62nd to cap Sportings first loss in six rounds. from miao1234's blog
MIAMI -- In their fitful, laborious search for a general manager, the Miami Dolphins finally found someone to say yes: Dennis Hickey. Preston Brown Jersey . The longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers executive accepted the job Sunday, ending a search that lasted nearly three weeks. Hickeys hiring came after the Dolphins were rejected by several candidates. New England Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio and Tennessee Titans vice-president of player personnel Lake Dawson turned down job offers only hours before Miami reached out to Hickey, while Cleveland Browns assistant general manager Ray Farmer withdrew from consideration Thursday. Several others declined invitations to interview as a replacement for Jeff Ireland, whose six-year stint as general manager ended Jan. 7 when he and owner Stephen Ross agreed to part ways. Hickey has been with the Buccaneers for 18 seasons, including the past three as director of player personnel. He was their director of college scouting for six years. He was not interviewed for Tampa Bays GM job when it became open after this season. The Bucs won four division titles and one Super Bowl championship during his time with them, but went 28-52 over the past five years and had spotty draft results during that span. Hickey was among eight candidates interviewed by Miami, with Ross aide Matt Higgins and executive vice-president of football administration Dawn Aponte helping the owner with the screening process. The other finalist was Dolphins assistant general manager Brian Gaine, who worked under Ireland. Some candidates and potential candidates expressed concern about the Dolphins power structure, including the role of Aponte, who clashed with Ireland. In a news release to announce the hiring, the Dolphins said Hickey will oversee all aspects of football operations and report directly to Ross. Coach Joe Philbin will continue to report directly to Ross as well, while Apontes place in the chain of command wasnt spelled out. Ross loyalty to Philbin, who is 15-17 in two seasons with Miami, may have been a stumbling block for some candidates. In a statement, Ross cited Hickeys willingness to work with Philbin as a factor in the hiring. "When we started the search, I outlined qualities that I was looking for in this position," Ross said. "These included a collaborative team-first person who can work with Joe, demonstrated player evaluation expertise, and someone who is open-minded and creative. Dennis fit all of these criteria." The Titans Dawson released a statement saying he had declined Miamis job offer. "I felt Stephen is a great owner, passionate and wants to win, but the details of the offer didnt align with my vision," Dawson said. "I turned it down because it wasnt an ideal fit for my family and me." So Ross turned to Hickey, who was interviewed for the first time 10 days into the search. The protracted process reinforced Ross reputation for having difficulty closing deals with the Dolphins. In the past, the New York real estate billionaire has unsuccessfully courted Peyton Manning, Jim Harbaugh and Jeff Fisher. Hickeys task will be to upgrade the roster after Miami collapsed late in the season to blow a playoff berth and finish 8-8. The Dolphins havent been above .500 since 2008, the longest such stretch in franchise history. The tumultuous 2013 season included a locker-room bullying scandal that drew national scrutiny, and a report on the NFL investigation into the case will be released after the Super Bowl. "The Dolphins certainly have talented players," Hickey said in a statement, "and I am eager to hit the ground running with our personnel and coaching staffs. We will all work together to construct a team that will make our organization and fans proud." Hickey will be introduced at a news conference Tuesday. AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tenn. contributed to this report. Bryce Brown Bills Jersey . Luongo will be making his first start at the TD Garden since Game 6 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final when he surrendered three first period goals in a potential Cup-clinching game for the Canucks. Erik Pears Bills Jersey . The result is a reflection on the nostalgia of playing hockey on frozen ponds growing up in Parry Sound, Ont. BARCELONA, Spain -- Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez scored a spectacular long-range goal without even leaving his own half on Sunday to give his team a 3-2 win at Real Betis in the Spanish league. With 90 minutes completed, the game looked to be headed for a draw but Martinez took possession, pushed forward and caught Betis goalkeeper Casto Espinosa off his line with a perfectly placed left-footed lob from just inside his own half. "It was an amazing shot," said Sociedad coach Philippe Montanier, who added that Martinez regularly practices his long-distance shooting. "(Espinosa) is a good goalkeeper, but we knew that he tends to play far off his line," Montanier said. Martinez, who has three goals this season, scored a similar goal from the halfway line in a 2-1 loss to Athletic Bilbao in the sixth round. The victory ended Sociedads eight-game winless run and lifted it out of the relegation zone. After a scoreless first half that saw Antoine Griezmann miss a penalty kick for the Basque visitors, the game came alive in Seville. Sociedad took control through striker Imanol Agirretxes 56th-minute header and Carlos Velas goal in the 76th. Substitute forward Jonathan Pereira went on for Betis and netted a pair of goals in the 81st and 85th to apparently salvage a point for his team, only to see Martinezs precise shot float over Espinosa and land in the back of the net. "The ending to the game was just cruel," said Betis coach Pepe Mel, whose team has lost eight of the last nine matches after a strong start to the season. Elsewhere on Sunday, Levante rediscovered its winning form to thrash Sporting Gijon 4-0 and end a three-game losing streak. Levante stayed in fourth place, one point behind Valencia, with the first victory since its memorable start to the season took the team to the top of the league for the first time in its history. "Today the team knew what it needed to do in each moment of the game," said Levante forward Jose Barkero, who scored Levantes opener. "We have been playying well all season, but the important thing is that we have won again after a run of losses. Mike Williams Bills Jersey. " Arouna Kone guided Levante to its most lopsided victory of the season by scoring twice and setting up another at Ciutat de Valencia stadium. The Ivory Coast striker set up the hosts 20th-minute opener when he stole the ball from Sporting defender Roberto Canella, charged forward to draw in the defence, and laid off for Barkero to tap home. Sporting reacted with striker David Barral having the best chance to equalize before halftime when he flicked a header just by the post. But after the restart Levante quickly put the result beyond doubt with two counterattacks. Valdo Lopes pushed in a rebound from a shot by Juanlu Gomez to double Levantes lead in the 47th, and five minutes later Kone deftly dribbled past Sporting goalkeeper Juan Colinas before rolling the ball into the net. Kone then slotted in the rebound after a free kick by Asier del Horno that came off the post in the 62nd to cap Sportings first loss in six rounds. Also, Spain striker Alvaro Negredo converted a first-half penalty to give Sevilla a 1-0 win at bottom-table Zaragoza and lift it to within five points of the Champions League positions. Granada dealt Athletic Bilbao its first loss in its last 12 games in all competitions through a 1-0 win at San Mames stadium thanks to defender Inigo Lopezs first-half header. Ten-man Mallorca beat last-place Racing Santander 2-1 for its first win under coach Joaquin Caparros since replacing Michael Laudrup. Osasuna also played a man down in the final 15 minutes as it held on to win 2-1 at Espanyol for its first away victory of the season, lifting it into the upper half of the table. Malaga hosts Villarreal on Monday to close round 13. On Saturday, Real Madrid extended its lead to six points at the top of the league after a comeback 4-1 win against nine-man Atletico Madrid, while second-place Barcelona lost 1-0 at Getafe. Also, Valencia beat Rayo 2-1 to trail Barcelona by one point and Madrid by seven. ' ' '
The Wall