Dein erstes Forum » I felt the NHL was an attainable goal after working

SHANGHAI - Shanghai Masters winner Roger Federer was so rusty in his first match back this week after a month-long break that he was close to packing his bags and heading home.The Swiss star had racked up 57 unforced errors against Leonardo Mayer in the second round and fought off five match points before finally pulling through well after midnight.Four days after his narrow escape, however, he captured his fourth title of the year with a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (2) win over Frances Gilles Simon in Sundays final.I got very, very lucky, Federer said. I know what a privilege it is to be here today.Its been a banner year for Federer despite the fact hes fallen just short at the majors, including a heart-breaking loss to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. Federer leads the tour this season in match wins (61), top-10 wins (13) and final appearances (nine). And on Monday, he will leap past Rafael Nadal to No. 2 in the rankings for the first time in more than a year.Though Djokovic is still far ahead in No. 1, Federer also got his third win of the year against the Serb in the semifinals. He put on such a dominant display that Djokovic said in an unusually brief post-match news conference that it was the best Federer has ever played against him.A year ago, it was a different story. Bothered by back problems, he fell to a number of lower-ranked players and only won one title.The biggest concern was to be healthy this year, Federer said. Thats something Im just so pleased about, to see that the hard work I put in last year is paying off. Not only is it paying off, but Im feeling good, Im waking up normal. Im not half broken like I was last year.Im enjoying myself on the tennis court, he added. Im playing the way I was hoping I could play again.Federer didnt play the cleanest match on Sunday, though, even with the roof on the stadium closed due to the extremely windy conditions.The 17-time major winner finished with 36 unforced errors to 21 winners, but he was the more aggressive player, constantly attacking the net behind crisp approach shots and forcing Simon to try to pass. He won 24 of 35 points at net.He still has the same strengths, this fantastic serve and this huge forehand, Simon said. Now I know him, so Im not scared anymore when I have to play him. But its still so hard to beat him.Federer played a very loose service game to start the match, misfiring badly on his forehand to give Simon an immediate break for 1-0. Before the final, he had only dropped serve three times all week.Simon couldnt capitalize on Federers mistakes, though. Serving for the set at 5-4, his steady baseline game suddenly fell apart and he made several consecutive errors to allow Federer to break back and level the score.The Frenchman had chances to take the match to a third set, getting two break points on Federers serve at 5-6, but he missed a return wide and then hit a forehand well long to squander both.Every time he has an opportunity, hes really good at taking it, Simon said. When you play a close match with him, maybe he just has this feeling that he will somehow survive the match every time.The No. 29-ranked Simon was attempting to become the lowest-ranked player to win a Masters title since No. 50 Tomas Berdych captured the Paris title in 2005.The Frenchman fell out of the top 20 in February for the first time since 2011, but after a solid week in which he defeated two top-10 players — No. 4 Stan Wawrinka and No. 7 Berdych — hell vault back up to No. 19. Deonte Thompson Cowboys Jersey . 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Chidobe Awuzie Cowboys Jersey .com) - Richard Shermans two interceptions highlighted a dominant defensive effort, as the Seattle Seahawks routed the San Francisco 49ers in a highly anticipated NFC West Thanksgiving clash.Now that another Olympic Games is over, many across Canada know the stories of our athletes and the various roads they took to get to their ultimate goal. But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Well, meet Derek Amell, 17-year NHL linesman and now an Olympian. When I turned on the mens hockey gold medal game between Canada and Sweden, I was happy to see that an old acquaintance would be working the lines for the biggest game on the worlds biggest stage. You see, over 25 years ago, Derek and I worked together at a drug store chain in Whitby, Ontario. I was a university student taking a year off school and he was a high school student looking to improve on his first job working the night shift at Burger King for $2.85/hr. There were two things I remembered about Derek back then: he was a lot bigger than me, and he had a very calm personality. Looking back, those are two good attributes for an NHL linesman. For Derek, the dream took off at the age of 24 when he worked his first Ontario Hockey League game. Three years later, he started working American Hockey League games and this is where our paths would cross again. I was an off-ice official with the Hamilton Canucks and Hamilton Bulldogs in the 1990s and we would touch base now and again at Copps Coliseum. I could see then that he was on his way to the NHL. "I felt the NHL was an attainable goal after working the AHLs Calder Cup Final in my first year," said Amell. He wouldnt have to wait long for the big moment. The following year, he found out he would be working NHL games in the upcoming season. In his first NHL season, the league made the decision to return to the Olympics in Nagano, meaning there was now another rung on the ladder of success for NHL players and officials. There would be some career highlights along the way, such as the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, the 2009 and 2012 Stanley Cup Finals as well as the 2012 NHL All-Star Game. Could the Olympics be next? And then he got the news. Unlike the athletes who are introduced at news conferences, Amell was contacted through e-mail by Stephen Walkom, the NHLs director of officiating. The message was sent on December 1, naming the 13 NHL officials who were chosen to work in Sochi. Of course, when athletes go to the Olympics, they stay in the Athletes Village and invite family and friends to share in the experience. Is it the same for the officials? "The officials stayed together in a hotel right inside the Olympic area. It was great to bee together with all the amateur officials," said Amell, who is a married father of two children but did not have any family join him in Sochi.dddddddddddd To work the gold medal game, he had to prove himself again. "The gold medal officials were chosen by a panel of supervisors from various countries and it was based on performance during the tournament. We were told by e-mail after the semifinal games," said Amell. When the officials for the gold medal game were announced, former NHL player and Swedish international Peter Forsberg was incensed that Canadians would be working the game but some current Swedish players defended the decision, saying their nationality wouldnt affect their decision-making. "We knew there would be extreme scrutiny on the officiating when it was announced that the officials were Canadian," said Amell. "We knew the players would be comfortable with us since we are all in the NHL. It was more an issue with the media than with the players. "At the end of the game, the entire Swedish team came over and shook our hands and told us we did a great job. That was very satisfying for us." So which was more nerve-racking: the first NHL game or the gold medal game? "Working the gold medal game was the most nerve-racking game I have ever officiated," he admitted. Its been a long road from collecting shopping carts in Whitby to officiating at the gold medal game in Sochi. And while Amells appearance at the Olympics may not have been as celebrated as many of the athletes, or even noticed by most viewers, the accomplishment is no less significant. And just like the athletes, family plays an integral role in the success of officials, offering support and enduring hardships over the years. "Since we only work 6-8 games a year at home, the family sacrifices are large," said Amell. "I miss most of my childrens sports activities and birthdays. They understand the life of an NHL official, but it still can be very difficult on my wife and children," said Amell. As for the hundreds of people who show up at the airport for our returning athletes, how does the return of an official compare? "No one met me at the airport," Amell laughed. "It was like coming home from any other road trip!" The Olympics is a place where dreams can come true. Most people dream of winning a gold medal but dont tell Derek Amell that his accomplishment is anything less. He just achieved his Olympic goal with a lot less fanfare. And, like a linesman who goes unnoticed when he does a good job, thats the way he likes it. 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