Pirate Galaxy » deemed a circumvention of the collective

LATROBE, Pa. -- The last thing the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions wanted from their two-day joint training camp practices was a fight.Instead of inefficient, fight-filled workouts, the Steelers and Lions went through a pair of intense, yet productive practices, featuring only a few minor skirmishes on the second day, heading into their preseason opener Friday night at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.Its just good to get some unfamiliar faces and some unfamiliar schemes to really test us, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. The benefit of it is unbelievable.The Steelers previously hosted Buffalo at St. Vincent College in 2014, but it was the first joint training camp practice for the Lions since 2000 against Carolina.You get an even more realistic look, rather than waiting until the first preseason game, Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. The intensity of the practice, I think when youre working against someone you havent worked against, it automatically takes it up.The practices didnt feature any live tackling between the two teams and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was excused from the first session Tuesday. He worked out on Wednesday.There was a distinct AFC North flavor with former Baltimore defensive tackle Haloti Ngata now with the Lions. Wide receiver Marvin Jones and defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry, also with the Lions, were both members of the Cincinnati team the Steelers beat in a memorable AFC wild-card game in January.You try to work together to get better, Ngata said. Youre not trying to come out here and be a big dog and try to finish guys. You just come out and get some productive work.Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and Lions cornerback Darius Slay were two of the most productive during the first day of practice. Slay sat out Wednesday with a `medical situation according to Caldwell.The two battled head-to-head on Tuesday though, as Brown got the better of Slay two out of three times with deep-ball touchdowns during one-on-one drills. Brown had a rare end zone drop on another deep ball, but beat Slay again later in practice.The first (deep route) I expected for the crowd, but three in a row, I was like `oh my goodness, Im already going to die here, Slay said. He said `Im going deep all day Slay, and I said `no, you cannot. He tried to kill me, man.Brown, who caught 136 passes for 1,834 yards last season, set NFL records, becoming the first player in league history with 526 receptions in his first six years and the first to catch at least 125 passes in consecutive seasons.Slay, the Lions top cornerback, regularly lined up opposite the now-retired Calvin Johnson in practice. The former second-round pick came away impressed by the slippery 5-foot-10 Brown.Its different because I can get my hands on Calvin, said Slay, who recently signed a $50 million deal that runs through the 2020 season. I never seen that kind of guy in my division, whos shifty and makes big-time plays. Hes one of the best in the business. It can only make me better.Quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Lions offense also seek improvement after finishing 20th in the league last season. The group took a step Tuesday when Stafford connected with tight end Cole Wick in the corner of the end zone. Jones, who signed a five-year contract after setting career highs last season in Cincinnati, drew double coverage on the play, allowing Wick to break free.Theres tons of work to be done between now and the season opener, Stafford said. Thats what these days are for. Its fun to come out and get different looks that we dont see when we play our defense.Game notesRoethlisberger, Brown, RB LeVeon Bell, C Maurkice Pouncey, RB DeAngelo Williams, WR Markus Wheaton and first-round pick CB Artie Burns arent expected to play Friday against the Lions.Mohamed Elneny Jersey . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Carl Jenkinson Arsenal Jersey . - Goaltender Philippe Desrosiers of the Rimouski Oceanic has broken a shutout record that was only three months old in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. http://www.footballarsenalstore.com/Women-Bernd-Leno-Arsenal-Fc-Jersey/ . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. Sokratis Papastathopoulos Jersey . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Arsenal Jersey . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. Everton manager Roberto Martinez says that keeping Baines at the club is a "massive boost and exciting for the future" because he brings "maturity and football knowledge in a very specialized position on the pitch" and an "infectious and positive influence to the rest of the squad.NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly sent out a memo to all 30 teams this week, warning them to play by the book when it comes to buyouts and trades. Dalys memo warned that any trade/buyout/re-acquire scenario would be deemed a circumvention of the collective bargaining agreement. The CBA prevents teams from re-signing players theyve bought out for one year. Earlier this week, The New York Post reported that the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs had talked about a potential deal to send Vincent Lecavalier to Toronto, where the Leafs would get an asset out of that deal in exchange for using their financial might to absorb a buyout on Lecavvaliers contract.dddddddddddd However, later on Wednesday Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis told TSN that he never spoke to the Lightning about Lecavalier. The Post story speculated that after such a deal, Lecavalier could potentially re-sign with the Lightning at a cheaper rate as an unrestricted free agent. The deal would have gotten the Lightning out from under Lecavaliers $7.7 million salary cap hit. The 33-year-old has seven years and $45 million left on his contract. A buyout would pay him $30 million over 14 years. Lecavalier signed an eleven-year, $85 million contract with the Lightning prior to the 2009-10 season. ' ' '