ERST LESEN! » e are things we want to do better in sevens,

RIO DE JANEIRO -- First, the opening ceremony drew praise from all over the world. Then there were parties all over Rio de Janeiro, and Brazils first medalist on Saturday.A sweet start to the Olympics prompted the return of a familiar chant from the 2014 World Cup that had been pushed into the darkness by years of bad news. I am Brazilian, with a lot of pride, with a lot of love, they celebrated.With the Olympics in full swing, beleaguered Brazil is smiling again.We are not stupid, we know the economy crisis doesnt end with Olympic Games, 46-year-old volunteer Marcos Silveira said at a bar hours after an opening ceremony steeped in local culture and history.But I just want a break, to feel proud of what we can do, too. Let me enjoy these Olympics that we built to be great for all. We can do great things here, too, said Silveira, an unemployed engineer.On Saturday, some of the proud locals watched as Brazils womens handball team beat Olympic champion Norway. They went on to cheer Felipe Wu to the countrys first medal in shooting in 96 years -- a silver in the 10-meter air pistol. A sequence of beach volleyball and volleyball victories made it up for disappointing losses in judo and womens basketball.On the streets of bohemian neighborhood Laranjeiras, which is more carioca than touristic, all TV sets were showing Olympic competitions, regardless of the involvement of Brazilians.I wasnt very excited until last night, I admit, waiter Wilson Elias said. But it is so many people criticizing us that now I want them to be proved wrong. We have our flaws, but we have our tricks, too. If I have the chance to buy a ticket for something, I will.Reports from the ticket office at a shopping mall in one of the wealthiest areas of Rio said lines were big all day long.On Copacabana beach, the nationalistic feel was also present in light-hearted jokes. After Alison Cerutti and Bruno Schmidt beat Josh Binstock and Samuel Schachter of Canada in beach volleyball, 21-year-old university student Carlos Silva predicted more success for his country in 2018 in South Korea.Be ready, because soon we will beat you at the Winter Olympics, too. It is all ours now, he said with a strong Rio accent.At the Sochi Games in 2014, Brazil sent its biggest delegation ever to the Winter Games: 13 athletes.Not even news of huge lines to get in the Olympic Park, of a suspect package near the finishing line of the road cycling race or a stray bullet shot into the equestrian venue changed the positive atmosphere for Brazilian fans.Local fans were gracious enough to celebrate a gold medal for South American rival Argentina -- judoka Paula Pareto in the 48-kilogram category. Air Max Plus Wholesale Cheap . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Discount Nike Air Max Plus . Ancelotti says Ronaldo has recovered from a hamstring injury but "but he doesnt feel comfortable yet so we wont risk him." Madrid is third in the Spanish league, six points behind leader Barcelona, going into Saturdays game against Valladolid. http://www.airmaxplusoutlet.com/ .Y. -- Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse have another World Cup gold medal after winning the two-women bobsled race on Saturday in Lake Placid, N. Cheap Nike Air Max Plus . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Air Max Plus Cheap Outlet . Listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 at 7pm et. The Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Nate Ebner felt hugely honored to have taken part in his first Olympics on an eventful day that saw him score on his first try and pick up a yellow card.Ebners progress in Rio was being watched by his New England Patriots teammates back in the U.S. They halted their practice session Tuesday to see how their safety was progressing in sevens. Their support was further amplified by coach Bill Belichicks wearing a USA T-shirt with Ebners name on the back.I heard something about that, Ebner said. I appreciate it.As he gave succinct answers to questions thrown in his direction after his teams win over Brazil, it was clear that Ebner is a man on a mission. His aims in Rio are twofold: to win gold with some of the toughest guys Ive ever met and to leave a long-lasting rugby legacy in the U.S.Ebners progress stunned even coach Mike Friday, who thought hed be up against it as he embarked in April on his journey to try to break into the Olympics mix, but on day one, he managed to score against Brazil. Also, he got a yellow card for a late tackle on the opposition.He attributed the late hit to natural instinct, and as he spoke moments after a 26-0 triumph over Brazil, it was too soon to reflect on his try, but he enjoyed playing in the Deodoro Stadium.dddddddddddd.It was a slow start [against Argentina in a 17-14 loss], Ebner said. And ultimately, we went on to the next job in Brazil, and we wanted to keep them to zero.It wasnt pretty. Im out there getting yellow cards and stuff -- thats not how we want to play the game. Obviously, there are things we want to do better in sevens, and things dont always go your way, but we got job the done.The U.S. now face tournament favorites Fiji while looking to secure a place in the quarterfinals. Ebner, who says he will have to bulk up before he returns to NFL but has gained in fitness, is loving the claustrophobic nature of the crowd and hopes that if Team USA can continue to build ahead of the knockouts, interest in the sport will rise in America.I hope it does the world for rugby, Ebner said. I hope it changes the game and we can be trailblazers for something great in the USA. Obviously, thats my hope for the sport. I love this sport, and I want to see it have a tremendous success, but thats up to the people back in the USA to embrace the game. ' ' '