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SEATTLE -- A couple thousand Seahawks fans were crowded in front of the television stage when Russell Wilson walked out of the locker room still in full uniform. Instantly, the chant started. "MVP! MVP!" Hard to argue against Wilson after a performance like Monday night. Wilson threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns, and the Seahawks became the first team to clinch a spot in the NFC playoffs with a 34-7 victory over the New Orleans Saints. More important than just wrapping up a spot in the post-season, the Seahawks (11-1) moved two games ahead on the rest of the NFC in the race for home-field advantage and hold the tiebreakers over New Orleans (9-3) and Carolina (9-3), the two closest pursuers. The rest of the top teams better get ready to visit the Pacific Northwest in January. After this rout, the road through the NFC playoffs is almost certain to go through Seattle. "For us to come out in that fashion and to win that game the way that we did was awesome," Wilson said. Wilson was outstanding, picking apart the Saints defence. He threw touchdown passes of 2 yards to Zach Miller and 4 yards to Doug Baldwin in the first half as Seattle built a 27-7 lead. Wilson added a pinball 8-yard TD pass to Derrick Coleman in the third quarter. Wilson completed 22 of 30 passes and finished with a quarterback rating of 139.6. He has 22 regular-season wins in his first two seasons, tied for the most ever by a second-year QB and is 14-0 at home. Michael Bennett had a 22-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the first quarter to give Seattle a 10-0 lead and the Saints never threatened. It was a dominating performance by the Seahawks, making up for a lacklustre effort the last time they were given a national television spotlight and were taken to the final yard and final play by St. Louis. Not this time. The most anticipated game in the NFC this season was a laugher. Drew Brees and the Saints were stymied the entire night as he lost for the first time on Monday night after nine straight wins, and continued the belief New Orleans cant win outdoors late in the season. New Orleans didnt crack 100 yards of total offence into midway through the third quarter. Jimmy Graham was nearly invisible outside of his franchise-record 12th TD catch of the season in the second quarter that pulled the Saints to 17-7. Brees finished 23 of 38 for 147 yards. Graham had three catches for 42 yards. Darren Sproles led New Orleans with seven catches, many of those check downs. The seven points matched the fewest scored by the Saints since Sean Payton became coach in 2006 and the 188 total yards were the fewest in his coaching tenure. "Lot of things to look at," Payton said. "Lot of things we didnt do well." It was K.J. Wrights job to shadow Graham and he hounded the Saints star all night. "The coaches told me Were going to let you hold (Graham). Just do your job, win on your leverage, trust your guys around you and just play your best game. Thats what I tried to do," Wright said. The Saints went three-and-out on their first possession and that was just the start of their struggles. On their next possession, Brees was hit from behind by Cliff Avril and fumbled into the arms of Bennett, who returned it for the touchdown. Brees was unable to take advantage of Seattles depleted secondary. The Seahawks were without Brandon Browner (injury) and Walter Thurmond (suspension) but Byron Maxwell and Jeremy Lane played well in their places. "We took one in the chin today," Brees said. "We got out played today. They played great. They made a lot of plays and we didnt." Seattle used the bye week to add wrinkles to its offence. Wilson was a threat not only passing but running with the zone read again becoming an addition to the playbook. Wilson carried five times in the first half, three of those designed keepers. But it was his passing that stole the show. Wilson was 14 of 19 in the first half for 226 yards and a rating of 148.1. He found Miller open for a 60-yard catch-and-run early in the second quarter, then capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Miller and a 17-0 lead. Wilson later hit Doug Baldwin for 52 yards. Seattle had seven pass completions of 12 or more yards in the first half. The Seahawks finished with 315 first-half yards, the most allowed by the Saints in a first half since 2005 against Minnesota. Baldwin said Seattle saw a specific blitz package from the Saints on film and the Seahawks knew theyd have chances to go downfield. "We wanted to be great against the blitz," Wilson said. " ... We knew they were going to bring some pressure and we like the sense of pressure because there is a lot of green grass behind it." Notes: Wilson averaged 10.3 yards per pass attempt, while Brees was at 3.9. ... New Orleans was 25th in the NFL in run defence, but held Marsahwn Lynch to 45 yards rushing on 16 carries. .Y. - The New York Rangers have reached a one-year contract extension with goalie Cam Talbot, keeping Henrik Lundqvists backup away from unrestricted free agency. . According to a report from ESPN, Lynch wants a new contract from the Seahawks, and will likely skip all off-season workouts until he can renegotiate his deal with the Seahawks. . James Jones got his turn Sunday. And the lift he brought, combined with the expected playoff showings from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, have the Heat off and running in these playoffs. .K. Subban has picked the right time of the year to go on an offensive tear. . An offseason trade acquisition from Kansas City, Greinkes National League debut was delayed by a non-baseball injury in the spring, and he was 0-1 after dropping an 8-0 decision at Atlanta in his initial appearance with the Brewers on May 4.TORONTO - Olympic gymnast Kris Burley remained in the closet throughout his career.The international sporting environment was too hostile a place for a gay athlete.From my perspective, to be the best athlete that you can be, and to reach your objectives, you have to be able to be yourself, Burley said. And my personal experience is . . . it wasnt a comfortable and open environment for me. And it was really challenging. And I know thats shared by a lot of athletes that have similar stories.When Toronto hosts the Pan American Games next summer in Toronto, Burley said it will mark the first time the organizing committee has worked in partnership with the local gay community.That sends a real message I think, a real leadership message to set a higher standard for inclusion, Burley said.The Truro, N.S., native was the emcee for Fridays unveiling of PrideHouse Torontos plans for the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.They include a celebration zone in the citys Church-Wellesley Village, with family activities such as pick-up sports games.The 519 Church Street Community Centre will be turned into a Pan Am pavilion, with a safe space for people to watch the Games as well as celebrate athletes and inclusion in sports, said PrideHouse spokesperson Ryan Tollofson.There will be a PrideHouse presence at other Games sites such as Nathan Phillips Square and the CNE grounds, with 16 ambassadors from across Ontario, who have been trained to be able to address questions about the importance of inclusion in sport.There has never been a PrideHouse at a Pan Am Games, Tollofson said. Eleven Pan American countries still criminalize LGBTQ activity, PrideHouse Toronto said.We wwant to set an example for what inclusion in sport can be, Tollofson said.dddddddddddd Were very fortunate in Canada to have a country where we have a lot of rights and protections as gay folks, as LGBTQ people, and so we want to be able to demonstrate that to the world. The main goal of PrideHouse is to make the Pan Am Games the most inclusive multi-sport Games in history.Burley competed for Canada at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and then the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, retiring that same year.The former gymnast said that while Canada is an international leader in LGBTQ rights, sports still remains behind other areas of society in terms of inclusion.You can see that from all the media that comes from every athlete that comes out, beginning with (NBA player) Jason Collins right through to Michael Sam (the first publicly gay athlete to be drafted into the NFL) and some of the other athletes, Burley said.Torontos PrideHouse for the Pan Am Games, he said, isnt about a bricks-and-mortar building where people say OK, thats where the gays are going to participate in the Games.Its also about including Toronto communities, as well as encouraging the LGBTQ community to participate fully in the Games.Were not quite there yet in sport, I think were a little bit behind, Burley said. But this is a good step in the right direction, and it sets a good precedent and Im hoping that future organizing committees with all adopt the same thing, and it will just be standard that the LGBTQ component and diversity in general gets incorporated as part of every Games going forward.The Pan Am Games are July 10-26, while the Parapan Am Games are Aug. 7-15. ' ' '
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