One of Jean-Luc Brassards most memorable moments of the Sochi Olympics came in the hours long after an event, in a darkened, empty stadium. Cheap Air Max 95 All Blue .The Olympic moguls champion was consoling an athlete and his family after a disappointing performance. Seeing in their eyes the disappointment that they had, and trying to find the right words, knowing that you dont try to hide the truth, you try just to digest that moment, Brassard said. And then you tell them that in a few days, or maybe the following day, you will remember the entire process that brought you there. So much fun and great memories.Its not only about a single result, its about the entire process to become an Olympian.Brassard was named Canadas chef de mission Thursday for the 2016 Rio Olympics. His experience in Sochi, as an assistant to Canadian chef Steve Podborski, convinced him that no matter the sport, winter or summer, an Olympian is an Olympian.They speak the same language, its an Olympian language, Brassard said. And at the end of the day, that made me agree to go for Rio, even if its a summer Games. Its not so much about the technicality of the sports. Theres no more liaison between a bobsleigh guy and a short-track skater, than a bobsleigh guy and a 100-metre runner.Brassard competed in four Olympic Games, capturing gold in 1994 in Lillehammer to become Canadas first ever male Olympic champion in skiing. Four years later, he carried Canadas flag into the opening ceremonies of the 1998 Nagano Olympics, where he finished fourth.He capped his Olympic career at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.The Canadian Olympic Committee made the announcement at Brazilian-themed restaurant in Montreal.The native of Grand-Ile, Que., spent most of the Sochi Games at the Krasnaya Polyana mountain cluster of venues, where I kind of belonged.It was great to remember my past, as an athlete, to try to apply that to find the right words to talk to the actual athletes, he said in a phone interview. The great thing at the time is I think I had no desire to be an athlete anymore, its long gone for me, in my mind. That case is done. But I still want to help the young kids, and I want them to have the opportunity to feel exactly the great feeling that I experienced when I was an athlete, so I tried to find the right words to talk to them. And surprisingly, you dont really take care of the winners, because communications grabs them after the race and they reappear the next morning after they went through all the media. But you spend a lot of time with the people that didnt achieve the result that they wanted.Since the two-time world champion retired in 2002, hes been a full-on freelancer, working as a television host, commentator, and writing articles on skiing and mountaineering.He said feels the same thrill watching Canadian athletes compete as he did when he stepped into the moguls starting gate.Im way more emotional, he said. I dont have a child, but I can imagine its a bit like how a parent looks at their child. You really wonder how a kid can achieve something so amazing, being by himself on the top of the run, and they have to do the job. And at an age that most students are in school, they dont even know what theyre going to do in life. The only thing that they care is having a beer at night with their friends. But youre asking these athletes to make the performance of their life.I get very very emotional. Every time that I see one of these athletes at the bottom, stepping up on the podium, it brings tears to my eyes. I had the chance in my life to be successful and to feel that, and Im totally thrilled for them now when they can do it too.And I know that theyre going to be amazing role models after that. Im at an age where I find that this is important too.One of Brassards first tasks will be getting to know some of Canadas summer athletes. Some 200 of them will gather next week in Gatineau, Que., as part of a pre-Rio symposium.I dont want to walk into the place in my big boots, saying Hey, here I am. I want to do that very slowly, he said.Hell then choose an assistant chef for the Games, which run Aug. 5-21, 2016.Mark Tewksbury was chef de mission of the Canadian team at the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Cheap Air Max 95 All Pink . -- All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham and the New Orleans Saints met Tuesday for arbitration on his contract. Cheap Air Max 95 All White . The 17-time Grand Slam champion, who lose three straight finals in Monte Carlo to Rafael Nadal from 2006-08, has not played in the tournament since 2011, when he lost to Jurgen Melzer in the quarterfinals. http://www.airmax95cheap.us/ .Y. -- As if the worst start in franchise history isnt bad enough, Buffalo Sabres President Ted Black braced his teams win-starved fans for potentially more tough times.The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will kick off the 2014 NFL season tonight when they host Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in a rematch of the famed "Fail Mary" game of 2012. You can watch the game live on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5 and all of TSN Radios stations at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt, with coverage beginning at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. Things have changed dramatically since that contest, however. The Seahawks are now the big bullies on the block, a group champing at the bit to build on the franchises first championship season in what has become the NFLs most difficult place to play, CenturyLink Field. Seattle is an imposing 17-1 on its home field since third-year quarterback Russell Wilson took over the team and the clubs fans, known as the 12th Man, create the loudest environment in all of pro football. "Weve all been waiting to get this thing started," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "The stage will be great," Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson added. "You always like playing on national TV because everyone is watching you. It is a great opportunity for all of us. It will be a good time." Last time the Pack made the trip out to the Pacific Northwest, Wilson found ex-teammate Golden Tate for a 24-yard touchdown on the final play of the contest to give the Seahawks a 14-12 win. Tates TD was hardly the story, though, as the contest proved to be the impetus for the NFL to make up with its full-time officials, who were locked out at the time due to a labor dispute. Then-Packer M.D. Jennings and Tate both got their hands on the ball on the game-winning play with the replacement zebras ruling simultaneous possession, therefore awarding the TD and the game to Seattle. Prior to the catch, though, Tate clearly shoved a defender with both hands, which the NFL later acknowledged should have drawn an offensive pass interference penalty, an outcome that would have negated the touchdown and resulted in a Packers victory. This time around the "real officials" will certainly be on hand but they will bring with them a directive to put an "enhanced emphasis" on certain penalties, including illegal contact and defensive holding. That could affect the Seahawks, who are fresh off a 43-8 drubbing of Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII against a Broncos team which just happened to be the first NFL in history to score over 600 points in a season. That meant little to Seattles physical defence, however, which helped build a 22-0 halftime lead, and a humbling 36-0 advantage before finally allowing the Broncos first score on the final play of the third quarter. The Seahawks stingy stop unit scored a safety on the first play from scrimmage -- the quickest score in Super Bowl history -- before tacking on an interception return for a score from linebacker Malcolm Smith, who also recovered a fumble and made nine tackles en route to being named Super Bowl MVP. When the carnage was finally over the Broncos were held to nearly 30 points below their scoring average and five-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning had thrown two picks. Fast forward to the 2014 preseason and the NFL reacted to Seattles dominance by cracking down on penalties believed to be "under-officiated," including the aforementioned illegal contact and defensive holding calls. Many believe that directive was a nod to the Seahawks success last season, almost a warning to "The Legion of Boom," the ultra-physical defensive backfield which consistently beat up on opposing receivers en route to the Lombardi Trophy. Despite being the most penalized team in the league in 2013 the Seahawks reached the pinnacle by forcing officials to throw the flag in key moments, something Carroll correctly surmised most wouldnt be willing to do. Penalties, however, were up to a ludicrous degree at times during the preseason, something the Seahawks coach hopes changes when the regular season gets underway. "I hope that the league office will be open to the conversation," Carroll said earlier this preseason. "It doesnt seem quite right. It seems like there are too many calls being made and too many incidental calls that seem to be affecting the game. So, well see -- Its obviously different. So, the question is: Is it better? I dont know." For now, the league insists that the renewed emphasis on these particular penalties will continue throughout the regular season. "Were not going to change how were calling the games once the regular season starts," NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino told MMQB.com. Blandinos belief, however, is that teams will adjust to the stricter rules and play accordingly, meaning the extra flags will disappear, a scenario the league has tried to sell from the beginning of this process. "Coaches adjust, and players adjust," Blandino said. "They have to, and they know it. And well correct our officials when we feel theyre being overzealous with certain calls." As for the Packers, they will enter the 2014 season understanding what life was like without Rodgers for an extended period of time. And the results were hardly pretty. A broken collarbone sidelined the Green Bay superstar for seven straight weeks in 2013 as the Pack floundered before A-Rod returned with his Superman cape in tow to lead Green Bay to a season-ending victory over Chicago, a triumph which secured the teams third straight division title despite a pedestrian 8-7-1 record in the downtrodden NFC North. The Pack was 5-2 and likely on the way to 6-2 wheen the Bears Shea McClellin sent Rodgers to the MASH unit, a play which literally slammed the brakes on the clubs campaign last year. Cheap Air Max 95 Pink. Things completely fell apart with Scott Tolzien and Matt Flynn at the helm as Mike McCarthys team failed to win again until Week 14 when they barely squeaked by an injury-riddled Falcons club that had already tapped out of what was a dismal season for them. These two clubs have met 16 times, including the regular season and playoffs. Green Bay leads the regular-season series 9-6 and took both playoff meetings (2007 Divisional, 2003 Wild Card) at Lambeau Field. WHAT TO WATCH FOR Perhaps no one in the history of the game throws the back-shoulder fade better than Rodgers which will put the leagues intent to pay closer attention to illegal contact and defensive holding -- as well as offensive pass interference for that matter -- under the spotlight immediately. Rodgers is also the rare pocket passer who excels when extending plays with his feet and throwing on the run. In his last healthy season Rodgers led the league in passer rating (108.0) for the second consecutive year, becoming the first QB to do so since Manning led the NFL in the category in three straight seasons (2004-06). Meanwhile, his combined passer rating of 114.9 from 2011-12 was the best two-season passer rating in NFL history. Rodgers was "slumping" a bit before going down last season and finished the campaign with a sterling 104.9 rating. Rodgers top target is Nelson, a big, physical receiver who can snap the football out of the air. "Hes a fantastic play maker," Carroll said when discussing Nelson. "You put the ball anywhere near him and hes likely to come up with a way to make the catch." Its strength against strength, however, as the Seahawks defensive backfield, led by star cornerback Richard Sherman and all-everything safety Earl Thomas, is by far the best in all of football and spearheaded a unit which led the NFL in scoring defence (14.4 points per game) and average yards allowed (273.6). Sherman matched his career high with eight interceptions and became the first Seahawks player to lead NFL in interceptions since 1993 a season ago, while Thomas set a career high with 100 tackles and tied his career high with five interceptions. The other Pro Bowl-type in the defensive backfield is massive strong safety Kam Chancellor, who is regarded as one of the hardest-hitting safeties in the NFL, amassing 278 tackles since 2011. The runt of the litter so to speak is CB Byron Maxwell, who took over for the suspended Brandon Browner last year, starting the last five games. If anything Maxwell has better coverage skills over Browner, who is now in New England, but he is not as physical and far more likely to bail out into coverage at the line of scrimmage. "They play with a lot of confidence, have a little swagger about them," Rodgers said. "And its a tough place to play." A-Rod will be helped by the fact his offence is much more balanced now because of second-year running back Eddie Lacy, a powerful one-cut, downhill runner. The former Alabama star was dominant at times as a rookie, gaining 1,178 yards on the ground and adding 35 receptions and 11 touchdowns. "Hes an obvious element now," Carroll said of Lacy. "Hes a big deal now. He can get tough yards, he can break tackles, he makes long runs, he does not go down easily." Offensively, Seattles Wilson mirrors Rodgers in at least one way -- the third-year pro plays with an uncommon self-assuredness, fueled by an innate ability to keep his eyes up and always looking downfield. Wilson has the requisite speed and elusiveness, along with the arm strength to be a dangerous dual-threat under center. His feel and natural instincts for the game leave him well-prepared for any adjustments opposing defensive coordinators make. Wilson already has 28 wins in two years (regular season and postseason), the most in NFL history for a starter through two campaigns, and became the third-youngest QB to win the NFL title last year. "The sky is the limit for that guy," Seahawks receiver Percy Harvin said when discussing his QB. "Anybody that has been watching the preseason, hes been lights out." "Im thrilled about what we are seeing," Carroll added when addressing question on Wilson. "I didnt know how much farther he would go from that year to this year. It seems like he is really, really in control of what is happening." A hip injury limited the explosive Harvin to one regular-season game in 2013, but he recovered from that and was perhaps the best player on the field in the Super Bowl, rushing twice for 45 yards and returning the second-half kickoff 87 yards for a TD. Having him for an entire season makes the Seattle offence that much more formidable. "I think you have to be very impressed with their offence," McCarthy said. "On Russell Wilson and their ability to stay in favorable down and distance and keep the mix of the run and the pass. Theyve always been outstanding running the football (with Marshawn Lynch), but they look like theyre a lot more balanced now." The Packers defence, meanwhile, is not nearly as formidable as their offence, especially after nose tackle B.J. Raji went down with a torn biceps in the preseason. The hope is veteran edge player Julius Peppers recaptures his Pro Bowl form to give Green Bay a mirror to star pass rusher Clay Matthews on the edge. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '