Willkommen » The Cubs observed a mo

Canton, OH - Former NFL general managers Bill Polian and Ron Wolf have been selected as finalists for the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame class under the newly-created contributors category. The two Super Bowl-winning executives will have their candidacies reviewed by the Hall of Fames Contributor Selection Committee on Jan. 31. They will need to receive 80 percent of votes cast to receive enshrinement. Polian was the architect of the AFC powerhouse Buffalo Bills teams of the early 1990s that went to four straight Super Bowls, then later helped the Indianapolis Colts to a pair of conference titles and a victory in Super Bowl XLI during a 15-year run as GM and team president from 1997-2011. In between, he served as the first GM as the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1994 and quickly assembled a team that reached the NFC Championship Game in its second season of existence. Its an incredible honor that I never envisioned ever happening, said Polian when he learned of becoming a finalist. Wolf is best known for reestablishing the Green Bay Packers back to prominence in the 1990s, an era highlighted by back-to-back Super Bowl appearances during the 1997 and 1998 seasons that included a win over New England in Super Bowl XXXI. The Packers compiled a 92-52 record during Wolfs nine-year term as GM from 1992-2000 and went to the playoffs six straight times during that period. Prior to joining Green Bay, Wolf worked two stints in the Raiders front office beginning in 1963 and was a part of another Super Bowl title during the 1983 season. I realize that none of this would be possible without an awful lot of support from a lot of other people, said Wolf in a statement. The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced in August it would be adding a contributor category that would be separate from the candidate list of ex- players and coaches. The decision was made to address the lack of Hall of Fame members that were former commissioners, owners and general managers. Over the HOFs last 49 years of voting, only nine people who fall under the contributor label have received induction. The Hall of Fame announced a preliminary list of 113 nominees for its 2015 class in September, with that group to be reduced to 25 semifinalists in November before 15 finalists will be voted upon in January. Cheap Vapormax China . The Stampeders announced the move on Wednesday. Bell spent his first two CFL seasons with the B. Vapormax Online . -- Terry Francona likened the atmosphere at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday to a playoff game in October. http://www.vapormaxoutlet.com/ .com) - The Vancouver Canucks will try to win two straight games for the first time since mid-January on Monday night as they play host to the struggling New York Islanders. Vapormax Outlet .com) - Fair Grounds commences its road to the Kentucky Derby Saturday with the 71st running of the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes. Nike Vapormax Clearance . -- Canadas Milos Raonic defeated Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France on Saturday to advance to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open. CHICAGO -- It didnt matter much to Anthony Rizzo that the Chicago Cubs finally swept a series. Winning three straight? Thats what registered with him. Rizzo hit a tiebreaking homer, Travis Wood went deep and drove in three runs, and the Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets 7-4 Thursday night to complete the three-game sweep. Rizzos solo drive off Vic Black (1-1) with one out in the seventh gave the Chicago a lead after they wasted a four-run lead. Andrew Browns two-run shot tied it 4-all in the top half. Junior Lake added a two-run triple in the eighth, and the Cubs came away with their first series sweep since they took three at San Francisco last July 26-28. "I know we won three games in a row, whether its a sweep or not," Rizzo said. "Its just nice to win ... especially in a series where we played good baseball." Wood delivered in a big way at the plate and was in line for the win before New York rallied from a 4-0 deficit. He hit a two-run homer in the second off Jacob deGrom after Luis Valbuena was ruled safe at home on a sacrifice fly to left following a replay review on what would have been the third out to give Chicago a 3-0 lead. And Wood drove in another run with a fielders choice grounder in the fourth. "I feel like were commanded to hit in this league, so you want to try to be as best as you can," said Wood, who has two homers this season and eight in his career. The Mets scored two while chasing Wood in the sixth and tied it in the seventh when Brown, who was recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day, connected off Justin Grimm. Rizzo, however, put the Cubs back on top with a long drive to right-centre on a 3-1 pitch for his team-leading 11th homer. Grimm (2-2) got the win. Pedro Strop stranded two runners in the eighth before Lake made it a three-run game in the bottom half. Neil Ramirez then converted his first save opportunity, retiring the side in the ninth, and the Cubs swept three from New York at Wrigley Field for the first time since April 2004. The Mets went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners after leaving 10 onn in each of the previous two games.dddddddddddd It added up to a sweep by a team with the worst record in the National League. "When they all got big league uniforms on, theyre major leaguers," New York manager Terry Collins said. "Theyre trying to beat you just as much as youre trying to beat them. Once in a while they play good, you dont play good, youre gonna get your butt kicked. Thats the way it is, thats just the way it is around here." They wasted several opportunities against Wood, who gave up two runs and five hits in five-plus innings. He tied a season high with five walks but kept pitching out of trouble until the Mets knocked him out in the sixth. He left with a run in after giving up a leadoff walk to Brown and back-to-back singles by Wilmer Flores and Ruben Tejada. Young added an RBI single off Brian Schlitter with two out, cutting it to 4-2, before Curtis Granderson popped out to end the rally. DeGrom gave up four runs and five hits over five innings and remained winless in five starts for New York. NOTES: The Cubs observed a moment of silence before the game for Don Zimmer, who managed the 1989 team to the NL East crown. Zimmer spent 66 years in pro baseball and was still working as a senior adviser for the Tampa Bay Rays before he died Wednesday at 83. He had been in a Florida rehab centre since heart surgery in mid-April. "I lived in St. Petersburg for 12 years, so I saw Don a lot," Collins said. "Its a sad day for baseball. One of the truly iconic baseball personalities in the game. I grew up a Dodgers fan and this guy was one of the great Dodgers. If it wasnt for Pee Wee (Reese) he would have had a tremendous career." ... Mets prized pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard left Thursdays start for Triple-A Las Vegas after experiencing discomfort in his left shoulder following a tag play at the plate. New York said he had precautionary X-rays and the results are pending. It was his first start after returning from the DL because of a mild strain in his right elbow. ... Chicago took Indiana C-OF Kyle Schwarber with the fourth pick in the draft. ' ' '