Gäste Forum » 15th first-class match. He is still learning,

HONOLULU -- A tourism official in charge of negotiating with the NFL on holding the Pro Bowl in Honolulu says the state is open to giving the league flexibility if it wants to alternate the game between Hawaii and other locations. David Uchiyama, vice-president of brand management for the Hawaii Tourism Authority, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that both the state and the NFL want a long-term agreement. He says Hawaii can make a deal for up to four games given state laws. "I think theyre exploring their options in going to the mainland, but as long as we stay on top of it and the players continue to express their interest, I think were in the game," Uchiyama said. Uchiyama said the league and state have been discussing several options for a deal that gives NFL its flexibility while still making a long-term commitment to Hawaii, where the Pro Bowl is a big deal for tourism and marketing the state to potential visitors. One option, Uchiyama said, would be a seven-year deal with four Pro Bowls played in Honolulu. Uchiyama said Hawaii has been fine with the NFL considering its options because Honolulu stacks up well with other potential sites. "Were pretty confident that the experience we can give them here is going to be like no other that theyre going to have anywhere else on the mainland," he said. The NFL has not committed to a Pro Bowl beyond next year, in Hawaii or elsewhere. League spokesman Jon Zimmer said the NFL is focused on making the 2014 game a success. "We are actively engaged in conversations with our players on how to make the game more exciting from a fans perspective," Zimmer said. Uchiyama said talks with the NFL have been ongoing, including email discussions this week, and he believes a decision will be reached before next years game. Uchiyama spoke with the AP after appearing on a panel on the Pro Bowls future that featured a former league executive and former Chicago Bears centre Olin Kreutz. Kreutz, who went to high school in Honolulu, said players prefer Hawaii for the Pro Bowl because of tradition and the ability to celebrate a strong season in a place thats desirable for players families and friends. Uchiyama said the game is well worth the $4 million per year Hawaii pays to host the game. He said that money is invested back into the local economy through vendors and other arrangements during Pro Bowl Week, and generates invaluable marketing exposure. Uchiyama said the game also draws 18,000 visitors to the state, who spend $20 million and generate $2.8 million in taxes. The future of the Pro Bowl has come into question because of the games competitiveness, as well as issues of timing, television ratings and other factors.Cheap White Sox Jerseys . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. Chicago White Sox Pro Shop . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. https://www.cheapwhitesox.com/ . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Wholesale White Sox Jerseys . 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From slow under-arm bowling in the 19th century to Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding in the 1970s, from timeless Tests through one-day internationals to Twenty20, the game has evolved, and survived. And 26,343 people watched it continue to evolve on Thursday, the first day and night of pink-ball Test cricket at the Gabba.Evolution was evident also in the players. Six years ago at the home of cricket, Steven Smith made his Test debut against this same opposition. Back then he played as a legspinner and batted at No.8. Only Azhar Ali and Mohammad Amir remain from the Pakistan XI that faced Smith in his first Test at Lords, and on the first day in Brisbane they saw him complete his 16th Test century.Smith is the No.1-ranked batsman in Test cricket, and now the owner of a Test hundred against every opposition except those that he hasnt met - Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. He had some good fortune - dropped on 53, caught behind on 97, though Pakistan failed to appeal - but good fortune does not account for 4421 Test runs at an average of 58.94.When he started, Smith had more moving parts than a one-man band. He has tightened his technique considerably, and now relies as much on his brain as his eye. As a batsman he is a great success. As a captain, his evolution continues. His task is to lead Australia out of their recent dark age and into a renaissance.He must do so with a new-look team. Five changes in last months Adelaide Test represented an evolutionary jump, and Australia continued with that group in Brisbane - the first time in more than a year that they had used the same XI in consecutive Tests. Of the three Adelaide debutants, only Nic Maddinson is yet to prove himself at Test level. His chance will come on day two in Brisbane.Peter Handscomb impressed with a half-century in Adelaide and brought up another at the Gabba. Brad Haddin recently observed that while coaching Handscomb with Australia A this year, the batsman asked to be taken out of his comfort zone with difficult net drills. Handscomb actively seeks to evolve as a batsman, and in consequence is hard to fluster at the crease.By stumps, Handscomb was on 64 and had combined with Smith for a 137-run partnership. He had built significantlly on the work done by fellow Adelaide debutant, Matt Renshaw, who scored 71 and was part of a 70-run opening stand with David Warner and then a 76-run third-wicket partnership with Smith.dddddddddddd Renshaw is what biologists call an atavism. In simple terms, an evolutionary throwback. He would recall little of life before Twenty20 - he was born in 1996 while T20 began in 2003 - yet idolises Alastair Cook and places on his wicket a price, almost as high as Bill Lawry did. He was at the inaugural T20 international in 2005 as a spectator, yet has never played elite T20 himself.Renshaw is remarkable for a 20-year-old in that he doesnt have a Big Bash League deal and doesnt care. Until he was called into Australias Test side, he expected December-January to be his golf season. Instead he ended up on the world stage proving his long-form credentials. In Adelaide, Renshaw scored slowly, but steered Australia to victory. Here, he showed he can change gears.Against the new ball, Renshaw was happy to leave anything outside off stump, and waited for his scoring opportunities to come when the bowlers went too straight: nearly two-thirds of his runs came through the leg side. And yet he was willing to use his feet and drive the spinners down the ground, in the air, reckoning it a safe scoring opportunity if executed well.His final tally was 71 from 125 balls, including nine boundaries. It was as if Renshaw had evolved in the fortnight between Adelaide and Brisbane. It should not be forgotten that this was just his 15th first-class match. He is still learning, but has an outstanding base from which to work. His development will be fascinating to watch.Given that Renshaw is a Queenslander, perhaps the most remarkable absentees from the 26,343-strong crowd were his parents. They had been at his debut in Adelaide, but on Thursday chose his sisters graduation over his first Test appearance at home. Still, the crowd figure was a record day-one attendance for a non-Ashes Test at the Gabba.Among them, Garry Sobers and Alan Davidson watched Test cricket under lights with a pink ball. It looked different, but was fundamentally the same game they had played. Fifty-six years ago this week, they played in Test crickets first tied match at this very ground. Before that memorable series between Australia and West Indies, the health of Test cricket was waning. Sometimes, it needs rejuvenation. Or, like teams and individuals, a touch of evolution. ' ' '