Rory McIlroy feels he is starting to find more confidence in his game after a much-improved second round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. McIlroy looked in danger of missing the cut after struggling to an opening-round 75 at Bay Hill, only to bounce back with a birdie-filled 67 on Friday to move back in to contention. Leaderboard Arnold Palmer Invitational The Northern Irishman was left surprised by his slow start to the tournament on Thursday, where he double-bogeyed the first and found the water three times, but had plenty more to smile about after a far more consistent display both tee to green and with the putter. McIlroy still sits 11 shots adrift of runaway leader Jason Day, although six birdies and just one blemish has given the 26-year-old plenty of encouragement heading in to the weekend.I said after yesterdays round I was just trying to stay patient and came out and started off really solid and kept it up, McIlroy said. I drove the ball nicely and hit a lot of good quality shots into the greens. Its very easy to get ahead of myself, especially with how Ive played earlier this year.You can get a little bit caught up in it sometimes but you just have to make sure youre doing the right things, youre working hard, youre working towards that goal and the last few days has been fantastic.Beginning on the back nine, McIlroy made the perfect start by holing a 15-footer at the 10th before draining another birdie from slightly further out at the par-5 12th. Rory McIlroy says he is going to focus on his own game over the weekend and not worry about chasing the leading pack at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Having tapped-in from close range over the next two, the Northern Irishman pitched to 10 feet at the 15th to move back level par for the week.McIlroys red-hot putting suffered a slight blip with a two-putt par from six feet at 16, but the world No 3 bounced back to drain a 14-foot par-save at the 18 and reach the turn in 33.After drilling in from over 30 feet at the first to get back under par for the week, McIlroy continued to surge up the leaderboard when pitched close to the third flag and leave a kick-in birdie. McIlroy was pleased with his improvement McIlroy recovered from a wayward approach to get up-and-down from the sand and save par at the next, before posting another long-range birdie from 25 feet at the fifth.His only blemish of the day came when he misjudged his chip out of the rough at the short seventh and failed to save par from 15 feet, with McIlroy closing his round with two two-putt pars.I had one kick-in on three but for the most part played the par-fives great again and just putted great, McIlroy added.The two bombs that I holed today on 17 and nine definitely helped, but I felt like these sorts of scores were coming, so I just had to be patient with myself.Watch the Arnold Palmer Invitational throughout the week live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf Also See: Bay Hill leaderboard First round highlights Slow start shocks McIlroy Golf live on Sky Sports 4 Sports Jerseys From China .C. -- Authorities say the brother of Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White has been shot and killed outside a South Carolina nightclub. College Tom Brady Jersey . JOHNS, N. https://www.sportsstarsjerseys.com/michael-jordan-jersey/. But sometimes the way you lose takes precedence over the final score. And how the Jets lost the 5-4 game to the New York Islanders on Thursday is what had Coach Claude Noel hot after the game. Michael Jordan Jersey Throwback . Notes on Bergeron, Marchand, Gorges, Vanek, Gaborik, Doughty, Hiller and more. BRUINS STORM BACK TO TAKE GAME TWO The Boston Bruins rallied from a 3-1 deficit, scoring four unanswered goals, to win Game Two, 5-3 over the Montreal Canadiens. Tom Brady Jersey Nike . Instead, Nonis and Kessel were sorting through the fallout of a wild melee with the Buffalo Sabres, one that saw Kessel suspended for the duration of the pre-season.CLEVELAND - The mistakes were inexcusable. Brian Hoyer didnt need anyone to tell him that.Clevelands quarterback spent part of Sunday beating himself up over his three interceptions before atoning for them by leading the Browns to a comeback win that could grow in significance as this season goes on.On Monday, Hoyers errors hadnt been forgotten. However, they had certainly been forgiven.I think the guys realize we wouldnt be where we are right now without Brian and that nobody is perfect, coach Mike Pettine said. When you see a guy whos that hard on himself and is that much of a perfectionist it means a lot and they are going to play for him.Hoyer may have saved Clevelands season — and maybe his job — with his gutty comeback in Atlanta. After throwing two interceptions in the fourth quarter, the second one leading to a field goal that gave the Falcons a 24-23 lead, Hoyer completed four passes in the final 44 seconds and drove the Browns in position to set up Billy Cundiffs 37-yard field goal as time expired.Before taking the field, wide receiver Andrew Hawkins said Hoyer, who had feared he had let his teammates down, gave them a quick pep talk.Brian was super poised, and before we went out there he said, Cmon guys, lets go down there and win this, Hawkins said. You know when Brian says that he means it so guys just stepped up to the plate.Following the game, Hoyer showed disgust and disappointment as he replayed the picks during an interview session. He was down despite the win, but Pettine said the QBs public acknowledgment of his miscues not only showed Hoyers leadership but a how close-knit the Browns have become.I just think thats what one of the biggest reasons why we are where we are, Pettine said. Guys care about each other, and they realize that theyre part of something bigger than themselves. I think that when youre involved in a team sport and you have that you have a chance to be special.Pettine said he never considered pulling Hoyer in favour of rookie backup Johnny Manziel.One of the leagues bigger surprises, the Browns (7-4) are in playoff contention and playing relevant games late in the season because of Hoyer, who also had Pro Bowl wide receiverr Josh Gordon on the field Sunday for the first time this season.dddddddddddd.Gordon caught eight passes for 120 yards, and his presence alone opened running and passing lanes.In the end, it was Hoyer who made the biggest plays, bouncing back from what he called the worst game of my career to deliver his fifth career fourth-quarter comeback win in just 14 starts.Hawkins said Hoyer has instilled a belief in the Browns.Ive said it before: I dont think theres ever a time during a game when we think were out of it because we have No. 6 running the show, said Hawkins, who had five catches for 93 yards. Its not just him. The guys around him are all busting their butts, but theres no question about it, hes the leader on offence. When you have confidence in your leader and he has confidence in himself and the rest of the team, the sky is really the limit on any given Sunday.On any given Sunday, the Browns are liable to make things interesting. Theyve had five games decided by three points or less and following the win in the Georgia Dome, Pettine could relax knowing that he, too, had overcome some coaching mistakes.Hoyer bailed himself and out, and everyone around him.Brian is very difficult on himself, Pettine said. Hes a competitor. Hes a perfectionist, and I just think in a sense he felt that...he was letting his teammates down with some of the plays that he had made. Sure, it obviously affected him, but I just think the way he handled it was outstanding — the resolve.Its a testament to his mental toughness and the teams mental toughness.NOTES: Pettine credited rookie OG Joel Bitonios hustling tackle for saving him when I lost my mind right before the half and decided to go for the 60-yarder. Cundiffs first attempt from 60 was short, but didnt count when the Falcons called time. Pettine had Cundiff try again, and Devin Hester returned it 75 yards and would have scored if noaSTUTTGART, Germany -- Maria Sharapova won her third straight Porsche Grand Prix title on Sunday by coming from behind to defeat Ana Ivanovic 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the final. Sharapova won her first tournament of the year and clinched the 30th title of her career. She is now undefeated in 13 consecutive matches on the indoor clay in Stuttgart. Ivanovic wasted a 3-1 lead in the second set as Sharapova raised her game to stay in the high-quality match between two former top-ranked players and French Open champions. Ivanovic was seeking her third title of the year. "I just tried to hang in there," Sharapova said. "For the first half of the match I thought it might not be my day today, but somehow I turned it around." Ivanovic got off to a flying a start and won the first five games of the match before Sharapova started fighting back. Ivanovic wasted a set point and could not serve out the set at her first attempt. She gifted Sharapova another game with a double-fault but finally pulled together to win the first set. Sharapova had trouble reading Ivanovics varied game and change of pace. But she held on as Ivanovic began to lose her focus. "From the first moment it was always a close match," Ivanovic said. "It was always a few close balls to decide each game, and it went on the whole match. In the second set she definitely went for those big shots, though, and she made some amazing points. "Shes just a great player, and thats what happens when you play against great players in big matches like this. You need to use your opportunities." Sharapova returned late last year after missing four months following shoulder surgery. "It was a very tough year for me," she said. Stuttgart is the only tournament Sharapova has won three times. Cheap Air Max . The 7-foot-1 Hawes, who is in the final year of his contract, is averaging 13 points and 8.5 rebounds, both career highs, and shoots 40 per cent from 3-point range. The 25-year-old Hawes is in his seventh NBA season. Wholesale Air Max . Finlands Kari Lehtonen made 26 saves to lead Dallas over the Phoenix Coyotes 2-1 Saturday night. He received plenty of help from the Stars defence and got goals from Ray Whitney and Russias Valeri Nichushkin. https://www.airmaxchina.us/. On paper, it looks a little like Andre the Giant taking on a midget wrestler. It has all the makings of a rout with the Americans adding an eighth win in nine outings of this biennial event. The Yanks have eight players in the top 15 in the world while the Internationals have just one. Air Max Outlet . Fans can also watch the game on the newly launched TSN GO (currently available to Bell TV and Rogers customers), which gives TSN subscribers the freedom to live stream the networks programming from their smartphones, tablets, and computers at no additional charge – just as they would watch Canadas Sports Leader on TV at home. The following week, MLS ON TSN is at BMO Field in Toronto to deliver live coverage of TFCs home opener vs. D.C. United on Saturday, March 22 at 4:30 p. Discount Air Max . "For the past several weeks, Logan has been dealing and playing with an upper body injury," said general manager Doug Wilson in a statement. "Despite his efforts to play through it, the injury has not responded as we had hoped and Logan has made the decision to undergo a surgical procedure to repair the problem.In the end Toronto FCs British Invasion Sale led them to Sunderland who bought their unwanted rubbish and threw some back of their own. Both sides left hoping one teams trash is another teams treasure. The events of the last few days mean that forever in Toronto FC history Jermain Defoe will always be linked with Jozy Altidore. It didnt have to be that way, of course. We now know that Defoe was wanted by a number of teams in the Premier League but ultimately his destination happened to be Sunderland, where an American striker stood on the sidelines desperate for a move elsewhere. Toronto FC looked at Altidore and decided he was the man to replace Defoe. It is a bold decision. The MLSE team can shop with deep pockets. Yes, they will have been burned by the Defoe experience but they have the resources to ensure they do all the work necessary to get the right player for a pivotal position. Their due diligence has brought them to a striker who they are investing in based on the not so recent past. Given the growing apathy towards a club synonymous with losing, you would have to think those running the club thought long and hard about this. This is a decision they have to get right, not only for their own jobs but also for the club long-term. Thats why the signing of Altidore is the most important acquisition this club has ever made. On the surface replacing a man like Defoe shouldnt be too difficult in Toronto. The Englishman never fully committed himself to the course in Major League Soccer and his relationship with the fans turned sour the moment they found him in England on transfer deadline day while the club were in the middle of a playoff push. Defoe made his bed and now he will have to lie in it when it comes to how he will be remembered around Toronto. Not that he will lose any sleep on it. The attention he has received at home since August will have flattered him and he returns to the league as a proven goalscorer at that level. The same can not be said for Altidore, who departs having scored just once for Sunderland in the Premier League. The 25-year-old rejoins Major League Soccer in the prime of his career and will be looked upon to take a franchise to a place Defoe couldnt. It is easy for our minds to brush aside Defoes time in North America and call it a bust, but as the attention now turns to Altidore, it is important to remember some of the challenges the team had with Defoe in it. The 32-year-old scored all of his 11 MLS goals in his first 13 league appearances. When he scored what was to be his final ever MLS goal, a penalty against Vancouver at home, he was netting at a rate of just over a goal every 100 minutes, a ratio rarely seen at this level and one that would see him score close to 30 league goals if he played a full season. Despite such accomplishments, he was playing in an unbalanced side that found it hard to create genuine scoring opportunities. They were a side that couldnt keep the ball and one that was forced to become more of a counter-attacking team because of it. Much of the supply to Defoe during his best times was putrid and a lot of his goals were born out of his own individual brilliance. This was a key reason in the firing of Ryan Nelsen. Greg Vanney was brought in but we were unable to see if he could changge that with Defoe, who was far from 100% when he returned and played just 210 minutes in three games.dddddddddddd By then the former Tottenham striker was a frustrated man. Hed still make the runs but still the passes didnt find him and more and more times his arms would go up in despair. Stuck in a 4-4-2 maze he was surrounded by players who couldnt help him unlock defences. Defoe has now gone, but many of those asked to provide him with service remain. Vanney will have spent much of the winter wondering how he can get the best out of them and a new one striker system is likely to be part of that plan. Altidore arrives as the key component atop of that. What becomes of fellow DP striker, Gilberto, remains to be seen but the clubs desire to get a playmaking number ten likely signals the end for the Brazilian, who was always linked with Nelsen anyway, after he used his contacts to sign the player last winter. Moving Gilberto on will be the best thing for Altidore, a player who blossoms as a lone front man in a 4-3-3 and who got his confidence at AZ Alkmaar in that formation as the main goalscorer at the club. I was given a great opportunity, which is kind of rare, he said of his time in the Netherlands. I came here and was basically told, Youre going to have your chance, and its yours to take. I never had that anywhere else. You always have to fight for your position -- youre never going to walk into a team -- but I was given a direct crack at it. For the second time in his career he is going to get that chance and thats why Toronto have spent the millions it has taken to bring him to Canada. The day Altidore packed his bag to head to Sunderland he was full of praise for his team in the Eredivisie. Thats the player Toronto FC hope they have now. A happy, easygoing forward, liked by his teammates, who scored goals regularly with both feet and his head. Much like the player, TFC will try to forget his struggles in the Premier League but they would be better off embracing it and learning from it. Unlike Defoe, this will not be a player who will score lots of goals on a bad team. Behind him he will need a cohesive group of five, in front of the back four, who will need to work on their service. Altidores American teammate, Michael Bradley, will be the true leader of that five and his role as a deep lying playmaker will be crucial but the form of whoever is alongside him centrally and the three in front of him will go along way to determining whether Altidore is indeed the right man for this team. A year ago why cant we be great became the title for a new chapter in the history of this club. MLS Cup predictions followed but once the games played themselves out, the sport itself laughed in the face of all the hyperbole. Lesson learned. The hype has stayed away in 2015 for the clubs latest big name signing and although this may not be labeled as a bloody big deal it should be described as its most important. What attention you have left from last season needs to be kept and momentum needs to build again. To stop the declining attendances that happened under past regimes, there cannot be another high-profile, expensive mistake. This time they have to get this right. The trash they found in Sunderland cannot become recycled trash in Toronto. ' ' 't for Bitonio. That can end up being the play of the year for us, Pettine said. It makes my decision look not nearly as bad as it was. ... The Bills said Ralph Wilson Stadium will be ready for the Browns visit on Sunday.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '