Meister der Farbe » v was third. In the relay, Canada took con

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. --?New York Jets coach Todd Bowles put his signature on the decision to bench Ryan Fitzpatrick in favor of Geno Smith, claiming there was no interference from management or ownership.This was strictly my call, Bowles said Wednesday.Bowles gave Fitzpatrick a vote of confidence after Monday nights 28-3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but he hedged on that in a Tuesday afternoon conference call with reporters, saying he needed to discuss it later that night with his staff. The flip-flop, out of character for Bowles, fueled speculation that perhaps owner Woody Johnson had demanded a change.Interestingly, both quarterbacks said they received the news from Bowles on Tuesday. Neither player offered a specific time, but presumably it was before the evening staff meeting.Smith will start Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, his first start since Dec. 28, 2014.I dont like it, said Fitzpatrick, the lowest-rated quarterback in the NFL. Im disappointed were making the change. Im disappointed in my play this year as well.The competitor in me really wants to be out there. The guy that was the leader of this team wants to be out there, but its the decision Todd made. I have to respect his decision, but I dont have to like it. Smith reclaimed the job he lost in August 2015, when he was punched by then-teammate IK Enemkpali in a locker room altercation. His jaw was broken, and by the time he returned, Fitzpatrick was on his way to a career year. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall praised Smith for gaining maturity over the past year, but his choice of words was odd. Its amazing to see this guy grow and punch adversity in the face, Marshall said. Smith, who handled mop-up duty in Monday nights loss, downplayed his promotion, saying he wanted to keep the focus on the team. He didnt want to reflect on his usual journey. There will be a time and place for that, but this isnt the time or the place, he said.?The current situation is bleak. The Jets (1-5) have dropped four in a row, having managed only three touchdowns in that span. Fitzpatrick leads the NFL with 11 interceptions. We didnt gel and come together like we did last season, Bowles said, explaining his decision. We havent been producing, so I thought it was time to make a change. It was a different tone on Monday night. After the game, Bowles exonerated Fitzpatrick, saying no quarterback couldve succeeded because of the pass-protection issues. He claimed that Fitzpatrick would be back next week. ... Fitz is our starter. Why the reversal? Bowles said he wanted to discuss the matter with his staff and general manager Mike Maccagnan as a matter of protocol. He acknowledged that he also spoke to Johnson. Asked if he spoke to the owner before the decision, Bowles said, We talk all the time. He said Fitzpatrick and Smith are guys of equal talent ... and when one isnt playing as well, you turn to the other one, and thats what we did. The change put Marshall in an awkward position. He was reminded of his comment from a few weeks ago when he said hed stick with Fitzpatrick even if the boat goes down. Boats down, he said, smiling. Smith may only be a bridge to one of the young quarterbacks, Bryce Petty or rookie Christian Hackenberg. Bowles didnt rule out the possibility of promoting one of them at some point. He said theyre operating on a week-to-week basis. Petty needs more practice time because hes only one week removed from a five-week shoulder injury, according to Bowles, adding that Hackenberg isnt ready. The Jets probably would wait until theyre mathematically eliminated before turning to an inexperienced quarterback. Theyre the only team with four quarterbacks on the roster. Petty and Hackenberg are under contract for 2017; Smith and Fitzpatrick will be free agents. This is a stunning fall for Fitzpatrick, who, after a long stalemate, signed a one-year, $12 million contract on the eve of training camp. He was considered the missing piece for a team that almost made the playoffs last season, but he hasnt been able to recapture that level of play. Were 1-5, so something has to change, he said. I guess I was the change. Fitzpatrick will be the No. 2 quarterback on Sunday. Smith, a second-round pick in 2013, compiled an 11-18 starting record in his first two seasons. He flashed occasional glimpses of potential, but he had 34 interceptions and 71 sacks in those two years. Smith worked with the starters during Fitzpatricks contract dispute in the offseason, but he went back to the bench when Fitzpatrick signed. In several interviews, Smith said he was pissed off. On Monday night, he told ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters he was antsy to play. He also expressed frustration on the sideline, flinging his baseball cap at one point. That resulted in a public rebuke from Bowles, who backed off that on Wednesday. Bowles described Smiths comment as gossip, adding that its a waste of my time to discuss.Evan Fournier Jersey . JOHNS, N. Aaron Gordon Magic Jersey . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. http://www.magicauthentic.com/kids-d-j-augustin-magic-jersey/ . SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. Jason Williams Jersey . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands. Dwight Howard Jersey . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday.First-year eligibles LaDainian Tomlinson, Hines Ward, Jason Taylor and Brian Dawkins are among 26 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fames class of 2017.Joining them as first-time semifinalists is tackle-guard Chris Hinton, who retired in 1989 but has made this cut for the first time.The other 21 candidates -- there was a tie for 25th in voting by Hall of Fame selectors as the list was trimmed from an original 94 -- all have made it this far in the past.Two coaches, Don Coryell and Jimmy Johnson, have made the semifinals. So has placekicker Morten Andersen, the NFLs career scoring leader.Previously nominated by the veterans committee was safety Kenny Easley, and by the contributors committee were Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.The 2017 class will be selected on Feb. 4, the day before the Super Bowl. Between four and eight new members will be chosenn.ddddddddddddInductions will be in August at the Canton, Ohio, shrine.Also semifinalists are quarterback Kurt Warner; running backs Roger Craig, Terrell Davis and Edgerrin James; wide receivers Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Terrell Owens; offensive tackles Tony Boselli, Joe Jacoby and Mike Kenn; guard Alan Faneca; center Kevin Mawae; cornerback Ty Law; safeties Steve Atwater, John Lynch and Darren Woodson; and linebackers Karl Mecklenburg and Clay Matthews Jr., the father of current Packers LB Clay Matthews III.Warner, Bruce and Holt teamed up to win a Super Bowl with the Rams. Craig, Davis, Faneca, Law, Jacoby, Atwater, Johnson, Jones, Lynch, Woodson and Ward all own Super Bowl rings.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '