leave this program because they have never done anyt

As owners descend on Florida this week for their annual December meetings, the league and the game itself are at a crossroads, with the NHLs almost-20-year relationship with the Winter Olympics hanging in the balance.Ive covered Winter Olympic tournaments in Italy, Canada and Russia, and I never thought it would come to this. But its time for the NHL to walk away from its longstanding love/hate relationship with the five rings.The International Olympic Committee seems content to let that happen. In April, the IOC announced it would no longer pay the travel and insurance costs of NHL players or the ancillary costs associated with shutting down the NHL on a quadrennial basis.The move has left the International Ice Hockey Federation in the unenviable position of having to beg for scraps from member nations in an effort to placate the NHL and its players. Commissioner Gary Bettman said during the Stanley Cup finals that hes pretty sure that our teams are not really interested in paying for the privilege for disrupting our season. Although?Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin told colleague Pierre LeBrun at the World Cup of Hockey that he plans to play for Russia?in the 2018 Games regardless of the NHLs decision, there appears to be a consensus among players and players association officials weve talked to that they shouldnt be paying to play in the Olympics, given that they do not receive any remuneration for doing so.That the IIHF would try to piece together enough money to cover the costs has already created outrage in the hockey community. Where would that money come from? Even if IIHF president Rene Fasel has the funds, presumably on some level they would come at the expense of developing the game in Canada, the United States and other hockey nations. And that would be a disgrace.Before the NHL first joined the Olympics, for the Nagano Games in 1998, it was hard to imagine what the tournament would look like, with the worlds best players all gathered in one place on sports grandest stage. Five Olympic tournaments later, its perhaps even more difficult to picture what the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, might look like without hockeys brightest stars.An Olympic hockey tournament without NHL players would definitely be different. Would it be diminished? Probably. But maybe less so than you might think.The fact that the NHL is on the verge of walking away from the Olympics -- a prospect more likely now that the players have rejected the leagues offer?to extend the current collective bargaining agreement by three years in exchange for Olympic participation?-- reinforces the fact that nothing about hockey and the Games is black and white.Have there been memorable Olympic moments? Of course.Sidney Crosbys golden overtime winner over the U.S. in Vancouver in 2010 capped one of the greatest games of all time and put a cherry on top of one of the greatest best-on-best tournaments ever. From start to finish, the Vancouver Games were chock-a-block with dynamic performances and compelling games.And there was Canadas seminal gold medal win in 2002 in Salt Lake City, with Wayne Gretzky at the helm, which erased 50 years of disappointment in mens Olympic hockey for the country. The semifinal game between Russia and the U.S., the team beaten by Canada in the 02 gold medal game, was among the most dramatic in international play.What about the other tournaments? Well, thats the problem.When the game is played on NHL-sized ice,?as was the case in Vancouver, rather than on an Olympic-sized rink, the game is more enthralling. Its as simple as that.When we talk about the Olympics in terms of growing the game, what game are we talking about growing? The NHL game and the Olympic one are sometimes mutually exclusive. Forget the time difference and the difficulties of scheduling Olympic games during North American prime time. The more important question -- and ultimate incentive for owners -- is: Did the Olympic games in Japan, Italy and Russia do anything to promote the NHL game globally?The answer is pretty simple: No.Olympic games played on international-sized ice, which is 15 feet wider, are not NHL quality. Its not even close. To be blunt, its often unwatchable.Can you name memorable moments from those non-North American Olympic tournaments?A few: Canadas shootout loss to the Czech Republic in the semifinals of the Nagano Games, in which Gretzky was inexplicably left on the bench. The U.S.s shootout win over Russia in a round-robin game in Sochi that made multiple shooter?T.J. Oshie (T.J. Sochi?) a minor celebrity outside the game for a few days was great theater. But it was ultimately a meaningless contest, as both teams finished out of the medals.Two shootouts, a device the NHL is working to weed out of its game back in North America -- thats what we think of.What else? How about the Swedes tacit acknowledgement that they tanked a round-robin game against Slovakia in 2006 to gain an easier route to the gold-medal game, in which they beat Finland? Or the Americans smashing up their dorm rooms in Nagano after an early exit from the tournament?Canada was defensively dominant in Sochi in a way that might never be matched in international best-on-best play. But werent we talking about growing the game? Im not sure watching Canada squash the life out of all comers for a fortnight is the best way to attract legions of new fans around the globe.If the powers that be could guarantee that the Olympics in South Korea would be played on NHL ice, Id be all for it. Same for Beijing in 2022. Bring it on.But that isnt going to happen. And for every shining, mark-your-life-calendar-by-it moment such as Crosbys overtime winner, therell be dozens of Olympic games that are pedestrian and largely forgettable.And so, as the NHL edges closer to making the seminal decision to quit the Games, we contemplate the clash of the Olympic mythology -- the idea that Olympic hockey is grand and important and compelling -- with the reality that, more often than not, it is none of those things.It makes it easier to let go when you look at it that way. Wholesale Nike React Shoes .500 on the season. The Jets are now 0-5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. The game started the same way the Vancouver game started the night before, with the Jets taking the first two penalties of the game and killing off the first, but the Oilers getting on the board first, scoring on the second man-advantage. Wholesale Nike React China . But what about the officials? 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CLEMSON, S.C. -- Deon Cain could not bear to watch Clemsons national championship game last January. He shut off his phone, stayed away from friends following every play, did not Tweet or read posts on social media.Cain, suspended before the Orange Bowl , was upset that he had let his teammates down in the biggest games of the year and did not want reminders of his failure.I know how hard our team worked last year, Cain said this week, his first time taking questions since the suspension. I felt like I let my team down just not being in that game.Cain, who watched the game over the summer, has returned to the field and found his freshman form when he caught 35 passes for 582 yards and five touchdowns. And that production all came during Clemsons second half surge when the team averaged 558 yards and 40.1 points a game.He caught his first touchdown pass this season with a 23-yard, fourth-quarter grab that turned out to be the winning points in Clemsons 30-24 victory over Troy last week.Cain and No. 5 Clemson (2-0) face FCS opponent South Carolina State (0-2) on Saturday.The wide receiver cherishes being able to look forward to playing.After Dabo Swinney sent him home the night before the Orange Bowl, it was a time for reflection. Instead of becoming angry and spiteful, blaming others, Cain -- who also missed spring practice -- accepted his responsibility and worked to get back in Swinneys favor.He still has a program and a team to run, Cain said of Swinney. And you dont want anything to make our whole program look bad. So I had to sit down and realize that I had to get myself right to help this team.Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson kept Cain sharp when the two would run a few routes. Thats been evident early on as Cain has broken free of defenders several times the first two games.Im still fast as lightning, the 6-fooot-2, 200-pound Cain quipped.ddddddddddddain, kicker Ammon Lakip and tight end Jay Jay McCullough were all sent back to campus for violating team rules. Lakip was a senior last year while McCullough is no longer with the program.Many wondered if Cain would be back with the Tigers. He was suspended for the Miami game last October for a team violation and his postseason suspension looked to be the final straw. Cain realized the opportunity he had with the Tigers, both academically and for his potential pro career. Clemson, emerging as Wide Receiver U with DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins, Adam Humphries and Martavis Bryant all former Tiger pass catchers in the NFL.I would never leave this program because they have never done anything bad to me, said Cain, of Tampa, Florida. I put this program on a pedestal because theyve done a lot of stuff to help me. I just wasnt mature enough to see the opportunity they were giving me.Cain leaned on family to keep him grounded and striving toward his goals during his time off the field.I know and they know that I have a big future in front of me and goals that I want to set that Ive been working toward my whole life, Cain said. Its not something that I want to throw away.Swinney said Cain served his time and has lived up to responsibilities since returning to the team. The Tigers could certainly use the sophomores breakaway skills to kick start their sluggish offense, which has totaled 49 points in two games.Cain added 15 pounds over the summer without losing his speed -- and proving he has bought into the teams goals.Its fine that that Im back with the team and were all in good graces, he said.---OnlineAP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '