Mike Tirico no longer is behind the microphone doing NFL play by play. That hasnt diminished his passion for the sport.Indeed, while many observers were belittling the 6-6 tie between Seattle and Arizona last Sunday night, Tirico, a host of NBCs telecast after making the move from ESPN this summer, was enthralled.I was in the stadium and had to find a place to sit somewhere near the (production) trailer or in the booth. I didnt want to leave the booth, I just sat and watched up there, he says. I thought it was a compelling game.If you are not nuanced in current football, maybe you didnt appreciate the efforts of the defensive ends who ruined the game for Seattle. And every level on defense that ruined everything Arizona wanted to do.Hey, the Browns, the poorest team in the league, score touchdowns. Arizona went nine quarters without giving up a TD. It was two really good defenses, although I dont think the offenses were particularly good. To the naked eye, I found myself watching the defensive ends and linebackers on every snap.Tirico has become more nuanced in the sport thanks to working side by side with Jon Gruden on Monday night telecasts. Hes now getting a similar education from Cris Collinsworth.Jon helped teach me football and I learned so many things about the game and how to watch the game, and we were able to share it with viewers, Tirico says. At end of the day if you as a viewer want to expand your knowledge base, I think we can make a connection. It was one of the fun parts of that experience and I feel some of the same with Cris. They just want to teach people about football. So were learning from them and letting the American public get the knowledge.One of Americas most versatile broadcasters, Tirico headed to NBC in great part because of the networks sports portfolio, particularly the Olympics, which he worked in Rio. He also will get the chance to do golf again, and next weekend he hosts the Breeders Cup races at Santa Anita.Should Tirico be asked to play a role in NBCs hockey or soccer or auto racing coverage, hes ready, calling it a chance to hit the reset button on my career.---HELPING THE KIDS: Jon Gruden is taking the Sports Matter initiative to the kids.The Super Bowl-winning coach and current Monday Night Football analyst is combining with DICKS Sporting Goods and the NFL to support youth and high school sports. They are providing football teams in the cities of Monday games with resources and sports equipment to address barriers to access, and enable more youth to participate.Gruden hosts chalk talk events with youth and high school football players and coaches to provide mentorship and discuss the value of sports participation.Football is a great game and a great teacher, Gruden says. Kids learn lessons on the field -- work ethic, teamwork, sportsmanship and mental toughness -- that will help them off the field for the rest of their lives.But like all youth sports programs, theres not enough funding to go around. ... We invite you to join us and do what you can in your own community to support youth sports and create more opportunities for kids.ESPN has donated $100,000 to DonorsChoose.org and will make additional donations to youth sports teams over the course of the 2016 season. The NFL Foundation, together with USA Football, the sports national governing body, has matched ESPNs $100,000 donation. USA Football will also host Heads Up Football clinics for participating teams in select markets.Through the Sports Matter campaign, DICKS Sporting Goods and its Foundation have made a $50 million multi-year commitment to support youth athletic programs, including donations to community sports leagues.---GOING THE DISTANCE: The Eagles are the only team in the NFL to return a kickoff for a touchdown this season and theyve done it in consecutive games for the first time in franchise history.Josh Huff had a 98-yard TD return in a 21-10 win over Minnesota last week. Wendell Smallwood had an 86-yard TD runback in a 27-20 loss at Washington a week earlier.Theyre really beginning to click, and great blocks, coach Doug Pederson said. (Special teams coordinator) Dave Fipp really has those guys ready every single week. You need those things. You need special teams scores. You need defensive scores. All that helps you, especially late down the stretch. It was just great to see it two weeks in a row.Philadelphia is at Dallas in an NFC East showdown Sunday night.---TAKING BLAME: At least one website blamed Miami Dolphins cornerback Byron Maxwell for getting burned last week on a 67-yard touchdown pass to the Buffalo Bills Marquise Goodwin. Soon after the game, safety Michael Thomas took to Twitter to take the blame.I cant let my boy B Max take that bullet, Thomas tweeted. That bomb was on me.Thomas later said he was trying to disguise the coverage and wound up out of position. He said he fessed up on social media mindful of his defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph.He wants to create a culture about truth, Thomas said. Every man has to be accountable for his actions. He made the perfect call right there, and I let disguise jeopardize my responsibility. It was important to me because as a leader on this team, I want to make sure every player, and especially the DBs, know Ive got their back and Ill never let me hang out to dry.---GETTING THE TIMING DOWN: Kirk Cousins has never played in England, but two offseason visits made him adjust his weekly routine going into the Washington Redskins game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley Stadium.Coach Jay Gruden opted to practice at home and fly the team over on Thursday, but his starting quarterback got a jump start on adjusting to the time difference. Cousins went to bed Tuesday night at 7:15 p.m. and woke up Wednesday morning at 5:15 a.m. with the goal of being ready for a 9:30 a.m. EDT start Sunday.Knowing his own experience from his travels, Cousins talked to sleep professionals to get advice on what to do.When I went over there this offseason, I had a hard time adjusting, Cousins said. I was only there for about three days and it was tough. I was sleeping in until noon or 1 oclock just because of how tired I was, so I want to make sure that doesnt happen.---AP Pro Football Writers Barry Wilner and Rob Maaddi, and Sports Writers Steven Wine and Stephen Whyno contributed.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Paris Saint-Germain Jerseys . Parker had 26 points and eight assists and San Antonio beat Toronto 112-99 Monday night. "We won that game because of Tony Parkers aggressiveness," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His juice; his aggression all night long. Soccer Jerseys From China . General manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch on Friday that he wants to see Gaboriks contributions go beyond the scoresheet before considering a long-term deal for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. http://www.soccerjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=cheap-world-cup-jerseys . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Online . The 15th-ranked Canadian men lost the opening two games of their European tour: 19-15 to No. 17 Georgia and 21-20 to No. Cheap World Cup Jerseys . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night.MONTREAL -- A race-track worker at the Canadian Grand Prix was killed Sunday after he slipped under the wheel of a crane at the end of the Formula One event. Officials said the man was escorting the crane as it moved Esteban Gutierrezs Sauber car, which did not finish the Montreal race. The accident occurred shortly after the checkered flag waved to signal the end of the race, a major weekend sporting event for the city that draws hundreds of thousands of fans to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. "The recovery vehicle had lifted the car to return it to the pits, and while doing this, the worker dropped his radio and attempted to pick it up," Matteo Bonciani, F1s head spokesman, said as he read a statement to reporters at the track. "As he did this, he stumbled and was hit and run over by the recovery vehicle." The man, in critical condition, was airlifted to Sacre-Coeur Hospital by helicopter after being stabilized by race-track trauma nurses. "Unfortunately, the worker succumbed to his injuries at the hospital," said Bonciani, adding that organizers wanted "to communicate their deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim." Officials would not immediately release the identity of the victim, but said he was a member of the Automobile Club de lIle Notre Dame. Hospital officials said in a statement that he was a volunteer at the track. "Its terrible," said a visibly shaken Francois Dumontier, the Grand Prixs promoter. "It tarnishes the superb weekend that we had. I am devastated to learn this, I dont have any other words." Gutierrez tweeted about the incident from his verified Twitter account: "My dearest condolences to the family of the marshal who lost his life today, our prayers for him & his family. RIP." Earlier Sunday, Dumontier said the crane operator couldnt see the man when he hit him. "Unfortunately, the vehicles wheel passed over his body," he said before the worker died inn hospital.dddddddddddd The events chief medical officer said a physician, who happened to be nearby when the accident occurred, rushed to the injured worker. The man was still conscious when the doctor arrived at his side, he added. "He went there within 30 seconds (and) started stabilizing him," said Jacques Bouchard. He said trauma workers at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve treated the worker enough to have him taken to hospital by helicopter. He was declared dead a few hours later. Bouchard said the worker, about 38 years old, had been working at the track for 10 years. He said the man was walking with the crane to help stabilize the Sauber car, as it hung from a cable. This wasnt the first death at a Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. In 1982, Riccardo Paletti, a rookie driver for the Osella team, was killed when he slammed into Didier Pironis stalled car on the starting grid. Other F1 events have also witnessed deaths on the track. A marshal was killed at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix when Canadian Jacques Villeneuves BAR Honda car leapfrogged another car and flew into a concrete retaining wall. The crash sent all four tires and other debris across the track and into a fence. Only six months earlier, a fire marshal at the 2000 Italian Grand Prix died when he was struck by a wheel thrown from a multi-car pileup on the first lap of the race. In 1977, at the South African Grand Prix, race marshal Frederick van Vuuren died in the same incident that killed driver Tom Pryce. Van Vuuren had run onto the track to attend to a stalled car when he was struck by Pryces car. The fire extinguisher he was carrying flew out of his hands and hit Pryce in the head. Other Canadian cities have also had racing-related deaths. At the 1996 Toronto Molson Indy, an official died in the same crash that killed rookie driver Jeff Krasnoff. Another track official was killed at the 1990 Vancouver Molson Indy when the car he was pushing on the track was rammed by another car. 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