December 11, 2014 - Major League Soccer (MLS) Montreal Impact MONTREAL - The Montreal Impact announced on Thursday that the club has signed Quebec-born

midfielder Patrice Bernier to a new contract. As per league policy, details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Bernier, 35, tallied 13 goals and 19 assists in 84 MLS regular season games, 73 starts, for a total of 6,470 minutes of play in three seasons with the club.

"I am very happy to be back with the Impact," said Patrice Bernier. "I would like to thank the organization for allowing me to continue with this project. I feel that there is a solid vision and some important additions in order to revive the team for the upcoming season. The objective will be to start the season strong, as early as the month of February with our Champions League matches."

"I am very pleased that we finalized a new deal with Patrice and I was confident that we would reach an agreement," said Impact head coach and director of player personnel Frank Klopas. "We want him to be with us in 2015 and have the chance to finish his career in Montreal."

In 2014, Bernier amassed three assists in 26 regular season games, including 20 starts, and 1,802 minutes of play. He helped the Impact win a second consecutive Canadian Championship, recording a goal and two assists in four starts and then took part in three Champions League group stage games, two as a starter.

In 2013, Bernier participated in the MLS All-Star game against A.S. Roma. He was also voted Impact team MVP and Communitarian in 2012.

He is currently ranked first in MLS club history with nine game-winning passes and 10 penalty kick goals, ranked second in goals and games played, third for assists and ranked fourth for matches started and minutes played.

He recently surpassed Eduardo Sebrango for seventh spot in club history with 157 regular season games played (MLS and second division).

At the international level, Bernier took part in two friendlies with the Canadian national team in 2014, bringing his total to 51 career games, including 38 starts. He crossed the 50-game plateau with the Canadian selection against Jamaica on September 9 in Toronto.

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Impact Signs Patrice Bernier to New Contract

December 10, 2014 - Western Hockey League (WHL) Kamloops Blazers ON THE ROAD: The Kamloops Blazers franchise is in their 34th season in the Western Hockey League and the 31st season as the Kamloops Blazers. The Blazers have a record of 12-15-3-2 through 32 games this season. The Blazers finished off a five-game home stand over the last two weeks and are now on the road for eight straight games starting tonight. The Blazers will play all six Central Division teams during their trip prior to Christmas. The Blazers will have a Christmas break from December 18th to 26th.

Vs. Edmonton - This Season (2-Game Series)

Game 1: 11/08/13, vs. Edmonton 5, Kamloops 0

Game 2: 02/05/14, vs. Edmonton 4, Kamloops 1

Blazers are 0-2-0-0 in season series Vs. Edmonton - This Season (2-Game Series)

Game 1: 10/05/14, at Edmonton 2, Kamloops 6

Game 3: 12/10/14, at Edmonton, Kamloops

Blazers are 1-0-0-0 in season series

BY THE NUMBERS: Matt Needham played his 200th WHL game on November 7th in Tri-City... Quinn Benjafield scored his first career WHL goal on November 8th in Portland... Mike Winther played his 250th WHL game on November 7th in Tri-City... Cole Ully recorded his 100th WHL assist on November 7th in Tri-City... Matt Needham is 6 assists shy of 100 in his WHL career and 1 goal shy of 50 in his WHL career... Josh Connolly played his 150th WHL game on November 28th against Regina... Logan McVeigh has played the most WHL games of any player on the roster with 288... McVeigh has also played for 5 WHL teams including Kamloops (twice), Prince Albert, Medicine Hat and Regina... Forward Collin Shirley has 10 points in his last 9 games... Forward Cole Ully has points in 22 of the 29 games he has played... Nolan Kneen recorded his first WHL assist in his first game back on October 1st vs. Swift Current.

THE MATCH UP: The Blazers and Oil Kings are meeting for the second of two games this season. These two teams met twice last season in Kamloops with the Blazers losing 5-0 and 4-1. In the first meeting this season back on October 3rd, the Blazers won 6-2 over the Oil Kings in Edmonton.

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Blazers in Edmonton Tonight

FARMINGTON The curtain on the stage of the Centene Center will open at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday to a milestone performance.

This year marks the 20th presentation of The Nutcracker by the Young Peoples Performing Arts Theatre.

Since 1981, more than 750 local performers have graced the stage for the production. The show has an alternating yearly production schedule, with this years cast the largest to date.

YPPAT was founded in 1981 by Kimberly Gavin Anderson. She explained the organizations mission is to provide young artists expanded and enriching performing opportunities in a full length, classical production by bringing classics to the area.

Anderson is artistic director for the show, assisted by her daughter Maggie Haupt.

The production tells the E.T.A. Huffman story, "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice, set to the magical score of Peter Tchaikovsky.

"The Nutcracker" is the story of a young girl, Clara, who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King. After the Prince defeats him, Clara is whisked away to a winter wonderland and then transported to the Land of the Sweets.

The show runs each evening through Saturday, with a 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Tickets are $12.50 each and are on sale at the Farmington Civic Center.

Those who are involved with the production liken it to being a part of a large family and a number of those with children in the production have been involved from the very beginning.

Stacy Anderson remembers the first Nutcracker like it was yesterday.

See more here:
'The Nutcracker' takes the stage Thursday

"The way we look at it is, the trades last year, getting [Jonathan] Broxton, getting [Gerardo] Parra, and [Aramis] Ramirez coming back, adding [Adam] Lind -- that's $36 million worth of players," Melvin said, referring to players acquired in the past five months. "I look at it as maybe we've done our work ahead of time. We're [still] open to doing things."

Filling out the bullpen is at the top of Milwaukee's to-do list, though Melvin expects those deals to happen later in the winter. Club officials spent part of Monday viewing video and dissecting scouting reports on relief pitchers available in free agency and potentially available via trade.

Ron Roenicke discusses the state of the Brewers, the team's closer situation, and provides an update on Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez

At the moment, Melvin said, the Brewers don't plan to make a play for Francisco Rodriguez, who made the National League All-Star team and logged 44 saves in 2014 before hitting free agency. Rodriguez and agent Scott Boras will surely seek a multi-year contract, and the Brewers already owe Broxton $9 million next season. They also think right-hander Jeremy Jeffress or left-hander Will Smith could close in the future.

The list of free-agent relievers available remains long but not necessarily deep. It is particularly thin of left-handers, with Joe Beimel, Craig Breslow, Francisley Bueno, Phil Coke, Neal Cotts, Joe Thatcher and Wesley Wright among those available.

"Relievers are getting more expensive all the time, like everybody else is," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "It's more specialized, and I think bullpens are more important in today's game than they've ever been. So that's what we're looking at. Or maybe there is a piece to trade to get somebody we really like. I know Doug's working at it hard, and all the guys up there are looking at a lot of people."

"I don't think you're going to get any deals right now," Melvin said. "It's too close to the holiday season."

Likewise, Brewers officials are taking the long view relative to their own starting rotation, which currently features six pitchers for five spots. If the Brewers keep all of them, young right-hander Jimmy Nelson would probably begin next season in the bullpen, Roenicke said.

But the depth will allow Melvin to listen to trade offers as the winter wears on. Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse could be moved, since each right-hander is entering the final year of a contract, with Gallardo due $13 million and Lohse due $11 million.

Original post:
Additions likely to come for Brewers after Meetings

8/26/12: Josh Lindblom notches his first career save, striking out Tyler Moore for the final out of the Phillies' 4-1 win over the Nationals

SAN DIEGO -- In their recent low-profile additions, the Pirates have shown a definite affinity for onetime high Draft picks who, for one reason or another, have not yet performed up to their projections.

That trend continued with Monday's acquisition, on waivers, of right-hander Josh Lindblom from the A's. Lindblom, originally a second-round choice of the Dodgers in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, has had limited success in four seasons with four different clubs.

"As we watched him this summer," Pittsburgh general manager Neal Huntington said, "we felt he's another guy who could add some depth. If things click, he could be a nice addition to our bullpen."

Now 27, Lindblom spent most of 2014 with Oakland's Triple-A Sacramento club, going 4-3 with a 5.79 ERA in 17 games, including 16 starts. He had been designated for assignment Nov. 28 by the A's, upon their trade with Toronto for a four-player package in exchange for Josh Donaldson.

Lindblom has appeared in 110 games, the majority in relief, with the Dodgers, Phillies, Rangers and A's, compiling an ERA of 3.82 in 126 2/3 innings.

"He has experience starting in the Minors, and pitching late in games at the big league level," Huntington said. "He has pitches we like, and feel he can come in and compete in camp to be a multi-innings reliever in our bullpen."

That makes Lindblom a candidate for the role filled the last two seasons by Jeanmar Gomez, who became a free agent last month upon declining a Minor League assignment. Gomez made 70 relief appearances the last two seasons for the Bucs -- 28 of them of two-plus innings.

To clear room for Lindblom on the 40-man roster, the Pirates optioned right-hander Angel Sanchez to Triple-A Indianapolis. Most recently, Sanchez had a solid stint in the Arizona Fall League, allowing three runs in eight relief appearances (12 innings) with the Scottsdale Scorpions.

Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog Change for a Nickel. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_Singer. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Bucs add Lindblom to bullpen mix

Following the 1-2-3 punch of its first three albumsfirst released between January 1969 and October 1970 and reissued in June, 2014 as the first batch of a year-long series of overdue (and expanded) remasters of its entire nine-album catalogLed Zeppelin continued on an upward trajectory, touring extensively and beginning to introduce songs that would ultimately appear on the British rock band's fourth album, one that bucked all marketing conventions and contained neither the name of the band nor the name of the album beyond a series of symbols, one for each member of the group. At the time it was referred to, in various camps, as everything from The Fourth Album and Untitled Runes to The Hermit and ZoSo...but as the years have progressed it's ultimately become known simplyand, not unlike the numeric designations of group's first three recordingsas Led Zeppelin IV.

Certified gold before release, IV remains a pinnacle amongst the group's many achievements, though in some ways its massive success has also led to continued overexposure of many of the album's superlative songs on Classic Rock radio stations, unfairly diminishing its status as the group's most truly eclectic album to datesurpassing, even, III's acoustic/electric mixed bag. For those who love this record irrespective of the countless times tracks like "Black Dog," "Rock and Roll" and "Stairway to Heaven" have been aired, Jimmy Page's remaster is, as was the case with Zeppelin's first three recordings, a significant upgrade on previous editions, revealing greater depth and breadth in the sound of the acoustic instruments and adding more punch and bite to the electric ones that dominate most of the album's eight tracks.

Coming 13 months after III, IV was the album that, released in November, 1971, achieved even greater fame and fortuneand with 37 million copies sold worldwide, has justifiably become one of the most successful recordings in history, garnering well-deserved popular and critical acclaim. Sixteen months were to go by before Zeppelin followed IV up with its first titled record, Houses of the Holy, in March, 1973. If it didn't achieve the same success as its predecessor, 39 weeks on the Billboard chart (two of them at #1, topping IV's #2 peak) were far from shabby, and some of its songsthis being the the first album of all-original materialwould become staples in its live sets, in particular the episodic title track and atmospheric "No Quarter." It was, however, also the group's first to receive some critical drubbing in the press, in particular for the inclusion of two songsthe reggae-inflected "D'Yer Maker" and funkified "The Crunge"that might have seemed out of character at the time, but with the benefit of hindsight, merely demonstrated a group that, while characterized as hard rock and one of the founding fathers of heavy metal, was always far, far more than that.

Together, IV and Houses of the Holy cemented Led Zeppelin's position as one of the biggest band in the world for the four-year period of 1971-75, filling houses ranging from a British club tour, intended to give its fans a close-up view of a band that was regularly filling arenas and stadiums, to those larger more cavernous venues, including three shows at New York City's Madison Square Garden that were filmed and ultimately released to theatres in 1976 as The Song Remains The Same. These two recordings also heralded the beginning of a period of serious sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll, wanton destruction and no shortage of debauchery that have become legendary in the annals of rock history. But while these stories have been well-documented, and some of the imagery in the booklets accompanying the two-CD/two-LP Super Deluxe Edition of this series of remastersalso coming as single-disc reissues of the original recordings and Deluxe Edition 2CD versions that include a second disc of works-in-progress, alternate mixes and versions, as well as digital downloads versions of the single and double-disc editionsthe most important story here is the music, and with Page creating separate remasters for each medium, it's music that not only stands the test of time, but sounds absolutely undated and better than ever more than forty years after it was first released.

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV (Deluxe Edition 2CD) Atlantic 2014 (1971)

From the opening guitar chords, a cappella vocals from singer Robert Plant and a muscular unison guitar/bass riff, driven by John Bonham's thundering "where's the one" kit work, Led Zeppelin IV makes clear that something was happening to the group that Page had formed from the ashes of The Yardbirds in the fall of 1968. If the group's earlier albumsimpressive, each and every onemanaged to bring together everything from high octane rock and roll and visceral blues to traditional British folk music and even a bit of church, IV would prove to be the group's most successfully eclectic album yet. After the one-two punch of "Black Dog" and the more straightforward (and aptly titled) "Rock and Roll," "The Battle of Evermore" is something else entirely, with just acoustic guitars and mandolin driving a song that Page claims, in a 1977 Trouser Press interview, "was made up on the spot by Robert [Plant] and myself. I just picked up John Paul Jones's mandolin, never having played a mandolin before, and just wrote up the chords and the whole thing in one sitting."

With its Tolkienesque lyrics, "Evermore" is the only song Zeppelin ever recorded with a guest vocalist and what a guest vocalist; ex-Fairport Convention singer Sandy Denny ran, perhaps surprisingly, in the same circles as Zeppelin, the British electric folk rock progenitor's second bassist, Dave Pegg, having played with Bonham prior to the pair moving on to greater fame and fortune in two seemingly very different groups. Still, those two groups shared more than might first meet the eye, as amply demonstrated by both "Evermore" and the similarly acoustic "Going to California," from IV's second side.

But for all the British traditionalism of "Evermore" and the first half of "Stairway to Heaven"a song that truly deserves the overused and abused designations of "ciassic" and "iconic"Zeppelin's blues roots also make a strong appearance on the album-closing "When the Levee Breaks," a hard-driving song that features a rare harmonica feature from Plant that takes up a full 80 seconds (and 20 percent) of the song before the singer comes in with the lyrics first written by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie in response to the great Mississippi flood of 1927. As different a song as it is, what ties "Levee" to the album's side two opener, "Misty Mountain Hop"what links every song on which he plays, in factis Bonham's almost impossible fat snare, roaring toms and dark, splashing cymbal work. Every bit the virtuoso as The Who's Keith Moon, what differentiates the two is that, as bombastic and busy as they both could be, Bonham grooves in ways that Moon never could; he also had a more sophisticated sense of time, as his playing on "Black Dog" demonstrates, playing across the rhythm of Jones and Page's riff as effortlessly as he bolsters the aptly titled "Four Sticks" where he did, indeed, play with two sets of sticks, shifting between 5/8 and 6/8 time as effortlessly as Page's layered acoustic and electric guitars and Jones' blend of bass and VCS3 synth came together to create one of the band's most abstract yet still positively grounded songs yet.

What differentiated Zeppelin from some of its peers at the time was its degree of sophistication. It may have rocked, and rocked hard, but Page's ear for guitars layers and Jones' rampant multi-instrumentalism (both born of years spent as studio musicians in the '60s), along with Bonham's ability to work in mixed meters even as he laid down grooves few could touch, all resulted in a groupand, here, an albumthat nobody else could have made. Even "Stairway to Heaven"overplayed and, consequently, parodied and sometimes (unfairly) ridiculedis, in fact, an epic blend of folkloric acoustic guitars and recorders that slowly builds, with the addition of Fender Rhodes, electric 12-string guitar and, ultimately, bass and drums into a powerhouse solo spot for Page that may be one of his best evera combination of blues-drenched bends and rapid-fire pull-offs that, nevertheless, is absolutely singableand one of Plant's most memorable vocal deliveries on record.

In fact, what makes Led Zeppelin IV such a success is not any one contributionthough Plant's singing continues to evolve, his range reaching seemingly impossible heights and his ability to squeeze every possible meaning out of a single, cracking scream a rare thing of beautybut the confluence of everyone's contributions. It's not about posturing solosthough Page certainly did his fair share in performanceit's about a group that hit the ground running with its first album, expanded its purview with its second and third, and here, with its fourth, reached a pinnacle that it would ultimately have a difficult time topping.

See original here:
Led Zeppelin Remastered: The Second Batch (IV and Houses of the Holy)

"I think it's clear we have enough talent to compete," Epstein said after the 2014 season ended. "Do we have enough talent to win? That's the beauty of baseball. You don't know until you try. This is the first time we've had enough talent to compete. I believe when you're competing, you have to set your sights high."

The Cubs look to add to their roster during the Winter Meetings, which officially begin Monday in San Diego. They made the biggest splash by signing free-agent manager Joe Maddon on Nov. 3 and now need to put some finishing touches on the roster. Can Epstein find what he wants in San Diego? Stay tuned.

Club needs

Starting pitching: The Cubs made their pitch to free agent Jon Lester in mid-November, reportedly offering the lefty a six-year deal of more than $130 million. Lester, who would join Jake Arrieta, Travis Wood and Hendricks in the rotation, has to decide if he wants to leave the American League and rejoin Epstein, who was his boss in Boston. If Lester goes somewhere else, will the Cubs pursue another free agent, such as Max Scherzer? Or could they sign a less expensive option, such as Jason Hammel? Epstein has scouted who will be available in free agency after the 2015 season and may decide to wait if Lester says no.

Catcher: Free agent Russell Martin turned down the Cubs for a chance to play with the Blue Jays. That doesn't necessarily mean the Cubs are looking for another catcher to replace Welington Castillo. The Cubs can go into 2015 with Castillo, who has improved defensively but did struggle offensively last season (.237) despite hitting a career-high 13 home runs.

9/23/14: Welington Castillo drives a two-run home run to left field for his 13th of the season, putting the Cubs in front with a 2-0 lead

Bench: The Cubs would like to add some veteran players and left-handed bats if possible, but those players will have to be happy with part-time roles. The youngsters on the roster are expected to get most of the playing time. The other goal is to find players who can get on base, such as infielder Tommy La Stella, acquired from the Braves in November.

Who they can trade if necessary

RHP Edwin Jackson: Jackson is an enigma. He has been durable, but he only posted seven quality starts last season after seven straight years reaching double-digits in that category. Batting average of balls in play against the right-hander was a career-high .357 this year, plus he's owed $26 million over the next two seasons. His last appearance was one inning in relief, and there was talk about switching the right-hander to the bullpen.

The rest is here:
Cubs seek additions to young, talented core

By Laura Vitto2014-12-05 17:31:17 UTC

Thanks to every selfie you took between 2005 and today, "duck face" has finally been added to the venerable Oxford Dictionaries.

It's joined there by 999 other popular words and phrases from the pop culture lexicon, such as "lolcat" and "five-second rule," known and beloved by anyone who has ever dropped a perfectly good piece of candy on the ground.

The update come just weeks after Oxford Dictionaries, part of the Oxford University Press, announced its choice for 2014 word of the year: "vape." The editors defined the word as a verb ("to inhale and exhale the vapor" produced by an e-cigarette) and a noun (referring to the e-cigarette itself).

A few of our other favorite new additions to Oxford include:

Al desko: While working at ones desk in an office (with reference to the consumption of food or meals).

Jel: Jealous.

IDC: I don't care.

Canadian tuxedo: A denim jacket worn with a pair of jeans.

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Oxford Dictionaries, your source for hawt duckface lolcats (and 997 more words)

OLDHAM Athletic host Doncaster Rovers in the second round of the FA Cup on Saturday and manager Lee Johnson has already set his sights on a dream Premier League clash in the next round.

Latics take on their League One counterparts at SportsDirect.com Park knowing victory would see them reach the third round of the competition for the fourth straight year.

The club has enjoyed some glamour ties in recent times, taking on Liverpool and Everton both home and away.

With that in mind, Johnson is hopeful that his team can overcome Doncaster and secure another lucrative game in round three.

I think the FA Cup has still got that romance in England so its really important for clubs like us, he said.

We had the fantastic trip to Anfield last year which was great for me on a personal level.

Being able to feel the atmosphere and the pressure of Premier League games was great for the players.

We have an important match against Doncaster first, though, which will be really tough.

They have got some excellent players like Richie Wellens and James Coppinger so we are under no illusions.

Its going to be a hard game and it will be Paul Dickovs first match back at the club too so theres a story to the fixture.

Excerpt from:
Oldham v Doncaster: FA Cup preview

December 4, 2014 - International League (IL) Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Moosic, Pa. - Realizing potential requires more than pure ability. It takes practice. It takes focus. It takes effort. And it takes a team. In year three as a rebranded squad, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Triple-A/New York Yankees) proudly boast a number of promotions and additions to bolster the club's efforts in 2015.

The new additions had Felicia Adamus brought on as the director of ticket operations; Morgan Andreas, Mike Harvey and Matt LaFrennie hired as regional group sales managers; Amanda Lance brought on as an inside sales representative; Barry Snyder hired as director of marketing & promotions; and Josh Dilts slotted as a corporate partnerships executive.

The promotion saw Rachel Mark, who originally joined the organization in March of 2013, lifted from manager to director of community relations.

"All of our changes enhance our status as NEPA's top destination for affordable, family entertainment," said RailRiders president/GM Rob Crain. "We have the best front office in minor league baseball and I can't wait for the 2015 season."

Please see below for bio information on the team's new full-time staffers:

Prior to joining the RailRiders, Adamus spent three and a half years with the Frederick Keys of the Carolina League. Her first look at minor league baseball came as a game-day staffer for her hometown team, the Erie Seawolves. After seven seasons in Erie, she moved on to become a ticket sales assistant with the Lakewood BlueClaws during their second consecutive championship season in 2010. She earned a B.A. in business with a concentration in sport business management in 2007 from Mercyhurst University. In 2010 she received a master of sport administration from Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y. She is an avid sports fan and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Andreas graduated from DeSales University in May of 2014 with a B.A. in sport communication. Prior to joining the RailRiders she spent two consecutive seasons with the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. She entered minor league baseball as a game day intern at Coca-Cola Park and later served in a full-time internship as a ticket sales associate for the 2014 season. In her off time, she enjoys cheering on her favorite sports teams and spending time with friends and family.

Dilts, an alumnus of Temple University's Fox School of Business, majored in business management with a concentration in marketing. Before attending Temple he received his associate's degree in business administration from SUNY Broome in Binghamton, N.Y. He began his career working for XFINITY Live! Philadelphia in the marketing department. After deciding to move closer to his hometown of Carbondale, Pa., he began working as an account executive for Entercom Communications' radio conglomerate. The nature of his work lead him to his current career in sports marketing and the position of corporate partnership executive creating customized marketing packages for national, regional and local brands using PNC Field/SWB RailRiders assets.

Harvey joined the RailRiders as a ticket operations intern for the inaugural 2013 season and later rejoined the team as a regional sales coordinator. The local product is a 2014 Keystone College graduate where he received a bachelor's degree in sport and recreation management. The NEPA native has enjoyed coming to see baseball games at PNC Field for many years and has seen all three incarnations of SWB baseball. He was born and raised in Fleetville, Pa.

LaFrennie graduated from McDaniel College in 2013 with a degree in communications. Prior to joining the RailRiders he spent two years in sales with the Advanced-A Daytona Cubs and one year in sales with the Advanced-A Bradenton Marauders. He grew up in Longmeadow, Mass. and currently resides in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. He likes to spend time with friends and family and watching sports, specifically baseball, hockey and football.

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Front Office Additions, Promotion for RailRiders