German_Force » tands were obviously pulling for other dogs.

RENTON Cullen Gillaspia Jersey , Wash. (AP) — Frank Clark and Jarran Reed knew one of the biggest questions about the Seattle Seahawks before the season began surrounded them.The loss of Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril on the defensive line left massive concerns about whether the Seahawks had the personnel to be effective rushing the passer and creating enough havoc for opposing offenses.As the only proven returners to Seattle’s pass rush group, Clark and Reed needed to be productive to a level neither had before.The pair responded with two of the best seasons ever by Seahawks pass rushers and helped Seattle back to the postseason. Clark finished with 14 sacks, the most by a Seattle player since Patrick Kerney had 14½ in 2007. Reed added 10½ sacks, just the third defensive tackle in franchise history to reach double-digits in sacks in a single season.The pair combined for the most sacks by any set of Seattle teammates in a single season since Mike McCrary and Michael Sinclair had 26½ combined in 1996.“For (Reed) to get 10½ (sacks) this year, I think my high before this year was 10½. Just seeing my boy, him being able to take on the challenge under the duress of us not having all that we had, it’s just great to see,” Clark said. “It just shows us young guys what our ceiling really is.”The pressure on Clark this season has been significant. He was the one proven pass rusher the Seahawks had coming off the edge and was going into the final year of his rookie contract. Clark had 19 sacks in the previous two seasons, but that was playing in a rotation with Bennett and Avril, often all three rushing together in passing situations.This was the year for Clark to prove he could handle being the focus. And his response likely made him a ton of money in 2019, either playing on the franchise tag in Seattle or signing a lucrative long-term deal either with the Seahawks or as a free agent. The franchise tag number for defensive ends is likely to be more than $18 million next season.“I’m not sure if you guys see him on Sundays but that dude is different. I’ve never seen someone so explosive, so twitchy, just how he moves is different Tytus Howard Jersey ,” Seattle rookie defensive end Jacob Martin said of Clark. “That dude is an amazing athlete.”Reed and Clark were one of three combos from the same team to finish with double-digit sacks, joining the Kansas City combo of Chris Jones and Dee Ford, and Denver’s Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. But Clark and Reed is the only combo that includes a primary defensive tackle and why the emergence of Reed as a pass rusher this season has been so important.“You could tell the first day we started the offseason program he wanted to be on third down. He wanted to be a dominant player that plays all three downs and he wasn’t shy about it and he was willing to work for it,” Seattle defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. said of Reed.“He did all the things — worked with his coaches. Came in extra, watched the film, did all the things that the good players do to play every down. Now, you see the benefits of his hard work.”Reed had just three sacks through his first two seasons and only 12 quarterback hits. He doubled his QB hits this season to go along with the 10½ sacks, showing that even when he wasn’t getting to the quarterback he was doing his part providing the needed push from the inside.He is one of three defensive tackles in franchise history with at least 10 sacks in a season joining Hall of Famers Cortez Kennedy and John Randle. Kennedy did it only once in his career when he had 14 in 1992 while being named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Randle had 11 sacks in 2001, his first of three years with Seattle.“I’m not surprised. I knew I had it in me all along,” Reed said. “Everybody is just seeing it. It was new to everybody.” When Yu Darvish met with Theo Epstein and other Chicago Cubs officials last December in the Dallas area, the Japanese pitcher liked what he heard.

”The Cubs really stood out, and everyone was sincere at the meeting,” Darvish said Tuesday through a translator after finalizing a $126 million Rock Ya-Sin Jersey , six-year contract.

Darvish gets $25 million this year, $20 million in 2019, $22 million in each of the following two seasons, $19 million in 2022 and $18 million in 2023. He can opt out of the deal after the 2019 season and become a free agent again.

His approval is needed for any trade through 2019. After that, he can list 12 teams he cannot be dealt to without his consent.

Darvish joins a rotation that includes Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana and Tyler Chatwood, who agreed to a $38 million, three-year contract in December.

”Yu was our primary target,” said Epstein, the Cubs’ president of baseball operations. ”It’s a great day for the Cubs organization to welcome a pitcher of this caliber. He is probably the pre-eminent strikeout pitcher of our generation. We are getting him at a wonderful point in his career where he has matured and is ready to go out and do some special things, with the World Series being his top priority.”

A four-time All-Star, Darvish finished last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers http://www.coltsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-ben-banogu-jersey , helping them knock out the defending champion Cubs in the playoffs to reach the World Series. The 31-year-old Japanese right-hander is expected to take the rotation spot of Jake Arrieta, who became a free agent.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Notre Dame’s president ripped the NCAA’s decision to deny the school’s appeal to restore 21 vacated football victories from an academic misconduct violation, saying the association ”perverted” the notion that universities determine how they police academics.

The NCAA denied Notre Dame’s appeal Tuesday, wiping off the books all 12 wins from the Fighting Irish’s 2012 national championship game run under coach Brian Kelly.

In a letter to Notre Dame alumni, University President Fr. John Jenkins says the penalty was unprecedented considering who was involved in the misconduct, and the school was being punished for rigorously enforcing its honor code. He called the ruling unfair, referencing the recent North Carolina case in which the NCAA did not punish the school after an investigation of athletes taking irregular courses.

The appeals committee was not swayed and upheld the penalty passed down in November 2016 by the committee on infractions.

Notre Dame agreed to accept certain NCAA findings and acknowledged cheating involving several football players and a student athletic trainer, but appealed only the penalty that vacated victories.

NFL

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Frank Reich did some of his most memorable work in relief.

He engineered the biggest comeback in NFL playoff history while pinch-hitting for Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly. He orchestrated the second-largest comeback in college football history after spending three years as Boomer Esiason’s understudy. Heck, he even won a Super Bowl with a backup quarterback.

So when the Indianapolis Colts offered Reich a chance to be their second choice as head coach, the super sub figured it was the perfect it.

”The backup role has suited me well in my career,” Reich joked at his introductory news conference at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Reich inherits a team that went 4-12 in 2017, missed the playoffs for the third straight year and was desperately trying to remove an embarrassing stain following last week’s announcement that New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would not take the Colts’ job.

This time, team owner Jim Irsay made sure the Colts weren’t caught off-guard again. Shortly after team officials confirmed the deal Khari Willis Jersey , the team posted a photo on Twitter of Reich signing a five-year deal at Irsay’s house.

WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW

NEW YORK (AP) – Flynn the bichon frise won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club, a choice that seemed to surprise almost everyone in the crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Fans who had been loudly shouting for their favorites fell into stunned silence when judge Betty-Anne Stenmark announced her decision.

No matter, the white powder puff was picked and walked off as America’s top dog.

Guided by expert handler Bill McFadden, Flynn beat out Ty the giant schnauzer, Biggie the pug, Bean the Sussex spaniel, Lucy the borzoi, Slick the border collie and Winston the Norfolk terrier.

”It feels a little unreal,” McFadden said. ”I came in expecting nothing except hoping for a good performance, and I think I got it.”

Underdogs and upsets are way more than norm on the green carpet of the Garden – inside dog fanciers indeed fancied Flynn, but the people sitting in the stands were obviously pulling for other dogs.

Ty came into this competition as the nation’s No. 1 show dog last year and finished as the runner-up. He endeared himself to the crowd by jumping up and putting his front paws around handler Katie Bernardin after winning the working group earlier in the evening. Slick and Lucy also drew applause.