will need to be at the top of her game to be in contention. Jake Marisnick Jersey . Mired in an offensive slump, Lowry - the NBAs leader in taking charges this season - did what he has learned to do best, standing his ground and drawing a crucial offensive foul on the Cavaliers all-star point guard. Fast forward 30 seconds to the Cavs next possession, with the home team still trailing by three, Spencer Hawes - one of the leagues best passing big men - threw an interception, intended for Tyler Zeller and picked off by DeMar DeRozan. Astros Jerseys 2020 . 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. https://www.cheapastros.com/2903o-jimmy-wynn-jersey-astros.html .com) - The Toronto Raptors are paying Rudy Gay a visit on Wednesday night when they head into the Sleep Train Arena to take on the Sacramento Kings. Jose Cruz Jr. Jersey . Her return engagement begins tonight as TSN presents Day 1 coverage of the 2015 event from Melbourne. Watch Eugenie Bouchards opening round match at the Australian Open live tonight on TSN5 at 3am et/Midnight pt. Dean Deetz Jersey . A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press the Steelers will part ways with the former Pro Bowler, a move that hardly serves as a surprise after fifth-year linebacker Jason Worilds agreed to accept a "transition player" tag last week.TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays started last season with an April swoon that they never really recovered from. Buoyed by a four-game winning streak and a return to the .500 mark entering play Thursday night, manager John Gibbons said the feeling around the team is much better now than this time last year. "No doubt. I think last year was a little bit of a shock to everybody," Gibbons said during a pre-game availability. "But I think they always had a good attitude. But everybody was kind of like they got hit by a two-by-four ... I definitely feel something different this year. "Theyre feeling good." Expectations were sky-high for last years squad after an off-season makeover brought in big names like R.A. Dickey, Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera and Mark Buehrle. However, the team lost 21 of its first 31 games and struggled to a last-place finish in the American League East. General manager Alex Anthopoulos kept the changes to a minimum in the last off-season. There are early signs that might have been a prudent approach. The Blue Jays had a few hiccups in recent weeks -- including a couple meltdowns from their usually strong bullpen -- but appear to be back in form as they continued a nine-game homestand Thursday night against the Philadelphia Phillies. Torontos starting rotation has been anchored by the steady play of Buehrle, who is off to a 6-1 start with a sparkling 1.91 earned-run average. The Blue Jays starters have been going deeper into games and easing the pressure on the bullpen, which looked good early on but has had some inconsistent patches. Closer Casey Janssen could return from his rehab assignment in the coming days and that would also give the relief crew a boost. Injuries were a problem last year.dddddddddddd The absence of Reyes for most of the first half of the season had a ripple effect through the order and his defensive skills were missed. His troublesome hamstring was an issue last month but his game appears to be coming around. A big difference early on this year is the meat of the lineup looks comfortable and is getting results. Entering play Thursday, Melky Cabrera (.329, 6 HR, 14 RBIs) leads the American League with 48 hits, Jose Bautista (.300, 9 HR, 21 RBIs) has reached base in all 34 games and leads the American League with a 1.041 OPS (on-base plus slugging) while Edwin Encarnacion (.242, 4 HR, 21 RBIs) has been a threat in the cleanup spot. There have also been some nice bonuses. Backup catcher Josh Thole is hitting .400, Juan Francisco filled in admirably when Adam Lind went down with a back problem and regular catcher Dioner Navarro has a .300 average. Lind was activated Thursday and served as the designated hitter against the Phillies. He was hitting .324 at the time of his injury. The Blue Jays have also been hitting for power -- they lead the American League with 44 home runs and a team slugging percentage of .432 entering play against Philadelphia. No one is strutting around the dugout after splitting the first 34 games of the season. But its a marked improvement from the 13-23 record and woeful .361 winning percentage the Blue Jays had on this date last year. Perhaps the positive feelings are boosted by the fact the other American League East clubs are in a similar boat with only 3 1/2 games separating first from worst. The Blue Jays will play four games against the Los Angeles Angels before closing out the homestand with a three-game set against the Cleveland Indians. ' ' '