ERST LESEN! » rnold in charge in 2017.Weve got a lot of potentia

Pele did not attend Fridays opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics because of poor health, thereby denying Brazilians the chance to celebrate their greatest sports figure.The 75-year-old soccer great said this week that he had been invited to light the cauldron, but that was not confirmed by Rio organizers.Im not physically able to attend the opening of the Olympics, Pele said in a statement Friday.Pele had hip surgery recently and often walks with a cane. His absence was a huge disappointment to fans and organizers. He is easily Brazils most recognizable athlete -- or former athlete -- even though he stopped playing almost 40 years ago.Only God is more important than my health, he wrote. In my life, Ive had fractures, surgeries, pain, hospital stays, victories and defeats. And Ive always respected those who admire me.He said not attending was my own decision.He tweeted during the opening ceremony:Peles planned role in the opening ceremony was never clear. He said earlier that a commitment to a sponsor would force him to travel the day of the ceremony.If I manage to change [the travel plans], I would like to have the honor to light it, he said.Brazilian marathoner Vanderlei De Lima did the honors of lighting the cauldron, getting his golden moment 12 years later than he might have.De Lima was leading the 2004 race at the Athens Games when a protester attacked him and disrupted his run. De Lima wound up finishing third but has been lauded for how he handled the incident.Gustavo Kuerten carried the torch into the stadium, then handed it to Brazilian basketball legend Hortencia Marcari. She brought it to the stage, then De Lima brought it up the stairs and held it aloft for 60,000 to cheer.In his statement Friday, Pele apologized for disappointing Brazilians and said as a Brazilian, I ask God to bless all who participate in this event.He signed the statement Edson Arantes do Nascimento -- Pele.The Associated Press contributed to this report.Juan Thornhill Youth Jersey . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. Tyrann Mathieu Womens Jersey . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. http://www.thechiefsshoponline.com/Youth-khalen-saunders-chiefs-jersey/ . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. Marcus Allen Youth Jersey .Y. -- Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers had no intention of changing his hard-hitting style before taking part in a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus head. Custom Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency.LOS ANGELES -- Sam Darnold has a knack for turning potential disasters into something special.Southern Californias remarkable freshman quarterback does it all the time on broken plays. Instead of robotically falling on the ball when a snap goes awry or a handoff is misplaced, he often attempts to improvise a happy ending to a perilous situation.Not always, but sometimes its good to try to make a play, Darnold said. I like trying it sometimes.Speaking of potential disasters, Darnold has done a pretty great job saving USCs season as well.Darnold is the engine driving the No. 15 Trojans (7-3, 6-2 Pac-12) from their 1/3 start to a six-game winning streak heading into Saturday nights crosstown showdown with UCLA (4-6, 2-5).With a confident arm and that incredible elusiveness in the backfield, Darnold has completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 2,161 yards this season. He has 22 touchdown passes and six interceptions, and he does it all with a buccaneering playing style that reminds everybody football is supposed to be fun.More importantly, Darnold has won six straight starts since losing his first. The Trojans have roared back from their brutal September schedule into contention for a Pac-12 South title, taking the pressure off first-year permanent head coach Clay Helton in the process.Hes not a finished product by any means, but hes helping us win football games, said Helton, the Trojans former quarterbacks coach. When you have a kid with his instinct and creative ability, I dont think you handcuff him. I told him, `Drive it like you stole it. You (have to) play the game with no fear, and he does.Darnold and Helton say they dont waste time thinking about where USC might be if Darnold had been the Trojans starting quarterback from the season opener. Max Browne started the Trojans losses away from home to top-ranked Alabama and defending Pac-12 champion Stanford before Darnold seized the job.Darnolds confidence hit a new peak last weekend when he outperformed Washington star Jake Browning, passing for 287 yards and two scores in the Trojans 26-13 upset of the preeviously unbeaten and fourth-ranked Huskies.ddddddddddddDarnold slipped through Washingtons vaunted defense with his remarkable knack for scrambling and an ability to avoid trouble in the pocket. His unflappability might be the freshmans most pronounced asset.I like to credit my coaches in high school and Pop Warner, but I think it comes down to my family, and how Im raised, Darnold said. My parents did a good job keeping me confident and knowing that you just have to be cool with yourself. You cant control the past. You have to look ahead.Darnold grew up in Orange County watching Pete Carrolls dominant USC teams of the previous decade. He became enamored with the close-to-home schools swagger, and he eagerly committed to USC even with Cody Kessler, Browne and touted recruit Ricky Town blocking his path to playing time.Kessler kept the starting job for three years, and Browne served as his backup for the past two seasons. Darnold watched and practiced as a redshirt last year, dazzling his teammates and the coaches with his performances on the scout team.Darnold pushed Browne for the starting job in spring practice, which ended without Helton naming a starter. Helton clearly felt loyalty to Browne, the big-armed passer who stuck with the tumultuous USC program through multiple coaching changes.But after that 1-2 start, Helton couldnt ignore Darnold -- and now the rest of college football cant ignore the Trojans, who returned to the AP Top 25 this week.USC wont need any extra motivation for its final two regular-season games against rivals UCLA and Notre Dame. The Trojans would need help from a Colorado loss to reach the Pac-12 title game, but their fans are already looking forward to a full season with Darnold in charge in 2017.Weve got a lot of potenrnold in charge in 2017.Weve got a lot of potentia