Everth Cabrera and Houstons Jonathan Villar are both outstanding

[wangheng]

Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn. Nike Roshe Run Nere Uomo .ca. Hi Kerry, Welcome back! Im sure you heard Peter Forsbergs comments last week regarding Canadian referees in the gold medal game. Seems to me that he was questioning the integrity and impartiality.Did you think there was anything peculiar about this decision? Thanks,Ed Hi Ed: I am thrilled that NHL hockey is back and we can all adjust our watches back to the North American time zone! Initially, I was surprised by the expletive-deleted comments Peter Forsberg made the day before the Gold Medal game and following the IIHFs selection of four North American NHL officials to work the Canada-Sweden game. Even though the officials nationality and residency slanted exclusively toward Canadian soil, the timing of Forsbergs comments (the day before the puck was dropped) caused me to pause and consider the Swedish general managers motives. Ive seen plenty of "gamesmanship" from general managers and coaches during Stanley Cup playoffs and finals, but Peter Forsbergs public comments rank up near the top of the list in attempting to gain an advantage and competitive edge. Peter was not only a world class player but I also know him to be a very intense competitor. That being said, Peter is not a stupid man and made a calculated move in hopes of gaining some advantage for his players against a highly skilled Canadian team. I believe Peters comments were designed to put the IIHF on notice in the event he felt the need to complain post-game but most importantly to plant a seed in the head of each game official hoping his team might receive the benefit of the doubt when one could be offered. It also became a story the day before the game designed to deflect some of the pressure away from Team Sweden players. I dont believe that Peter Forsberg would honestly question the integrity and impartiality of the NHL Officials that were assigned to work the game. Kelly Sutherland, Brad Meir, Derek Amell and Greg Devorski were selected on the merit of their work during the Olympics and were regarded as the very best! They are professionals in the true sense of the word. The players have more confidence in the NHL officials ability than their International counterparts. Swedish team captain Niklas Kronwall of the Detroit Red Wings believed that both teams would benefit from North American officials when he was quoted as saying, "We are used to having referees from USA and Canada in the NHL. We know their standards so I think its easier for us too if the referees are from there." And teammate Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators agreed. Prior to 1998, the IIHF would not assign an official to work a game in which his country of nationality was participating in. Only neutral officials were assigned. That changed in Nagano with the inclusion of NHL players and officials. The best officials were assigned to the games regardless of their country of nationality or residency. In response to Peter Forsbergs comments, IIHF officiating manager Konstantin Komisarov issued the following statement on the selection process; "The main factor of the selection of these officials has most of all to do with their experience officiating in high-level competitions. These include Stanley Cup playoffs, World Championship competitions and Olympic competitions. Their nationalities arent considered as factors nor should they be, we want the best officials working the medal games. We are fully confident that with their experience and professionalism these officials will do their job well and preserve the integrity of the game." Good for Konstantin Komissarov and the IIHF officiating committee for selecting the best officials to work the Gold Medal game. The officiating crew did an outstanding job and preserved the integrity of the game as Konstantin was confident they would. Last Sunday, the game was played on Olympic ice in Sochi and not in the media. Peter Forsbergs silver medal-winning Swedish team was beaten fair and square by Canada to take Gold. The officiating was a complete non-factor; regardless of county of nationality. NHL officials are clearly the best in the world. Nike Free Nere e Bianche . The Dallas-based Fifth Court of Appeals temporarily halted the case at Armstrongs request in March, but ruled on Thursday it doesnt have jurisdiction at this stage of an arbitration matter. A spokesman for SCA Promotions said the ruling will allow the arbitration to proceed. The ruling was a defeat for Armstrong but not a final one. Nike Roshe Run Rosse .J. Ward has been added to the Pro Bowl roster, giving Cleveland six players at this years game.There was a time, not so long ago, when shortstop was a glamour position in the majors, but its not quite in that spot right now. Even the best options comes with some question marks. The Dodgers Hanley Ramirez may be the best option, though hes played fewer than 100 games twice in the past three seasons. Even with durability questions, and the likelihood that he wont match last years .345 batting average, Ramirez offers five-category potential if hes healthy. In the same vein, Colorados Troy Tulowitzki has led all shortstops in home runs (122), RBI (401) and batting average (.304) over the past five seasons, but he comes with injury concerns, having missed 210 games in the past four seasons. A healthy Tulowitzki might be just as dangerous as Ramirez, offering more power but less speed; its just a matter of whether he will play more than 140 games -- something hes done twice in the past six seasons. Injuries have also plagued Torontos Jose Reyes but, when healthy, his average and stolen base numbers are impressive. Trouble for Reyes is that, over the past five years, hes missed 262 games, so it requires a leap of faith to make him your starting shortstop, knowing that hes had such trouble staying healthy. If the top guys are injury risks, they still offer a track record that isnt present with some of the younger options at shortstop. Washingtons Ian Desmond, Milwaukees Jean Segura, Texas Elvis Andrus and Oaklands Jed Lowrie may be the best of that group. Desmond is coming off back-to-back 20-20 (HR-SB) seasons, while hitting .286 and, given his relative health, he might be more appealing than some of the more experienced shortstops. Segura had a terrific season as a first-time starter and, at 24, ought to be on his career ascent, but temper some of the enthusiasm from last year when he hit .325 with an .849 OPS before the All-Star break and .241 with a .583 OPS after the break. He also had 44 steals, and that speed shouldnt go away, but beware the bat (at least a little). Andrus offers no power, but hitting at the top of the Rangers order has helped him scored 432 runs and steal 165 bbases, both totals leading shortstops over the past five seasons. Nike Free TR 5.0 Flyknit. Lowrie, who turns 30 in April, was a full-time starter for the first time last season and he had a productive year (15 HR, 75 RBI, .290 AVG, 80 R), but thats a 30-year-old with a limited track record as an everyday player, so he might slide somewhat on draft day. If you want to play for potential, Red Sox rookie Xander Bogaerts would be the most interesting name. He was fine in 50 plate appearances late last season, but hes a premium prospect who had an .862 OPS in four minor-league seasons. Seattles Brad Miller played half of last season in the bigs, showing some power and speed and, after a .925 OPS in three minor-league seasons, Miller comes with expectations that he will provide offence. If youre late to the shortstop game, Asdrubal Cabrera, J.J. Hardy, and Alexei Ramirez arent glamourous options, but they are adequate and the Cubs Starlin Castro could be a value play coming off a terrible season. Castro has led the league in at-bats for three years running, so he can be a major difference-maker, provided he hits better than last years .245 mark. Among other young shortstops to consider, Atlantas Andrelton Simmons showed some pop last year, with 17 homers. San Diegos Everth Cabrera and Houstons Jonathan Villar are both outstanding stolen base threats, though Cabrera is coming off a PED suspension and Villar still has to show that he can hit enough to contribute more than just 40-plus steals. Finally, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is playing in his final season and, as terrific as Jeter has been throughout his career, hes no better than a middle-infield option in most leagues at this point. If he turns back the clock, like he did in 2012 when he hit .316 and scored 99 runs, then Jeter could be more valuable, but its not the most likely outcome for a 40-year-old who missed nearly all of last season due to injury. Scott Cullen can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '