Pirate Galaxy » Marbury drew big cheers from the crowd every

PHILADELPHIA -- Carson Wentz was so impressive in the film room and on the practice field that he earned a promotion from No. 3 quarterback to starter.Time to show his stuff in actual games.The No. 2 overall draft pick will make his NFL debut Sunday when the Philadelphia Eagles host the Cleveland Browns.Wentz threw 24 passes in the preseason before he injured his ribs and missed the last three games. Still, he was elevated to No. 1 after the Eagles traded Sam Bradford to Minnesota.The things that we saw in practice, just the plays that he has been able to make, the plays going against even our starting defense, just the way he has handled things, the way he calls plays in the huddle, the way he can just spit out the verbiage, his athleticism, the way he can move and scramble and make some plays with his legs, I just felt so comfortable putting him in this spot, rookie coach Doug Pederson said.Wentz will face a team that passed up a chance to draft him by trading the pick to Philadelphia.That is all in the past, Wentz said. Im excited Im here in Philadelphia, and Im ready to go for Week 1.Robert Griffin III will play his first game since 2014 and becomes the 25th quarterback to start for the Browns since 1999. RG3 is trying to resurrect his career in Cleveland after a difficult finish in Washington.Just excited to go out and play with these guys, Griffin said. We have an opportunity to do something special.Here are some things to know about the Browns-Eagles matchup:PROTECTING WENTZ: The projected starting offensive line will be out there for the Eagles, led by eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters and right tackle Lane Johnson, who said last month hes expecting a 10-game suspension for violating the leagues substance abuse policy. Left guard Allen Barbre, center Jason Kelce and right guard Brandon Brooks round out the line.Weve been communicating and working together cohesively since the spring, so we expect to go out and there and play well, have success, Kelce said. It doesnt matter who the starting quarterback is. We have to do our jobs and keep him clean. That doesnt change. But, sure, its great that were all together for this game.WIN-WIN: The Browns own Philadelphias first-round pick in 2017 as part of the trade for No. 2, so beating the Eagles is a double win because they want them to finish as low as possible in the standings.NEW DEFENSE DEBUTS: After playing three seasons in a 3-4 system, the Eagles have switched to a 4-3 scheme under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. The unit showed flashes of dominance in the preseason, and the front four led by Fletcher Cox have potential to wreak havoc, harass quarterbacks and force turnovers.WOEPENERS: The Browns have lost an NFL-record 11 straight openers. Theyre 1-16 in Week 1 since their expansion rebirth in 1999, with their only win coming against Baltimore in 2004 under coach Butch Davis. Seven of those 16 losses have come by five points or less, and includes a 17-16 defeat against the Eagles in 2012.LOOKING BACK: Pederson has history with the Browns. He became their third starting quarterback following Clevelands return to the league when he replaced an injured Tim Couch in 2000. Pederson led the Browns to a 19-11 win over New England, snapping a seven-game losing streak and giving Cleveland its only win in the final 13 games.It was almost like a relief, a weight, a burden off your shoulders, Pederson said this week. It was exciting obviously to get that win finally and just sort of the excitement that the guys felt walking off of that field, because I remember, too, that team that year was decimated with injury and there were a lot of new faces in Cleveland.---AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org---Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP-RobMaaddi Pittsburgh Penguins Gear . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Fake Penguins Jerseys .ca. Kerry, Just watched the shootout in the Coyotes/Leafs game and I have to ask, why was the James van Riemsdyk goal allowed to count? All of the video replays we were shown on TV were inconclusive about whether the puck had entirely crossed the line or not. https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/ . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Pittsburgh Penguins Shirts . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Pittsburgh Penguins Store . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. BEIJING -- Back in October 2004, the Houston Rockets?-- led by Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady -- traveled to China, where they played two exhibition games against the Sacramento Kings in Beijing and Shanghai. Chinese basketball fans were able to experience the excitement of an NBA game at home for the first time.Since then, China has been on the map of the NBA Global Games each year as the league aggressively caters to hundreds of millions of zealous basketball fans in the Asian economic powerhouse and the worlds most populous country.Among thousands of fans attending Wednesdays game between the Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans in Beijing was Zhai Xiaochuan, a 23-year-old basketball player from the citys home team.This is my home court where I normally play, but today I am here as a fan, he said. This is a strange feeling. By watching NBA players play, I am learning a lot.Also at the game was Zhais teammate and former NBA star Stephon Marbury, who is now without a doubt the most successful foreign player in China. Marbury drew big cheers from the crowd every time he appeared on the big screen. He was also greeted inn the VIP luxury box by?NBA commissioner Adam Silver and former All-Star Gary Payton, who was watching his son play for the Rockets.ddddddddddddThe NBA has a strong presence in China, but whats next? Is there a possibility for the country to host an NBA regular-season game? Silver said no during the 2016 All-Star break in Toronto -- not even an All-Star Game.Many NBA players and teams are reluctant to travel 12 or 13 hours to Asia. When the Los Angeles Clippers played the Charlotte Hornets last year in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, L.A. head coach Doc Rivers said if given a choice he would rather keep his players at home.NBA teams have played regular-season games before in Asia. Between 1990 and 2003, there were 12 regular-season games in Japan, involving 10 teams.Many Chinese fans are upset about China not getting the same treatment, especially given the fact that the Chinese market has been bringing in massive revenue for the NBA. But, for now, theyll have to keep waiting. ' ' '