said he called an emergency phone meet

PITTSFORD, N.Y. - After a shaky start to training camp, Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel has had a renewed confidence on the practice field in recent days. Buffalo is looking to keep that momentum on its side in its first real test of the preseason when the Bills play the New York Giants in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on Sunday. "Obviously we want to go out there and put out a great product," Manuel said. "Its national TV. Its the kickoff of the NFL season so obviously we want to start off with a bang." Most of the attention has been on Manuel at Buffalos training camp in suburban Rochester. The Bills have surrounded the second-year quarterback with an assortment of playmaking options, including newcomers Sammy Watkins and Mike Williams at wide receiver and incumbents C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson at running back. With an assortment of talent at the skill positions, the pressure is on the former first-round pick to step up and lead the Bills into the post-season for the first time since 1999. As expected, the results have been mixed two weeks into training camp. Watkins, the dynamic rookie chosen fourth overall after Buffalo traded up in the draft, has been electric. After injury-filled seasons one year ago, Spiller and Jackson are healthy and running well. But Manuels first week on the practice field was littered with incompletions, slow reads in the pocket and questionable decision-making. Manuel has made progress throughout Buffalos second week of camp. On Wednesday, he appeared to have more command in the pocket and connected with second-year receiver Robert Woods for a pair of impressive touchdowns in the red zone. He also connected with receiver Chris Hogan on a decisive throw in a tight window down the middle of the field. On Thursday, he was aggressive early in the practice session and found Watkins for a 99-yard touchdown down the left sideline. "We have been making strides," Manuel said. "Even in the dog days of last week, I felt like we were still making strides to get to this point. Its not always going to be perfect. The O-line has been doing a great job. Our communication has really picked up. I think thats just allowing us quarterbacks to have time to throw the ball downfield to our receivers." After displaying a conservative nature on the field as a rookie, Manuels aggressiveness in recent days has been encouraging. The quarterback said that he has watched film of top quarterbacks around the league — including Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson and Cam Newton — and gained more of an appreciation for taking chances down the field. "I think a lot of the throws that Ive started to make this year, at least attempted to make, I wasnt doing it last year," Manuel said. "I think instead of being more cautious ... our receivers, they want to make plays. They want the opportunity to make a big catch. I think watching a guy like Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees, they cut it loose. They allow their receivers to go out and make a play and earn their money. I think thats what Ive started to do." Manuel and the Bills still have a long way to go, but the quarterback feels that their progress is heading in the right direction. On Sunday, they get their first chance to prove it. "I think were progressing along the timeline that we want to be progressing," Manuel said. "Were still four weeks away from the opener in the regular season, so as long as we continue to put a brick in each day and get better and better, I think well be more than ready to go." Air Max 90 Scontate . Louis Cardinals. He was 48. The commissioners office said Bell died in his home state of Ohio. 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Jagr had a goal and two assists, Andy Greene scored 43 seconds into overtime and Marek Zidlicky had two goals as the Devils rallied past the Washington Capitals 5-4 Saturday night. OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Clippers chose not to speak publicly about owner Donald Sterling before they faced the Golden State Warriors for Game 4 of their first-round series Sunday. Instead, they made a silent protest to generate attention. In response to Sterlings purported comments urging a woman to not bring black people to his teams games, the Clippers let their uniforms become a show of solidarity. They ran out of the tunnel wearing their usual warmups. Then they huddled at centre court and tossed the outer layer of their warmups to the ground, going through their pregame routine with their red Clippers shirts on inside out to hide the teams logo. Players also wore black wristbands or armbands during the game, which they lost 118-97. They also donned black socks with their normal jerseys. "Its just us, only us. Were all we got," Clippers point guard Chris Paul could be heard shouting to teammates before they ran out. The Warriors announced sellout crowd of 19,596, decked out in gold shirts, booed the Clippers -- as they always do -- during team introductions. Sterlings wife was sitting courtside across from the Clippers bench. Commissioner Adam Silver had said Donald Sterling would not be at the game. Clippers coach Doc Rivers said prior to the game that he would remain the only one to speak for the team on the issue because players wanted to remain focused on basketball. Afterward, Rivers said he knew what his players had planned but didnt voice his opinion. Rivers said he wasnt thrilled about the demonstration, though he didnt elaborate why. Even he, though, acknowledged that staying focused has not been easy since TMZ released the alleged recording of Sterling. "Our message is to play," Rivers said. "Our message is that were going to let no one and nothing stop us from what we want to do. And I think thats a good message. I really do. I think thats the message were trying to send. And if we can pull this off all the way, I think that would be a terrific message." In an overcrowded postgame locker room, most of the Clippers players deflected comment or refused to answer questions related to Sterling -- other than to say they remain united and focused on basketball. Shooting guard J.J. Redick, who is white, said the controversy has impacted everybody on the team and around the league. He also admitted it might have affected their preparation. "Maybe our focus wasnt in the right place would be the easiest way to say it," Redick said. "I didnt get the sense that we couldnt function. I thought we competed, but give them a lot of credit as well. It wasnt just the distraction of everything that has happened in the last 24 hours. Golden SState played a great basketball game, lets keep that in mind.dddddddddddd." While the Clippers wanted to let their play do the talking, other NBA players continued to speak out on the subject. Some talked about the hurt Sterlings alleged words caused. Others urged Silver to take an aggressive stance against Sterling, who has a history of alleged discrimination. Most of them hoped Sterling would be removed as the teams owner someday soon. Miami Heat star LeBron James said Silver needed to take action, going so far as to suggest "there is no room for Donald Sterling in our league." Lakers star Kobe Bryant wrote on his Twitter page that he couldnt play for Sterling. Warriors coach Mark Jackson, who played for the Clippers from 1992-94, said he could forgive Sterling but couldnt play for him right now, either. Asked if he needed to hear something from the league or Sterling to return as coach next year, Rivers said he didnt know and that he was just concentrating on the playoff series. At the Trail Blazers playoff game against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night, Portland players all wore black socks in solidarity with the Clippers players. "I wanted to do something to support our brothers," Blazers All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge said before the game in Portland. The players union, still without an executive director since firing Billy Hunter in February 2013, is following the situation closely. The union has asked former NBA All-Star and current Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson to take a leading role on the players behalf to address the Sterling matter. Johnson and Silver attended the game Sunday. Johnson said he called an emergency phone meeting of every player representative to the union Saturday night and spoke with Silver before the game. He said this is a "defining moment" for the NBA and for Silver. Johnson said players trust that the commissioner will meet their demands, which include: Sterling not attend any NBA games for the rest of the playoffs; a full account of past allegations of discrimination by Sterling and why the league never sanctioned him; the range of options that the league can penalize Sterling, including the maximum penalty, which players want if the audio recording is validated; assurance that the NBA and the union will be partners in the investigation; and an immediate and decisive ruling, hopefully before the Clippers host the Warriors for Game 5 on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Johnson also said there will be no league-wide protest by players or a boycott because theres enough attention on the issue already and that players "trust Adam Silver. They trust that Adam Silver will do the right thing." ' ' '