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REGINA -- Some children skipped school and adults did the same with work to join the crowd at a Grey Cup parade in Regina on Tuesday. The parade and rally were held to celebrate the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday in the CFLs championship game. Flatbed trucks carried players from Mosaic Stadium through part of downtown Regina that has been dubbed the "Green Mile" to the Saskatchewan legislature. Fans dressed in green and white cheered along the route, then followed the players to the rally at the provincial legislature. The biggest cheers were for Riders head coach Corey Chamblin, quarterback Darian Durant and running back Kory Sheets. "Lets go Riders," Chamblin shouted when he stepped up to the microphone at the rally, and the crowd echoed back. "I love it," said Chamblin. "This is a special place, with special people, with a special team and we deserve the cup. On behalf of the premier and the mayor, we all have the month of December off." Then came the chants of "Darian, Darian, Darian" and the Riders quarterback was greeted with wild enthusiasm. "I remember when we came back from Calgary in 2009 and I told you guys that wed be playing for plenty of Grey Cups ahead and I made that promise to you. And now Im so glad, with the help of my guys, to finally bring that Grey Cup right back here to Saskatchewan where it belongs," Durant said to the crowd. "I just want to thank everyone, especially in Rider Nation for all your support, not just for me but for this team. "We had a lot of ups and downs this season, but we stuck together, you guys stuck with us, and now this is the ultimate reward at the end of the day. Theres no better feeling than to have won this Grey Cup right here in Saskatchewan, where it belongs." The crowd screamed when Durant went inside the legislature and raised the cup on a balcony over their heads. The path to winning the CFL championship was years in the making for the Roughriders. The organization, including general manager Brendan Taman, had been working to put together a championship winning team since 2011, when it was announced that Saskatchewan would host the 101st Grey Cup. Saskatchewan last won the cup in 2007. This was the first time the Riders have won the Grey Cup on their home turf. It was also the last Grey Cup to be played at Mosaic Stadium, which will be replaced with a new facility in 2017. The players were high-fiving and hugging fans, who stood shoulder to shoulder at the rally in temperatures that dipped into the minus teens. But Regina resident Dean Dohms said he wouldnt miss it. Dohms brought his two children to the parade and rally, saying he has "authorized the hooky (from school) today." "Its just such an amazing thing that we feel they need to take part in the whole thing," said Dohms. R.A. Dickey Red Jersey . According the Toronto Star, a knee injury will keep Sundin out of the lineup, which includes former teammates Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker, Tie Domi and Curtis Joseph. Jose Bautista Pink Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.officialmlbshoponline.net/Toronto-Blue-...ck-Frid ay/ . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. Paul Molitor Blue Jays Jersey . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. Roger Clemens Jersey .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.NEW YORK - In the summer of 2006 John Salmons nixed a sign-and-trade deal that would have made him a Raptor heading into the prime of his career. He was 26 years old at the time and coming off his best season in Philadelphia. But his faith had led him in a different direction, it led him to Sacramento. Over seven years later, his career has come around full circle. He starred for playoff teams in Chicago and Milwaukee, ended up back with the Kings and now, fate - in the form of a seven-player swap - has finally steered him to Toronto. The 34-year-old swingman was supposed to be a spare part in the salary dump of Rudy Gay, a contract that could be bought out at an affordable price in the offseason or moved at the deadline. He still may end up being those things but two weeks into his ironic tenure in Toronto, he has brought something no one expected him to, something the Raptors have been without for years. As head coach Dwane Casey has put it, Salmons brings "old-school toughness." "He has a settling effect when hes in the game and it helps us," Casey said of Salmons, who is averaging 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds, playing just under 26 minutes per game in six contests with the Raptors. "He doesnt get rattled." A versatile defender, Salmons has been used to frustrate the opponents best wing player, most notably Monta Ellis and Kevin Durant in a pair of surprising road victories last week. Hes been one of the first players off Caseys bench, a facilitator in the offence down the stretch but most importantly, hes been a calming presence in the face of adversity and thats rubbing off on his new teammates. After engineering a 19-point comeback in Dallas and withstanding a run from the leagues best team in Oklahoma City, the team pointed to Salmons and his understated brand of leadership. "Im not a rah-rah guy at all," the even-keeled Salmons admitted after Sundays win over the Thunder. "But Ive been around for a long time, Ive experienced a lot so I just try to give my advice when I can." "Being in the league as long as Ive been Ive seen a lot of things and I just try to show poise on the court and lead like that." If you didnt know any better you could easily mistake Salmons unflappable persona for indifference but that, as his new coach has learned, is not the case. "Hes very quiet, [a] quiet leader," Casey said. "He does more [with] his actions than his words but hes a solid man. You engage him inn conversation and he has a lot to say.dddddddddddd. People take that quietness for, whatever but he has a lot to say once you sit down and talk with him. "I like his demeanour. I like his approach. Hes an old-school pro." Its been some time since the Raptors have rostered a vet able and willing to make that type of impact on the teams younger players. You may have to go all the way back to the days of Charles Oakley, Kevin Willis, Doug Christie and the veteran-laden teams that helped turn Vince Carter into an overnight superstar. "I remember walking in [on] day two," Carter reminisced before facing the Raptors in Dallas last week. "And Oak grabbed me by the shoulder and said, hey, Im going to take care of you and show you how to be a professional and be a pro in this league. "And I think of those days and I think of coming to practice when they used to kick the ball in the stands and what do you say? Nothing, youve just got to go get it. You learn a lot from that." Salmons is not Oakley - few are - but his experience and know-how could go a long way in the continued development of sophomores Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas. Then theres DeMar DeRozan, another willing student who, in his fifth NBA season has been forced to learn on the fly without the benefit of a mentor. Veteran players have come and gone - DeRozan credited Reggie Evans and Jarrett Jack - but the roster has mostly been in flux since the 24-year-old was drafted. No one has been around long enough to truly take DeRozan under their wing. Salmons may not be a long-term fixture either, but for now DeRozan is taking in what he can. "Hes played in the playoffs, hes been a leader a long time, played with a lot of great guys," DeRozan said of his new teammates. "He knows how to play the game. "Were definitely paying attention to it, Im even paying more attention to it. I always look at it like, I could always learn more and thats what were doing." Salmons is due to make $7 million next season but the Raptors will only owe him $1 million should they waive him prior to June 30. For that reason, he could become a valuable trade chip and thanks to Masai Ujiris timely acquisition of the four Kings players, he can be repackaged before the February deadline. His time in Toronto may end up being short-lived but even as a temporary player, he could have a long-lasting impact on the future of the Raptors franchise. Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China ' ' '
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