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RIO DE JANEIRO -- With fireworks forming the word Rio in the sky and supermodel Gisele Bundchen shimmering to the tune of The Girl from Ipanema, Rio de Janiero welcomed the world to the first Olympic Games in South America with a serious message underlying the celebration: Lets take care of our planet.After one of the roughest-ever rides from vote to games by an Olympic host, the city of beaches, carnival, grinding poverty and sun-kissed wealth opened the two-week games of the 31st Olympiad with a high-energy gala celebration of Brazils can-do spirit, biodiversity and melting pot history.The low-tech, cut-price opening ceremony, a moment of levity for a nation beset by economic and political woes, featured performers as slaves, laboring with backs bent, gravity-defying climbers hanging from the ledges of buildings in Brazils teeming megacities and -- of course -- dancers, all hips and wobble, grooving to thumping funk and sultry samba.But Brazil also packaged its party with solemnity, lacing the fun and frivolous show with sobering messages about global warming.Images of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, swirling in the Earths atmosphere were followed by projections of world cities and regions -- Amsterdam, Florida, Shanghai, Dubai -- being swamped by rising seas. The peace symbol, tweaked into the shape of a tree, was projected onto the floor of the Maracana Stadium that filed with thousands of athletes from the 207 teams.The heat is melting the icecap, a voice intoned. Its disappearing very quickly.The crowd roared when Bundchen -- the Brazilian supermodel?and wife of?New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady?-- sashayed from one side of the 78,000-seat Maracana Stadium to the other, as Tom Jobims grandson, Daniel, played his?grandfathers famous song about the Ipanema girl tall and tan and young and lovely.In a video preceding the show, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the games celebrate the best of humanity and appealed for an Olympic truce, calling on all warring parties to lay down their weapons during the two weeks of sporting achievement.There were times after the International Olympic Committee selected Rio ahead of Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid in 2009 when it seemed that the city of 6.5 million people might not get its act together for the worlds greatest sporting mega-event.?The spreading health crisis of the mosquito-born Zika virus kept some athletes away. Promises to clean up Rios filthy waters remained unfulfilled. The heavy bill for the games, at least $12 billion, made them unpopular with many. Heavily armed security stopped a small group of protesters from getting close to the stadium ahead of the ceremony.But with more than a dash of gambiarra, the Brazilian art of quick-fixes and making do, Rio is ready.The honor of declaring the games open will fall to Michel Temer, Brazils unpopular interim president, standing in for suspended President Dilma Rousseff. Her ouster less than four months out from the games for alleged budget violations was one of the many complications that roiled Brazils Olympic preparations and impacted the opening ceremony itself.Fewer than 25 foreign heads of state were expected, with others seemingly staying away to avoid giving the impression of taking sides amid Brazils leadership uncertainty.As Brazilian officials took their seats in the stadium, there were shouts of out with Temer from sections of the crowd.Jamaicas Usain Bolt, the two-time defending champion in the Olympic 100- and 200-meter races, skipped the ceremony as expected. Bolt announced his decision earlier in the day.Friday was the fourth anniversary of Bolt winning the gold in the 100 at the London Games.Greece, the historical and spiritual home of the games, led the march by athletes into the stadium. They were being joined by a first-ever Refugee Olympic Team of 10 athletes, displaced from Syria, South Sudan, Congo and Ethiopia. Their flag-bearer, Rose Nathike Lokonyen, fled war in South Sudan and ran her first race in a refugee camp in northern Kenya.The athletes were given tree seeds, plus cartridges of soil. When they sprout, they will be planted in a Rio park.With USA emblazoned on the back of his jacket, Michael Phelps carried the flag for the U.S. team, the largest with 549 competitors. At his fifth and last Olympics, it was the first time the record holder of 22 medals had marched in an opening ceremony, having skipped previous ones to save energy for competition.On behalf of all 11,288 competitors (6,182 men; 5,106 women), a Brazilian athlete will pledge an oath that they wont take banned drugs -- a promise likely to ring false to many fans after the scandal of government-orchestrated cheating in Russia.While it escaped a blanket ban, Russia is paying the price in the shape of a smaller team, whittled down from a 389 athletes to around 270.Iran picked a woman, archer Zahra Nemati, as flag-bearer for its team made up overwhelmingly of men. Another woman pushed Nematis wheelchair. She was paralyzed in a car accident as a teenager.After the grandeur of Beijings opening ceremony in 2008 and the high-tech, cheeky inventiveness of Londons in 2012, Rios was earthier and less swish but more sobering with its gloomy environmental look at the future and deliberate penny-pinching. Creative director Fernando Meirelles said their budget, slashed by half as Brazils economic recession bit ever harder, is 12 times less than London, 20 times less than Beijing.It is pretty tacky to be overspending, he said. It is not a good message for the world. When 40 percent of the homes in Brazil have no sanitation, you cant really be spending a billion reals for a show.In the end I feel good that I am not spending money that Brazil hasnt got.After Brazils most famous athlete -- soccer star Pele -- said he will not appear, the Olympic mystery of who might light the cauldron remained intact.The cauldron was designed by American sculptor Anthony Howe, who told The Associated Press he was inspired by life in the tropics. There will be two cauldrons in Rio, one at the Maracana and another open to the public in downtown Rio.Air Max Plus Saldi . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. Vapormax Outlet . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. Nolan punched Oilers forward Jesse Joensuu in the jaw in front of the Kings goal during a scrum. http://www.scontatescarpenikeoutlet.it/italia-air-max-270-offerte.html . -- Edmontons Val Sweeting is two wins away from a trip to Winnipeg to play in Canadas Road of the Rings in December. Vans Italia . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Air Max 97 Saldi .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.NEW ORLEANS -- Even if the Oakland Raiders latest visit to the Superdome wont go down as their most memorable triumph in New Orleans, it certainly has the potential to be a pivotal moment in the apparent resurgence of a proud franchise that hasnt won much for more than a decade.The Raiders have been so annually lousy since 2002 that coach Jack Del Rios 7-9 record in his first season with the club a year ago was widely seen as a promising development. And because a number of the Raiders top players are young, Oakland is becoming a popular dark horse pick to contend for an AFC playoff spot.Given the resolve and guts the silver-and-black demonstrated in a dramatic, season-opening 35-34 victory over the Saints on Sunday, why not?The Raiders not only erased a 14-point, second-half deficit on hostile ground. They also overcame another one-touchdown deficit in style, marching 75 yards in the final minutes for a touchdown and a bold, do-or-die, 2-point conversion from Derek Carr to Michael Crabtree with 47 seconds left.Thatll never measure up to the 1980 Raiders Super Bowl triumph in the Big Easy, but its the kind of victory that can give a young squad a psychological edge.Today really helps them with finding a way to get a win, Del Rio said after Sundays triumph. This year, we are talking about learning how to win, learning how to close these games, sticking together and making plays at the end. I am really proud of our guys, really happy for them.The Saints are also coming off of a 7-9 record last season. They showed potential to improve, but ultimately lost for much the same reason as last year -- their defense couldnt make what Drew Brees and Co. produced hold up.Theres a point where you have to dig down and get off the field, coach Sean Payton said of his defense, noting the unit did not have any sacks or turnovers. We werent able to do so. From then on, youre just hanging in there, and we didnt make enough plays.Other key developments from the Raiders-Saints season opener:BALANCED ATTACK: As much as the Raiders might lean on Carr and his top receivers -- Crabtree and Amari Cooper -- to produce, their running game made the difference in New Orleans. The Raiders rushed for 167 yards, including touchdown runs of 75 yards by rookie Jalen Richard , 6 yards by Latavius Murray and 2 yards by Jamize Olawale.ddddddddddddETTER BLOCKING: The Saints offensive line struggled during an 0-4 preseason, but generally gave Brees the time he needed against Oakland. Brees blamed himself for his fumble on a sack, saying he held the ball too long, and applauded his protection during a 423-yard, four TD performance.Well be fine, said veteran right guard Jahri Evans, who was re-acquired last week to shore up the unit. Drew felt comfortable back there. We got some long passes.OPPORTUNISTIC DEFENSE: While the Raiders defense sometimes struggled to stop the ever-prolific Brees, they made a number of promising plays, highlighted by Bruce Irvins sack and strip of the Saints star QB for a turnover. The Raiders forced another fumble by Saints receiver Willie Snead, but werent able to pounce on it. Meanwhile, Oakland held the Saints to 88 yards rushing.EXPERIENCE DEFICIT: The Saints started the game with a lot of youth and inexperience in the secondary and ended it with even more after second-year starting cornerback Delvin Breaux was taken to the locker room with an undisclosed lower leg injury. With newly acquired veteran cornerback Sterling Moore inactive, the Saints had several defensive backs with no prior regular season NFL experience on the field for Oaklands winning drive. That included undrafted rookie Ken Crawley, who was covering Crabtree on the winning conversion.QB PROFICIENCY: The Saints neednt worry about the 37-year-old Brees age and the Raiders can be confident that Carr continues to develop into one of the NFLs best as he enters his prime. Brees opened his 16th season by eclipsing the 400-yard mark for the 14th time in his career, tying for first all-time with Peyton Manning. He also set personal and team records for longest passing play on a 98-yard TD to Brandin Cooks . Car passed for 319 yards, one TD and a pair of clutch 2-point conversions, first to Cooper to tie the game at 27 and later to Crabtree for the win.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '