FOXBOROUGH, Mass. [url=http://www.authenticsaintssportsonline.com/saints-michael-thomas-go ld-jersey/]Michael Thomas Youth Jersey[/url] . -- The New England Patriots released veteran tight ends Jake Ballard and Daniel Fells in the first batch of final cuts. Now comes the really hard part. The Patriots

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. Michael Thomas Youth Jersey . -- The New England Patriots released veteran tight ends Jake Ballard and Daniel Fells in the first batch of final cuts. Now comes the really hard part. The Patriots released 10 players on Friday and must reduce their roster by 12 more to get down to the NFL regular-season limit of 53 by Saturday. Tim Tebow could be in jeopardy despite a decent performance in the Patriots 28-20 win over the New York Giants in the exhibition finale Thursday. The third-string quarterback completed 6 of 11 passes for 91 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He also was sacked four times but got poor protection on some of them. "Its not just one game (that matters)," coach Bill Belichick said Friday about the player evaluation process, "although every game is important. But the body of work, the camp, the rate of improvement, the ability to do the things that players are going to be asked to do at their respective positions (also matters)." Belichick spoke before the cuts were announced and gave no indication of which players he might let go. The cuts of Ballard and Fells indicate that Rob Gronkowski could be ready to play sooner than expected after missing all four exhibition games following back surgery. Hes one of three tight ends still on the roster. Tebow is one of three quarterbacks, playing behind Tom Brady and Ryan Mallett. Asked after Thursdays game if he felt that performance improved his chances of making the team, Tebow said, "Im not sure. I dont make those decisions." That decision will depend on whether Belichick feels it would help the Patriots more to have greater depth at another position than by carrying a third quarterback, something hes done just once in the past four seasons. "I dont think its good planning or good insurance for your team to go light at a position and then have no idea where your depth at that position is going to be," he said. "It may be on the roster. It may not be on the roster. But, at least, you want to have some idea where youre headed if you need it." That depth could come from players on the practice squad, the physically unable to perform list or free agents who arent on any team, Belichick said. "I think whenever you put a roster together you look at it and say, OK, were a little heavy here and were a little light here, relative to where your team has been in the past, or maybe relative to what the norm is around the league," he said. "But you do it because you feel you have a higher quality player at a certain position, or you just lack the overall depth at another position. "Thats going to happen somewhere on your roster every year." The Patriots released three other veterans -- defensive end Marcus Benard, wide receiver Johnathan Haggerty and linebacker Mike Rivera -- first-year offensive lineman Luke Patterson and four rookie free agents -- fullback Ben Bartholomew, defensive linemen Gilbert Pena and Scott Vallone and offensive lineman Matt Stankiewitch. The Patriots hoped Ballard could contribute this year when they claimed him off waivers from the Giants in 2012. Belichick knew the knee injury he sustained in the Super Bowl that year, a 21-17 win over the Patriots, would keep him out all last season. But Ballard didnt seem at full strength this summer and didnt catch any passes in exhibition games. Fells played 13 games last season after signing as a free agent from Denver and caught four passes. He had five receptions this preseason. Gronkowski is on the physically unable to perform list and, if he stays there, would have to miss the first six regular-season games. But hes been working out on the field in shorts and a T-shirt and could be ready early in the season. The other tight ends are rookie free agent Zach Sudfeld and Michael Hoomanawanui. The Patriots cut Aaron Hernandez on June 26 after he was arrested. Later that day, he was charged with murder. One decision involves the punter, where Zoltan Mesko had three solid seasons. But free-agent rookie Ryan Allen has had a good camp. "Its been competitive all the way through from the spring to training camp into the games," Belichick said. "We have to talk about that one." Michael Thomas Jersey .com) - Thursday marks the official debut of a new dirt racing surface at Meydan Racecourse. Marcus Davenport Saints Jersey .ca. Hi Kerry, Thursday nights Bruins-Blackhawks game had a goal by Patrice Bergeron initially waved off by the referee, but video review clarified it was a good goal. http://www.authenticsaintssportsonline.com/saints-bobby-hebert-gold-jersey/ . Adding playoff teams. Monitoring instant replay from league headquarters. Possibly creating a set of guidelines to prevent locker-room bullying. DALLAS -- Vernon Fiddler and the Dallas Stars are sure making their playoff chase interesting. Fiddler extended a shootout when he recovered to score after almost falling down, and Tyler Seguin had the game-winner and the Stars beat Nashville 3-2 on Tuesday night to keep their hold on the Western Conferences eighth and final playoff spot. "I just really thought that was part of his plan to distract the goaltender," coach Lindy Ruff joked. "But it was great to see him finish off the play." The first two shooters for each team came up empty in the shootout before Nashvilles Roman Josi shot and it appeared that Kari Lehtonen had made the stop. But the puck trickled under the pads and slid just past the line. Needing to score to keep the game going, Fiddler slipped after taking off, but got upright in time to make a shot in the lower left side of the net. "That was something else," said Fiddler, who had an issue with a skate. "They tried to fix it, our trainer did. He told me not to turn that way, but I didnt listen to him. Maybe I should have listened to him, but I was just thankful that it caught my other edge." After Matt Cullen failed to score for Nashville, Seguin -- who had been 1 of 6 in shootout chances this season -- ended the game with his shot and eliminated the Predators from post-season contention. "Going fourth tells you that the lack of success put him in that slot," Ruff said. "Hes been great all year 5-on-5, overtime ... I think theres players that can seize the moment, and he seized that moment." Dallas has 89 points, two ahead of Phoenix after the Coyotes got a point for an overtime loss at Columbus. Both teams have three games left. "Its huge. Obviously, youre scoreboard watching," Fiddler said. "We saw Phoenix picked up a point so we wanted to do anything we could to pick up any kind of points. Its a big two points." The Stars play twice more at home, including the makeup Wednesday night against Columbus of the March 10 game when Stars forward Rich Peverley collapsed on the bench in the first period because of an irregular heartbeat. Dallas regulaar-season finale is Sunday at Phoenix. TreQuan Smith Youth Jersey. Jamie Benn scored his 34th goal for the Stars, who are trying to avoid another late-season collapse. Dallas lost its 2011 regular-season finale with a playoff spot on the line, and missed the post-season again after losing its final five games in 2012 and then going 0-4-1 down the stretch last season. Gabriel Bourque scored two goals for Nashville, which with 82 points and only three games left have no possibility of getting into the top eight. "Played some good hockey, feel like we got better through the season, so we can obviously hang our hat on that," centre Mike Fisher said. "But its still disappointing." Lehtonen had 27 saves in regulation and overtime. Pekka Rinne stopped 28 shots, and remained at 161 victories, tied for the most in Nashville franchise history. The Stars missed a big chance in the third period when they had a two-man advantage for 1 minute, 38 seconds. They got three shots off. Dallas was up 1-0 less than 2 1/2 minutes into the game when Alex Goligoski scored from the top of the circle. Nashville got even when Bourque scored early in the second period, after Craig Smith worked the puck around the back of the net and passed out to the middle for the shot. Benn scored on a breakaway in the second period, but Bourque scored again midway through the third period. "Obviously, desperate team over there, desperate team in here," defenceman Shea Weber said. "A little bit of a slow start in the first. Kind of weathered their storm and I think after that, we fought hard. ... We just couldnt find a way to get the win." Notes: Ray Whitney missed his third game in a row for Dallas with a lower body injury. ... There was a brief delay with 3:16 left in the third period when arena workers had to replace one of the sheets of plexiglass that had a large star-shaped crack after a hard shot, apparently by Stars centre Cody Eakin. ... Goligoski had a goal and six assists in the season series against Nashville that Dallas won 3-2. ... Dallas has won seven of its past eight games at home, the loss coming in a shootout. ' ' '