. That in itself is a huge sign of progression for this franchise no matter

CALGARY - The Grey Cup arrived in Calgary in one piece. Cheap Shoes Black Friday . It was the Stampeders who looked worse for wear.Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchells eyes were half-open and the voice of head coach and general manager John Hufnagel cracked as players and coaches rolled off a pair of buses at McMahon Stadium on Monday just past noon.The Stampeders had claimed the 102nd Grey Cup less than 24 hours earlier in Vancouver, where Calgary defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 20-16 at B.C. Place.The team flew in the morning via charter from the West Coast to frosty Calgary, where they were greeted by fans, including one dressed as Santa Claus, and their snow-covered cars in McMahons parking lot.The historic silver trophy that had separated into two pieces during post-game celebrations was intact again and hoisted repeatedly. The cup was back on its base and the players were hazy on the details of its reassembly.How did we fix it? I have no idea how they fixed that, said Mitchell, the Grey Cups MVP. They had some tape on it at first. I dont even know what happened to it. Hey, its a hundred years old right?The City of Calgary will host a downtown celebration for the Stampeders on Tuesday.The Stampeders have compiled the CFLs best regular-season record over their seven seasons under Hufnagel at 88-37-1. Calgary has posted the best single-season record in the CFL, or tied for it, five times.That hasnt often translated into playoff success. Calgary won a Grey Cup in Hufnagels first year at the helm in 2008, but after that the Stampeders were defeated Saskatchewan in three division finals (2009, 2010, 2013). The Stampeders also lost the 2012 Grey Cup to the host Toronto Argonauts.Ive only had one other Grey Cup win as the head coach, Hufnagel told assembled media. This is for the players. They went through way too much stuff from you guys, believe me, from you guys. Im very pleased they were able to exorcise all that.It was an exciting day, an exciting night. You cannot understand how pleased I am for the players.The Stampeders went 15-3 in the regular season to match a franchise record. Calgary downed the Edmonton Eskimos 43-18 in the West final to advance to this years Grey Cup.Its a satisfying feeling putting all that work in for six months in the off-season and five months during the season, Mitchell said. Hopefully its the first chapter in a very long book. Thats what Im really hoping.The quarterback estimated hed slept half an hour since winning the Grey Cup, linebacker Juwan Simpson said an hour and running back Jon Cornish managed about 90 minutes. Most of that shut-eye was on the flight back to Calgary.Once the plane landed, guys got right back energized, Simpson said. I expect it will be an interesting few weeks in Calgary. Buy Shoes Black Friday . Right-hander Todd Redmond took the loss. Jose Bautista hit his second home run of the spring. Here are a handful of tidbits from around camp: Hutchison impressive The Blue Jays are being cautious when talking about their young arms but internally, excitement is building over the way Drew Hutchison is looking and performing this spring. Wholesale Shoes Black Friday . The premature end left 26 players still to finish the round in the Asian Tour event. Siddikur, who shot a bogey-free first round to share the lead with five others, eagled the par-5 first hole before bogeying twice and rebounding with six birdies. https://www.cheapshoesblackfriday.com/ . Hamilton signed offensive linemen Mike Filer, Joel Reinders, Landon Rice and Carson Rockhill.Carl Robinsons Vancouver Whitecaps travelled to Dallas on Saturday, five points adrift of their opponents for fourth spot in the Western Conference standings. With Dallas having the most difficult run-in amongst any of the top six in the conference, anything other than a Whitecaps loss would have ensured a three-way battle between the two sides and Portland for the two remaining playoff spots. Formations For Vancouvers third game in eight days, Robinson kept the diamond in midfield but rung the changes, some forced and others out of choice. Steven Beitashour was on the trip but failed a late fitness test and was replaced by Ethen Sampson, who made only his second MLS start. Fellow 20-year-old Christian Dean joined him in the back four, with veteran Andy OBrien left at home. Pedro Morales was not 100 per cent so was left on the bench, leaving Mauro Rosales to occupy the playmaking number ten role as Mehdi Ballouchy came in on the right to help Sampson defensively. Darren Mattocks returned up top alongside Sebastian Fernandez. Dallas boss Oscar Pareja abandoned his back three experiment from the loss last week against Real Salt Lake, choosing a straight 4-4-2 featuring an explosive front four that surprisingly included Blas Perez, back from international duty with Panama. The Game Dallas won 2-1 in a match that was decided on moments and key decisions. It can be a cruel game sometimes and a steep learning curve for a young side like Vancouver. Robinson will have had a difficult time post match with what to say to his players, an all too familiar story for the Whitecaps lately. Dallas opened the scoring after 20 minutes from a freak wondergoal by Perez. Defender Jordan Harveys reaction said it all. The experienced left back, who had 168 of the combined 172 MLS starts for the defence heading in, just waved his hand towards the net as a signal for how ridiculous the goal was. For Vancouver it was a kick in the guts. A team that has struggled so much to find ways to score did not need to see first hand clear evidence of how easy sometimes a ball can go in from nothing. In truth, the Whitecaps should have already been ahead when Darren Mattocks was played in alone at the other end but once again took too many touches and wasnt able to finish. Another familiar story. The Whitecaps, led by the brilliant Rosales, grew back into the game and deserved their equaliser, scored by Erik Hurtado who had replaced the ineffective Mattocks. It was a goal orchestrated by Rosales and one that highlighted the weaknesses of the hosts. Central midfielders Michel and Victor Ulloa struggled throughout with their collective defensively responsibilities, allowing Rosales to run the show in behind them. On the goal he broke into that space again, while Hurtado made an intelligent run in the channels between Zach Loyd and Jair Benitez at left back who had come on for Moises Hernandez. Hurtados run was good but his finish was even better. Dallas was a threat in the final third when they got there but struggled throughout the game in keeping possession, an issue they havent solved all season. However, that is their identity now, a team so dangerous from set pieces and once their quick, explosive wingers get the ball in the final third. Their winning goal, not surprisingly, came from a set piece with Michel sending a ball into the box that the Whitecaps didnt deal with, allowing, on the second phase, Perez to place the ball into an empty net after David Ousted came off his line and didnt get the ball. Shoes Black Friday Deals 2020. It capped off a mixed night for the Danish keeper who made two magnificent saves to keep his team in the game between each of the goals he conceded. The Positives Vancouver is a team who has no legitimate goalscorer. Their best player isnt fit and was a shadow of his former self when he came on. They had three centre-backs, who have all started big games for them over recent weeks, unavailable, while key pieces in Beitashour and Gershon Koffie were injured. Yet, they still went toe-to-toe with a team that will qualify for the playoffs in a very competitive Western Conference. Some Whitecaps fans dont want to hear that this season is a year of transition for this franchise but that is a reality as a new boss tries to bring in his own players and deal with the challenges left behind by the former coach. If Vancouver wants to be a consistent challenger for a playoff spot it is about building a strong spine and that showed some great signs of improvement on a cloudy night in Frisco. Ousted is a rock in goal and is allowed a mistake, one that haunted him as he was still talking at length about it later that night at the hotel. Kendall Waston had another excellent game and his inexperienced partner, Dean, grew into the game. He will have less severe tests than ones given to him by Castillo and Perez on his debut. Matias Laba had another outstanding game and completely ran the central midfield. His workrate showed Dallas exactly what they miss as they look a broken team who struggle to get midfielders in the game to combine with the front four. Ahead of Laba, Rosales was the best player for the Whitecaps and the only thing missing to complete a strong spine is a pure finisher, although Hurtados goal will give him a lot of confidence and may earn him a start next week in Portland. The Weaknesses It is a broken record by now. If Mattocks scores his chance inside the first fifteen minutes it is a different game. Too often when balls were played to the feet of the front two they didnt stick. Zach Loyd and Matt Hedges put on a centre-back clinic on how to press, be aggressive and take the forwards out of the game. The longer the game wore on the more intimidated they were by them with only Fernandez looking a threat when he gets space to dribble into. A new striker is needed and will arrive for 2015 and with him needs to come a natural winger who can push opposing full backs deep and attack the white line just to give Robinson another option and make sure their attacks are not too narrow and predictable. Star Man Rosales was a magician. No one works harder, no one reads the game better and he isnt afraid to tell team-mates that also, educating them on their choices and helping them be better. With Morales struggling, we have yet to see the best of these two playmakers together and it was wise that when the Chilean did come on Robinson kept Rosales in the central role were he tortured the Dallas midfield. He, like Waston at the other end, has become an on-field leader already and one the team cannot afford to be without. Both players are examples of Robinsons Whitecaps that need to be at the club next season to help take them to the next level. Right now, though, the immediate goal is the playoffs and despite all the adversity the team is still in fifth spot with six games remaining. That in itself is a huge sign of progression for this franchise no matter when the curtain comes down on their 2014 campaign. ' ' '