He is Australias most decorated basketballer, achieving almost everything during a celebrated 20-year playing career.On Thursday night, the great Andrew Gaze chalked up his first win as a rookie NBL coach after guiding the Sydney Kings to a pressure-relieving 88-84 win over the Illawarra Hawks in Wollongong.But the last thing the seven-time NBL MVP and five-time Olympian wanted was to hog the limelight after Sydneys round-two victory, especially with a Saturday night home clash with the Cairns Taipans to prepare for.Im more happy for the players, Gaze said of his maiden coaching triumph.As I keep telling these guys Im here to try and help them, and I get excited with their joy and excitement because I know what theyve been through as players.My relief is that these guys care. They care about the game, they care about winning, they care about the opportunity they have, so I feel the pressure that they go through and I was more relieved that we broke our duck and got a win in a very, very tough environment.Ive had more than my fair share of unbelievable times and now Ive got this opportunity to share in some more in a different capacity.Whatever this journey of mine is, I just want the players to enjoy the experience, to be able to enjoy the wins and deal with the losses.Losses have piled up for Sydney in recent years and thats a trend Gaze hopes to reverse.The club cleared out half of last seasons playing roster and recruited some big names to fill the vacancies.Eyebrows were raised when the Kings lost last weeks season-opening home game to the Brisbane Bullets, but the hard-earned road win over a formidable foe like Illawarra underlined the Kings potential.Pleased as he was to see his side register its first win, Gaze had already shifted his attention to the Taipans, who lost in overtime to titleholders Perth last week.Its a very limited time to recover and we dont have a lot of time to prepare, he said.We have a video session [on Friday] and a walk-through session on game day, but it is what it is.All teams have to do it. Im not crying and saying weve been harshly done by, but it does make it tough. Custom 76ers T-shirts . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. Wholesale Custom 76ers Shirts . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. http://www.custom76ersjersey.com/ . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services. Cheap Custom 76ers Jersey . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. Authentic Custom 76ers Jersey . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal.MISSION VIEJO, Calif. -- If leadership counts for anything, New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez might have a leg-up on teammate Geno Smith for the starting position. Sanchez has been the engineer of Jets West Camp, a three-day get-together at his former high school for several of his teammates, which concludes Saturday. The itinerary includes classroom work to study film and plays, as well as on-field passing drills. The camp has given some of Sanchezs teammates a chance to see him in a somewhat new role. "Hes kind of an extension of the coaching staff," said tight end Konrad Reuland. "It shows that hes taking the initiative and you always want that out of a leader. When we have our meetings, he runs the meetings. I think thats important. I think guys respect the fact that he puts this on. Hes done a good job with it." For Sanchez, its all about the competition and preparing for it. Being the star quarterback at Mission Viejo High School and USC helped him realize the importance of being prepared on the field, and building bonds off of it. The camps schedule included off-the-field activities that allowed the players to build a rapport and grow closer to each other. Thursdays extracurricular activity included go kart racing, while Fridays passing drills ended with a water-balloon toss. "Any time you spend time away from the (Jets training) facility to be out here with the guys is never a bad thing," Sanchez said. "Teams that are closer generally do pretty well. You just trust those players. You develop that rapport off the field." This is the fourth year that Jets West Camp has been held. It is strictly voluntary and Sanchez doesnt worry about who attends and who doesnt. One noticeable no-show was Smith, who remained in Florida. He claimed that he wasnt aware of the camp. Sanchez said he invited everyone. "I dont hold it against any of the guys that cant make it," he said. "I probably should have said that right away. There are no hard feelings about anything like that. "Guys are on vacation and some guys are getting married. Theyre doing stuff. There are plenty of other things they could be doing. If they can make the sacrifice and be here, awesome. If they cant, totally fine." Smith wasnt the only Jets quarterback to miss this weeks trip to Orange County. Greg McElroy and Matt Simms were also no-shows. That prompted Sanchez to call on USC quarterrbacks Max Wittek and Cody Kessler -- the winners of the water-balloon contest -- to help out when he needed a break.dddddddddddd Sanchez is aware that things havent gone his or the Jets way recently. Hes not hiding from the mistakes he has made on or off the field. That includes a recent video on which he was caught exposing his bare backside while dancing with two women. "The video is a little embarrassing but its a good reminder that youre in the spotlight and you need to be ever-watchful and careful of who youre with and what youre doing," he said. "Whether its harmless, whether youre in the privacy of your own setting, you feel like everything is fine and safe, youve just got to be careful. Thats just a good example of that." After last seasons 8-8 record, the Jets brought in a new general manager in John Idzik and a new offensive co-ordinator in Marty Mornhinweg. Shortly thereafter, Idzik announced that there would be a competition for the teams quarterback spot. "This is a league that changes very quickly," Sanchez said. "Its What have you done for me lately? "(On) teams that dont make the playoffs a couple of years in a row, coaches get fired, players get traded, things change, organizations blow up and start over. Were with a new regime, John Idzik wants a quarterback competition. Im still here, lets compete. Thats all I can control. Thats really what Im focused on. I cant worry about anything in the past except getting better from it and moving on." Sanchez is looking forward to the competition with Smith -- and to retaining his starting spot. "Any kind of competition is good," he added. "When it comes down to competition, I put my money on myself. I bet on myself and go play and go win the job." Hes not alone. Sanchezs teammates are equally as passionate about turning things around for the organization. They see Jets West Camp as a good place to start. "This is great because Im behind on offence," said tight end Kellen Winslow, who had 75 receptions in 2011 but played in only one game last season because of contractual issues. "I need to catch up. Im just coming in trying to be a piece of the puzzle, trying to make plays for the team. "In this league youve got to get better or youre just getting worse. Its all about repetition and getting better every day. Im lucky to have job. Im happy to be back." ' ' '
