One thing that wasnt clear following Saturdays 1-1 draw between the Whitecaps and RSL was what sparked the brouhaha shortly after Darren Mattocks converted the dubious penalty for Vancouver. Dany Heatley Authentic Jersey . Only those involved will know for sure, but something really got under the skin of the home side, beyond just the referees decision. It was the second time this season the Whitecaps held Real Salt Lake to a single point at their fortress in the Utah mountains. In the April encounter, remarkably late goals by Nicholas Mezquida and Sebastian Fernandez overturned an early two-goal RSL advantage, leaving the MLS Cup-finalists strewn about the pitch, flat-out in disbelief. An obviously frustrated Kyle Beckerman was overheard telling Mattocks, “Good luck making the playoffs.” I wondered if the prospects of taking only one of a possible six points at home against a ****y group of 20-somethings was too much to bear for last years Western champs. Perhaps, thats why the pot finally boiled over and, not long after, Joao Plata made sure RSL got something from the game. Robbie Findley came within inches of winning it. Still, taking just two of six points against the Whitecaps at home would be considered a setback by the veteran team, one that has never lost to Vancouver at Rio Tinto Stadium. Maybe the frustration was amplified by the fact that Vancouver had played in Toronto on Wednesday and rotated their squad with a mix of players who hadnt seen starting minutes in quite some time. “Squad guys, stepping in and understanding their roles and the system almost immediately? Who do they think they are? Us!?” The Claret and Cobalts have been a model franchise since joining MLS in 2005. They hired a young coach and former MLS vet in Jason Kreis, who envisioned and executed a style of play that would become the clubs DNA. General Manager Garth Lagerway made prudent, but meaningful, signings without blowing the bank on high-profile foreigners. Avaro Saborio, Javier Morales, Kyle Beckerman, Nat Borchers, Will Johnson, Jaimeson Olave and Nick Rimando - an enviable foundation that was then augmented by role players who fit Kreiss system. Lagerway also wasnt afraid to move players on as they reached peak value. He freed up roughly $1 million of cap space prior to last season by shipping out Johnson, Olave and Espindola. RSL came within a penalty shootout of putting a second star on their badge last December. Carl Robinsons club-building philosophy isnt drastically different from RSLs. Hes referenced their formula often and the grand vision includes locking down his young core long term. That group includes Koffie, Tiebert, Laba, Leveron, Mattocks, Manneh and Hurtado. Despite their youth, the MLS minutes among them are starting to accumulate and, when this season concludes, roughly $1 million of expiring contracts could come off the books. Supporters can be excused for wanting success now, but if the Whitecaps could have the kind of long-term prosperity that Salt Lake has enjoyed, a team that is perpetually in the championship discussion, well, fans would be almost certainly be willing to wait a bit longer. RSL went from expansion team to MLS Cup-winner in only four years. After some early hiccups, the Whitecaps, now in their fourth MLS season, seem to have found their young visionary. If he sees out his plan, perhaps, one day they, too, will be desperately disappointed by collecting a mere two out of six points at home from a Western rival. So when an agitated Javier Morales got in the face of countryman Mattias Laba in Saturdays midfield dust-up, was he looking at a younger version of himself? Carl Robinson sure hopes so. Mikael Granlund Jersey . - Wednesdays lightweight bout between Canadian Sam (Hands of Stone) Stout and K. Ryan Suter Wild Jersey . Agent Mike McCartney confirmed via Twitter on Sunday that Mendenhall had decided to end his playing career after six NFL seasons, all but one of them with the Pittsburgh Steelers.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Peyton Manning made his fifth MVP award a family affair. Mannings record-setting season earned him The Associated Press NFL MVP award Saturday night in a landslide. No other player has won more than three. Denvers record-setting quarterback, who threw for 55 touchdowns and 5,477 yards in leading the Broncos to the AFCs best record, earned 49 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. New England quarterback Tom Brady got the other vote. Manning won his other MVPs with Indianapolis in 2003, 04, 08 and 09. He also was the runner-up last season to Adrian Peterson. "I am humbled by this recognition and grateful to my family, (Broncos owner) Pat Bowlen, John Elway, John Fox and the entire Denver Broncos organization, and of course, my coaches and my teammates," Manning said in a prepared video acceptance speech. He was not on hand as he gets ready for Sundays Super Bowl against Seattle. "Now, I sent a couple of guys over there tonight to pick up the trophy on my behalf: my father Archie and my son Marshall. Thank you very much and God bless you." Archie Manning, holding his grandson Marshall in his arms, accepted the award from two more MVPs, Joe Montana and Aaron Rodgers. Manning still trails several Hall of Famers for total MVPs in their sport. Wayne Gretzky won nine NHL MVPs, Barry Bonds owns seven in baseball, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six in the NBA. Manning also took the APs Offensive Player of the Year award for the second time. Elway accepted the Offensive Player award on Mannings behalf. "I can say I have never seen a better year played by a quarterback than Peyton Manning," said Elway, a Broncos executive who won the MVP award in 1987. "To see what he did this year, it was truly amazing." Manning received 33 votes for the offensive player honour. He also was runner-up last year to Peterson for the award. This time, running back LeSean McCoy of Philadelphia was second with 10 votes, followed by Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles with four. Carolina grabbed two major awards, with Ron Rivera winning AP NFL Coach of the Year and linebacker Luke Kuechly voted top defensive player. Rivera engineered the Panthers turnaround from a 7-9 record to 12-4, the NFC South title and a first-round playoff bye. Kuechly keyed a defence that allowed 241 points, less than every team except NFC champion Seattle. "I had no idea," he said of adding the award to the top defensive rookie honours he got last season. "You look at the list of guys: Robert Mathis, a sack master, a guy that forced a lot of fumbles. And obviously, everybody knows about Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas. Those guys are both studs." Green Bay running back Eddie Lacy and Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson were the top rookies for 2013. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers took the Comeback Player of the Year award at the NFL Honors show. Riveras fine work in his third season in charge in Carolina brought him 21 1/2 votes. That outdistanced Kansas Citys Andy RReid, who got 13 1/2 votes. Dany Heatley Wild Jersey. In his first year with the Chiefs, Reid took them from 2-14 to 11-5 and an AFC wild-card berth. "I do feel a lot of pride because it has been a long journey, but it also was a part of the process," Rivera said. "Just like us getting to where we are winning 12 games was part of the process. We started, the team was 2-14 before I got there and we went to 6-10 and then 7-9, and this year we broke through at 12-4. It was part of the process of growing and developing." Rivera is the second Panthers coach to win the award. Dom Capers was AP Coach of the Year in 1996, Carolinas second season in the NFL. All-Pro Kuechly received 19 votes, ahead of Indianapolis All-Pro linebacker Mathis, who earned 11 1/2. Kuechly was credited with 96 tackles, four interceptions, two sacks, eight passes defenced, and was a presence from sideline to sideline on the NFLs No. 2 unit. A second-round pick (61st overall) from Alabama, Lacy was a key performer in the Packers offence, particularly when star quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sidelined for seven games. He rushed for 1,178 yards on 284 carries (4.1 average), with 11 touchdowns. He also had 35 receptions. That was good enough for 35 votes. "Im comfortable where I am, and my teammates believe in me, and they make me feel comfortable, so Im able to play the way Im capable of playing," said Lacy, who beat out San Diego wide receiver Keenan Allen, who received 12 votes. Richardson, the 13th overall pick in Aprils draft on a selection acquired when New York traded star cornerback Darrelle Revis to Tampa Bay, won a close race over Buffalo linebacker Kiko Alonso. Richardson received 23 votes; Alonso, a second-round choice (46th overall), got 19. Often double-teamed as the season wore on, Richardson made 42 tackles and had 3 1/2 sacks. He clogged the running lanes so effectively that the Jets ranked third against the run this season. "Im surprised," Richardson said of beating Alonso and Arizona safety Tyrann Mathieu, who got two votes. "Kiko and Tyrann most definitely had outstanding rookie years and it was a toss-up to me. Kiko made a lot of tackles and Tyrann made a lot of plays down the field. Unfortunately he got hurt, but it was a tight race." Richardson joked about the possibility of winning both awards — he scored two touchdowns as a fullback in goal-line situations. "Eddie Lacy beat me out there," Richardson said. "He had a few more touchdowns than I did." Rivers led the Chargers to a wild-card playoff spot with four straight victories to close out the schedule, giving them a 9-7 record. He led the league with a 69.5 completion rate and threw for 32 TDs against 11 interceptions. He received 13 votes in balloting so widespread that 12 players got votes. He was not at the awards show at Radio City Music Hall. Chicago cornerback Charles Tillman won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, and accepted the honour with tears in his eyes. "As a Chicago Bear, this award has a special meaning to me," Tillman said. wholesale jerseyscheap jerseys ' ' '
