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Jan 4
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TAMPA, Fla. Vans Slip On Sale . - Now that the sputtering Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially been eliminated from post-season contention in the woeful NFC South, coach Lovie Smith may be ready to take another look at Mike Glennon to try to determine if the second-year pro is the teams quarterback of the future.The Bucs have stuck with career backup Josh McCown, Smiths hand-picked leader of an offence that ranks 29th among 32 teams in yards gained and 28th in scoring, as their through most of a disappointing season thatll see them miss the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.But his team sharing the leagues worst record with four other clubs that also have a shot of winding up with the No. 1 pick in next springs draft, it may be time to find out if Glennon — 1-4 as the starter when McCown was sidelined five games because of an injured right thumb — could be the long-term answer to making the franchise relevant again.McCown was sacked six times and hit on 14 other occasions, while throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble on a bad snap during Sundays 34-17 loss to the Detroit Lions.After initially leaving the door open to the possibility of increasingly playing time for Glennon and other young players now that Tampa Bay (2-11) is mathematically eliminated from the NFC South race, Smith emphasized Sunday that he has no intention of experimenting down the stretch.Right now, were just evaluating the video, kind of going from there, the coach said when asked specifically about whether he anticipates making a change at quarterback to give himself a chance to evaluate Glennon, a 2013 third-round draft pick who started 13 games as a rookie.The play at Carolina (4-8-1) on Sunday.We want to put the best product on the field, guys in the right spot, ones that give us the best opportunity to win — things weve been saying each week, Smith added. Thats where were at.The Bucs have gone 1-7 under the 35-year-old McCown, who signed a two-year, $10 million contract as a free agent after having his best season as a pro while filling in for an injured Jay Cutler in Chicago last season.But after throwing for 13 touchdowns and just one interception a year ago with the Bears, McCown has struggled with his accuracy and decision-making while completing 58 per cent of his passes for 1,790 yards, nine TDs and 11 interceptions for Tampa Bay.Glennon hasnt had much more success getting the Bucs into the end zone, completing 57.6 per cent of his throws for 1,417 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.The Bucs are averaging 18.2 points per game.While Glennon get another opportunity to run the offence, there probably wont be wholesale lineup changes.Were going to do what gives us the best chance to win. If playing a player in a position wont hurt our football team to win the football game, well always look at that. But we havent made it that far to even decide, Smith said.We havent started looking at video from Carolina, yet. We wont give up a game just the see to put a player in a situation like that, the coach added. I would like to think if theres a young player we havent played, when you go through a 2-11 season, you would have looked at that option a little bit earlier. I dont think we have a lot of those situations around.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Vans Shoes Clearance Sale . As if he had been rehearsing it, Vasquez looked around with a grimacing stare as he clinched two fists and flexed his muscles. What do you think of DeMar DeRozans face after he hits a big shot, he was asked moments earlier. Vans Shoes Discount . These teams will see plenty of each other in the next few weeks as three of the Canucks next nine games are against the Wild (after today they meet February 9th in Minnesota and again February 16th at Rogers Arena).LIVERPOOL, England -- What was looking like a gripping finale to the Premier League title race is starting to turn into a procession for Liverpool. The rampant leaders moved five points clear of Chelsea with three matches remaining thanks to a 3-2 victory over Norwich on Sunday, taking their winning run to 11 games. The win, sealed by two goals from the excellent Raheem Sterling and a 30th of the campaign from Luis Suarez, secured Champions League football for Liverpool for the first time since the 2009-10 season. But the Reds will have loftier ambitions than that as they seek a first English championship in 24 years. "At the start of the season, everyone thought it would be a struggle for us to get to fourth, so it shows the magnitude of the effort the players have put in," said Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, whose side plays Chelsea at home next Sunday. "We have cemented the first objective, which was cementing Champions League qualification. Now we will look forward to next weekend." It is promising to be a tighter race for the final Champions League spot, with fourth-place Arsenal and Everton both winning to leave them separated by just one point. Lukas Podolski scored twice for the second straight game in Arsenals 3-0 victory at Hull and Everton overwhelmed Manchester United in a 2-0 win that marked another dark day for United manager David Moyes, who endured a miserable return to the club he coached for 11 years. United cant now qualify for the Champions League -- the first time it will miss the competition in 19 years -- and even reaching the Europa League is a real doubt, with a top-six finish likely to be needed for that. United is seventh, six points behind Tottenham with a game in hand. "I couldnt fault how we played," Moyes said, "because we kept the ball incredibly well." Leighton Baines, from the penalty spot, and Kevin Mirallas scored Evertons goals in its third game in eight days to seal a first league double over United in 44 years. United looked sluggish, despite not having pllayed in 11 days since bowing out of the Champions League at Bayern Munich. Vans Old Skool Clearance . . Aaron Ramsey grabbed Arsenals other goal at KC Stadium in what was a rehearsal for next months FA Cup final against Hull. "We have had to cope with five or six players all out at the same time and we have done as well as we can," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose team looked a different proposition going forward with fit-again pair Ramsey and Mesut Ozil back in the team. "We were having problems scoring goals away from home and (Ramsey) and Ozil give us a cutting edge in the final third that makes us much more dangerous." Liverpool is now 23 points ahead of great rival United -- an amazing turnaround from last season when Liverpool placed seventh -- and a victory over Chelsea will surely see the championship trophy return to Anfield. Sterling crashed home a brilliant long-range strike in the fourth minute before setting up Suarez in the 11th minute for his 12th goal against Norwich in their last five meetings. The Uruguay striker is the first Liverpool player since Ian Rush in the 1986-87 season to net 30 goals in one league campaign. After Gary Hooper cut the deficit in the 54th, Sterling re-established Liverpools two-goal lead with his second that saw him intercept a pass inside his own half, weave his way through Norwichs defence before taking aim with a shot that looped over goalkeeper John Ruddy thanks to a deflection. Robert Snodgrass 77th-minute header set up a nervy finish but Liverpool held on to put clear distance to Chelsea, which lost 2-1 to Sunderland on Saturday. Manchester City is third, nine points behind Liverpool with two games in hand. Rodgers said he had used the words of Margaret Aspinall, the mother of one of the 96 victims in the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, as inspiration before the Norwich game. "We put them up on the wall (in the dressing room)," Rodgers said. "This is all one club at this moment in time and we are all fighting to achieve the ultimate goal." ' ' '
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