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Lamar Odom SING UP VITORIA

It had been a long time since the signing of a basketball player not raise much excitement in Spain as it has the Lamar Odom from the Labor Kutxa .

 We had already used to the way it was the opposite , ie , that the best of our league were the NBA or even other countries with greater economic power .

Only Greek teams , Turkish, Russian or any other league were the ones who were able to dare with such contracts.

 In the Liga Endesa ACB had consolidated the feeling that such players with great resume would have great difficulty to suit all levels. The NBA is the best professional league in the world , because there are the best , but what makes everything around them is relatively easy for them . It is true that the match schedule is very demanding, but they prefer to play than to train hard to prepare one or two a week at most parties. So, with the fear that ended being more than just a man risking them any name.Was the baskonista team, Josean Querejeta , which has again taken a brave and risky decision that until recently would have been considered impossible. But sometimes circumstances force to find a punch that will refresh the illusion around a club and a team . In this case, mired in a very difficult season for the budget down , and therefore sports level in a place accustomed to other things , played reinvent or entering a dynamic not recommended discouragement. And boy have you got, because without stepping on the court confirmation of its arrival hiring has put Vitoria on the world map . The media and marketing impact they have received has been amazing and, venturing as a gray , nondescript future has now become an overwhelming interest in adding a player of such quality and as well known globally. If you get up a good performance on the court to help them improve their performance , then the risk will be assumed much worthwhile.Lamar Odom has been a star first class in the U.S., not as statistically significant as others, but with a great reputation for his undeniable talent . Even as a young man was considered a very special player , but the unfortunate circumstances surrounding him were a constant threat. But to glory being NBA champion with the Lakers twice and was part of the U.S. national team . Until the last stage in his private life fell apart and missed the dangerous distractions to divert to debauchery . His marriage to a famous U.S. glamor him completely unfocused basketball . Respected and appreciated by his colleagues and rivals, the news coming about his personal degradation were very disturbing. It seemed that we were attending another case of a star with a stormy end.But with his decision to come to play Vitoria , and seeing the first manifestations and attitude , it seems that Odom is willing to redeem . Comes earning little money, even if they are reported higher figures , and it seems that , in his words , lcentrado in ' reunited with basketball , peace and tranquility "and to rate that sometimes " less is more "in life by the fact that he agreed to come to a far more humble surroundings .

And hopefully you get, because our league is in need of such exciting and intriguing at the same time as his signing incentives .

SOCHI 2014

From a Backpack , Mountain Refreshment

Krasnaya Polyana , Russia - There was a ski -rental shop at the basis of the gondola . In exchange for 1,400 rubles (about $ 40) and temporary custody of my American driver 's license , I got skis , poles, boots and a helmet for the day .

My Olympic credential got me on the gondola , and the next one , and the next one , until there Were no more mountains to climb and the view was all downhill . Through the snow- capped peaks , the Black Sea was a dark shadow on the horizon .

I had an hour to kill before I met Danny Davis and Greg Bretz , American snowboarders who had Agreed to let me Ski with them to See How They unwound after the halfpipe competition . I wove past the downhill slalom course and a training session . The slopes Were virtually empty .

I got prescribed to our meeting point at the top of the first gondola . It was hot , and I stripped off my jacket and sat in the shade .


video Video: Wrap - UpFEB Sochi . 23, 2014
A man Approached . I wore a backpack That had a tube protruding , and I've Poured himself a malty - looking beverage . There was a bit of foam at the top . I took a sip . I pointed to it and raised his eyebrows , the international gesture to ask if I wanted a cup, too . In broken Inglés , I Said That it made ​​him ski better.

I used two of the three Russian words I Knew : Nyet , spasibo . No, thank you . The last thing I needed at 10:30 in the morning was a beer .

A woman came along , and the man cheerfully Poured her a beverage . Funny: A guy just hands out beers on the slopes in the morning . But then she stepped into the cool shade , and I saw steam rising from her cup . I Looked at her quizzically . The woman raised the plastic cup .

" Chai, " she said . I knew another word after all . It was tea .

I turned to the man. Yes , of course. Please. Spasibo .

JOHN BRANCH

A Snapshot to Remember for Shiffrin

Mikaela Shiffrin Launch average viewer has-been posing for pictures with her parents after ski races since she was in grade school . Doug Mills / The New York Times
Krasnaya Polyana , Russia - Mikaela Shiffrin had won the Olympic gold medal in slalom , been saluted by the crowd grandstand finish- line in a flower ceremony , a huge news conference held before an international gathering of Journalists and found time to hug Countless teammates , Opponents , coaches and friends .

With her face flushed and her eyes wide , Shiffrin was well aware she was living a shining , definitive moment in a young life .

But as she left the Alpine skiing area late Friday night and headed out into a new world of celebrity , there was still one little ritual to complete, something Shiffrin Had been doing after ski races since she was in grade school .

She wanted to pose for a picture with her parents .

In Shiffrin visits to the home in the last year , I saw dozens of These kinds of snapshots : Shiffrin with her parents, Eileen and Jeff , at the bottom of innumerable racecourses in Colorado , New Hampshire , Vermont , Maine, Utah, Canada and Europe . In the earliest photos , she was half as tall as her parents . Slowly , in more ways than one , she Began to progress in stature .

But on the night she Became the youngest Olympic slalom champion , and With the athletic world buzzing over the possibilities of an 18 -year- old budding ski queen , Shiffrin abruptly stopped the whirlwind enveloping her . With the slope where she had just made history behind her , threw an arm around Shiffrin each parent , handed over a cellphone and Smiled for another picture . This was important.

The photo , a twinkling image from the mountains of southern Russia late on a Friday night , will look good in the family album . BILL PENNINGTON

Finishing Fourth but Providing a Lift

Launch media viewer "The little man in my head always says go on , go on , go harder , for sure , " said Andi Langenhan after the men's singles luge competition . Vassil Donev / European Pressphoto Agency
Krasnaya Polyana , Russia - There is a good chance Andi Langenhan does not remember me . But for a few moments early in the Olympics , I have provided some much- needed inspiration .

Ill, freezing and questioning my decision to make the trip , I Waited for Langenhan , a German luger , to walk through the mixed zone, where reporters can speak to the athletes After their races . My assignment was to find the fourth-place finisher, and Langenhan had missed a medal by 558- thousandths of a second , so I was my target .


In this situation Many athletes can barely hide Their disappointment and dish out bromides acerca Their respect for Those ahead of them.

Langenhan was different. I Said That I had hoped to win a medal but I was pleased That That I had improved on his fifth -place finish at the Vancouver Games. Bouncing with energy , I Seemed eager to start training for the 2018 Games.

"The little man in my head always says go on , go on , go harder , for sure , " Langenhan , 29, said after the men's singles competition . " But I know I can do it . All the other guys who are unknown to eat who can reach the top 10 to medal for sure , and everybody is getting older and knows what to do . "

It dawned on me if Langenhan That Could see the bright side in his dispiriting near miss , then i should be able to do the same . Thanks to Langenhan , my stride Gained a step , and my gloom lifted . KEN BELSON

A Solemn Victor's Thoughts Turn to Home

Launch Japan's average viewer Yuzuru Hanyu , Whose hometown was struck by an earthquake, said I felt as if I were " not making any Contributions . " Chang W. Lee / The New York Times
Sochi , Russia - Yuzuru Hanyu had just Become the first Japanese man to win a gold medal in figure skating. It was an unlikely victory . Three years Earlier , Hanyu Had been skating rink at his home in Sendai, near the epicenter of the devastating earthquake and tsunami struck northeast Japan That .

As the ice rumbled and pipes burst , Hanyu fled the rink , running outside in his skates , ruining his blades.

It Might Have Been tempting to ascribe some civic inspiration to his gold- medal -winning performance . When the Saints won the Super Bowl after Hurricane Katrina, it was said in a glow of romanticism To Have Helped New Orleans heal .

But Hanyu , 19, self -aware beyond his years , was not a man of sentimentality . I Knew the limits of sport just as I had Reached its zenith .

After his victory , instead of Hanyu was solemn celebrative . I Those Who Expressed gratitude to his career had lent financial and spiritual support. At the same time , I 've felt guilty That hinted for leaving home to train in Toronto. I Knew That his victory Could not really help anyone recover in Sendai. I felt helpless , I said , as if I were " not making any Contributions . "

But now I had a gold medal . It was a starting point at Least .

" Perhaps, " Hanyu said , " there is something I can do going forward . " JERE LONGMAN

Thrusting Foot , Dutch Skater Makes a Mark

Launch Sjinkie Knegt average viewer , third from left, and Sin Da- woon , far right , dueled for the bronze medal in the 1,000 -meter short -track race . Damien Meyer / Agence France- Presse - Getty Images
Sochi , Russia - Gold gets the glory , but sometimes it 's the fight for the lesser medals That impresses the most.

In the finals of the men's 1,000 -meter short -track race , two Russians , Ahn and Victor Vladimir Grigoriev , took the lead by the third lap and never lost it . Sjinkie Knegt of the Netherlands, who was in last with five laps to go , slipped into third with two laps remaining , but in the crucial final turn of the last lap , I was edged to the outside of the track by Sin Da- woon of South Korea. The phrase "at the wrong place at the wrong time ," was never more apt .

"The Korean making a late move! " An announcer on a CBC broadcast of the race Shouted .

No Knegt and bumped each other a bit, and then it was a three- stride dash to the line . Just Before They crossed , Knegt jutted out his right leg. And That was the difference - a perfectly timed lunge of the foot .

Until That Moment , Knegt was Known as the best skater disqualified from the European championships for making an obscene gesture - a kind of anti - double -gun salute , if you will - behind Ahn 's back as the two crossed the finished line . Now , he'll be remembered for something else : being the first athlete from the Netherlands to win a medal of any kind in short track . At a news conference afterward , Knegt beamed , as elated as any third -place finisher has ever Looked . DAVID SEGAL

Still Tired Norwegian Devours Competition

At the average viewer Launch Sochi Games, Ole Einar Bjorndalen , 40, the undisputed king of biathlon, won two gold medals , the 12th and 13th of his career Olympic medals . Pierre- Philippe Marcou / Agence France- Presse - Getty Images
Krasnaya Polyana , Russia - There 's an old Norwegian fairy tale in Which a huge , snarling troll challenges a lost little boy to an eating contest .


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They sit down at a table for porridge , and the boy somehow matches the troll spoon for spoon , and then bowl for bowl . And then the boy pulls ahead , putting away a bathtub 's worth of porridge while the troll Struggles to take another bite . The boy wins ( and soon the troll dies a gruesome death ) .

How did he do it ? Well, it was a bit of a cheat : The boy dumped the porridge into a bottomless bag secretly taped to his stomach . But that's not the point .

"The point is , I've never Seems full , I he's always hungry , " said Ole Kristian Stoltenberg , one of Norway 's most prominent Commentators biathlon . " And that's Bjorndalen . "

At the Sochi Games, Ole Einar Bjorndalen , the undisputed king of biathlon, won two gold medals , the 12th and 13th of his career Olympic medals .

If it's possible to strut on cross- country skis , Bjorndalen did as I flew past the competition in race after race , his jauntily poles jutting out behind him like Fred Astaire 's umbrella .

At 40 , is old enough Bjorndalen to be the father of some of the biathletes have Dominated in the Sochi Games.

Benjamin Weger , a 24 -year- old Swiss biathlete , remembers the first time have found himself racing against Bjorndalen . " That was really a great feeling to compete With Him , " I said . "That moment was so great."

Weger did not seem too upset at being trounced by his boyhood idol . " For me , Bjorndalen is biathlon , biathlon and Bjorndalen is , " I said .

Assumed Bjorndalen folk -hero status so long ago That now , as I Unbreak subtitles middle age , his injuries have even Assumed to mythic grandeur . In 2011 , reports said I hurt his back while I was helping a friend chop firewood .

In Bjorndalen 's hometown , Simostranda , Norway , there's a 10 -foot bronze statue of him racing on skis . King Harald V Attended the unveiling .

The statue 's dimensions - Herculean thighs , broad shoulders - are generous . Bjorndalen is surprisingly small , more elfin than titan . When I Takes the rifle off his back and Removes the laurels from his neck , I Could pass as a friendly high school gym teacher .

But Bjorndalen is adored like few other winter athletes . In Sochi , I was one of the few foreigners Whom unequivocally embraced Russian fans .

" He's so amazing , he's so determined, " said Tiril Eckhoff , 23, a teammate on the Norwegian team . " He's so old, too . "

In this age of heroes tarnished , anyone who wins gold medals into his 40s has to be Looked at askance . Is he doping ?

Stoltenberg , the Norwegian commentator who has long tracked Bjorndalen 's every race , Seemed offended by the question .

"If I tested positive for doping , I would quit my work , " Stoltenberg said . He Seemed to mean it .

The biathlon press corps has shown a reverence Bjorndalen That would make world leaders seethe with envy . After Bjorndalen won his first gold medal of These Games, a reporter asked him what amounted to " You're not the type of athlete to give up , are you? "

At another news conference , after another gold medal, a reporter wanted to know what it felt like to win more medals than any Winter Olympian before him .

Bjorndalen sighed . "Your first feeling is tiredness , " I said . Sam Dolnick

Canadians in Hats Show It 's Fun to Have Fun

Launch media viewer from Canada looking on Fans During The flower ceremony in Krasnaya Polyana. Doug Mills / The New York Times
Krasnaya Polyana , Russia - The crowd at the downhill skiing event Looked cliquey and Potentially bad -tempered , wrapped in flags , drinking beer , wearing in-your -face nationalistic costumes, sitting ACCORDING to country - the Germans here , the Australians there, the Norwegians somewhere else , the Russians everywhere .

On TV , que homes in on the loud and the extreme , These sorts of crowds come across as jingoistic , even hostile .

Not in person. In the stands Were a couple who lived in Istanbul and a friend who lived in Dubai , they experienced converged in Sochi for a mini - Canadian meeting. One of them , Melanie Wrigglesworth , there with her husband, Mike , had bought some red felt in an Istanbul market and fashioned " Cat in the Hat " -style hats with white maple leaves appliquéd Mike and the third Canadian , Greg Forgrave - . It was his birthday - also wore sunglasses Elton John -esque novelty .

But rather than screaming "go away , " their outfits had turned them into a three -person Canadian embassy . They Could barely watch the skiing, so many people came up to admire Their costumes, Olympic pins to trade with them , to pose for group photographs in the stands, the Canadian clashing hats With the other improvised headgear .

First Were some people from Switzerland, who were large and dressed in ski helmets , goggles and " House of Switzerland" sweaters and who waved two flags : a Swiss flag and a flag with a picture of a beer on it . Then came some Norwegians and some Americans .

And then after Russian Russian Russian after . None spoke more than a word or two of Inglés . But Their delight - in being there , being with other people in Who were having as good a time as They Were - was impossible to misunderstand . SARAH LYALL

YANKEES

Yankees Add four years of Gardner Deal

TAMPA , Fla. - From the moment the Yankees signed Jacoby Ellsbury on December 7 , speculation began that they were going to trade Brett Gardner. Who , after all, would need two center fielders fast leadoff ?

But the Yankees insisted that Gardner wanted to keep playing left field with Ellsbury in center. And it showed on Sunday when they agreed to sign a four- year $ 52 million contract extension that begins in 2015 with a club option for 2019. Gardner already had one year, $ 5.6 million deal for 2014.

Gardner could have waited and become a free agent after this season, but he said there was nowhere else I wanted to play .

" A lot of pressure is needed," he said. "The idea of free agency as I was intrigued , but also as it scared me . I love it here , and I love that everyone in the organization . "

Brian Roberts , center, and Eduardo Nunez, second from right , could play an important role alongside Ichiro Suzuki, left , Derek Jeter and Jacoby Ellsbury.Una time all-star , Yankees Infield now expects overachieveFebrero 22, 2014
slideshow Slide Show: Hope Springs, again, to the Yankees and MetsFebrero 21, 2014
General manager Brian Cashman said he first proposed the idea of ​​an extension to the Gardner agent , Joe Bick , shortly after signing Ellsbury to a seven -year, $ 153 million contract in December. Cashman said the four -year, $ 48 million to the Cleveland Indians center fielder Michael Bourn the last year was a guide .

" I love Brett Gardner ," Cashman said. " I think it's a great piece of our puzzle . "

Cashman said that with acres of space on the left and center field in Yankee Stadium, he was happy to have essentially two center fielders patrolling the grounds, and basically first two bats , too.

The 30- year-old Gardner, who has a career .352 on-base percentage , was on base 34 percent of the time last season and hit 10 triples, the most in the American League. He also had eight homers and scored 81 runs, tied with Robinson Cano for most Yankees.

"Sometimes he was one of our best players last year," Cashman said. "It's one of the best center fielders leadoff the game can offer. "

Cashman also noted with satisfaction that Gardner is a homegrown Yankee , the latest position player every day, the team has developed from Cano. Gardner was selected in the third round of the 2005 amateur draft and made his debut with the Yankees in 2008. Has long been a favorite Cashman, who recalled that former hitting coach Gary Denbo minor league Gardner predicted would become the center fielder for the Yankees.

" His character and makeup are very special ," Cashman said. " He has made himself into a very special player . "

The agreement Gardner has no no-trade clause , but he has a $ 1 million bonus if negotiated .

" I feel like if I stay on the field and stay healthy and treat people the way they are supposed to be treated ," he said , " and go about my business the right way and do things in the field to help the team win , I'm not worried about it. "

As excited as I was about Cashman extension Gardner , who downplayed the signing of former Boston Red Sox reliever Andrew Bailey to a minor league contract . Bailey, American League rookie of the year 2009 with Oakland , missed the second half of last season after shoulder surgery and is not expected to return until the second half of 2014 , at best.

" Look for it August or September to help the major league team , in any case, " Cashman said.

OFF to Kalamazoo? Derek Jeter, who missed most of last season was lost with leg injuries , ran the bases with other position players and said it was fine afterwards. When asked if they planned to join the team for spring training trip to Panama in mid-March , an expensive heart of Mariano Rivera event was postponed .

" Next year I 'll Kalamazoo " he said of his hometown in Michigan.

First, a winner of the Heisman The Yankees play their first preseason game on Tuesday against Florida State University , and Jameis Winston , quarterback Heisman Trophy winning field and a member of the baseball team, is expected to play . Nuno Vidal starts for the Yankees. Ivan Nova will start on Wednesday Grapefruit League opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates .

NBA

Nets Win is regular, though the night is not

LOS ANGELES - On the basketball court , Jason Collins has never had any illusions about who is a player of the lunch - bucket that has made a career of 12 years do not so glamorous tasks of setting screens , rebounding, defense and using as many of his six fouls when necessary .

So it was easy to understand the wonder with open eyes and smiling from ear to ear Collins took him at a press conference overflow Sunday night . Not the kind of setting aside by a veteran of the fin-de- la- bank has signed a 10-day contract .

But when the Nets announced earlier in the day that had signed Collins, understood the meaning : it would be the first openly gay athlete to play in the NBA

It was just that - the game - that Collins preferred to concentrate on , instead of the historical consequences .

Jason Collins , defending MarShon Brooks, became the first openly gay man to play in a NBA game against Lakers.En Pro Basketball: Point Collins Find Back , Moving Forward NBAFebrero 23, 2014

Jason Collins, at a press conference before the Nets - Lakers game in Los Angeles on Sunday , said he was focused on basketball. " I do not have time to really think about the story at this time ," dijo.Jason Collins, First openly gay player in the NBA , signs with networks and on the JuegoFebrero 23, 2014

"Right now I'm focused on trying to learn the plays," Collins said before the victory 108-102 Nets over the Lakers , adding . " Do not have time to really think about the story right now I have only to focus on my job tonight . "

Jason Collins being helped by his new Nets teammates. Jeff Gross / Getty Images

The press conference was just another step in a frantic day.

Collins , who had worked for the Nets in the All-Star Game is supposed to conduct a youth clinic Domingo with his twin brother , Jarron . But woke up at 8:15 am and found a couple of missed calls from his agent, Arn Tellem , and the texts of Networking Coach Jason Kidd. As the news that a deal was imminent was filtered , was inundated with phone calls from friends and family .

Among those who spoke were his friend Robbie Rogers, soccer player Los Angeles Galaxy , who said last year that he was gay, and Rick Welts , who was the first former executive openly gay NBA. Collins, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley , the family went into Staples Center for the highways for a game against the Lakers, a moment culmination of his career starting with him as a network, also face the Lakers as a rookie in the 2002 NBA Finals.

When he was alone in the Santa Monica Mountains , sometimes while wearing a weight vest 30 lbs , Collins had to cling to the hope that the opportunity would eventually come after not getting an invitation to training camp .

With Sunday's match in Collins 's hometown , his family could also attend. Jarron a scout for the Clippers, had been scheduled to be in the game for their work. Their parents watched from a suite.

"Seeing all the work you put in to have this opportunity , I'm very excited," said Jarron Collins , who retired two years ago and occasionally worked with his brother. " My brother and I are very positive people want to think the best . If you put the work in the opportunities will be there for you."

The Nets were the perfect team for Collins to join. If Collins 's reputation as a good teammate was true , he came with strong references . He entered the NBA playing alongside Kidd and confidence of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in Boston and Atlanta's Joe Johnson won . His brother was a teammate of Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko of Utah.

"In the society in which we live, this was going to happen eventually ," Pierce said. "He's a guy who will be able to open the door for athletes worldwide. No matter your race, gender or sexuality as it is about being part of a team and care about another " .

When Collins arrived at the team breakfast on Sunday , Williams, an avid golfer, I welcomed him to ask Collins about his golf game definitely subpar .

"The kids know what to expect from me," Collins said. "I 'm not going to magically have a 40- inch vertical shoot 3s . "

Collins , white ribbon wrapped around her left wrist , stretched and ran through layup lines with his new teammates . With Garnett sitting because I rarely play games on consecutive nights , Collins thought the opportunity to come soon.

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He arrived with 10 minutes 28 seconds left in the second quarter , when he took off the sweats and walked to the scorer's table . Collins wore number 46, but soon switched to No. 98, a number that honors the memory of Matthew Shepard , a gay college student who was murdered in 1998.

If it was a seminal moment, was not treated as one. When Collins was announced as he prepared to enter the game , he was greeted with polite applause , and a handful of fans stood to applaud .

Then he went about doing worldly duties for which it was signed , setting a pick in crunch Lakers Jordan Farmar almost immediately. Although he was on the court for just 4:15 in the first half , Collins looked like someone who had not played a competitive basketball game since April.

He picked up an offensive foul , fell feed pick- and- roll of Williams and put on the ground to fight off a loose ball. The most pleasant moment came just before unprotected Collins. He was knocked to the ground by a Laker , drawing a foul. While sitting in court, Kirilenko, Williams and Alan Anderson ran to pull him to his feet.

They had plenty of reasons to make you feel welcome. Such is the depth in the frontcourt Nets - Golden State Warriors 35 years , Jermaine O'Neal came to them for 23 points and 13 rebounds the night before - that Collins became the turning point. He played six minutes of the fourth quarter as the Nets hung in victory.

"It felt as if I had done this a thousand times before," Collins said after the walk to the scorer's table. " My favorite part of the night was when I was Jordan Farmar was complaining about the referees who sat illegal pica. Things like that, that's my job . "

In total , Collins missed his only chance , grabbed two rebounds , had a steal , two turnovers and five fouls .

In a sense, Jason Collins was a typical game - one in which their impact could not be found in the box score .

DAVID WISE WINS

Norteamericano David Wise gana Hombre Ski Halfpipe 

I n el debut de halfpipe de esquí como deporte olímpico, David Wise ganó una medalla de oro con un limpio, elegante carrera a través de condiciones de baja visibilidad nevadas Eso hizo tropezar a otros aspirantes a medalla. Febrero 18, 2014 
1el su primera carrera, David Wise hizo dos década de 1260-el doble de corcho. Este truco fue su segundo de la carrera, y me hizo girar a su izquierda, girando su lado dominante. 

Imagen compuesta por The New York Times 
2on su último hit de la carrera, Wise hizo una imagen de espejo del truco: a la derecha haga doble cork 1260 con un agarre espectacular. Su amplitud por encima del halfpipe fue tan alta como sus trucos Anteriormente, Que ganó puntos de los jueces. 

Imagen compuesta por The New York Times 
3 "Yo tenía dos dobles-corchos, Que fue enorme - un montón de chicos eran grandes y el acaparamiento de ir bien, pero la diferencia para mí fue que tuve la oportunidad de poner todo junto", dijo Wise, después de ganar el oro .

CANADA DEFEATS U.S.

Canada defeats U.S. in men 's hockey semifinals 

 Sochi , Russia - Canada is headed to the men's hockey final where it will seek its ninth Olympic gold medal in the event , after a 1-0 victory Relatively easy over the United States on Friday night at the Sochi Games. Canada will play Sweden, 2-1 victor over Finland in the other semifinal, on Sunday for the gold medal . The loser will be Awarded silver . The United States and Finland will play for the bronze on Saturday . Canada Scored the lone goal early in the second period When Jamie Benn redirected a shot by Jay Bouwmeester . Benn had flipped the puck back to his teammate atop the face-off circle , then wandered Toward the net and made ​​the deflection , past the American goaltender Jonathan Quick . RELATED COVERAGE Loui Eriksson , left, Scored for Sweden to tie the game at 1-1 in the second period.Sweden 2 Finland 1 : Lundqvist and Sweden Return to Gold Medal GameFEB . 21, 2014 Phil Kessel , center , and Ryan Kesler , left, celebrate the goal by James van Riemsdyk , right, against the Czech Republic . The Americans are in the semifinals Because Their Opponents

outscored doing lot , 20 - 6.Early Shot at Redemption for U.S. Hockey TeamFEB . 20, 2014 It was the 18th Olympic matchup Between the country clubs , more than any other rivals . Canada has won 12 of the games, including the gold medal game at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Canada won that game in overtime on Sidney Crosby's goal . Also Canada beat the United States in the final of the 2002 Salt Lake Games. The United States has not won a gold medal in men's hockey since the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY Canada and the United States Were each 4-0 in the Olympic tournament before the game . The United States had its Opponents outscored , 20-6 , while Canada had its Opponents outscored , 13-3. In the quarterfinals , the Canadians Struggled to beat Latvia , 2-1, while the United States zipped past the Czech Republic 5-2 .

NBA ALL-STARS

Promotion NBA All-Star game could cost an unfortunate Houston jeweler $ 200,000

The Western Conference was Favored to win its fourth consecutive All-Star game last weekend in New Orleans and led by as many as 18 points, but eventual MVP Kyrie Irving sparked a late comeback to deliver a surprise victory for the East. Irving's 31-point, 14-assist performance Could prove very costly for Houston jeweler Johnny Dang. 

Dang offered Preferred tempting his customers to deal All-Star Game prior to Sunday. Any customer Purchased That his brand of watch would be eligible for a full refund if the Eastern Conference won. They now have until the end of the week to return With Their receipts, According to ESPN's Darren Rovell. In all, $ 200,000 of merchandise Could be refunded.