12-26-2019, 12:59 AM
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama can appreciate a team overcoming long odds. Vapormax 2021 . Welcoming the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks to the White House on Wednesday, Obama took note that some football analysts hadnt seen Seattle as a top-tier team. A die-hard fan of his hometown Chicago Bears, Obama nevertheless said he felt a certain kinship with the overachieving Seahawks. "As a guy who was elected president named Barack Obama, I root for the underdog," the president joked. The Seahawks clinched their first Super Bowl victory in the history of the franchise in February by beating the Denver Broncos 43-8. The distinction for the team and by extension for the NFL came a day after a group of retired players accused the league in a lawsuit of turning a blind eye to the use of painkillers by teams that later led to serious complications. Obama has expressed misgivings about the violence of the sport, saying in an interview with the New Yorker published early this year that if he had a son he would not let him play pro football. Next week, Obama will hold a White House meeting on concussions and sports safety at the White House that will include young athletes, professional athletes, parents, coaches and health experts. In a nod to that controversy, Obama took note of Seahawks owner Paul Allens charitable foundation that has donated millions of dollars to research traumatic brain injuries. "Obviously this is a concern of the NFL, but is also a concern of our troops," Obama said. Obama singled out the teams outspoken cornerback, Richard Sherman, for being a role model to young people. Sherman was born in Compton, California, once a centre of gang activity and a city that suffered from severely underperforming schools. Sherman however was a standout student who attended Stanford University on a scholarship. "If he seems a little brash, its because youve got to have attitude sometimes if you are going to overcome some of this adversity," Obama said. He also recognized Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who many scouts believed would be too small to succeed in the NFL only to set a record for most wins in two first seasons by any quarterback. "He also became only the second African-American quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl," Obama said. "And the best part about it is nobody commented on it, which tells you the progress that weve made, although weve got more progress to make." Vapormax 2020 . Join World Soccer Pickem 2014 for your chance to win $5,500 in cash prizes by picking the winner of each game all the way through to the tournament final. Will you ride a favourite such as Spain or Germany, or cast your lot with an underdog like Ivory Coast or Mexico? Perhaps key victories from Netherlands or the United States will be your key to victory. Fake Vapormax . TSN 1290s coverage begins with Hustler & Lawless at 3pm. Rick Ralph hosts the Official Jets Pre-game Show at 5pm. https://www.cheapvapormaxoutlet.com/ . The 25-year-old native of Milford, Conn., has 18 points in 41 games this season. The five-foot-eight 166-pound centre also has 28 points (10-18) in 15 games with AHL Oklahoma City.DENVER -- Frank Morales didnt try to paint corners or make perfect pitches. Instead, his strategy was relatively simple: Just pitch the ball and see what happens. In this instance, a lot of good things. Morales was masterful on the mound as he outdueled Madison Bumgarner, leading the Colorado Rockies to a 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night. "Frankies a tough competitor," manager Walt Weiss said. "He was absolutely huge tonight." Morales (2-1) knew it was his night when he unleashed his first sinker and it danced all over the place. He decided right then and there that he wasnt going to be too fine with his splitter or his cutter or even his sinker, just let the pitch do what it naturally does. The hard-throwing lefty allowed five hits over seven innings, which matches the longest outing of his career. His only mistake was a hanging slider to Hunter Pence in the fifth, which he hit for a homer. "I wanted to make sure the hitter is uncomfortable with my pitches," Morales said. Bumgarner (2-2) was nearly as effective as Morales, his only slipups on fastballs to Troy Tulowitzki and Nolan Arenado, whos solo shot in the fifth put the Rockies ahead for good. Bumgarner allowed nine hits in eight innings. It was the first complete game by a Giants starter in 2014 and third of Bumgarners career. "Im not frustrated for myself. We should be winning all these games right now, but just going through a rough patch," said Bumgarner, whose team has dropped five of six. "Its just about getting out of it as quick as you can." Morales hasnt fared all that well against San Francisco in his career, entering the game with a 0-3 mark and a 6.57 ERA. But he handcuffed the Giants most of the game. He worked his way into a jam in his seventh and final inning when he allowed a two-out double to his counterpart, Bumgarner. Morales struck out Angel Pagan with a sinking cutter -- his 99th pitch of the night -- to end the threat. Morales pumped his fist and let out a scream before heading toward the dugout. "All game I was throwing only fastballs away to (Pagan)," Morales explained. "I was like, OK, its time to throw my cutter down and in. Hes not looking for that pitch." No, he wasnt. PPagan wasnt the only Giant guessing at Morales assortment of pitches. Wholesale Vapormax. "Morales, hes just got good stuff," said Pence, who hit his second homer of the season. "A lot of life on his fastball." Things got a little shaky for Colorado in the eighth, when the Giants had runners on first and second with one out. Rex Brothers was summoned and enticed Pablo Sandoval to hit into a double play to quell the rally. Same thing with the ninth, when LaTroy Hawkins took over after Brothers got the first out of the inning. Hawkins walked pinch hitter Brandon Crawford and allowed a single to Gregor Blanco, who was also pinch hitting. Hector Sanchez, the third straight pinch hitter, struck out and Pagan bounced out to short to end the comeback bid. Arenado hit a solo shot into the seats in left to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games. Hes hitting .365 during the streak, with two homers and six RBIs. Tulowitzki flashed his fielding skills in the top of the fourth and hitting proficiency in the bottom half. With runners at first and second and one out, the smooth-fielding shortstop dove in the hole to snare Joaquin Arias grounder, quickly getting up and throwing to second for a force out. That prevented a potential run from scoring. Tulowitzki then caught Ehire Adrianzas shallow fly to left to get the Rockies out of the sticky situation. Leading off in the bottom of the frame, Tulowitzki homered to left-centre. It was his third homer of the season. Mixing a 93-mph fastball with a late-moving cutter, Bumgarner kept the Rockies off balance most of the night in a hard-luck loss. "Bum pitched great. He did a real nice job," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Complete game, two runs in this ballpark. Thats a nice effort." NOTES: Adrianza wore jersey No. 6 instead of No. 53. ... The last Giants starter to throw a complete game in a loss was Barry Zito on June 18, 2010, at Toronto. ... RHP Matt Cain (0-3) searches for his first win of the season in the series finale Wednesday. The Rockies will throw RHP Tyler Chatwood (1-0). ... The Rockies have won five of six. ... The previous time Morales pitched seven innings was June 28, 2012, at Seattle when he was with Boston. ' ' '