Dein erstes Forum » George never half-ran a ball to first base in his life

PARIS, France -- Is it possible in life to be given too much of a good thing? Does the security guard tasked with keeping a watchful eye on the Mona Lisa day in, day out, long for the opportunity to leave Le Louvre and cast their eye on something a bit more tawdry?Taking in New Zealands clinical 24-19 defeat of France at the Stade de France, it was only natural to ponder whether we have come to take the world champions for granted. Victory was their 21st in their last 22 Test matches, and means that another unbeaten streak is beginning to be built.All of which was achieved with Steve Hansens side rarely out of second gear in attack. It was another committed defensive effort but, in truth, France only had themselves to blame for not breaching the All Blacks try line until the 62nd minute.As in Dublin seven days previously, New Zealand sealed victory despite seeing very little of the ball -- they managed just 38 percent possession in the opening 40 minutes here.Ireland proved recently in both Chicago -- where they ended New Zealands world record winning run -- and Dublin that this All Blacks team will give you chances. Capitalise on those opportunities and they are beatable; pass them up and they will punish you.France will leave the Stade de France clutching onto the positives having created five try-scoring opportunities in the first 30 minutes alone.But crucially it was through their own mistakes that they were undone. Had anyone in dark blue shown an ounce of the composure that comes naturally to those wearing white in Paris, then the scoreline would have been markedly different.However, on too many occasions when the pressure was cranking up on the All Blacks, France responded with a forced pass or a knock on. A scrambled defence suddenly had possession to protect, a booming clearance later and the pressure was released.Part of the credit for that, of course, goes to New Zealands ferocious defence but it is no coincidence that confidence drained from the French players as the try line approached. It is an affliction that fans of Northern Hemisphere sides are well used to when faced by one of the big three from the south.And as Hansen and his players head for home, will any of that matter to them? They might not have had an awful lot of the ball, but when they had it they were clinical.Indeed, Beauden Barretts drilled kick-pass to Julian Savea for the opening try was almost identical to the one that found Malakai Fekitoa in Ireland last weekend. The main difference being that it was put into action around 40 metres further back, and without the luxury of a stretched defence in opposition. Frances rearguard was limp as Savea passed inside for Israel Dagg to scamper over, having punched themselves out in attack for much of the preceding six minutes.It is not something that you can often say about the All Blacks, and is proof that their composure in those pressure moments is not something that should be taken for granted. In fact it is the very reason they seem so formidable to their opponents.The first try again is a case in point. It may have looked easy from the stands or on TV, but there were several skills that needed to be enacted perfectly. Barretts cross-filed kick is useless if it is an inch or two further left or right, Savea in turn needs to catch the ball, while evading Noa Nakaitaci, and then offload to Dagg in support. Any of those skills could falter, but they didnt.That is the result of hours spent on the training pitch, but it is also the product of having the confidence to try it in a game, and for it all to come off. Time and again.The ability that the All Blacks bring to their game in attack in turn feeds into their aura. France felt the pressure when they entered the New Zealand 22 in part because they knew that their opponents would punish any slip-ups. If the All Blacks enter the pitch with an advantage, it is because every other team in the world knows the speed with which they can turn defence into attack.This might not have been a vintage performance from Hansens side but it was ruthlessly clinical, and that is something that should be applauded. Especially when it is the very thing that their opponents struggle to match. Pittsburgh Pirates Pro Shop . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Pittsburgh Pirates Shirts .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. https://www.cheappiratesjerseys.us/ . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Stitched Pirates Jerseys . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday. Pirates Jerseys China . As the crowd erupted, Davis knocked the ball off the glass and back into his hands. With 1:14 to go in overtime, Davis sixth block also became his 17th rebound. That, along with his 32 points -- which tied a career high -- proved too much for Denver to overcome, and the Pelicans held on for their third straight victory, 111-107 on Sunday night.ST. LOUIS -- George Brett is giving coaching a month. The greatest player in Kansas City Royals history isnt sure teaching is his forte and doesnt know if players will listen. Before hustling to the batting cage to start his job and greet well-wishers that included his former manager Whitey Herzog, the teams high profile interim batting coach certainly gave a fiery acceptance speech. "Im scared to death right now, to be honest with you," Brett said Thursday night. "But Im looking forward to the challenge." Not too scared to call out Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and the teams other underachieving youngsters. Brett said hed do all he could, but added they must be accountable. "I mean, get rid of whats that baby stuff? Baby Gerber or something?" Brett said. "Get rid of the bottles, lets go. Lets go!" The 60-year-old Hall of Famer accepted the job after calls from general manager Dayton Moore and manager Ned Yost, telling Yost hed think about it. All it took was one more loss. "I just .... give it a try," Brett said. "So Im going to give it a try." Brett and Moore plan to meet in a month to assess the situation, and then again two weeks after that. Brett did most of the talking at a news conference with Moore and Yost. "I dont know if Im going to be good at this," Brett said. "If Im not doing my job, I dont want Dayton to feel like he has to fire me. "This could be something I just could not stand to do, I dont know," he said. "The players and I might not hit it off, I dont know." The Royals had lost eight in a row before playing the Cardinals on Thursday. They were 13th in the American League in runs, and scored two or fewer runs 11 times during an extended 4-19 drought that dropped them to last place in the Central Division. Brett takes over for Jack Maloof and Andre David, who were reassigned to the minor league organization. This will be Bretts first in-season coaching role, though hes been the franchises vice-president of baseball operations since retiring as a player following the 1993 season. Hes also worked as a volunteer coach at spring training for years and Yost said it was no celebrity stint. &qquot;George doesnt come the second week in spring training and stay 10 days," Yost said.dddddddddddd "Ive never seen a Hall of Famer with the work ethic that he has. "George never half-ran a ball to first base in his life, George was never the last one out of the dugout in his life," Yost added. "Im just excited hes here." The Royals have asked Brett to do this before and he has declined because his children were young and he wasnt ready to be away from them for the 162-game grind. With kids in college, Brett said, "Im not missing them growing up anymore." Yost dumped hitting coach Kevin Seitzer following last season, and said at the time that he wanted to develop an offence that flashed more power. The Royals rank near the bottom of the league in runs, walks, homers, RBIs and just about every other statistical category. Brett has kept his pulse on the organization by working in the front office, and earlier this week lamented during a radio interview the teams misfortune. Bretts no fan of video. He prefers players learn on the job and repair their swing during the at-bat, and he wants them to just be themselves. "Im sick and tired of watching guys try to hit three-run home runs with nobody on base when youre down two runs in the eighth inning," Brett said. "Lets do what youre capable of doing. Dont try to be a hero, just be a soldier." The familiar No. 5 was retired in 1993 after a career that spanned two decades and ended with Brett as the Royals hit leader with 3,154. He remains the only player in major league history to win batting titles in three different decades, including a memorable 1980 season in which he hit .390. The 13-time All-Star is the clubs career leader in every offensive category besides stolen bases, and he was a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection in 1999. The Royals also said Pedro Grifol will serve as a special assignment coach, and Grifol also was in uniform Thursday. He is in his first year with the Royals, where hes been working as the hitting coach for the clubs team in Surprise, Ariz. He spent the past 13 seasons with the Mariners organization. Moore said no more changes are anticipated in the near future. ' ' '