2012 » same. Nobody wants to take the yellow jersey like that. You want to

The man behind securing the 2025 Rugby League World Cup for North America believes NFL interest in NRL players can be a platform for the creation of an elite level competition in the US.Jason Moore, President of Moore Sports International, who brought Major League Baseball to the SCG in 2014, said league is a sport with a vast untapped potential in a country of over 300 million people.Kangaroos winger Valentine Holmes and Dally M Medallist Jason Taumalolo are the latest NRL stars to head to the States for a free agent combine in Los Angeles next week.And Moore, who divides his time between Sydney and the US, said Jarryd Haynes year-long stint with the San Francisco 49ers, briefly pricked Americas interest in the sport where he made his name.In our research weve found theres something similar about the running lines of rugby league and rugby union and the NFL backs, Moore told AAP.Catch, pass, run straight. Jarryd Hayne basically showcased all that we have been saying.Its a pity for us that he didnt just kick on a little bit more.But having said that, to do what he did and achieve what he achieved was unbelievable.The chances of Holmes and Taumalolo emulating Hayne as a result of this trial are slim, given the competition that they will come up against.But Moore is hoping one day top NRL players will consider signing for a team in the US as an alternative to the English Super League.Weve been working on this for over 10 years, Moore said.Not so much the World Cup but developing a rugby code in the US.Although rugby has made big strides over there, American viewers do not like sports where TV loses track of the ball.They love physical, gladiatorial sports that are played at a fast pace.Moore admits selling the game to America will be tough, but said plans are already afoot for a 10-12-team competition made up of city franchises in the US and Canada and containing local players within the next five years.College kids are a massive market for teams, as are the high school kids that dont make it to college, he said.About 30,000 high school kids go for 11,000 college places, then about 160 will make it to the NFL.So theres a hell of a lot of 18-23 year olds with not much to do that have been trained like professional athletes to catch, pass run and tackle.Its a massive challenge, but weve a great way to engage with the fans through their love of contact sports.In America, you have to think big or you will get booed off the stage.Andres Guardado Jersey . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. Carlos Vela Mexico Jersey . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. http://www.nationalsoccermexico.com/jesus-duenas-mexico-jersey/ . 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. Candido Ramirez Mexico Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Hector Herrera Mexico Jersey . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career.MONT VENTOUX, France -- Fans celebrating Bastille Day created dramas at the Tour de France, causing a crash involving race leader Chris Froome that ensured it wasnt until hours after the 12th stage concluded that organizers decided the British rider could keep the yellow jersey.Mont Ventoux always throws up something different and today was no exception, Froome said. You always have to expect the unexpected at the Tour.The problems at cyclings most prestigious race were overshadowed in France hours later, when a truck drove on to the sidewalk and plowed through a crowd of revelers celebrating the national day whod gathered to watch fireworks in the French resort city of Nice. Some officials and eyewitnesses described it as a deliberate attack. The president of the Nice region said at least 60 people were killed.Nice regional president Eric Ciotti said on France Info radio that Its a scene of horror.It was unclear immediately if tour organizers planned any changes to the race in the wake of the attack, which occurred at least a three-hour drive from the recently-finished stage.The races first time trial comes Friday with a hilly 37.5-kilometer (23-mile) leg from Bourg-Saint-Andeol to La Caverne du Pont-DArc, where Froome will be looking to add to his lead in calmer circumstances.In Thursdays racing drama, Richie Porte crashed headfirst into a motorbike carrying a TV camera, and Froome, who was right behind his former teammate, also hit the pavement in the final kilometer on the wind-shortened climb up legendary Mont Ventoux.The crowd was just all on the road, and a motorbike stopped right in front of us and we had nowhere to go, Porte said. The next minute, I went straight over the top of the motorbike. It was just a mess.Last week, Froome punched the face of a spectator who got too close to the race.I agree that you come to the race, you have a good time, but you dont need to be running beside the riders, you dont need to hitting riders, pushing riders, said Porte, who was being examined for possible injuries. Things have got to change, and I cant believe there werent barriers there.The wind prevented organizers from erecting the usual barriers at the end of most stages, Tour director Christian Prudhomme explained.We took an exceptional decision because of this exceptional situation, an incident that might have never happened before in 100 years, Prudhomme said. There will be an investigation to find out why the TV motorbike was blocked and the riders fell.After the crash, Froome threw his mangled bike aside and began running up the road. He eventually was given a small yellow race assistance bike before his team car was finally able to provide him with a suitable substitute.All of Froomes main rivals crossed ahead of him, and Froome shook his head in disbelief when he finally reached the ffinish.ddddddddddddIts really unfortunate what happened in the last couple of kilometers, Froome said, but ultimately common sense has prevailed and the commissaires have come to the right decision, so I would like to thank them for that.As Froome ran through the crowds, he attempted to communicate with his team via radio but the crowds prevented the Team Sky car from reaching him.It was a nightmare, Sky sports director Nicolas Portal said. It took up to two minutes for him to get a spare bike but the pedals did not suit him. ... I cant understand how so many people were allowed there. It was mayhem.Before the crash, Froome dropped most of his rivals apart from Porte and Bauke Mollema.The race jury eventually decided to give Froome and Porte the same stage time as Mollema.Still, Froome was booed and whistled at when he put the yellow jersey back on during the podium ceremony.Froome, who is seeking his third Tour title in four years, increased his overall lead to 47 seconds ahead of fellow British rider Adam Yates.Two-time runner-up Nairo Quintana was third, 54 seconds behind, and Mollema moved up to fourth, 56 seconds back.I wouldnt want to take the jersey like this. Im happy with the decision, said Yates, who was initially given the race leadership according to preliminary results. (Froome) is the rightful owner of the yellow jersey.If anyone was in the same situation they would feel the same. Nobody wants to take the yellow jersey like that. You want to take it with your legs. Theres not many sports where the fans can get this close to the athletes like this. It is what it is.Thomas De Gendt won the stage after getting into an early breakaway and easily sprinting past fellow Belgian Serge Pauwels on the steep slopes of Ventoux.There were too many people in the last kilometer, De Gendt said. There was not even a place for one motorbike. They should do something about it.With the wind at 125 kph (nearly 80 mph) on top of the Giant of Provence, organizers moved the finish line six kilometers (3 1/2 miles) down the road to the Chalet Reynard.It was still a grueling 10-kilometer (six-mile) climb featuring several sections with gradients exceeding 10 percent.It was De Gendts first career stage win in the Tour. He finished third in the 2012 Giro dItalia.Froome was the stage winner when the Tour previously scaled Ventouxs barren, 1,909-meter (6,263-foot) peak in 2013.Ventoux was also the site of an epic contest between Lance Armstrong and Marco Pantani in 2000, and where British rider Tom Simpson died in 1967 from a combination of amphetamines and alcohol.---AP Sports Writer Samuel Petrequin contributed to this report.---Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asdampf ' ' '