seconds, Texas lost its challenge and the Nationals assertion was c

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Jason Brown makes it sound so simple: The stakes of the U.S. Figure Skating Championship dont make for pressure, just a chance to show off for a big crowd.The 20-year-old Olympian won the short program Friday, setting himself up for his first national title. Brown posted a career-best 93.36 points to lead Joshua Farris by 2.96, while four-time U.S. champ Jeremy Abbott was third, another .47 back.Brown still doesnt do a quad jump, all but a necessity to contend for medals at major international competitions. But he can still rack up points with the rest of his performance, which proved to be plenty at the U.S. Championships, where Farris and Abbott didnt do a quad, either.Brown landed his four triples with ease Friday. Hooking his thumbs in his sequined suspenders and running his hand over that famous ponytail, he kicked and tapped his feet in perfect rhythm to the bluesy Juke.Brown, who finished ninth at the Sochi Games, insisted before this event that he wouldnt wilt at being a favourite for the first time. Its a refrain often repeated by athletes; the difference is that Brown seems to always make it come to life.You get to perform to people and for people — I just kind of look at that as an exciting moment, he explained, as exuberant as ever.He had struggled with his triple axel during the Grand Prix season. No such trouble Friday. But no matter how smoothly he lands that jump, Brown will keep hearing questions about that missing quad.The answer is always the same: It will be in his repertoire at Marchs world championships only if its ready and if its good and solid and consistent and doesnt mess up my mental state, he said.So much when you go to a competition is the mental side, Brown added. You want to go in knowing you can do everything in your program. I dont ever want to go in with the quad and think too much about that one jump and take away from the rest of the program and the performance of it.Farris and Abbott do quads, though each decided to drop it from his short program. Farris has struggled with an ankle injury and figured building confidence was more important. He plans a quad in his free skate.The 29-year-old Abbott revamped his technique and equipment over the summer and is still refining his quad.I am so happy to be sitting here with these two men: I think we made a nice strong statement that figure skating can be an art as well as a sport, Abbott said.Farris, also 20, won the 2013 world junior title ahead of Brown and was fourth at senior nationals that year. But when Brown made a major breakthrough at the 2014 U.S. Championships to finish second behind Abbott and earn the Americans second Olympic berth, Farris was fourth again.Hes always admired how Brown draws in the crowd and had worked hard to connect more. On Friday, he did just that.Im so surprised I performed as well as I did, Farris said.He was terrified before his program. No wonder considering what happened the last time this event was in Greensboro four years ago, when, as he put it, I had probably the worst experience anybody has ever had at nationals before.He tore a muscle in his hip during a fall in practice, went to the emergency room with a severe allergic reaction between the short and long programs, then broke his leg during his free skate.Abbott has plenty of warm memories from past nationals, and his 2014 title was supposed to be his last appearance. But he rethought his retirement after finishing fifth at the world championships after another dismal performance at the Olympics, still seeking that elusive major international medal.This was his first competition since his father, who had suffered from Parkinsons disease, died earlier this month. When his program ended, Abbott kissed his hand and raised it to the sky.In the ice dance, Madison Chock and Evan Bates hold a slim lead over fellow Olympians Maia and Alex Shibutani.Chock and Bates won the short dance with 73.95 points, just .11 ahead of the Shibutani siblings. Chock and Bates won silver and the Shibutanis bronze the last two years at nationals behind six-time U.S. champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White.Now Davis and White are taking a break after becoming the first American Olympic ice dance gold medallists . Their teammates from Sochi are looking to extend the countrys newfound success in the sport. Adidas Continental 80 Belgie . a€“ All signs point to the Maple Leafs having their top offseason acquisition in the lineup on opening night. Adidas NMD Heren Sale . The Goldeyes (10-7) lost 4-1 to the Saltdogs (8-9) Sunday afternoon before 5,834 sizzling fans at Shaw Park. The loss drops Winnipegs record to 3-4 during this past weeks seven-game homestand. http://www.nmdbelgie.com/ .Brazil midfielder Ricardo Goulart scored the winner in the 50th minute to give the defending champion a four-point advantage in the standings over second-place Sao Paulo, which beat rival Palmeiras 2-0. Yeezy Boost 350 v3 Belgie . Speaking on TSN Radio 1050s TSN Drive with Dave Naylor on Monday, Colangelo said he had no intention of tanking the shortened 2011-12 season, but definitely wanted a high pick in the draft. "I wish that word wasnt used for headline reasons," said Colangelo, "but the story behind it was: how can we fix the system? How can we tweak the system to make it less likely that teams are rewarded for losing records? "I do believe that if youre as transparent as we were at the time - with our season seat holders, our fans, the market place and the media - everybody knew what the plan was and what we were going through. Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Kopen Belgie . Future Hall of Famer Ricky Ray is in his prime and back for a third season in double blue. The 34-year old was magnificent in 2013, throwing for just under 2,900 yards despite missing eight games, tossing an impressive 21 touchdowns against just two interceptions, completing 66 per cent of his passes in the process.WASHINGTON -- After getting pummeled by Washington in two straight games, the Texas Rangers were eager to stop the Nationals seemingly interminable parade around the bases. Yu Darvish gave the Rangers just what they needed to avert a humbling sweep. Darvish struck out 12 over eight innings, Leonys Martin broke open a scoreless duel with a homer in the seventh and Texas secured a 2-0 victory Sunday. The Rangers won despite losing an apparent run in a rare double challenge on the same play. Managers Ron Washington of Texas and Matt Williams lodged separate complaints after a double steal in the first inning. Pitching for the first time since May 22 after missing his last turn with a stiff neck, Darvish (5-2) gave up five hits and walked two in dropping his ERA to 2.08. The right-hander matched his season high in strikeouts and overpowered a club that won 9-2 on Friday and 10-2 Saturday. "That team for two days just swung the bats at will, threw the ball around the ballpark, out of the ballpark," Washington said. "We certainly needed to try to slow them down, and (Darvish) did that. He slowed them down. Yu was good today. He was very good. When the team needed him to be very good, he was." Joakim Soria worked a perfect ninth to earn his 11th save and seal Texas major league-leading 11th shutout. Darvish struck out the side in the second and fanned two in each of the next three innings before encountering trouble in the sixth. One-out singles by Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche put runners at first and third before Darvish struck out Wilson Ramos and retired Ian Desmond on a deep fly to right field. Darvish yielded a two-out walk in the seventh and left after a 1-2-3 eighth. "We just needed Yu to pitch well," Washington said, "and he pitched well." Darvish was worried that neck stiffness might be a problem, but it obviously didnt turn out to be an issue. "Last night before I went to bed, I was very scared to wake up with a neck injury so I probably woke up 20 times," he said through a translator. "But I didnt have any pain when I woke up this morning." Darvish got the only run he needed when Martin hit an 0-1 pitch from Tanner Roark (3-4) into the Washington bullpen beyond the right-field wall. It was his third home run in 183 at-bats this season and ended the Raangers run of homerless games at six.dddddddddddd Roark allowed only one run and seven hits in seven innings but lost his third straight start. "He made one mistake to Martin, a changeup that was up in the strike zone," Williams said. "Other than that, he matched him perfectly." Roark has lost three straight starts but owns a 3.25 ERA and has allowed only eight earned runs over his last 32 2-3 innings. In this one, he kept the Rangers at bay until Martin connected. "It was just a bad changeup. It was up and I didnt throw it with conviction," Roark said. "Thats how its been the past couple games, just one pitch." Donnie Murphy added an RBI single off Drew Storen in the eighth. Murphy had a season-high three hits and was flawless in his first career game at first base. "Hes a pro," Washington said of Murphy. "Every time he goes out there he does something for us." In the first inning, both managers talked to the umpires. With two outs and runners on the corners, Elvis Andrus and Alex Rios executed a double steal. Rios was called out for coming off second base after the steal, but umpires ruled Andrus crossed the plate before the tag. The Texas manager challenged the call at second and Williams insisted the out occurred before Andrus crossed the plate. After replays were reviewed over a span of 2 minutes, 45 seconds, Texas lost its challenge and the Nationals assertion was confirmed. "I might have reacted too soon," Washington acknowledged. "I should have waited until the first inning was over and I would have had my challenge. I was just trying to protect myself." In the bottom half, Ramos looked at a third strike with two outs and runners at first and third. It was the first of five straight strikeouts for Darvish. NOTES: Rangers LF Michael Choice was scratched from the starting lineup with a bruised left shin. ... Both teams are off Monday. Washington hosts Philadelphia on Tuesday night and the Rangers face visiting Baltimore. ... Denard Span got his eighth steal in the third inning, Washingtons 27th this season. Only five Nats have been caught stealing. ... Texas finished its 11-game road trip with a 7-4 record and ended a four-game road losing streak against NL foes. ... Washington fell to 4-26 when scoring fewer than four runs. ' ' '