WASHINGTON -- Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis lobbying for a Winter Classic in his NHL teams home city began with an email sent to Commissioner Gary Bettman the moment the leagues first New Years Day game was played in 2008.
[b]Leandro Barbosa Jersey[/b] . "The first emails I see any morning, on any typical day, are from Ted on any of a variety of subjects but he has been both persistent and passionate in pursuit of this event," Bettman said at Nationals Park on Tuesday, when the Capitals unveiled the uniforms theyll wear when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 1. "Were thrilled to be fulfilling his wish." On a sunny, start-of-autumn day with the temperature at about 70, Alex Ovechkin wore flip-flops and a borrowed pair of baseball pants, Nicklas Backstrom donned shorts, and Braden Holtby sported sunglasses while modeling the deep red jerseys with a blue "W," three white stars and the word "Capitals" across the chest. Hockey nets and boards showing the outline of a rink were set up across the back of the dirt diamond and the shallow outfield grass at the baseball stadium where the NL East champion Nationals play their home games. "One of the things I did for Commissioner Bettman a few years back (was) I had a rendering done of what the Winter Classic would look like here. So this is pretty cool to see," said Mark Lerner, son of the Nationals principal owner and a part-owner of the Capitals, as he looked at the setup. "Every time I saw him, I said, What about it? Ted and I were both on a mission since Jan. 1, 2008, that we wanted to have it in D.C." Leonsis called landing the game "a big moment" for hockey in Washington. "Our city deserves it, so it feels good to finally know that were going to drop the puck New Years Day," Leonsis said, "and Im just hoping for snow." He was asked how much snow. "Enough," Leonsis replied. "Just no rain." Tuesdays news conference came 100 days before the Winter Classic, which Bettman said "will be sold out, if its not already." "New Years Day used to be about college football," Leonsis said, "and now New Years Day is about hockey." The boards set up on the baseball field included logos of the Capitals and the Blackhawks. With the backdrop of the much-discussed appropriateness of the nickname of Washingtons NFL team, the Redskins, Bettman was asked Tuesday about "Blackhawks." "I dont think the two are analogous or comparable. The Blackhawks are accorded great respect, not just by the team that plays in Chicago but by the gentleman that first founded and owned them, naming them after his battalion that fought gallantly in World War I," Bettman said. "I dont think theres any comparison between the two names."
[b]George King Jersey[/b] .com) - Theres nothing better for a team than to send out the staff ace in the most important game of the season.
[b]Isaiah Canaan Jersey[/b] . -- C.J. Wilson parked his car and laughed while signing autographs for faceless fans who handed bats, balls and cards to the pitcher from the other side of a brick wall.Barcelona was banned by FIFA from signing any new players for next season after being found guilty on Wednesday of repeatedly breaching transfer regulations regulations in signing youth players to its renowned La Masia program. The Spanish club later announced that it would appeal FIFAs decision. The heavy sanction, which covers the summer and January transfer windows, followed an investigation over the past year into Barcelonas signing of players under the age of 18 from 2009 to 2013. FIFA found the signing of 10 un-named players to be in breach of its rules covering the protection of minors. A fine of 450,000 Swiss francs ($509,000) was also imposed on Barcelona, which was given 90 days "to regularize the situation of all minor players concerned." Barcelona released a 14-point rebuttal, vowing to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if it did not succeed in reversing the decision with FIFA and be allowed to sign during the transfer window. "Ever since FIFA opened the case the players licenses were cancelled and they have not participated in any official games," Barcelona said in a statement that mostly pointed fingers at the Spanish and Catalan football federation, along with FIFA, while defending La Masia as "an example" of social responsibility in educating young players on and off the field. "These players have all been given the option to remain with the club despite their licenses being revoked," the statement added. The Spanish Football Federation was also found by the world governing body to have violated the rules covering the registration of minors and fined 500,000 Swiss francs ($565,500). Barcelona said in February 2013 that FIFA had sent a communication instructing it not to select six players who are under 18 for its youth matches -- South Koreas Lee Seung Woo, Paik Seung-Ho and Jang Gyeolhee, Theo Chendri of France, Nigerian-Dutchman Bobby Adekanye and Patrice Sousia of Cameroon. The international transfer of players under the age of 18 can only go through if their parents move to the country for non-football reasons. Players between 16 and 18 can move within Europe if certain standards of education and living conditions are met. The punishment, which prevents Barcelona from signing any players until the summer of 2015, leaves recent agreements with Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Croatian teenager Alen Halilovic to join the club in July in limbo.
[b]Devin Booker Jersey[/b]. Barcelona has three working days to inform FIFA of an intention to appeal and then a further week to provide its reasons for challenging the punishment. Premier League club Chelsea had a one-year transfer embargo imposed after being found by FIFA to have induced teenager Gael Kakuta to leave Lens, but it was overturned in 2010 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. FIFA tightened its rules on transferring minors in 2010, to help end what global players union FIFPro described as the equivalent of "child trafficking." FIFA sought to close loopholes which allowed clubs and agents to bring youngsters to Europe on the promise of getting a lucrative contract, only to abandon them without a job or education. In the Barcelona case, FIFA stressed the "interest in protecting the appropriate and healthy development of a minor as a whole must prevail over purely sporting interests." "The disciplinary committee emphasized that the protection of minors in the context of international transfers is an important social and legal issue that concerns all stakeholders in football," FIFA said in a statement. "Above all, the committee highlighted that while international transfers might, in specific cases, be favourable to a young players sporting career, they are very likely to be contrary to the best interests of the player as a minor." Barcelona potentially needs to sign a replacement goalkeeper, with Victor Valdes out of contract at the end of the season and ruled out for seven months this week following knee surgery. Gerard Pique is in need of an assured partner in central defence with the impending retirement of Carles Puyol. The FIFA case threatens to further damage the image of a Catalan football institution that is owned by its members and prides itself as being "more than a club". It is currently grappling with the fallout from last years signing of the 22-year-old Neymar. Barcelona president Sandro Rosell abruptly quit in January as he fights a lawsuit alleging he misappropriated funds by hiding the real cost of Neymars signing from Brazilian club Santos. In February, Barcelona paid 13.55 million euros (then $18.6 million) to Spanish tax authorities to cover any potential irregularities over the transfer, while maintaining its innocence of fraud charges. AP Sports Writer Paul Logothetis in Madrid contributed to this report
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WASHINGTON -- Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis lobbying for a Winter Classic in his NHL teams home city began with an email sent to Commissioner Gary Bettman the moment the leagues first New Years Day game was played in 2008. [b]Leandro Barbosa Jersey[/b] . "The first emails I see any morning, on any typical day, are from Ted on any of a variety of subjects but he has been both persistent and passionate in pursuit of this event," Bettman said at Nationals Park on Tuesday, when the Capitals unveiled the uniforms theyll wear when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 1. "Were thrilled to be fulfilling his wish." On a sunny, start-of-autumn day with the temperature at about 70, Alex Ovechkin wore flip-flops and a borrowed pair of baseball pants, Nicklas Backstrom donned shorts, and Braden Holtby sported sunglasses while modeling the deep red jerseys with a blue "W," three white stars and the word "Capitals" across the chest. Hockey nets and boards showing the outline of a rink were set up across the back of the dirt diamond and the shallow outfield grass at the baseball stadium where the NL East champion Nationals play their home games. "One of the things I did for Commissioner Bettman a few years back (was) I had a rendering done of what the Winter Classic would look like here. So this is pretty cool to see," said Mark Lerner, son of the Nationals principal owner and a part-owner of the Capitals, as he looked at the setup. "Every time I saw him, I said, What about it? Ted and I were both on a mission since Jan. 1, 2008, that we wanted to have it in D.C." Leonsis called landing the game "a big moment" for hockey in Washington. "Our city deserves it, so it feels good to finally know that were going to drop the puck New Years Day," Leonsis said, "and Im just hoping for snow." He was asked how much snow. "Enough," Leonsis replied. "Just no rain." Tuesdays news conference came 100 days before the Winter Classic, which Bettman said "will be sold out, if its not already." "New Years Day used to be about college football," Leonsis said, "and now New Years Day is about hockey." The boards set up on the baseball field included logos of the Capitals and the Blackhawks. With the backdrop of the much-discussed appropriateness of the nickname of Washingtons NFL team, the Redskins, Bettman was asked Tuesday about "Blackhawks." "I dont think the two are analogous or comparable. The Blackhawks are accorded great respect, not just by the team that plays in Chicago but by the gentleman that first founded and owned them, naming them after his battalion that fought gallantly in World War I," Bettman said. "I dont think theres any comparison between the two names." [b]George King Jersey[/b] .com) - Theres nothing better for a team than to send out the staff ace in the most important game of the season. [b]Isaiah Canaan Jersey[/b] . -- C.J. Wilson parked his car and laughed while signing autographs for faceless fans who handed bats, balls and cards to the pitcher from the other side of a brick wall.Barcelona was banned by FIFA from signing any new players for next season after being found guilty on Wednesday of repeatedly breaching transfer regulations regulations in signing youth players to its renowned La Masia program. The Spanish club later announced that it would appeal FIFAs decision. The heavy sanction, which covers the summer and January transfer windows, followed an investigation over the past year into Barcelonas signing of players under the age of 18 from 2009 to 2013. FIFA found the signing of 10 un-named players to be in breach of its rules covering the protection of minors. A fine of 450,000 Swiss francs ($509,000) was also imposed on Barcelona, which was given 90 days "to regularize the situation of all minor players concerned." Barcelona released a 14-point rebuttal, vowing to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if it did not succeed in reversing the decision with FIFA and be allowed to sign during the transfer window. "Ever since FIFA opened the case the players licenses were cancelled and they have not participated in any official games," Barcelona said in a statement that mostly pointed fingers at the Spanish and Catalan football federation, along with FIFA, while defending La Masia as "an example" of social responsibility in educating young players on and off the field. "These players have all been given the option to remain with the club despite their licenses being revoked," the statement added. The Spanish Football Federation was also found by the world governing body to have violated the rules covering the registration of minors and fined 500,000 Swiss francs ($565,500). Barcelona said in February 2013 that FIFA had sent a communication instructing it not to select six players who are under 18 for its youth matches -- South Koreas Lee Seung Woo, Paik Seung-Ho and Jang Gyeolhee, Theo Chendri of France, Nigerian-Dutchman Bobby Adekanye and Patrice Sousia of Cameroon. The international transfer of players under the age of 18 can only go through if their parents move to the country for non-football reasons. Players between 16 and 18 can move within Europe if certain standards of education and living conditions are met. The punishment, which prevents Barcelona from signing any players until the summer of 2015, leaves recent agreements with Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Croatian teenager Alen Halilovic to join the club in July in limbo. [b]Devin Booker Jersey[/b]. Barcelona has three working days to inform FIFA of an intention to appeal and then a further week to provide its reasons for challenging the punishment. Premier League club Chelsea had a one-year transfer embargo imposed after being found by FIFA to have induced teenager Gael Kakuta to leave Lens, but it was overturned in 2010 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. FIFA tightened its rules on transferring minors in 2010, to help end what global players union FIFPro described as the equivalent of "child trafficking." FIFA sought to close loopholes which allowed clubs and agents to bring youngsters to Europe on the promise of getting a lucrative contract, only to abandon them without a job or education. In the Barcelona case, FIFA stressed the "interest in protecting the appropriate and healthy development of a minor as a whole must prevail over purely sporting interests." "The disciplinary committee emphasized that the protection of minors in the context of international transfers is an important social and legal issue that concerns all stakeholders in football," FIFA said in a statement. "Above all, the committee highlighted that while international transfers might, in specific cases, be favourable to a young players sporting career, they are very likely to be contrary to the best interests of the player as a minor." Barcelona potentially needs to sign a replacement goalkeeper, with Victor Valdes out of contract at the end of the season and ruled out for seven months this week following knee surgery. Gerard Pique is in need of an assured partner in central defence with the impending retirement of Carles Puyol. The FIFA case threatens to further damage the image of a Catalan football institution that is owned by its members and prides itself as being "more than a club". It is currently grappling with the fallout from last years signing of the 22-year-old Neymar. Barcelona president Sandro Rosell abruptly quit in January as he fights a lawsuit alleging he misappropriated funds by hiding the real cost of Neymars signing from Brazilian club Santos. In February, Barcelona paid 13.55 million euros (then $18.6 million) to Spanish tax authorities to cover any potential irregularities over the transfer, while maintaining its innocence of fraud charges. AP Sports Writer Paul Logothetis in Madrid contributed to this report cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseyscheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '
