Its another year and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are once again tying their fate to quarterback Buck Pierce. Pierce has been the Bombers starting QB the past three seasons, but has played far less than 54 regular season games across that span; the 31-year-old has made 28 appearances in his three seasons in Winnipeg. Theres no doubt if Pierce is healthy the Bombers are a better team - even a contender. But that is likely the biggest ‘if in the entire league. Pierces reckless style of play makes him even more of a target than most quarterbacks. Hes missed time with injuries to his knee, elbow, and head during his Bombers tenure. For his part, the New Mexico State product said hes feeling healthy and strong heading into the season. Pierce said he knows his health is a hot topic for fans and media, but its not something he is fixated on. Hes also lost 25 pounds this off-season in an attempt to be more agile in the pocket. Head coach Tim Burke and the rest of the Bombers organization have also stated their faith in the veteran QB, and the team made no moves to add any CFL experience to their backup ranks in the off-season, instead eschewing the only two backups on their roster – Alex Brink and Joey Elliott – to have started multiple games in the league. Behind Pierce, the Bombers have just Justin Goltz - he of 14 career CFL passing attempts - and rookie Max Hall on the depth chart. Its no coincidence the Bombers East Division-winning 2011 was also Pierces healthiest year in Winnipeg, but the other two years of the Pierce era resulted in a combined 10 wins. Is Pierce too much of an injury risk at this point in his career to consider Winnipeg a legitimate contender in 2013, or can he recapture the magic – and health – of his 2011 season? The Rouge asks: What do you expect from Buck Pierce in Winnipeg this season? Youve heard what weve had to say; now its your turn. As always, its Your! Call. . Phoenix got injured centre Emeka Okafor and a top-12-protected first-round draft pick in 2014 -- giving the rebuilding Suns potentially four choices in the opening round. The Suns also sent guards Kendall Marshall, Shannon Brown and Malcolm Lee to Washington so the deal will work financially. . The Hockey Canada Foundation is donating $50,000, with Hockey Quebec contributing $15,000. Hockey Canada also announced it will hold a skills camp for all levels of minor hockey in Lac-Mégantic during the 2013-14 season. Representatives from Hockey Canada, the Hockey Canada Foundation and Hockey Quebec were on hand Tuesday night at a meeting of the AHM de Lac-Mégantic to make the announcement and presentation.
http://www.officialgreenbaypackerspro.c ... rs-jersey/. Anor had not scored since getting his first two goals of the season vs. Philadelphia on March 22 but struck with laser precision from distance in the 56th and 75th minutes. Montreal (3-10-5) lost its third straight and Impact coach Frank Klopas said it literally was a case of his players not stepping up. . -- When Steve Blake checked in at the scorers table with 5:25 remaining in the third quarter, Stephen Curry shook his head and shouted across the court, asking Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson not to take him out. . HEROES Alex Ovechkin – Scored a pair of goals in Washington’s 4-0 win over Pittsburgh. With 13 goals in the past 13 games, Ovechkin now has 29 goals on the season to lead the league.Melbourne, Australia (SportsNetwork.com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. The reigning U.S. and French Open champion and world No. 1 Nadal took the first set from Bernard Tomic, 6-4, before the Aussie decided to retire to a chorus of boos, citing a groin injury, on a hot Day 2 at Melbourne Park. The 21-year-old Tomic was a runner-up in Sydney last week. Nadal captured his lone Aussie Open title in 2009 and was the runner-up here in 2012. He missed last years edition due to injuries. Up next for the 13-time major champion will be 17-year-old Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis. Meanwhile, the fourth-seeded and three-time Aussie Open runner-up Murray made short work of Japans Go Soeda, routing him 6-1, 6-1, 6-3, while a sixth- seeded Federer dominated Aussie James Duckworth 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour, 46 minutes at Rod Laver Arena. Murray, who lost to Novak Djokovic in last years Melbourne finale, will face Frenchman Vincent Millot on Thursday. The Swiss legend Federer, who owns a mens-record 17 major titles and is appearing in a record 57th straight Grand Slam event, is looking to win for a fifth time in Melbourne and for the first time since 2010. He was also a runner-up here to Nadal back in 2009. Asked how he handled the heat on Day 2, the 32-year-old Federer said: "Im here. Im speaking. Actually, its not crazy. Im feeling OK right now. "It was very dry, just hot, stinging sort of sun. Depending on where you come from it has a bigger effect on you, this type of heat. So its very personal, and it can become just a very mental thing -- you just cant accept that its hot." The former world No. 1 Federer, who has reached the semifinals or better in Melbourne every year since 2004, will meet Slovenian Blaz Kavcic in his next outing. Last weeks Sydney champion, fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro, was a 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 winner over American Rhyne Williams. Up next for the former U.S. Open champ will be Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. Former Aussie Open runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, seeded 10th this year, cruised past Italian Filippo Volandri 7-5, 6-3, 6-3, while 11th-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic downed Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver 7-6 (7-2), 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. Wiinning the Auckland title last week may have taken too much out of 13th- seeded John Isner.dddddddddddd. The highest-seeded American lost the first two sets to Slovak Martin Klizan, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6), before retiring because of a foot injury on Tuesday. Isner did not appear in last years Aussie Open due to a bone bruise in his right knee. Fans sat through temperatures that reached well over 100 degrees and watched local favorite Lleyton Hewitt fall to 24th-seeded Andreas Seppi, who saved a match point before winning 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 7-5 in a grueling 4-hour, 18-minute affair. The former No. 1 Hewitt was making his 18th straight appearance in the event, where he finished as a runner-up back in 2005. Sixteenth seed Kei Nishikori of Japan outlasted Aussie Marinko Matosevic 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in 3 hours, 41 minutes. In other action involving seeds, No. 18 Gilles Simon outlasted German Daniel Brands 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 16-14; No. 22 Grigor Dimitrov grounded American Bradley Klahn 6-7 (7-9), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3; No. 25 Gael Monfils dismissed American Ryan Harrison 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; No. 26 Feliciano Lopez topped Indian Somdev Devvarman 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2); No. 27 Benoit Paire doused Canadian Frank Dancevic 7-6 (14-12), 6-3, 6-4; and No. 31 Fernando Verdasco overcame Chinese Ze Zhang 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. Several other men reached the second round including Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, Croat Marin Cilic, Aussie Nick Kyrgios, Romanian Victor Hanescu, last weeks Auckland runner-up Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei, and Americans Donald Young and Jack Sock. Young defeated Dutchman Robin Haase 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, 1-0, retired, while Sock subdued German Tobias Kamke 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. The second round will get underway Wednesday, as the second-seeded former world No. 1 Djokovic will take on Argentine Leonardo Mayer. The formidable Djokovic is seeking a fourth straight and fifth Aussie Open title in seven years. In other Wednesday action involving top-10 seeds, No. 3 David Ferrer will meet Frances Adrian Mannarino, No. 7 Tomas Berdych will battle Frenchman Kenny De Schepper, No. 8 Stanislas Wawrinka will be opposed by Colombian Alejandro Falla, and No. 9 Richard Gasquet will take on one-time world No. 3 Nikolay Davydenko. ' ' '
