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Four Lions tours as head coach, a Grand Slam with Scotland and a Heineken Cup with Wasps. It is little wonder that when we think of Sir Ian McGeechan, who turns 70 on Oct. 30th, the word that immediately comes to mind is coach.But it also makes it rather too easy to forget his achievements as a player. Had he done nothing more in the game after hanging up his boots in 1979, he would still be worthy of note.Rankings of 42nd in John Griffiths listing of Scotlands best 50, compiled in 2003, and 29th in the Heralds top 50 last year might seem modest, until you consider that Griffiths was picking from 970 men who had played from Scotland before the summer of 2003, and the Heralds experts had close on another 100 to consider. If any international rugby is an elite performer, somebody who rates in the top three to five per cent belongs to an elite within an elite. Among Scotlands centres the Herald rated only Scott Hastings, Jim Renwick and Phil MacPherson higher.His talents were not of the sort which grab attention and propel players into selection at an early age. Born and educated in Leeds, and playing his rugby for Headingley and Yorkshire, he was noticed by Englands selectors before Scotlands, turning down an England trial invitation in 1967 because he saw himself as a Scot.The Scottish trial came a year later, but it took four more years and -- as he put it with characteristically wry humour -- two retirements and four injuries before the call came to play against the All Blacks in 1972. Chris Rea, a clubmate at Headingley, was reported to have judged him no more than a good club player, while one particularly hidebound member of the Scottish press pack, evidently ignorant of a long history of borrowing from many parts of the rugby world, persistently questioned his eligibility.His first caps were won at outside-half and he expected to lose his place when first choice Colin Telfer returned from injury. Instead he was moved to centre, which as he has recalled, was an immense boost to his confidence: I realised they wanted to keep me.And with good reason. Scotlands selectors also recognised him as one of those unflashy performers who brings the best out of the players around him.John Griffiths describes him as solid in defence, clever in attack and always aware, a player who knew his role and played it to perfection. That he arrived in the Scotland team at the same time as brilliant full-back Andy Irvine was excellent news on several levels -- not least, as McGeechan dryly noted, that many observers tended to assume that they were the same age, knocking five years off him. As Nick Oswald has pointed out, he was the quietly effective balance creating the opportunity for Irvines devastating running abilities.While he moved between his two positions, he was never dropped by Scotland, playing his final season as captain in 1979 and ending with 32 caps. There were no trophies -- though hard to beat at Murrayfield, Scotland were poor travellers in the 1970s -- and no tries. He sees 1973 and in particular 1975 as years in which Triple Crowns got away, and has pointed out that I would like to think that I made between eight and ten scoring passes, which is what I felt my game was about. But he did drop seven goals for Scotland, generally against the best opposition -- there were two against the All Blacks and two more against Wales, the dominant European team of the era, as well as one against France on his Five Nations debut.And like many good players in less powerful Home Nations teams, he blossomed as a Lion, going to South Africa in 1974 and New Zealand in 1977 and playing in all eight test matches, all but one as a starter at centre.McGeechans qualities as a player who enabled the talents of others were evident in the partnerships he formed with centre partners as contrasting as the mercurially brilliant Jim Renwick and the powerful, crash-balling Alastair Cranston for Scotland. Yet none was more fruitful than the link he formed with Irelands Dick Milliken for the Invincible Lions in South Africa.Clem Thomas wrote that you never saw a higher work-rate than that of the 1974 centres, McGeechan himself recalled as a career highlight the praise heaped on him and Milliken by full-back JPR Williams, a demanding critic, and the drop-goal which broke South Africas resistance in the test match at Pretoria. That Lions team was, he said in 2000 the best handling team ever, in which we would just look at each other and know exactly what was required.That he would progress into coaching, once a knee injury had ended his playing career at 33, looks in retrospect inevitable. He had the communication skills which come with a teaching career and had taken RFU coaching courses while still a player.He began at Headingley in 1980, but was rapidly incorporated into the Scottish national set-up, rising through the Anglo-Scots, under 21s and B team before becoming assistant to Derrick Grant in 1986. He was, legendary commentator Bill McLaren remembered, always in control of his thoughts and a master at keeping things in perspective, and at game analysis.Those analytical skills were honed in hours of watching video tape of matches. All of this, it should be remembered, when he was also holding down a full-time teaching job and was unpaid for the hours he put into rugby. When his video recorder broke down in 1991, he had to pay for an expensive state-of-the-art replacement, and had no thought of asking the Scottish Rugby Union -- the ultimate beneficiary of his labours -- for a contribution. Only in 1994, when Northampton appointed him director of rugby, was he able to devote himself to rugby full time.His all-round record as a coach speaks for itself, but it will almost certainly be his record with the Lions that writes his name deepest into the games annals. He has had one huge advantage -- that in an era where England have more often than not been the dominant home nation, his background equipped him to be trusted and accepted on both sides of the Anglo-Celtic faultline.But it took more than just that happy accident of birth and descent to make him so admired and successful. The verdicts of outstanding Lions tell their own story. Martin Johnson, his captain in South Africa in 1997, reckoned him an exceptional coach, a guy with tremendous vision and tactical awareness, always ready to try new things and happy to give his players responsibilities.Robert Jones, scrum-half in the victorious tour of Australia in 1989, called him one of the best coaches I have ever played for, recalling that He did not dictate. Everyone had his say and that he wanted everybody to be involved and to be able to work closely together.Rob Andrew, who went to Australia in 1989 and New Zealand in 1993, credited him for transforming his career, saying I only worked for him for two summers. I wish it had been longer.Jim Telfer, with whom he formed a hugely effective good-cop, bad-cop combination for both Scotland and the Lions, reckoned that -- perhaps because of his dual qualification -- he spoke better about Scotland and Scottishness than anyone else he had known. His pre-match speech before the Grand Slam decider in 1990 has gone into history, but so too has his talk to the Lions before the second test against the Springboks in 1997. Gregor Townsend recalled it as packed full of emotion and intelligence and spoken with the humble authority that Geech has quietly projected throughout his coaching career.His attachment to the Lions was such that, four years after saying in New Zealand that he was only likely to come back if theyre taking coaches in wheelchairs, he became chief coach for the fourth -- and presumably last -- time in South Africa in 2009. A relentless competitor, who has memorably described New Zealand rugby players as Scots who have learnt how to win, he will not have enjoyed losing the series. But this in its own way was as much an achievement as his victories in 1989 and 1997, a rare Lions tour in which the series was lost but did not break into bitter recrimination -- as its predecessors of 2001 and 2005 had done -- and which did much to restore the credibility of the whole concept.Amid that litany of achievement is one great might have been -- his turning down the invitation to coach England. Might he have added World Cup winner to his CV and, presumably, acquired his knighthood a few years earlier than he eventually did? For those who have argued, particularly since the failure of the 2005 Lions, that any half-decent coach could have taken the trophy given the talent at Englands disposal, the answer is presumably yes. But even for those of us who feel that Sir Clive Woodward played an immense part in their success, is there any reason to believe that Sir Ian -- as he became in 2010 -- might not also have accomplished the deed?There is of course, as with all counter-factuals, no definitive answer. And what he has achieved makes him beyond doubt one of the modern games great figures. That game will doubtless unite in wishing him a very happy birthday, and hoping that there are many more to come. Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Lundmark . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game. Fake Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Black . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. http://www.yeezys350cheap.com/fake-yeezy-350-v2-wholesale.html . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. Yeezy 350 Boost v2 Cream White .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed. Fake Yeezy 350 v2 Zebra . SIMONS ISLAND, Ga.VANCOUVER -- After being unwanted in Winnipeg, Joey Elliott did what many other veteran CFL free agent quarterbacks would not do. He attended a B.C. Lions open tryout camp in Las Vegas in early May. The move paid Friday off as the Lions agreed to terms with him on a three-year contract. "They didnt know I was coming -- I just showed up," said Elliott from Indianapolis, where he has been working as a substitute teacher. "I just showed up." Lions general manager Wally Buono offered a slightly different version, saying the club asked Elliott to attend a camp after his representatives tried to negotiate a contract earlier in the off-season. Regardless, Buono, was impressed that Elliott was willing to pay his own way for a flight to the gambling mecca and bet on employment with the Lions. It took a special person to humble himself the way Elliott did, said the GM. "Its huge to get another opportunity," said Elliott. "Whether youre a quarterback, or as a professional, when you are released, youre just looking for another opportunity." The 26-year-old Franklin, Ind., native spent the past three seasons with the Blue Bombers. During that time, he dressed for 33 games, including nine as the teams starter. But the Bombers deemed him expendable after what was actually his first full season. He joined the team in the fifth week in 2010 and was sidelined much of 2011 with a torn knee ligament that forced him to miss the Grey Cup against the Lions. Last season, the Purdue grad had his most productive year as a pro as he threw for 2,101 yards and five touchdowns. Elliott is expected to battle for B.C.s backup quarterback job following Mike Reillys departure to Edmonton as a free agent, but he must advance beyond the teams rookie camp first before taking the field with veterans at main training camp, starting June 2 in Kamloops, B.C. . Elliott believes he can provide a calming influence to a B.C. squad while lending experience to the Lions, who won the West Division title in 2012 but were upset by the Calgary Stampeders in the Western Final. Aside from starter Travis Lulay, the only other quarterback in the Lions den with CFL experience is second-year pro Thomas De Marco. Lulay and De Marco are also the oonly B.ddddddddddddC. quarterback holdovers from last season. Buono said his main concern is that Elliott understands the teams offensive system rather than opposing defences. While he has a strong, accurate arm and can pass on the run, "one of his issues is ball security." Meanwhile, one part of the Geroy Simon trade failed to pay off Friday when the Lions released Justin Harper, who was part of a package for the CFLs all-time leading receiver. Harper was out of shape when he came into a Lions camp for offensive players this spring. Coach Mike Benevides indicated he was impressed with Harper and was willing to give him more time to get fit. However, Buono was not. "This (release) was precipitated by me being disappointed with him coming into camp at almost 250 pounds," said Buono. "Im not blaming him, but when it comes to a first impression, I was disappointed." Buono said wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneauxs return to B.C. earlier this week from the NFL factored into Harpers release. But the GM was not sure whether Harper would have attended training camp if Arceneaux had decided to pursue another NFL opportunity. The Lions also released defensive lineman Maurice Evans. In another more positive move, B.C. re-signed receiver Courtney Taylor, who excelled late last season after a lengthy spell on the practice roster. Taylor, a 29-year-old Carrollton, Ala., native spent three years in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks, but after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2009, he was released by the Seahawks in 2010 and did not get another opportunity until the Lions signed him in October 2011. He spent the rest of the 2011 and most of 2012 on the Lions practice roster, but recorded 16 receptions for 264 yards and three touchdowns in five games late last season. "Im excited about Courtney Taylor," said Buono. "When you think about this, Courtney was a starter in the NFL, and what prevented him from continuing to be a starter was his illness." Taylor has successfully managed his MS by taking daily medication that comprises just one pill, and has not experienced any symptoms since the diagnosis. "Hes had another life to live -- andBRASILIA, Brazil -- Taunted by local fans since the Olympics began and stinging from a surprising loss, Hope Solo called Sweden a bunch of cowards.The U.S. goalkeeper criticized the Swedes for the way they played Friday in beating the Americans in a penalty shootout -- a result that means the worlds top-ranked team will miss out on a medal in womens soccer for the first time.I thought we played a courageous game, Solo said. I also think we played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today. I strongly and firmly believe that.The Swedes beat the U.S. 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the quarterfinals. They will next face host Brazil on Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro.Its OK to be a coward if you win, responded Sweden coach Pia Sundhage, the same woman who coached the United States to back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012.A few hours after the match, Solo posted on Twitter and seemed to feel some remorse, but she stopped short of apologizing.Losing sucks, Solo tweeted. Im really bad at it.Tied after three rounds in the shootout, Sweden captain Caroline Seger shot past Solo. U.S. forward Christen Press attempt then went over Hedvig Lindahls net. And with the next kick, Lisa Dahlkvist beat an outstretched Solo for the win.Sweden dropped off. They didnt want to open play, Solo said, explaining why she criticized her opponents. They didnt want to pass the ball. They didnt want to play great soccer.Sundhage knows the U.S. team well, having coached the Americans for five years and led them to a pair of Olympic golds.They played more attacking football then we did. We defended very well, Sundhage said. And the fact that there were only two goals and it went to penalty kicks said something about our defending. The U.S. played better in the attack, we played better in the defense.As Sweden celebrated, U.S. captain Carli Lloyd crouched on the field at Mane Garrincha Stadium in disbelief.The three-time defending champion United States had been the clear favorites in Brazil to become the first team to win an Olympic gold following a Womens World Cup title.Its always hard to swallow losing in PKs. Yeah, I mean its going to hurt, Lloyd said. Weve got to hold our heads high. This team is not going to crumble. Were going to just work that much harder. Its been a busy couple of years. Thats why no one has won back-to-back.Solo, who has endured near-constant taunts of Zika! Zika! for a week, has courted controversy for her comments in the past. And on Friday, she was also criticized for changing her gloves during the penalty shootout.After a scoreless first half, Stina Blackstenius scored in the 61st minute to give Sweden a 1-0 lead. Alex Morgan netted the equalizer in the 78th and the match went to extra time.Lloyd then had a header called back for offside in the 115th minute, and Lotta Schelin was offside on her attempt against Solo a minute later -- although replays appeared to show otherwise.The reigning World Cup champions, who are also four-time Olympic champions, had not dropped a match this year.Really just heartbroken right now for the girls and the federation. Its unfortunate, said Morgan, who missed the first penalty in the shootout. I feel like we were prepared but so were Sweden. I felt today could go either way.The Americans won their first two matches in Brazil before a surprising 2-2 draw in Manaus against Colombia, which had already been eliminated.Sweden had won only five prior matches against the United States. At last years World Cup, the two teams played to a scoreless draw. The last time the two teams met in the Olympics was at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Sundhage was a player on the Sweden team that fell 2-1 to the Americans.Ranked sixth in the world, Sweden had struggled in its Olympic group with a 5-1 loss to host Brazil and finished 1-1-1.The crowd at Mane Garrincha Stadium was sparse but continued to jeer Solo every time she touched the ball. The local fans are still upset about her posts on social media about the Zika virus. Solo posted a picture of herself in mosquito netting and armed with insect repellant.The host Brazilians won 7-6 on penalties after a scoreless draw with Australia in Belo Horizonte. Nike Air Max 360 Canada . LUCIE, Fla. Nike Air Max Clearance Canada .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. http://www.clearanceairmaxcanada.com/air-max-uptempo-canada-sale.html . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Nike Air Max Flair Canada . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. Air Max 90 Canada .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. A look at whats happening all around the majors Tuesday:---THE BIG 2-0Toronto lefty J.A. Happ goes for his 20th win when he starts at Seattle in a game between teams competing for the two AL wild cards. Before this season, Happs career high for wins was 12 with Philadelphia in 2009. The 33-year-old Happ (19-4, 3.27 ERA) starts against 35-year-old Mariners righty Hisashi Iwakuma (16-11, 3.87).CALIFORNIA RIVALRYRich Hill and the Dodgers try to move closer to an NL West crown when they host Johnny Cueto and the second-place Giants. Cueto (16-5, 2.86 ERA) pitched a five-hitter and retired his final 17 batters last Thursday in a clutch performance against St. Louis. Hill is 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA in four starts for Los Angeles since arriving in a trade with Oakland.ZEROS FOR THE OSKevin Gausman (8-10, 3.43 ERA) looks for another dominant outing against the Red Sox while the Orioles try to gain ground in the AL East. The 25-year-old outpitched Cy Young Award contender Rick Porcello over eight innings in a 1-0 win last Wednesday and has held opponents scoreless in four of his past five starts. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-7, 4.98) has a 3.25 ERA in 11 starts since a returning from a midseason demotion to Triple-A.A LIFT FROM LESTERCubs lefty Jon Lester (17-4, 2.40 ERA) has thrown 17 conseecutive scoreless innings, a streak hell try to stretch against the Reds.dddddddddddd Last time out, Lester pitched eight innings in a 7-0 win over the Cardinals. The 32-year-old All-Star has forced his way into the NL Cy Young Award conversation by going 8-1 with a 1.02 ERA over his past nine starts for playoff-bound Chicago.TOUGHER THAN THEY LOOKThough it might seem the wild card-contending Mets have an easy opponent in last-place Atlanta, theyve actually got their hands full. Pitching for the Braves is All-Star righty Julio Teheran, who threw a one-hit shutout at Citi Field on Fathers Day. He ran his scoreless streak against New York to 29 2/3 innings before giving up Curtis Grandersons home run Sept. 9.The Mets also must deal with longtime nemesis Freddie Freeman, who went 4 for 5 with a homer and three RBI during Atlantas victory over Noah Syndergaard in the series opener Monday night. Freeman has a 23-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 39 straight.TRY AGAINJames Shields is 0-5 with a 9.37 ERA in his past nine starts for the White Sox. He is a combined 5-17 for San Diego and Chicago going into this outing at Philadelphia. ' ' ' now hes back," said Buono. ' ' '