Anybody worried about how Bruno Mars would do on one of the worlds largest stages had obviously never seen the young star perform live. That all changed Sunday night when tens of millions got their first chance to see why hes one of the most exciting live acts of his generation. Mars, 28, took his high-powered live show to Super Bowl halftime, creating what felt like an intimate show in the arena in East Rutherford, N.J., and supersizing it in what has become a defining moment for those who preceded him on the list of halftime performers in the big game. The Grammy Award-winning singer eliminated any doubters from the second he appeared on screen in a skinny tie and gold jacket almost as dazzling as his smile. He played a deep-groove drum solo while rolling across the field on a raised, motorized platform, then joined his smoking-hot live band for a series of energetically executed hits that were clearly not lip-synced. He then seamlessly integrated the Red Hot Chili Peppers into his set. "There were a lot of doubters and my man delivered," Fox commentator Howie Long said after the performance. Hard to disagree. There were no flubs, no negative moments that will live on at the water cooler Monday morning. And while you can argue about the entertainment value of watching shirtless Chili Peppers gambol about the stage, the 50-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famers managed to match Mars energy in a brief appearance that was no less memorable. Mars trades in shared memories, taking the best of acts that have come before like the infectiousness of Sting and The Police, or the groove of James Brown, and updating them with lyrics and sounds that capture the freshness of the current moment. He opened by displaying the beauty of his high tenor with the sing-a-long-inviting "Locked Out of Heaven" and "Treasure" before transitioning to "Runaway Baby." That song, with its Brown-flavoured beat, allowed the Hawaiian-born singer to dance in homage to "Soul Brother Number One," complete with an impressive gymnastics-style split as part of his moves. He broke down the band to silence and killed the lights for a moment, allowing the crowds screams to be heard at home, before transitioning to the Chili Peppers and the funky "Give It Away." The Chili Peppers, which included singer Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea sans shirts in temperatures that hovered in the 40s, powered through the song, then joined Mars and his Hooligans in a quick few bars from Black Sabbath. Mars and his eight-piece band, The Hooligans, were dressed from head-to-toe in custom-made clothes from Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane. Fox cut to video segments of soldiers around the world dedicating the next song to loved ones before going back to Mars. He appeared alone on a small stage in the centre of the field where he sang the ballad "Just the Way You Are" with the stands full of lights and the sky aflame with the biggest fireworks display in NFL Super Bowl history. It was a powerful moment and compared favourably to past performances by stars like Prince and Bruce Springsteen. There was never a dull moment. Thats about all you can ask, especially in a game that was full of them. .Y. - Brooklyn Nets centre Brook Lopez has a strained lower back and will miss at least a week. . Bring on Freddy Garcia. The well-travelled 36-year-old right-hander earned his second NL victory since 2007, and his first since he joined the Atlanta Braves last month, pitching six innings to help beat Miami 6-1 Thursday.
http://www.nflcardinalsrookiestore.com/. Marian Gaborik had two goals and an assist and Martin Jones made just 17 saves to record his fourth shutout of the season as the Kings snapped a three-game losing skid with a 3-0 victory over the lowly Oilers on Thursday. . Observant Muslims avoid food and liquids from dawn to dusk during Ramadan but can, and often do, skip it if travelling or doing hard physical labour. Some devout Muslim athletes choose to fast during training or competition, but it can create selection difficulties for the coaches in team sports. .C. - NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick headlines this years electees into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.PHOENIX -- Some Suns fans made the mistake of disrespecting Jerryd Bayless Phoenix roots. He made regret their words. The Memphis guard came off the bench to score 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Grizzlies to a 99-91 win over Phoenix on Thursday night. The Grizzlies overcame 33 points from Suns guard Goran Dragic to improve to 14-17. Bayless was born and raised in Phoenix, played high school ball just north of the US Airways Center and played in college at Arizona. He helped the Grizzlies recover from the Suns 18-0 third-quarter run, giving Memphis a 94-84 lead on a 3-pointer with 4:30 to play. "Well, some guys on the sidelines said that I disgraced St. Marys (high school)," Bayless said. "That kind of hurt my feelings and that got me going a little bit." Zach Randolph had 20 points and 15 rebounds in helping the Grizzlies cool the Suns for a night, the second win for the visitors in two meetings between the teams this season. Ed Davis added 16 points and 11 rebounds. Dragic scored 15 of his points during the Suns big third quarter. Dragic added seven assists and finished with a career high in points on the night the Suns gave away thousands of bobbleheads bearing his likeness. The Suns (19-12) couldnt fight off the Grizzlies, who scored seven straight points to regain the lead after trailing by four to start the final quarter. Bayless fueled the run with a 3-pointer and jumper to give the Grizzlies an 80-75 lead with 9:31 left to play. "It was their bench that killed us again," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "These guys, if they dont think that Ed Davis and Bayless are good players, theyre crazy." Dragic drilled a 3-pointer after a layup by Davis and hit another after a layup by James Johnson to pull Phoenix within 84-81, but the Suns never got the lead back. "Memphis is not a good matchup for us," Dragic said. "They have a lot of big guys under the rim and they attack the paint." The Suns led 26-22 after one quarter, but struggled with their shooting in the second, when they made jjust 6 of 23 from the floor.dddddddddddd Memphis took a five-point lead on a driving layup from Mike Conley with 7:26 to play in the quarter. Then Conley flipped a no-look pass behind his back to Davis for the assist on a basket and a 38-31 lead. The Suns cut the lead to 46-41 on a dunk from Markieff Morris with 2:20 left in the half, but the Grizzlies scored the next seven points and took a 53-41 lead into the break. Randolph, who didnt play in the first meeting between the teams this season in Tennessee, led Memphis with 14 first-half points and grabbed eight rebounds. The Suns missed nine of 11 3-point attempts in the first half. The Suns 41 first half points was one away from their season low of 40 last week at Golden State. It didnt take long, however, for Phoenix to get back into the game. The Suns scored 16 unanswered points over a three-minute span in the third quarter, including Dragics step-back jumper that gave them a 58-57 lead. The Suns scoring streak reached 18 straight points on P.J. Tuckers layup with 6:12 left in the quarter that gave them a 62-57 lead. Memphis finally broke the run with Conleys two free throws at the 5:43 mark. "We weathered the storm," Randolph said. "When J.B. (Bayless) hits shots like that it opens up for us. We can play in the paint." The Grizzlies outrebounded the Suns 59-40 and were more physical throughout the game. Channing Frye scored eight of his 14 points in the game in the third quarter. NOTES: Suns guard Eric Bledsoe was a late scratch from the starting lineup due to a right knee sprain, and didnt play. Gerald Green started at the two-guard in Bledsoes place. Hornacek said Bledsoe, who was injured during the Suns game against the Clippers on Monday, is questionable for the Suns game Sunday against Milwaukee. . Hornacek was named the NBAs Western Conference Coach of the Month for December. He led Phoenix to a 10-3 record during the month. Hornacek is the third person in NBA history to win both Coach of the Month and Player of the Month, and the first to do so with the same franchise. ' ' '
