their fortnight of controversy.Hunter said their last-min

The Western Bulldogs are determined not to let controversies ruin their AFL campaign of great promise.Not Tom Boyd and Zaine Cordys biff in the pub; not Lin Jongs trip to tour Collingwoods training facilities; not anything else that might crop up between now and September.And as you might expect from a side coached by Luke Beveridge, the skateboarding free spirit who has rejuvenated his club, the Bulldogs are shaking off the latest headline with a laugh.Young gun Lachie Hunter said Beveridge addressed the group once Jongs cross-town visit to their AFL rivals became public.He cracked a few jokes in the first team meeting and that aired it out, Hunter told AAP.It was a bit awkward in the morning but Jongy joined in and everyone moved forward.Trades are a part of the game. Youd be stupid to think no one talks to other clubs. But we love Jongy and hope he can stay.The Boyd-Cordy dust-up is more serious, but both Boyd and the team could hardly have responded better.Boyd kicked four goals in the VFL and the Bulldogs had a fine win at the SCG over premiership fancies Sydney.Hunter, with experience of upsetting club management after being linked to - but cleared - of betting on a match, said he was proud of the response.It could have gone either way. It can either tear you apart or bring you closer, he said.We approached it the right way as a club and as a team and clearly that showed on the weekend.Ive been in that position before, when youre not in the best of books with the people that are running the club and you just want to make it right.Those boys have gone about it well since it happened.It is a paradox that the Bulldogs have firmed for the flag in their fortnight of controversy.Hunter said their last-minute win at the SCG had galvanised the club.When you have those wins and beat those teams, it validates that belief, he said.For sure, we can win it.This probably is the most-open finals anyone really can remember. If the top eight finishes as is, anyone can win it if they get a run on.Hydro Flask Coffee Belgie . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Hydro Flask Aanbieding . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. http://www.belgiehydroflask.com/hydro-flask-40-oz.html . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. Hydro Flask Wit . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. Hydro Flask Korting .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers.MADISON, Wis. -- Vitto Brown hadnt even broken a sweat when Wisconsin coach Greg Gard pulled the forward and fellow starter Ethan Happ just more than a minute into Thursday nights game with Chicago State.But the move sent a message.Brown ending up scoring 12 points to lead No. 9 Wisconsin as the Badgers shook off some uneven play from their starters to beat the Cougars 69-51.Its always important to send a message with your leaders like us because they know if we mess up and can be taken out, the other guys will be held to the same standard, Brown said.Gard said he figured some of his starters would be sluggish two days after a 79-67 loss to No. 22 Creighton. But after seeing a couple of careless turnovers to start the game and a quick 8-0 deficit, he had enough.Gards move paid off. Khalil Iverson came off the bench to add 11 points, and freshman guard DMitrik Trice dished out seven assists in 23 minutes. Meanwhile, Bronson Koenig added 10 points, though he was 1 of 6 from 3-point range.Thats the nice thing about having guys on the bench who will go in and play as hard as you can, as smart as you can, for as long as you can, Gard said.The Badgers (2-1) were just 11 of 39 from beyond the 3-point line against Creighton. They again struggled from deep Thursday, hitting 5 of 19. But they had little trouble with the Cougars (1-1) inside as they pulled away. They hit almost 54 percent of their two-point attempts, outscoring Chicago State 34-10 in the paint.Fred Sims scored 26 points to lead Chicago State, which came out in a zone and pressed Wisconsin early.Coach Tracy Dildy said his staff saw Wisconsins shooting troubles in Tuesdays game and decided to go with a zone to see where it can take us. With the Badgers struggles continuing, he added, it likely made the Cougars zone look better than it was.But they stoppped settling for 3s and really were able to have their way pounding it inside, he said.ddddddddddddBIG PICTUREChicago State: Hey, its a paycheck. The Panthers went 4-28 last season, including 0-14 in the Western Athletic Conference. They were a tune up for a bigger, deeper and more talented team.Wisconsin: It wasnt always pretty but Wisconsin played better inside than it did in Tuesdays loss and now moves onto bigger challenges.TOUGH NIGHT AT THE OFFICEWisconsins Nigel Hayes, who scored 16 points in Tuesdays loss, was a non-factor. He was 1 for 8 from the field, including 1 for 4 from 3-point range, and 0 for 2 from the free throw line. He finished with three points. He wasnt the only one who struggled. Fellow starter Zak Showalter missed all five shots he took, including four from behind the 3-point line.PROTEST CONTINUESHayes and and fellow Badger Jordan Hill continued their protest during the national anthem. Both stood a step behind the rest of their teammates while it was played. Hayes stood with his hands clasped behind his back, head down with the collar of his warm-up shirt pulled up over the bottom half of his face.POLL IMPLICATIONSIts not going to make up for Tuesdays loss to Creighton. But the Badgers largely took care of business and have a chance to redeem themselves in the eyes of pollsters when they head to Maui next week.UP NEXTChicago State: The Cougars travel to Oakland on Saturday as they play 14 of their 16 pre-conference games on the road. That includes two games next month in Nevada as part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic.Wisconsin: The Badgers will get some stiffer competition against No. 21 Tennessee on Monday in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. ' ' '