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PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returned to work on Thursday following an unexpected day off and will almost certainly play on Sunday in Cincinnati.Roethlisberger, who hit his right (throwing hand) on a New Orleans Saints player Sunday and skipped practice Wednesday was sharp in team drills, according to Steelers offensive co-ordinator Todd Haley.After tough, physical games like that, coming in here on the (indoor facility) turf, Coach (Mike Tomlin) wanted to give him a break yesterday, Haley said. But today, he was sharp and throwing it around the field.Roethlisberger did not speak with reporters but his performances recently point to the wear and tear of a long season. During the opening nine games, Roethlisberger threw 22 touchdown passes and was picked off just three times. He had a passer rating at 110.6.That included a three-game stretch against Houston, Indianapolis and Baltimore, all home games, when he had 14 TD passes and no interceptions. The past three games, Roethlisberger has been sub-par with just four scoring passes and five interceptions, a passer rating at 79.3.When you evaluate the quarterback, you need to look at the entire group, Haley said. (But) the spotlight is always going to be on the quarterback on every play.Haley referenced rookie wideout Martavis Bryants dropped pass when he had two hands on the ball that could have resulted in a touchdown. Haley also said that running LeVeon Bell, despite making a lot of plays, twice had two hands on balls and dropped them.With a new group of receivers and backs joining standouts Antonio Bryant and Heath Miller, the Steelers need consistent production from Bell and more from wideouts such as Bryant, second-year player Markus Wheaton and veterans Lance Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey, in their first seasons in Pittsburgh.Ben looked good, Bell said. (But) he performs at the same level every day, making sure were all in the right spots, and he looked really good today. (But) weve definitely got to take it up a notch this week to help him out. On the road, everything is amplified, especially with a division game.Defensive co-ordinator Dick LeBeau believes rookie Ryan Shazier (ankle) and second-year player Jarvis Jones (right wrist), the clubs past two No. 1 picks, have a good chance to play at Cincinnati. Shazier has missed seven games with knee and ankle injuries, while Jones has been out since Game 3 after undergoing surgery. Jones practiced last week and expects to be active for the Steelers (7-5) this week.Notes: Offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert (ankle), outside linebacker James Harrison (knee) and strong safety Troy Polamalu (illness) did not practice for the second straight day. . CB Cortez Allen (thumb), CB Brice McCain (hamstring), NT Steve McLendon (right shoulder), CB Ike Taylor (shoulder) and Shazier practiced Thursday and are expected to play.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Patrick Beverley Jersey . Schaub will start for an injured Case Keenum and try to help the Texans end a 12-game skid. Schaubs last action in Houston came when he took over late in a game against Oakland on Nov. 17 as Keenum was struggling. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jersey . -- The Sacramento Kings have signed first-round pick Nik Stauskas to his rookie contract. http://www.cheapclippersjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-tobias-harris-jersey . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. Cheap Swingman Clippers Jerseys . Josh Bailey had a goal and an assist as the New York Islanders earned a 2-1 win over Ottawa Wednesday, leaving the Senators five points out of a playoff spot with just five games to play and four teams ahead of them. Marcin Gortat Jersey . Will Venable and Ryan Ludwick drove in a run each for the Padres, who have taken six of their last seven contests and clinched their third straight series win after winning the first two in this set. Clayton Richard (4-9) allowed five hits and a pair of runs over seven innings, while fanning five.BALTIMORE - Rob Manfred was elected baseballs 10th commissioner Thursday, winning a three-man competition to succeed Bud Selig and given a mandate by the tradition-bound sport to recapture young fans and speed play in an era that has seen competition increase and attention spans shrink. The 55-year-old, who has worked for Major League Baseball in roles with ever-increasing authority since 1998, will take over from the 80-year-old Selig on Jan. 25. Its a generational change much like the NBA undertook when Adam Silver, then 51, replaced 71-year-old David Stern as commissioner in February. And like Silver, he was his bosss pick. Manfred beat out Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner in the first contested vote for a new commissioner in 46 years. The third candidate, MLB Executive Vice-President of Business Tim Brosnan, dropped out just before the start of balloting. "I am tremendously honoured by the confidence that the owners showed in me today," Manfred said. "I have very big shoes to fill." Selig has led baseball since September 1992, first as chairman of the sports executive council following Fay Vincents forced resignation and as commissioner since July 1998. After announcing his intention to retire many times only to change his mind, he said last September that he really, truly planned to leave in January 2015. One baseball executive who attended the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity because details of the 4 1/2-hour session were not be divulged, said Manfred was elected on approximately the sixth ballot. The initial vote was 20-10 for Manfred, three short of the required three-quarters majority. His total increased to 21 on the second and 22 on the third. While teams put written ballots into envelopes, keeping their choices secret, from team official speeches it was evident that Tampa Bays Stuart Sternberg and Milwaukees Mark Attanasio likely switched, the person said. Manfreds total dropped to 20, then increased to 22 before a dinner break. He got the needed 23rd vote on the next, apparently from Washington. Owners then made the final vote unanimous. The person said it appeared Arizona, Boston, the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati, the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland and Torontoo had been the final holdouts.dddddddddddd White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Toronto president Paul Beeston spoke out strongly against Manfred, the person said. Angels owner Arte Moreno joined Reinsdorf in leading Werners support. "While Rob may not have been my initial choice for commissioner, the conclusion of a very good process was to name Rob as the person best positioned to help baseball endure and grow even stronger for the next generation of fans," Reinsdorf said in a statement. "Todays decision was reached by 30 owners voting separately but speaking, in the end, with one voice." Manfred started with baseball in the late 1980s as an outside counsel in labour negotiations and was hired by Selig as executive vice-president for labour relations and human resources in 1998. He received an expanded role of executive vice-president of economics and league affairs in 2012 and last September was promoted to chief operating officer, becoming the likely heir apparent. He helped lead negotiations for baseballs last three labour contracts and the joint drug agreement that was instituted in 2002. In the last contested election, in 1968-69, owners turned to their outside labour lawyer, Bowie Kuhn. The 55-year-old Manfred, whose term was not specified, grew up in Rome, New York — about an hours drive from the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. He must address issues that include decreased interest in baseball among younger people and an average game time that has stretched past threeKANSAS CITY, Mo. - Thousands of Royals fans showed up Thursday to celebrate Kansas Citys best season in three decades, one day after the teams magical run came to an end with a Game 7 World Series loss to San Francisco.Chants of Lets go Royals mingled with speeches by local politicians, team officials and players masked the melancholy of the 3-2 loss.Some Kansas City-area schools were not in session because of parent-teacher conferences, giving children in Royals jerseys a chance to cheer alongside more experienced fans who remembered the last playoff appearance for the team back in 1985.We have been watching the whole World Series together as a family, said Mindy Lilyquist, 36, a stay-at-home mom from Kansas City who brought her four children, ranging in age from 3 months to 7 years old. Its almost like we know the players ... like they have been in our living room every night.Tim Duncanson, 47, of Toronto, Canada, said he became a Royals fan as a child in 1976 when the team won the AL West but lost in the ALCS to the New York Yankees. Duncanson, who works in the finance industry, brought his son to the first and seventh games of the World Series and returned to Kauffman Stadium for the rally.Though his heart was broken in 1976, and again in 1980 when the Royals lost to Philadelphia in the World Series, Duncanson said Wednesdays loss didnt cut so deeply.It wasnt as severe because they had such a great playoff run, he said. It was so satisfying. We were one hit away.Elsewhere, grey and brown hues normally associated with late October replaced the blue Royals playoff shirts and hats sold at local supermarkets and so common around the city over the past four weeks.Longtime fans like retired Kansas City police officer Eric Weir took the loss in stride and proclaimed their satisfaction for a post-season performance very few ever saw coming.We lost by 90 feet, said Weir, 71, in the cafeteria at a supermarket. Thats as close as you get.Newer fans, like 29-year-old convenience store clerk Katie Snelling, seemed to be more disappointed in the outcome — not so much because of their allegiance to the team, but because they had become addicted to the excitement that had gripped the city.I was a bandwagoner, but I feel like it could have been very, very different, Snelling said.Michael Klingler is a Cardinals fan who moved to Kansas City two months ago from St. Louis and got swept up in Royals fever, which he said was more intense than what he has seen in St. Louis during his teams frequent playoff appearances.Its definitely been crazier than it would have been in St. Louis, the 22-year-old said over breakfast at a downtown restaurant. Were kind of used to this. Thats not to say theres not excitement (when the Cardinals are in the playoffs), but you cant compare it to something you only get every few decades. Vans Shoes Clearance Outlet .75 million contract for the 2014 season and avoided arbitration. The team announced the agreement on Tuesday. Vans Shoes Clearance Sale . -- The Seattle Seahawks and wide receiver Sidney Rice have agreed to terms on a deal. http://www.vanscheap.net/ . The mood in Seattle was electrified as the parade featuring the NFL champions began near the Space Needle and made its way to CenturyLink Field, the home of the team. At a ceremony inside the stadium, the team thanked its loyal followers -- the 12th Man -- capping a day of boisterous celebration that drew an estimated 700,000 revelers to Seattle. Cheap Vans Shoes China .com) - DAngelo Harrison posted 21 points to guide No. Cheap Vans Shoes Sale . -- Isaiah Pead took a stutter step forward, then raced to the left sideline and travelled 60 yards up the field before finally getting tripped up by a leg tackle.Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jakob Poeltl had 14 points and nine rebounds and the 11th-ranked Utes routed Southern California 67-39 on Sunday afternoon. Delon Wright netted 11 points and Jordan Loveridge added 10 for Utah (17-4, 7-2 Pac-12), which bounced back in a big way following its 69-59 defeat at UCLA Thursday. The Utes have won three of their last four games. Malik Martin was the only double-digit scorer for USC (9-12, 1-8), finishing with 11 points. Utah raced out to a 14-3 start and a 13-0 run later in the opening half helped turn the game into a laugher.dddddddddddd Wright had five points during the surge, which was capped on a Dallin Bachynski layup for a 32-9 margin late in the frame. The Utes led 32-12 at the break and cruised to the easy triumph over the final 20 minutes. Game Notes Utah was up by as many as 29 in the wire-to-wire victory ... USC shot just 26.5 percent (13-of-49) from the floor and connected on just 1-of-12 from beyond the arc. ' ' ' hours. "There is no doubt in my mind he has the training, the temperament, the experience to be a very successful commissioner," Selig said, "and I have justifiably very high expectations." Baseball has had labour peace since a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 that cancelled the World Series. Talks to replace the collective bargaining agreement with players that expires after the 2016 season will be conducted with a new union leadership headed by former All-Star first baseman Tony Clark. "I have known Rob for more than 15 years, and Im confident that his vast experience in all aspects of the sport will serve his commissionership well," Clark said in a statement. ' ' 'ame winless streak. After a drab first half by both sides, fullback Jorge "Coke" Andujar headed home Ivan Rakitics free kick to grab the 57th-minute winner at Vallecas Stadium. Unai Emerys team played the last seven minutes with 10 men after Vicente Iborra received his second booking for taking too long to leave the pitch after receiving medical assistance. Rayo remained in second-to-last place and five points from safety after conceding its league worst 59th goal in 25 games. "This was not a day to lose," Rayo defender Jose Castro said. ' ' '