Pirate Galaxy » strong beginning and finishe

INDIANAPOLIS -- Andrew Luck can see and hear the reminders of the Indianapolis Colts slow starts every day.If theres not a question being asked, he can find the gory details on tape. He might even get a lesson about the necessity of digging deficits early in games.By now, everyone in that locker room understands the message and the mission Sunday at Denver.You cant spot a team 18 points in the NFL. I hate to say spot because I dont want to take credit from what Detroit did. They obviously forced us into that situation, Luck said reflecting on last weeks loss. But you cant do it.The problem is the Colts (0-1) cant seem to avoid doing it.According to Pro Football Reference, the Colts have faced 27 double-digit halftime deficits since 2012 and somehow, theyve made the playoffs three times.Thats largely because of Lucks knack to lead his team back to victory. Fourteen times in 56 games, Luck has directed winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime -- a number that would have increased to 15 had Indys defense made a final stop against Detroit.Instead, the Colts returned to the team complex Monday, still searching for answers -- on offense and defense.We probably have to change something up or do something different, safety Mike Adams said. I dont know what we have to do to make us start fast, but we have to figure this out sooner than later.Coach Chuck Pagano made some changes at training camp .He pushed players to get at it early in practice and increased the tempo, hoping the emphasis would give them a jumpstart on Sundays.So far, the results have not changed.In four preseason games, the Colts scored only 12 points in the first half, trailed 17-3 at halftime of the two games Luck played in and found themselves in a 9-0 deficit at Buffalo.The problems continued against the Lions, who scored the first 14 points last weekend and extended the lead to 21-3 before Luck got the offense rolling.How much of a difference can a fast start make?Pagano can find the answer in Indys past three games against the Broncos (1-0).After taking a 24-0 lead in the 2014 opener, Denver held on for a 31-24 victory.In a playoff rematch that season, Indy led 14-10 at the half and went on to win 24-13.Last November, in Peyton Mannings final game at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts led 17-7 at halftime and hung on for a 27-24 victory.We would love to see the offense put some points up early against Denver, able to move the ball early, tight end Dwayne Allen said Wednesday.It wont be easy against the defending Super Bowl champs , who still have one of the leagues fiercest defenses and most prominent home-field advantages -- playing in front a raucous crowd and in the mile-high air that can cause breathing problems for opponents.Some Indy fans are clamoring for more aggressive play calls to start games. Others think, they should go no-huddle right away.The Colts arent dropping any hints of what, or if, theyll change tactics this weekend.All Luck, his teammates and the coaches really want to see is a different result as soon as possible.Anything that scores points I am fine with, Luck said. (Offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski) does a great job of getting us in positions to be successful and make some plays.Game notes Four opening day starters did not practice Wednesday. Cornerback Patrick Robinson (concussion), safety T.J. Green (knee), outside linebacker Robert Mathis (foot) and right guard Joe Reitz (foot) all sat out. Linebacker Trent Cole (back), cornerback Vontae Davis (ankle) and safety Clayton Geathers also sat out. Geathers was excused to attend the birth of his child. ... Defensive linemen Henry Anderson (knee), Zach Kerr (foot) and Kendall Langford (knee) were limited at practice. Cornerbacks Darius Butler (ankle) and Antonio Cromartie (hamstring) and offensive lineman Jonotthan Harrison (back) also did limited work.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Swell Flaske Gull . 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. Swell Flaske Turkis . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.swelldrikkeflaskenorge.com/ . Vettel was 0.168 seconds faster than Red Bull teammate Mark Webber around the Suzuka circuit. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was two tenths of a second off Vettel. "The car balance is decent, but I think we can still improve," Vettel said. Swell Flaske Best Pris . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. Swell Flaske Hvit . In the lead up - which seemed to begin the moment Mike Geiger blew the whistle in Houston last Thursday night - the Impact rumour mill went into overdrive. The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety. LAS VEGAS -- Former light heavyweight world title challenger Isaac Chilemba was trying to bounce back from two losses in a row to remain relevant in the division, while Oleksandr Gvozdyk, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, was trying to brandish his credentials as a rising contender.It was Gvozdyk who accomplished his goal, forcing Chilemba to retire on his stool after the eighth round with a right elbow injury Saturday night on the Sergey Kovalev-Andre Ward undercard at T-Mobile Arena.Left jab, left hook and straight rights to the body really hurt him, Gvozdyk said. People dont think I have a lot of fights, but I had over 250 amateur fights. I just broke him down.Gvozdyk (12-0, 10 KOs), trained by Robert Garcia, is close friends with Olympic teammate and junior lightweight world titleholder Vasyl Lomachenko, who was ringside. Gvozdyk?appeared on his way to a victory even before Chilembas injury. The Ukrainian fighter was steadily breaking down the slower, smaller Chilemba with precise punches and pesky jabs to the face.?Gvozdyk had Chilemba (24-3-2, 10 KOs) in deep trouble in the fourth round, forcing him to the ropes and unloading a sustained flurry that had referee Jay Nady looking closely.A new star was born tonight, said matchmaker Brad Abdul Goodman of Top Rank, which promotes Gvozdyk.Chilemba, 29, a native of Malawi who fights out of South Africa, was working with Roy Jones Jr. as his trainer for the first time, but the pairing did not seem to stoke much fire in Chilemba.I am devastated, Chilemba said. If I hadnt hurt my right arm in the third round, it would have been a completely different outcome. I was in an incredible amount of pain from the third round through the rest of the fight.Chilemba was coming off a decision loss to Kovalev in a July world title fight.Perez-Hooker a drawJunior welterweight Maurice Mighty Mo Hooker predicted he would knock out former lightweight world titleholder Darleys Perez, but did not stop him. Instead, Hooker came away with a shocking draw in a fight Perez appeared to clearly?win.One judge had it 97-93 for Perez, one had it 97-93 for Hooker and one had it 95-95.Perez, 33, of Colombia, lost his lightweight world title in November 2015 by fifth-round body-shot knockout in a rematch of a draw with Anthony Crolla. Perez won his next fight and then moved up in weight to face Hooker, a 27-year-old prospect from Dallas for whom promoter Roc Nation Sports had high hopes.But Perez (33-2-2, 21 KOs) seemingly upended those expectations by befuddling Hooker, a friend and sparring partner of unified junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford.Perez, who wobbled Hooker (21-0-3, 16 KOs) with a left hand in the ninth round, came forward throughout the fight and let his hands go while Hooker backed up constantly and rarely landed anything solid.Stevens wins decision against De La RosaMiddleweight Curtis Stevens (29-5, 21 KOs) won a unanimous decision against James De La Rosa (23-5, 13 KOs) in a fight that began with a lot of action and then slowed to a crawl. Stevens won 98-90, 96-92 and 96-92.I give myself a C-minus. Could have thrown my jab a little more, Stevens said. I am glad I got the W but I am a little disappointed in myself. The jab was good, but I could have popped that s--- a little more. Hurt my left hand in the fourth round. Hes got a hard-ass head. But I am glad I got the win.Stevens, 31, a powerful puncher from Brooklyn, New York, took control right away and dropped De La Rosa with a left hand behind the ear with 20 seconds left in the openinng round.dddddddddddd. Things did not get any better for De La Rosa, 29, in the second round as Stevens opened a cut over his left eye.They engaged in a ferocious exchange in the third round in which both landed clean shots, and De La Rosas left eye began to swell.Stevens appeared to have De La Rosa in trouble in those early rounds but could not finish him, and then the pace slowed down and the fight meandered on. De La Rosa, of Harlingen, Texas,?appeared to have some good moments in the later part of the fight as Stevens began to tire, but could not put any punches together to do any damage.Referee Russell Mora docked Stevens?one point for a low blow in the eighth round.Stevens, who lost a world title challenge by eighth-round knockout to Gennady Golovkin in 2013, won his second fight of the year and, coincidentally, both were at T-Mobile Arena; he knocked out Patrick Teixeira in the second round in May on the Canelo Alvarez-Amir Khan card, the first boxing event to be held at the new arena.De La Rosa lost his third fight in a row.I dont have any comments, De La Rosa said. People saw what it was.Darmani Rock (5-0, 4 KOs), a 20-year-old heavyweight prospect from Philadelphia, rolled to a nondescript decision win against Brice Ritani-Coe (4-5-1, 3 KOs), 30, of Las Vegas. The 6-foot-4, 247-pound Rock, who won the 2015 National Golden Gloves and U.S. National Amateur titles, won 40-36, 40-36 and 39-35.Toledo, Ohio, featherweight Tyler McCreary (12-0, 6 KOs), 23, won an unpopular majority decision against Vincent Jennings (5-3-1, 4 KOs), 32, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Jennings lost his third fight in a row, but as far as the crowd was concerned he won the fight, which featured very little action; boos rained down when the scores were announced, 59-55 and 58-56 for McCreary and 57-57.It was a tough fight, McCreary said. Jennings is crafty for his size. Hes powerful too. But I know I took him every round. I had height and speed all to my advantage. Im pleased with my performance. I dug deep. It was a great learning experience. Next time, I will be more prepared.Junior welterweight prospect Sonny Fredrickson (15-0, 9 KOs), 22, of Toledo, Ohio, outfought Gabriel Deluc (11-2, 2 KOs), 26, of Boston, in a competitive and entertaining eight-rounder. Fredrickson, who put together a lot of solid combinations and was on the attack for most of the fight, got the nod 78-74, 78-74 and 77-75.It was a hard, tough fight, Fredrickson said. I think I took the edge during the middle rounds. But I also had a strong beginning and finished strong at the end. It was a good fight and a tough opponent that will allow me to grow and build.Middleweight Bakhram Murtazaliev (7-0, 5 KOs), 33, of Russia, blasted Uzbekistan native Botirsher Obidov (6-1-1, 2 KOs), 24, who is based in Kissimmee, Florida, via a second-round KO. Murtazaliev was ruthless, dropping Obidov hard three times in the second round, including a powerful right hand on the chin that sent him to the mat as referee Vic Drakulich waved off the fight without a count at 2 minutes, 52 seconds.Middleweight Meiirim Nursultanov (1-0, 0 KOs), a 23-year-old Kazakhstan native fighting out of Oxnard, California, made his professional debut and laid a beating on Henry Beckford (4-6, 1 KO), 21, of Coram, New York, in a shutout decision win. Nursultanov attacked Beckford with right hands constantly and won 60-54 on all three scorecards. ' ' '