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RIO DE JANEIRO -- It is one of Rios most renowned favelas, the Cidade de Deus made infamous in a film that helped cement a stereotype of the other side of the Marvelous City that is host of the Olympic Games -- one where ghettos are ruled by drug lords and baby-faced criminals shoot to kill.The City of God of today, located mere miles from Olympic Park, is not so easily defined. It is a place of contrasts that defies oversimplification, where poverty and violence persist alongside modest programs that aim to get some kids off the streets and offer a path that keeps guns out of their hands.It is also the former home of Brazils first gold medalist of the Rio Games. Judo champion Rafaela Silva grew up in Cidade de Deus. If not for the sport that helped her climb up and out, I could still be living in City of God now, she said through tears after winning on Monday.The shantytown of nearly 50,000 people became globally known after Paulo Lins novel Cidade de Deus was made into a critically acclaimed movie by Brazilian film director Fernando Meirelles, who also helped create the Olympic opening ceremony that featured a segment depicting the citys favelas. Lins lived in City of God, and both the book and the movie tell a tale of poverty and violence and of youth faced with choices that could lead to an early death -- or a fresh start.While much of Rio was transformed for the Olympics, City of God is a community left behind and still mired in the many problems that were the basis of the movie that introduced its brutal realities to the world. Where other neighborhoods can take advantage of improvements in transit, housing and security, the only thing Olympic in this slum is the painted lane for accredited vehicles to drive past it as fast as they can.Here at City of God, our feelings about the Olympics are like a famous hip-hop song, said one local, Sergio Leal, known as DJ TR. `Look at the black kid watching it all from the outside. We are all watching it from the outside here.In some ways, Cidade de Deus is unlike the hundreds of other favelas in Rio. On the western edge of the city, its far from the beaches where tourists soak in the sun and spreads horizontally across a maze of streets rather than vertically up a hillside. It originally was a housing project, built in the 1960s during Brazils military dictatorship when the government evicted residents from favelas in tony Ipanema, Leblon and Lagoa, and destroyed the shacks to make way for visitors.At that time, not too different from today, the state was determined to `beautify Rio de Janeiro by eliminating favelas from attractive areas of the city and moving the poor to isolated locations, said Mariana Dias Simpson, a researcher at the Brazilian Institute of Social and Economic Analyses (Ibase) who has studied Rios slums for more than a decade.City of God, she said, is what local leaders call a re-favela -- a settlement created to house evicted families that kept on growing until it became a favela again.The community was among the first where the government dispatched its so-called police pacification units, or UPPs, which were created in 2008 to curb violence in favelas dominated by heavily armed drug gangs. Police set up local stations, took over territory once controlled by criminals and confiscated weapons, while the state of Rio invested in community centers for children and worked to expand basic services for residents.In the lead-up to the Olympics, the UPPs were expanded to hundreds of favelas across Rio, and many say it felt as if authorities had succeeded in restoring the peace. President Barack Obama, along with the first lady and their two daughters, even paid a visit to Cidade de Deus in 2011. The president rolled up his sleeves and played soccer with some local kids as his family looked on.Here was President Obama coming to this community that once was a symbol of violence, said Juliana Barbassa, a former Associated Press reporter and Brazil native whose book, Dancing with the Devil in the City of God, examines Rios many challenges. She recalled one jubilant store owners reaction: `We used to go to them (the U.S.) to ask for money, to try to establish a relationship. And now they come to us.Despite that high point, with police forces spread too thin among too many places, the lawlessness that had diminished in City of God and other slums has regained strength.In the most violent section of Cidade de Deus -- a place called Karate -- criminals shot at police just one day before last weeks Olympic opening ceremony; no officers were injured. Several residents interviewed as part of a study by the Ibase group reported that shootings between dealers and the police happen on almost a daily basis, sometimes when children are walking home from school.Violence levels were better all over for a few years ... we had no incidents for months, Leal said. Now, every week, there is a shootout somewhere in City of God. It is not what we saw in the movie, but it is not promising either.Children in the roughest parts of Cidade de Deus often become what the traffickers call avioezinhos, or little planes. Avioezinhos keep watch and alert the drug bosses when police are near. Its considered a first step into the organization, like an entry-level job. Its not unusual to see thugs pointing guns at visitors to the neighborhood even as schoolkids come and go, unflinching because its all customary to them.Still, Dias Simpson and others noted that the vast majority of those living in City of God and other favelas have no involvement in crime at all. Go to the most dangerous favela on a weekday, and youll see ... moms going to work, guys dressed up for their construction jobs, Barbassa said. This is essentially home to the working class of Rio.The film, added Dias Simpson, is a good entertainment piece, but its a fictional film. The reality of City of God is a lot more complex than that.Leo Sagat lived in the neighborhood for 28 years before finally moving out. But he still comes back three days a week, morning and evening, to teach boxing to 270 people, mostly kids, out of a donated room with no air conditioning and three broken fans in one of the safer parts of the slum, appropriately called Switzerland. Even still, next door, is a boca de fumo where dealers sell cocaine and other drugs, and some hang around to use them.Sagat doesnt get paid; he gives his time because he knows sports could help inspire some to find a way out of the slum. His proof can be found in Judo champion Silva. The legacy that I want is to stop kids like these from becoming criminals, he said.In December, amid Olympic preparations, the government donated some boxing equipment to the community, a few gloves and bags that Sagat uses at his gym. But to those here, the gesture is meaningless given all that could have happened these past several years.People of City of God were promised more mobility, more investment in sport and security. They were also promised to be part of a tourism program that would help people in the region become tour guides for Rio, just like in other communities, said Christopher Gaffney, a University of Zurich researcher who spent six years in Brazil studying urban development. But none of those materialized. The rapid-transit bus that could have integrated that region to the rest of Rio doesnt have any stops in City of God. With no integration, there is even more segregation.Despite their beloved Silvas victory, the people of City of God will tell you the revelry surrounding these Olympic Games is not really felt by them. Jessica Santos is just 12, a resident of the shanty for two years who already dreams of more. Standing next to a creek tinged gray with pollution, she spoke wistfully about becoming an environmentalist maybe one day.Look at this creek here, it is completely dirty -- and the water is being more treated than when my family arrived, but people throw their sofas, plastic, a lot of toxic things here.People wanted the Olympics to change things here, too, said the girl. But they did not change much. Cheap Jets Jerseys . The return match will take place next Wednesday. Udinese leads Fiorentina 2-1 in the other semifinal. Napoli staged a second-half comeback from two goals down after Gervinhos opener and a stunning strike from Kevin Strootman. Custom Jets Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.customnhljetsjersey.com/ . LOUIS -- St. Jets Jerseys China .com) - The Calgary Flames aim to bounce back from their first regulation home loss of the campaign on Friday night when they host a Detroit Red Wings club that they swept in three meetings a season ago. Keith Tkachuk Jersey Large . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Colts coach Chuck Pagano returned home to Indianapolis in a good mood.A 31-26 win Sunday on the road over the Green Bay Packers should do wonders for his teams confidence going into a bye week.Jordan Todman had a 99-yard return for a touchdown on the opening kickoff, Frank Gore rushed for two touchdowns and Andrew Luck shook off two interceptions in the first quarter with two clutch third-down throws in the fourth quarter to hold off the Packers.This was about as close as a must-win game as it could get at midseason for Indianapolis (4-5).Everybody knew exactly where we were and what the stakes were. Its a whole different world today, right now. Tomorrow will be a totally different world, Pagano said. A 4-5 record is way different coming off this then going back home and being 3-6.The Colts survived after letting an 18-point lead with 9:35 left nearly disappear. They withstood Aaron Rodgers comeback attempt.Not an ideal start offensively ... from my game, the two interceptions. Like anything, youve got to move on, Luck said . The defense built up strong early, which was huge. Then made enough plays at the end to win.Rodgers 3-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb with 3:29 left got Green Bay (4-4) within five, capping a 14-point spurt in four-plus minutes. Rodgers finished 26 of 43 for 297 yards with three scores and an interception.Luck responded on the Colts next drive with what Pagano called two unbelievable plays.The quarterback dodged a potential sack by blitzing safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to throw a 20-yard pass on third-and-10 with 3:07 left to tight end Jack Doyle.Luck also found T.Y. Hilton for a 27-yard completion on third-and-2 with 2 minutes left to put the game away. He finished 23 of 36, throwing both interceptions to Clinton-Dix.We didnt play good enough, Im disappointed, Im irritated, the fact that we were not sharp as a football team, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.Other notes and takeaways from the game:PROTECTING LUCKThe Colts, who had allowed an NFL-worst 31 sacks coming into the game, gave their quarterback decent protection. Luck was sacked twice and maneuvered out of other tight spots, including a 7-yard scramble on a bootleg on third-and-1 wiith 37 seconds left in the second quarter.ddddddddddddHe deftly engineered a 15-play, 96-yard drive that ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Donte Moncrief with 11 seconds left to give Indianapolis a 21-10 halftime lead.LOW ENERGY?Familiar problems surfaced early for the Packers, who lost their second straight game. The offense had trouble getting going until the fourth quarter. But the defense gave up at least 30 points for a second straight game, and special teams also hurt them.Todmans kickoff return to open the game seemed to be a Green Bay buzz-killer.Weve all got to be a little mentally tougher. I dont understand the way the sideline was after that first play. We go down, lets get a field goal and well win the game. Its 7-3 early on. Weve got to be a little tougher. Thats the mark of a team, Rodgers said.INJURIESRodgers said he had his left foot stepped on pretty hard. I mean, thats a common frustration from time to time, just getting stepped on really badly. Its fine.Cobb finished with two catches for 14 yards. Questionable before the game with a hamstring injury, Cobb didnt play until the second half.I took a conservative approach with him. I was going to use him only when we needed him. Obviously, we needed him in the second half and he gave us everything hes got, McCarthy said.Safety Micah Hyde (shoulder) left in the fourth quarter. The Colts had no injuries to report.FURRY FRIENDA persistent squirrel livened up the crowd at Lambeau Field.The squirrel first made its appearance in the first half, then returned late in the third quarter. With the Packers driving at about the Colts 12, the squirrel dashed along the goal line, forcing the officials to call timeout. The squirrel finally went out of bounds, but not before causing a stir on social media .The Packers had to settle for a 27-yard field goal with 1:46 left to get within 24-13. No word on if the squirrel made the traditional Lambeau Leap to celebrate.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Genaro Armas at: https://twitter.com/GArmasAP ' ' '