HULL, England -- Leicester opened its title defense with a shock 2-1 loss to newly-promoted Hull on the first day of the Premier League season on Saturday.Having sprung one of soccers biggest surprises by winning the league last season, Leicester was on the receiving end of an upset after Robert Snodgrass rifled home Hulls winner in the 57th minute.Despite facing a side that was already mired in difficulties off the pitch, Leicester became the first champion to lose its opening league game of the following season since the Premier League began in 1992-93.Hull is still without a manager after Steve Bruce left in July, and a club that only secured promotion through the Championship playoffs has been badly hit by both injuries and protests by fans against its owners.I thought the players had it in them to produce something, Hulls caretaker manager Mike Phelan told Sky Sports. Obviously characters a big issue when a lot of things are not going your way in preseason... a lot of the time it was fingers crossed to make sure that we had enough players to get out onto this field today.But all credit to the football players. They showed a lot of the determination... At this level, you have to master the ball, you have to take the ball and play with confidence, character and courage. And I thought everything came out today.Along with the missed chances, Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri pointed to a lack of teamwork from his side.We made a lot of effort but not as a team, and they defended very well and they tried to play counter-attack and played well, the Italian said.They played better, we tried to do our best. The effort was amazing, but individual effort -- not as a team. And I think this is the key of the match.Despite the backdrop to its top-flight return, Hull took the lead in first-half stoppage time with an acrobatic shot by Adama Diomande.Leicester equalized with a penalty converted by Riyad Mahrez almost immediately after the re-start, but Snodgrass restored Hulls lead for good in the 57th minute with a powerful low shot from inside the area.It was a particularly frustrating afternoon for England striker Jamie Vardy, whose 24 Premier League goals propelled Leicester to the title last season but who missed a string of first-half chances on Saturday.He began by completely miskicking an inviting cut-back from Ahmed Musa on the Nigerian forwards debut in the 20th minute. Mahrez then pounced on the loose ball but the Leicester playmaker could only send a rising shot into the side netting.Leicester nearly made the breakthrough when Christian Fuchs worked a one-two with Musa for a close-range shot that was parried by Hull goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic. Vardy met the rebound with a shot that was charged down and Mahrez followed up with a short run and a curling drive that flew wide of the post.The chances kept coming for the champions, who missed yet another chance two minutes before the break. Musa intercepted a sloppy pass and burst forward before sliding the ball to Vardy -- who sent his shot skyward.Just as it looked likely to finish level at the break, Hull took the lead against the run of play. A header from Curtis Davies was just tipped away by Kasper Schmeichel but Diomande leapt into the air to hook the ball into the far corner of the net.Leicesters luck changed within seconds of the restart, with the visitors gifted an equalizer after a clumsy challenge by Tom Huddlestone on Demarai Gray on the edge of the area. Mahrez blasted his spot-kick straight down the middle as Jakupovic dived.Snodgrass replied by scoring Hulls winner with a fine left-foot shot on the bounce, following a partial clearance by a Leicester back line that lacked composure without suspended central defender Robert Huth. Cheap Custom Jerseys . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Wholesale Custom Jerseys . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. http://www.customjerseysnearme.com/ .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. Custom Jerseys From China . Team physician Dr. Steve Traina performed the surgery Friday. Robinson was injured in a spill underneath the Nuggets basket during the first quarter of Wednesday nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Custom Basketball Jerseys . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. INDIANAPOLIS -- The wife of former Colts cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who was released Oct. 4, is accusing the team of letting her husband go for taking a knee during the national anthem.Terricka Cromartie wrote an Instagram post after seeing comments from Colts owner Jim Irsay saying football stadiums are the wrong venue for players to be kneeling during the national anthem to show their displeasure in police brutality and racial oppression. The post was later taken down, but it stated what she thinks the attitude of the team toward players:You are Nothing More than an Entertainer. Just Shut and do what we say. You have No rights as along as you are working for me.. there are other places for you to fight and stand for what you believe, the post said.The post added: One things for sure I know my husband was told Not to take a Knee and he went with his heart and he took one. And that cost him his Job.. and Clearly this Statement backs that up... Just a Paid To put on a show.Irsay was asked about players kneeling during the anthem while at the NFL owners meetings in Houston earlier this week.It hasnt been a positive thing, Irsay told reporters. What we all have to be aware of as players, owners, PR people, equipment managers, is when the lights go on we are entertainment. We are being paid to put on a show. There are other places to express yourself.Cromartie also posted to Instagram, and although he didnt mention his release, he appeared to take issue with Irsays comments.The Colts referred to coach Chuck Paganos statement on Oct. 5 when asked about Cromarties wifes comments. Pagano, addressing the cornerbacks releaase a day earlier, referred to it as a football decision.ddddddddddddve said it before and I will say it again, every decision that we make as far as our roster goes and this team goes, is based on two things -- what is best for this team and what gives us the best chance to win, Pagano said.Cromartie became the only Colts player to take a knee when he did it during the anthem before the Sept. 25 game against the San Diego Chargers. He did it again the following week when the Colts played the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.Cromartie, a four-time Pro Bowler, had played so poorly against the Jaguars in the first half that he was benched in the second half.The Colts were in position to release Cromartie at the time because they were getting healthy in the secondary. Cornerback Darius Butler was returning from a hamstring injury, which meant the Colts would have their top three cornerbacks -- Vontae Davis, Butler and Patrick Robinson -- back in the lineup.Theres a chance Cromartie would have been inactive for some games because the team likes Rashaan Melvin as its fourth cornerback.Colts tight end Dwayne Allen has consistently taken a knee toward the end of the national anthem throughout his career. He?explained in a video released through the team?Tuesday that he does so not as a protest, but to say a prayer for every man that steps on the field. On Wednesday, he discussed the backlash he has received?from some fans that have sent him hateful messages because they misinterpreted his actions. ' ' '