Its that time of the season. Yes, the injuries are piling up on the star players, which makes for a lot of question marks as the year winds down. With that in mind, here are a few pressing questions:Given all his injuries and his commanding lead in the rankings, should Novak Djokovic consider withdrawing from the rest of the season?Nic Atkin: It may be a sensible idea, but dont think for a second that Djokovic will contemplate it. The world No. 1 said he missed tennis after getting a couple of free passes on his way to the fourth round of the US Open. If getting two walkovers fills him with longing to pick up his racket, then skipping three months would be unbearable.Peter Bodo: Absolutely not, unless those injuries are more severe and require more intensive rehab than it appears. Djokovics season is already made. He is ideally positioned to keep his stranglehold on the game, and besides, he does have professional obligations to the tour as the No. 1 player and an enthusiastic spokesperson.Greg Garber: Absolutely not. Look at the past four years, when Djokovic finished the season as the world No. 1 three times and No. 2 once. In each instance, he won the ATP World Tour Finals. If it aint broke, dont fix it.Johnette Howard: Yes. He seemed to be running on fumes by the US Open and has been cryptic about personal issues that were also troubling him. It hasnt been easy to be dominant as long as hes been. A break could be restorative.Melissa Isaacson: Yes, he should certainly consider taking off the rest of the season. But he has always recognized in the past when his body needed a rest, and commanding lead in the rankings or not, his judgment should not be questioned now.With the WTA Finals coming up, how important is it for Serena Williams to get healthy and win it again?Atkin: Serena should target the Australian Open as her comeback event, not the WTA Finals. Breaking Steffi Grafs major record will be a far bigger incentive than reigning in Singapore. With her 35th birthday just a few days ago, Serena needs to be smart about her schedule and build her season around the Slams.Bodo: If somehow Williams is in a position to reclaim the No. 1 ranking, it would be a shame for her not to make the effort. It would certainly add to her legacy. But since thats an unlikely scenario, its only important in that making a powerful year-end statement would give her rivals a lot to think about over the winter break and convince fans and pundits that we can expect a lot more from her next year.Garber: Important. As Pam Shriver told me recently, at Serenas age (35), she cant simply play her way into Slams after a period of inactivity. Last year, she shut down after the US Open and looked rusty in Melbourne in January. She needs to bring some momentum into 2017.Howard: Its vital for her to get healthy. I have doubts shell even show up for the WTA Finals based on her recent statements that shes tired of playing hurt, and I dont blame her. But if she does heal and show up, she might as well win it.Isaacson: Not important at all. Serena has nothing to prove, and only the all-time Slam singles record is worth going after at this point. And frankly, if she ends her career still tied with Steffi Graf at 22 majors, it should not affect her claim on greatest of all time.What do we realistically expect from Roger Federer when he returns to tour?Atkin: Sad as it is to comprehend, Federer could well begin his lap of honor next season. He has defied the sands of time for long enough, but his body is finally failing him. He just doesnt have enough in him to win an 18th major, though he will entertain us all as usual by threatening the possibility with a run to the Australian Open quarterfinals.Bodo: The greatest gift Roger will bring to the tour next year is his presence. He just adds so much value to an event, because like Serena Williams, he is a true transcendent superstar. If hes fully fit, I expect Federer to be about 80 percent of full-flight Federer, which is a lot of Geez, isnt this great? tennis and wonderful for the game. Hell probably get a lot more Sundays off, but who knows: Maybe hell produce one, final, career-capping major performance.Garber: More of what weve seen in recent years. No Grand Slam titles, but it makes sense to pencil him in for some of those titles he won in 2015: Brisbane, Dubai, Basel and Halle.Howard: More of the same: Glimpses of brilliance and moments where his age and vulnerabilities show enough to prevent him from sustained greatness throughout the year. Thats a lot to ask from him now, even for an entire two-week major tournament.Isaacson: This was his first serious injury, and he is obviously being conservative in his recovery. There is no reason, even at age 35, to think he cant eventually get back to the level he was at with his semifinal finish at Wimbledon.How much pressure should Andy Murray be putting on himself to heal up and win a first ATP Finals in his home country?Atkin: Murray and the ATP Finals have never really been a good fit at the O2 Arena in London. Unlike last year, he wont have a Davis Cup final to prioritize. With Federer absent and Djokovic out of sorts and healing up himself, Murray has a chance to tick another accomplishment off the list.Bodo: I dont think the ATP World Tour Finals means a great deal to Murray, certainly not as much as any major, but the ATP probably is getting tired of sitting around with its fingers crossed, hoping he pulls it off. It would certainly be a PR coup, good for the game in general, and it would add a significant resume item to a CV that is long on runner-up finishes at the biggest events.Garber: To be honest, I dont think he cares all that much. In seven previous appearances, hes never won the year-ender, going out in round-robin play four times, including the past two years.Howard: No pressure to win. Hes already had a good year with his Wimbledon title and Olympic gold-medal run. He has seemed more exhausted than seriously ailing, so hes definitely a threat to win it all in London. He certainly seems to play inspired tennis there.Isaacson: Even when Murray says he doesnt feel outside pressure to win, you can read his own desire with every grimace. If he is close to 100 percent, you can bet hell be in London on Nov. 13. Whether he should be placing that pressure on himself hardly matters. China Vans Shoes Wholesale . Collaros, 25, was solid last season, posting a 5-2 record as the starter while incumbent Ricky Ray was injured. Collaros also started Torontos 23-20 regular-season finale loss to Montreal — Ray didnt dress because the Argos had already clinched first in the East Division — but was one of three quarterbacks to play that day. Cheap Vans Shoes China . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. http://www.cheapvansdiscount.com/ . The recently retired Stern was elected Friday to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and will be enshrined with the class of 2014 on Aug. Cheap Vans Shoes For Sale . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. Vans Shoes Sale . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. Four South African cricketers, including former Test wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile, have been handed bans by Cricket South Africa for breaching the boards Anti-Corruption Code. While Tsolekile has been banned for 12 years, Jean Symes has been given a seven-year ban, and Ethy Mbhalati and Pumelela Matshikwe have each been given ten-year bans in relation to the 2015 Ram Slam T20 fixing case.All four players have accepted the bans given by CSA. The bans imposed on the players, effective from August 1, 2016, prevent them from participating or being involved in cricket in any capacity.Symes, Matshikwe and Tsolekile were all previously contracted with Lions, while Mbhalati was contracted to Titans.Tsolekile, who captained Lions previously and has played three Tests for South Africa, was sanctioned for contriving to fix a match or matches in the 2015 Ram Slam; failing to disclose to the CSA Anti-Corruption Officer the full details of an approach to engage in corrupt conduct. He was also banned for failing to disclose full details of matters evidencing a breach of the Code by another participant; and obstructing or delaying the investigation by destroying evidence that was relevant to the investigation.Symes, an allrounder, was banned for failing to disclose to the anti-corruption unit a payment which he knew or ought to have known was given to him to procure a breach of the Code, according to a CSA release. He has also been charged with failing to disclose details of an approach to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code; failing to disclose full details of matters evidencing a breach of the Code by another participant; and failing to co-operate with the investigators by knowingly providing false information to them.Mbhalati and Matshikwe have been banned for: Receiving a payment or incentive to fix or contrive to influence improperly a match or matches in the 2015 RAM SLAM; making a payment which in the circumstances would bring the sport of cricket into disrepute; failing to disclose to the CSA Anti-Corruption officer a payment which they knew or ought to have known was given to them to procure a breach of the Code; failing to disclose details of an approach to engage in corrupt conduct and failing to disclose full details of matters evidencing a breach of the Code by another participant.The CSA release stated that Matshikwe had three years of his ban suspended.CSA made its investigation into the allegations of fixing in the Ram Slam competition public last December. In January former cricketer Gulam Bodi was banned for 20 years after he admitted to contriving or attempting to fix matches during the 2015 Ram Slam T20 series.The boards investigation was headed by independent attorney and former ICC Head of legal, David Becker, and former police Colonel and current head of CSAs Anti-Corruption Unit, Louis Cole.CSAs chief executive Haroon Lorgat said that while there was no evidence to suggest that an actual fix in a match had been carried out, the players had participated in material discussions about match-fixing.Corruption is a very serious matter and for this reason we have devoted extensive time and resourcess to fully investigate every shred of evidence, Lorgat said in the statement.dddddddddddd We are still finalising certain aspects of the investigation.Whilst there has been no evidence to suggest that an actual fix in any match was carried out, these players all participated in material discussions about match-fixing. In fact, they all went further and accepted, or agreed to accept in the future, sums of money which they knew or ought to have known was given to them to procure a breach of the Code, or bring the game into disrepute.ICC chief executive David Richardson said it was a plus if the actual fixing was thwarted, and the ICC supports the strong sanctions. What is particularly satisfying to note is that it appears that any intended wrongdoing was disrupted before it happened, meaning the domestic games in question went ahead without any act of corruption being committed.The sanctions are rightly strong and, I hope, will act as a deterrent to anyone thinking about getting involved in criminal activity of this nature whether at international or domestic level.Symes, Matshikwe and Mbhalati expressed their regret over their actions and issued apologies in CSAs press release. The release, however, did not include a statement from Tsolekile.I would like to apologise to my family, friends, the public who are fans of the game of cricket, my team mates, Gauteng cricket, Lions cricket and especially to Cricket South Africa for my actions, Matshikwe said in the press release. I feel ashamed and I deeply regret being involved. I understand that I have to take responsibility and I accept the punishment that CSA has imposed on me. I am truly sorry.Mbhalati admitted to a bad mistake: I made a bad mistake which I will regret for a very long time. I would like to do all I can to prevent other players finding themselves in the difficult situation I now find myself in.I deeply regret that at the end of my career, a career that I have devoted to the sport of cricket, my clubs, teams and fellow players, I have conducted myself in a manner that amounts to a contravention of the ethical code of conduct of Cricket South Africa, Symes said. In hindsight, I would have conducted myself differently. I regret any hurt or inconvenience that I have caused my team, my fellow players, my family and friends and specifically Cricket South Africa.The Federation of International Cricketers Associations chief Tony Irish said FICA might assist the players in their recovery process. If it hadnt been for education programme, I dont think the players would have come forward and revealed what was going on, Irish said. This investigation would never have happened.These are human beings, these are players who have gone astray. They are still individuals. They are guys who perhaps need support and assistance in other ways. We will probably look to assist them in that way. This is the best education a player can get - to see what happens when it does go wrong. These sorts of things become huge wake-up calls for players. ' ' '