the master of ceremonies and retired ra

RENTON, Wash. -- The idea of going to Green Bay in December, with the expected cold temperatures and the likelihood of snow, might have caused issues in the past for the Seattle Seahawks.Not anymore. Not after what the Seahawks experienced last January in Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs.You cant get any worse than we had in Minnesota, cornerback Richard Sherman said. Everything else is an oven compared to that.The experience during the NFC wild card game forever changed how the Seahawks view any sort of issues presented by the weather. Seattles 10-9 victory over the Vikings came in the third-coldest game in NFL history, a frigid minus-6 degrees, with wind chills in the minus-20s throughout that miserable day.The scope of whats cold and what players can put up with was completely altered after that experience. And it makes the forecast for Sunday in Green Bay pleasant by comparison. The forecast for Sunday calls for temperatures in the 20s and a chance of snow.Were having a bullish approach to the whole thing, you really have to be tough-minded, quarterback Russell Wilson said. We want a tough environment, we look forward to those types of situations and Im hoping its coming down, Im hoping its snowing. Im hoping its kind of a downpour of snow. That would be great.The conditions Seattle played through in Minnesota will likely never be topped. Shermans most vivid memory was going out for pregame warmups and having his contact lenses freeze up. He had not put a visor on his facemask all season, but had one added before that game, trying to create a layer of protection between the cold and his contacts.People with beards had a really rough time. You spray water on yourself or drink water and any water on your beard is frozen, so you have to be aware of that, Sherman said. After that youre just kind of playing. Whatever youve got, however fast you can move, everybody is moving at about the same speed because nobody can go 100 percent because your body wont function.Linebacker Bobby Wagner didnt wear sleeves against Minnesota and wont again against Green Bay. The toughest part for him was the time between the start of the game and when his body started to feel numb.As you play you get numb and then you dont even feel it come second quarter. You just have to get to the numb part, Wagner said.Should snow fall on Sunday, it would be a first for many of Seattles players, Sherman being one of them. Coach Pete Carroll has plenty of experience in adverse conditions from his time as a coach in the AFC East with both New England and the New York Jets.We played in all the weather that you can imagine, Carroll said. Never as cold as Minnesota last time out, but very messy weather and windy and all that kind of stuff. I feel very comfortable with it.Game notes LB Mike Morgan (hip) was listed as questionable on Fridays injury report but Carroll said Morgan would dress for the game. Morgan returned from a stint on injured reserve last week against Carolina. ... DE Damontre Moore (foot) will miss Sundays game with a ligament issue in his foot that flared up after going through a full practice Thursday. Moore has played well in limited action as part of a rotation on the defensive line.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Davide Zappacosta Jersey .Y. -- Syracuse has turned up the defence at the right time all season, and when High Point threatened to pull off a monumental upset the second-ranked Orange did what they do best with their quick hands and savvy play. Davide Zappacosta Chelsea Jersey . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. http://www.chelseasoccerjerseysonline.com/womens-eden-hazard-chelsea-jersey/ . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. Willy Caballero Chelsea Jersey . Pierce was ejected in the third quarter of Indianas 103-86 win Monday. George Hill stole a bad pass and was going in for a layup, and Pierce hustled back and appeared to be trying to wrap him up. Eden Hazard Jersey . The International Olympic Committee released the official list of bid cities on Friday after the deadline for applications had passed. The candidates -- all previously announced in their own countries -- are: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Steve Asmussen often exhibits a hardened exterior, never truly revealing what hes thinking, to the point where sometimes its not easy to tell if he won or lost a race.On Friday, however, Asmussen showed an emotional side rarely seen publicly as he was formally inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.Asmussen got choked up sitting in the front row as Julie, his wife of 19 years, introduced him. Later, when talking about his parents, Keith and Marilyn, Steve Asmussen had to stop.My dad and my mom. Mom, thank you for the faith you have given us, Asmussen said before choking up and getting some water while the audience applauded. I havent even been able to say this driving down the road with my windows up.Asmussen talked about the example his father set for him and his brother Cash, a former jockey.Everybody in this room is here for the love of horse racing, and growing up in this family allowed an opportunity to experience these things together, Asmussen said.Asmussen, 50, was part of an A-list class of Hall of Fame inductees that included jockey Ramon Dominguez and the brilliant racemares Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta. The Thoroughbred Tom Ochiltree and jockey Wayne D. Wright were voted in by the Hall of Fame Historic Committee, while Arthur B. Bull Hancock Jr. and William Woodward Sr. were inducted in the Pillars of the Turf category.It was the emotion that Julie and Steve Asmussen displayed that highlighted the two-hour ceremony. Last September, Julie Asmussen was found to have neck and throat cancer. In March, she was declared cancer-free.The way his wife came through that battle made it a no-brainer to have her introduce him, Asmussen said after the ceremony. The couple has three sons, who also came up on stage to present the Hall of Fame plaque.The most powerful lesson you have shared with the boys, and me as well, is you never give up, no matter what the battle may be, Julie Asmussen said, perhaps a veiled reference to the accusations of horse abuse made by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals in 2014. You wake up every morning and give it your best. Effort is everything.Asmussen credited many of his owners for his success -- which includes 7,379 wins and $244.9 million in purse money won. He said if it wasnt for Ron Lance encouraging him to take a string of horses to Birmingham Race Course in 1987, Id still be galloping for Dad.Among the other owners he thanked were Barbara Banke and her late husband, Jess Jackson, who privately purchased both Curlin and Rachel Alexandra. Curlin was the 2007-08 Horse of the Year and a 2014 Hall of Fame inductee. Rachel Alexandra was the 2009 Horse of the Year and among this years celebrants. Asmussen trained both of them.Jess was such an amazing man, and I stand here regretting tthat I didnt take more of an advantage of the opportunity that I had with him, Asmussen said.ddddddddddddRachel Alexandras 3-year-old season in 2009 was one for the ages. After dominating fillies for her previous connections -- breeder and part-owner Dolphus Morrison and trainer Hal Wiggins -- a majority interest in Rachel Alexandra was sold to Jess Jacksons Stonestreet Stables and a partner, Harold McCormick. She was transferred to Asmussen, who placed her against males for three of her final four starts that year. She won the Preakness and Haskell against 3-year-olds, then defeated older males in the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga.I think courage is the main thing that strikes me about her, Banke said. Records broken, incredible margins of victory, terrific battles such as the Woodward that she prevailed in.It was somewhat appropriate that Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta were inducted together. Though they never met on the track, they had their race in the battle of public opinion.Zenyatta, two years older than Rachel Alexandra, won her first 19 starts before losing a heartbreaking head decision to Blame in the 2010 Breeders Cup Classic, which was her final race.Its amazing to have the girls [enshrined] in the same year, said Ann Moss, part-owner of Zenyatta, pointing to Banke. Moss owned Zenyatta with her husband, Jerry, the founder of A&M Records.Zenyatta was named for an album by The Police that was produced on Jerry Mosss record label.Sting has said that Zenyatta doesnt mean anything in particular, but I think it describes her perfectly, Ann Moss said. She has that Zen -- inner peace with knowing exactly who she is -- and she flows love to all that she meets. And the Yatta, I understand that means celebration, and shes a lot to celebrate. It was a joy and a privilege to be associated with Zenyatta.Tom Durkin, the master of ceremonies and retired race-caller, said his one regret was not having called a race in which Zenyatta ran.The ceremony ended with the grace and class of Dominguez, whose career came to a premature end due to a head injury suffered in a spill at Aqueduct in 2013.Dominguez, a three-time Eclipse Award winner who had 4,985 victories, came to the podium without a prepared speech.Every time that I decided to do it, I would reflect back on my career, and I would start to cry, Dominguez said. These are tears of joy, nothing bad.Dominguez dedicated his Hall of Fame honor to his agent, Steve Rushing, saying, Not only is he a master at what he does, but more important, hes an outstanding human being.During his introduction of Dominguez, Rushing said, When you look up the definition of Hall of Fame, you will see Ramon Dominguez. ' ' '