Allgemeines » This is not a long-term rebuilding process

LOS ANGELES -- Blake Griffin is apologizing to?Los Angeles Clippers?fans for punching the teams assistant equipment manager last season, an incident he says was 100 percent my fault.He was suspended four games and docked nearly $860,000 in pay for the altercation in January at a Toronto restaurant. Griffin broke his right hand and Matias Testis face was severely swollen. Testi no longer works for team, having left in late July with no reason given by the Clippers, who open training camp Tuesday in Irvine.Griffin says not a day goes by that he doesnt think about the incident and says he feels like he let down longtime Clippers fans. The 27-year-old forward expressed his thoughts in a letter posted Friday on The Players Tribune website, where he is listed as a senior editor.I dont want to dwell on it, but I think I owe it to Clippers fans to say it once again before the season begins: Im sorry, he wrote.Griffin was limited to 35 games last season because of a left quadriceps injury. He averaged 21.4 points and 8.4 rebounds. The Clippers lost to Portland in six games in the first round of the playoffs.We all know the narrative going into this season, he wrote. Everyones like, `Oh, they lose in the playoffs every year. Same old Clippers. All I have to say to that is this: Were the same core group that beat the defending-champion Spurs in seven games just 17 months ago. I know 17 months seems like forever, especially in NBA time, but we know how small the margins are between winning and losing, and how quickly the narratives around teams can change.Griffin said missing most of last season was a wake-up call for me.When I was hurt and basically sitting around going stir-crazy, it made me realize that basketball was like therapy for me, he wrote. No matter what was going on in the real world, if I could just get to the gym, everything else disappeared.Griffin said a few days after the altercation he received a call from his older brother Taylor, who said, Man, what are you doing? This is not you. What are you doing this for?I was crushed, Griffin said. To hear that from him, somebody Ive looked up to my whole life, who always tells me what I need to hear, thats when I had a pretty big realization about who I am, and who I want to be. I dont want to say what that realization was. I just want to go out and show you. Fake Jerseys . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames. Cheap Jerseys Fast Shipping . PETERSBURG, Fla. https://www.fakejerseyswholesale.com/ . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. Wholesale China Jerseys .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Cheap Custom Jerseys . Badenhop was 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season. He is 18-20 in his career with three saves and a 3. HOUSTON -- After an active and pricey offseason, the Texans have extended the contract of general manager Rick Smith through the 2020 season.Smith was entering the final year of his previous deal. This will be his 11th season as the Texans general manager, and he added the title of executive vice president before the 2011 season.We are thrilled to announce a four-year contract extension for Rick Smith, Texans owner Bob McNair said in a statement released by the team. I believe it is critical to have stability within an organization, and Rick is an important part of our team. He knows what our objectives are and is well-respected within our organization and throughout the league. This extension helps us build toward our goal of long-term success in the NFL.The Texans have had winning records in five of Smiths 10 seasons at the helm. Theyve been to the playoffs three times and won two postseason games; in 2011 and 2012, the Texans beat the Cincinnati Bengals in the wild-card round of the playoffs and then lost in the divisional round to the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots, respectively.The 2013 season proved to be a disaster for the Texans, but Smith survived. Houston went 2-14, and coach Gary Kubiak was fired during the season. In the news conference to announce Kubiaks firing, McNair sat on stage with Smith beside him.This is not a long-term rebuilding process, McNair said that day as he described what awaited his new coach. I want to make that clear. Weve got core players who are outstanding players, and we still need to fill a few holes.Once the Texans hired Bill OBrien that offseason, though, the roster changed quickly and dramatically.ddddddddddddBy 2015, less than half of 2013s starters remained. Heading into the 2016 season, the Texans have a different starting quarterback, running back, receiver, right guard, left guard and center than they had in 2013. Defensively, four starters remain from the 2013 season.Most of the remaining players were first-round selections made by Smiths department.Every first-round pick since 2008 is still with the team and starting. That group includes left tackle Duane Brown (2008), linebacker Brian Cushing (2009), cornerback Kareem Jackson (2010), defensive end J.J. Watt (2011), outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus (2012), receiver DeAndre Hopkins (2013), outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (2014) and cornerback Kevin Johnson (2015).The later rounds have been more of a challenge for Smith.Smith also led a robust and potentially risky 2016 offseason. He committed a combined $126 million to three offensive starters: quarterback Brock Osweiler, running back Lamar Miller and left guard Jeff Allen.Whether Osweiler succeeds or fails will factor significantly into the Texans success or failure this season. Still, McNair told ESPN in March that the fates of his general manager and coach were not tied to Osweiler. By extending Smith, McNair showed at least half of that is true.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. ' ' '