Liebe, Lust und Leben » was calling the White Sox games.

Former St. Louis Blues captain David Backes said he got goosebumps thinking about joining a team that already includes centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.These guys get it, the free-agent forward said Friday after signing with the Boston Bruins in the first 30 minutes of NHL free agency. They know what its going to take to win. Thats what sold me on it. ... If you have prominent players that are putting team first, the rest of the guys really have no choice.A two-time U.S. Olympian, Backes agreed to a five-year, $30 million deal with the Bruins and said he hoped to help the Original Six club return to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Listing off some of the players already on the roster, Backes said it was more of a retooling than a rebuilding.Some guys would have looked at it like, Youve already got Bergeron and Krejci, where will I play? David said, Boy, I get to play with Bergeron and Krejci, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said. These guys are going to be the leading core to get us where we want to go. The younger guys are going to have to get on board.Backes, 32, is the first major addition this offseason for a team that won the 2011 Stanley Cup and returned to the finals two years later. The team re-signed defenseman Torey Krug and bought out the contract of defenseman Dennis Seidenberg on Thursday. Free agents Loui Eriksson and Lee Stempniak agreed to deals with the Canucks and Carolina, respectively.Also signing with Boston on the first day of free agency were defensemen Tommy Cross and John-Michael Liles, goalie Anton Khudobin, and forwards Riley Nash, Tyler Randell and Tim Schaller.Theyre trying to get pieces back that will get them over the hump, Backes said. They barely missed the playoffs last year, and if they had [made it] I dont think anyone would have wanted to play them.Backes had 21 goals and 24 assists last season for the Blues. In a 10-year NHL career -- all with St. Louis -- he has 206 goals and 254 assists in 727 regular-season games.Backes, whos from Minneapolis, said it was difficult for his family to leave St. Louis, the team that selected him in the second round of the 2003 draft.It was tough in that its all Ive known, he said in a conference call with reporters. It happens a lot in this business, it hasnt happened to us. But change is good.Backes bid farewell to St. Louis in a lengthy Twitter post:Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said talks with his captain broke down over the length of the deal.I had no problem bringing David Backes back, and I wish we could have, he said. I wasnt comfortable with the term. It was problematic for me, personally, to [sign] out that far with players. Theres analytical data [that] shows where players play at their peak, and we wanted to try and stay within a window. We were ready to stretch that window but only to a certain level.But Backes said he has a lot left.Im 32, not 52, he said. I think theres plenty of legs and energy left in me. I expect to still be at the top of my game.The Associated Press contributed to this report. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Lakers Jersey .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jersey . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. The Northern Irishman arrived at the course on Wednesday hoping to start, but after hitting a few balls on the practice putting green Clarke advised officials he was not fit to play. http://www.lakersteamofficial.com/Kobe-Bryant-Lakers-Jersey/ . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. Nick Van Exel Jersey . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. Wilt Chamberlain Jersey . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon. AMHERST, Mass. -- DeJon Jarreau scored 16 points, including the final five points of the last 34 seconds, to power UMass past Temple 70-67 on Thursday night.Jarreau took a jab-step and pulled up from the wing for a 3-pointer that made it 68-67 for UMass (2-1) with 34 seconds left. After Daniel Dingle missed a 3 for Temple (1-2) with 11 seconds left, Jarreau slipped behind the defense for an outlet and breakaway layup to cap the scoring.Quinton Rose missed another 3 for the Owls and LLuwane Pipkins secured the rebound for the win.ddddddddddddNeither team led by more than three points for the final 17:07 and Temple took a 67-65 lead on Alani Moore IIs jumper with 50 seconds left.Donte Clark added 14 points and Rashaan Holloway scored 11 for the Minutemen.Obi Enechionyia had 26 points and made 5 of 10 from 3-point range to lead the Owls. ' ' '