Im writing this having just returned from the International Broadcast Centre in Sochi after watching and broadcasting a portion of the mens final in figure skating. Delino DeShields Jersey . It would be an understatement to say that I am still stunned by what has transpired here in Russia. Yuzuru Hanyu, a 19-year-old, has just become the Olympic gold medallist, the first for his country, in this individual discipline. Meanwhile, the three-time and reigning world champion, Patrick Chan of Canada, has taken the silver medal. Neither skated perfectly, far from it, but the drama of it all was breathtaking. And although I might have forecast a different result, I find myself unable to quibble with the bottom line. Someone came first and someone came second. The only call I took when I got back here to the hotel was from an old acquaintance and colleague named Dave Campbell at CHED radio in Edmonton. I had run into him during my Hockey Night in Canada days covering the Oilers. But tonight Dave didnt even mention the score of the Canadian mens hockey game versus Austria, a 6-0 shellacking by the maple leaf men. He wanted to talk figure skating. “You know, we were discussing Chan and the result in the office, and we were disappointed,” he said. “But then again we thought that figure skating must surely be the most difficult of the Olympic sports.” I would have to agree. Personally speaking, I cannot fathom what it must be like to go onto a sheet of ice in front of 12,000 people and to perform what appears to be a series of impossible acts without an overwhelming fear of failure. There is nowhere for these young people to hide. There is no mulligan for a bad jump, or second chance to eliminate the sting of a fall on ones ass. You cannot skip a shift and survive in figure skating. It is what it is. These athletes accept that they are required to stand and deliver and when the dust settles they must live with the result. In the end, they must go it alone. The thing is, I felt completely helpless for Patrick Chan as he skated with a chance to be the Olympic champion. I have followed his career since the time he first won the national title seven years ago. Ive been there for each of his three world championships. He has never dodged a question and never given an excuse for something less than a perfect performance. He is, in my experience, a conscientious and hard-working young man who is supremely talented. Tonight, he came up short, and I know he wishes he could do it all over again … but he cant. Dave Campbell may have been right when he suggested that figure skating is the most difficult of the sports. Im convinced it is simultaneously the most beautiful and brutal. The judges reward you lavishly when you succeed, and they punish you ruthlessly when you dont. And they make you sit by yourself to await your fate on a giant-sized television screen so that everyone in the arena and around the globe knows what they think of you. Those are the facts when it comes to figure skating. And while Im disappointed for Patrick Chan and happy for Yuzuru Hanyu, Im astonished that the result has affected me the way it has. Its not like I havent witnessed something like this before. “Its just so thrilling,” Dave Campbell said. “And its causing me to lose sleep, but I cant get enough of it.” I feel the same way. Its the savage beauty of sport and the incredible attraction that the brave hearts who dare to venture onto the Olympic field of play hold for me. Adrian Beltre Jersey . Spezza scored a power-play goal with 5 minutes left and Stephane Da Costa had the other two goals to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. Russell Wilson Jersey . Schaub will start for an injured Case Keenum and try to help the Texans end a 12-game skid. Schaubs last action in Houston came when he took over late in a game against Oakland on Nov. 17 as Keenum was struggling. http://www.authentictexasrangersgear.com/rangers-martin-perez-jersey/ . Curlings version of the Ryder Cup will introduce a new format beginning with the 2015 event, set for Jan. 8 to 11 in Calgary, as itll be Team Canada taking on Team Europe this season and in the 2017 event, while itll be Team Canada against Team World (including the U.HOUSTON -- Chip Ganassi Racing added another Indianapolis 500 winner to its team Friday and dropped Honda for Chevrolet in an engine manufacturer switch that seemed to be in the works since the start of the season. Both moves could have a ripple effect throughout the IndyCar paddock. KV Racing must now replace reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, who turned down an offer to return to the team that rescued him just before the start of the 2011 season when Kanaan didnt have a ride. The KV extension didnt require the Brazilian to bring any sponsorship money to the team, but Kanaan chose instead to join Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon and Charlie Kimball at Ganassi, which next year will field cars for five of the last seven Indy 500 winners. "I wanted to be in the best teams with the best guys who have been beating me forever. I thought about it every single day," Kanaan said. "The first question that I asked Chip was, What do I have to bring? And he said, Your helmet. That was a big weight off of my shoulders." KV has its sights set on a handful of other drivers, but topping the wish list is James Hinchcliffe, who is tied with Dixon with a series-best three wins this season. KV is offering the same deal to Hinchcliffe, who wouldnt have to bring sponsorship money to a team for the first time in his career. Hinchcliffe, in his second season at Andretti Autosport, is still waiting to see what his current team can offer. Andretti failed to come up with an offer during its exclusive negotiating period as the team waited for sponsor GoDaddy to decide if it will continue its involvement in IndyCar, and GoDaddy representatives insist no decision has been made. Now team owner Michael Andretti has to make a choice: With Ganassis switch to Chevrolet on Friday, his team could conceivably be third on the priority list next season behind Penske Racing and Ganassi. Andretti acknowledged he has "an interesting decision to make" regarding sticking with Chevrolet or moving to Honda. "We are weighing both options in regard to an engine manufacturer for 2014 and working to determine what is best for the team," he said. For his part, Roger Penske welcomed longtime rival Ganassi into the mix, "He will be a strong team for Chevy, tell him welcome to the club," Penske said -- but immediately asked where Andretti will bbe in 2014. Mike Napoli Jersey. . Ganassi and Chevrolet both said the deal was put together quickly, but it wasnt much of a surprise. Ganassi runs Chevrolets in NASCAR, and he was very critical of Honda at the start of the season. Ganassi grumbled at the season-opener in St. Pete that Honda didnt seem committed to winning, and accused the manufacturer of trying to solve problems by sitting around singing "Kumbaya." Ganassis frustration mounted as Chevrolet drivers won four of the first five IndyCar races, including three by Andretti drivers. Ganassis first victory didnt come until July 7, the 11th race of the season, when Dixon won at Pocono. But it was the first of three consecutive wins for Dixon, who used the stretch to climb back into the championship race, and a win at Mid-Ohio made it four straight for Ganassi and Honda. A victory by Simon Pagenaud at Baltimore on Sept. 1 was another win for Honda and the manufacturer race is evened out now at eight each. But Chevrolet won the Indianapolis 500 with Kanaan, and is leading the championship race with Penske driver Helio Castroneves leading Ganassis Dixon by 49 points with three races remaining. Honda thanked Ganassi for its four championships, three Indy 500s and 40 wins since 2006. "It may be worth noting that when our previous -- and also very successful -- association with the Ganassi organization in Championship Auto Racing Teams competition ended after the 1999 season, Honda went on to win 15 races over the next two seasons, including both the 2000 and 2001 drivers championship, and the 2001 manufacturers championship," said Art St. Cyr, president of Honda Performance Development. "While this partnership is coming to an end, Honda and Honda Performance Development remain committed to achieving even greater IndyCar success in the future with our continuing and new partner teams," he said. Next season, Chevy will have IndyCar heavyweights Penske and Ganassi under the same roof. "They have shown they have a great product, and we wanted to be a part of it," Ganassi said. "Its something for our team to consolidate our manufacturers and be part of a winning effort. Weve had some great races and years with Honda, but an opportunity came about to be with Chevrolet, and they showed a sincere effort in wanting us to be part of their program." 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 ' ' '