Inland Waterways » The Bears must decide if theyre going to stick

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The Chicago Bears hired New Orleans Saints executive Ryan Pace as general manager Thursday to replace the fired Phil Emery, hoping he can rejuvenate a franchise that just missed the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years. Pace spent 14 seasons with the Saints and helped build a Super Bowl champion. He was New Orleans director of player personnel the past two years, helping manage their pro and college scouting operations. He also served as the teams director of pro scouting from 2007 to 2012. He will join a team coming off a miserable, 5-11 season. The Bears quickly fell out of contention in the NFC North, costing Emery and coach Marc Trestman their jobs, and had all sorts of distractions derail a season that began with legitimate thoughts of a playoff berth. The Bears also interviewed Kansas City Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard, who spent 12 years in Chicago working under Emery and his predecessor Jerry Angelo, along with Tennessee Titans vice-president of player personnel Lake Dawson and Houston Texans director of pro personnel Brian Gaine. As for the coaching job, the Bears have interviewed Seattle defensive co-ordinator Dan Quinn and Denver offensive co-ordinator Adam Gase for that position. The Bears must decide if theyre going to stick with quarterback Jay Cutler after the offence took a big step backward and do something about a defence that has ranked among the leagues worst the past two years. Pace, who grew up in Texas and played defensive end at Eastern Illinois in the late 1990s, has a daunting task as he tries to rebuild the team and win back fans after they stayed away from Soldier Field by the thousands late in the season. Chicago has been to the playoffs just four times since the start of the 1995 season. Only Oakland (three), Houston (two) and Cleveland (one) have fewer appearances in that span. The Bears thought they had a contender with a prolific offence returning intact and a rebuilt defence in tow. But little went right for Chicago. Trestman, who was hired to get the most out of Cutler, even benched the highly paid quarterback in favour of Jimmy Clausen for the second-to-last game of the season against Detroit. Cutler wound up starting the final game after Clausen suffered a concussion against the Lions, adding another chapter to a season-long soap opera. The Bears joined the 1923 Rochester Jeffersons as the only teams to give up 50 or more points in back-to-back games in losses to New England and Green Bay. Defensive end Lamarr Houston also suffered a season-ending knee injury celebrating a meaningless sack against the Patriots. While the new general managers most immediate task is to find a coach, some big decisions about the roster loom. Topping that list is Cutler, who signed a $126 million, seven-year contract at the end of last season and then tied Philip Rivers for the league lead with 18 interceptions. The deal, which guaranteed $54 million, makes him difficult if not impossible to trade. Another possibility is cutting him. Wide receiver Brandon Marshalls future with the team is also in question even though he signed a three-year extension through 2017 last May. And a defence that ranked among the leagues worst the past two years under co-ordinator Mel Tucker still needs a major upgrade. The overhaul that brought in Jared Allen among others last off-season did not pay off, and a spotty draft record by Emery and predecessor Jerry Angelo left the Bears lacking depth. ___ Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Wholesale NFL Jerseys Authentic . Grimes signed a $32 million, four-year contract to remain with Miami. The deal, which includes $16 million guaranteed, rewards Grimes for his recovery from an Achilles tendon injury that forced him to miss almost all of the 2012 season. Cheap NFL Jerseys Paypal . The defending champions’ roller coaster season included trading offensive star Percy Harvin in the midst of the team’s 3-3 start. That move that reportedly irked several Seahawk players, but one management saw necessary to save the team’s chemistry. http://www.wholesalenfljerseyssupplycheap.com/. The rookie is rewarding their faith with a stellar first season. MacKinnon had a goal and two assists, Jamie McGinn had two goals and an assist, and Colorado beat the Buffalo Sabres 7-1 on Saturday. Cheap NFL Jerseys China .ca. In Sundays Blackhawks-Penguins game, Pittsburgh defenceman Brooks Orpik laid a huge hit on Chicagos Jonathan Toews. Now in my view, Orpik can be clearly seen leaving his feet while delivering a moderately high hit. NFL Jerseys Supply . The top-ranked Spaniard won his fourth Madrid Open on Sunday after Kei Nishikori was forced to withdraw with a hip injury when trailing 2-6, 6-4, 3-0 in the final. And Nadal, who is coming off to uncharacteristic quarterfinal losses on clay, said his mental strength is still lacking just two weeks ahead of the French Open.MIAMI -- Christian Yelich was confident he was safe at home even if home plate umpire Ed Hickox called him out. Replay backed him up. Adeiny Hechavarria immediately followed the ruling with a go-ahead sacrifice fly for the Miami Marlins, who held on to beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Sunday completing a three-game sweep. "I thought I beat it from the get-go and then I saw him call me out, I kind of started yelling at him a little bit telling him I was safe," Yelich said. "If we didnt have replay right there, its a 2-1 game and we got two outs so it was huge. It was a big win for us." Yelich led off the inning with a double that extended his hitting streak to 14 games. He scored the tying run. Steve Cishek made it interesting in the ninth, allowing a leadoff double to Corey Hart. Hechavarria then made a diving stop at shortstop and a spinning throw to nab Dustin Ackley at first base preventing pinch-runner Brad Miller from scoring. "That was a game-saver," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "Thats why I feel that guy is the best shortstop in the league. Im glad hes on our team. That was a huge play." Cishek struck out Nick Franklin and Michael Saunders to end the game for his third save and 32nd consecutive conversion. A crowd of 20,208 took in the first day game this season at Marlins Park with the retractable roof open. It was 78 degrees when the game began and shadows partially covered the infield when the game ended. "Shadows came over the infield, which makes it tough for hitters, but at the same time, too, we mounted our rally with the shadows," Redmond said. "Maybe were shadow-friendly." Mike Dunn (1-2) pitched a scoreless eighth for the Marlins, who have won four of five. Tom Wilhelmsen (0-1) took the loss for the Mariners, which lost their sixth straight. "Things just arent going well right now, but thats okay; well get out of this," Wilhelmsen said. "We have a much better team than what were showing." After Giancarlo Stanton and Casey McGehee were walked by Wilhelmsen to load the bases in the eighth with one out, Garrett Jones hit a groundball to first baseman Justin Smoak, whos throw home was late allowing Yelich to score the tying run.dddddddddddd "I fielded it and threw it, but (Yelich) just got a heck of a jump," Smoak said. "It was a bang-bang play." Redmond immediately jumped out of the dugout to challenge the call, which was overturned after a delay of 2 minutes, 20 seconds. It was the second time replay was used in the series, which benefitted the Marlins. During Fridays game, replay determined that third baseman Kyle Seeger bobbled the ball during a transfer leaving the Marlins with the based loaded in the ninth before Giancarlo Stanton cleared them with a game-winning grand slam. "Its worked out well for us over the last couple of games, thats for sure," Redmond said. Seattle led 2-0 on a pair of sacrifice flies by Smoak and Ackley. Mariners starter Brandon Maurer held the Marlins without a hit until the fifth inning when Jones reached base on an infield single. Donnavan Solano ended Maurers outing two batters later with an RBI single to pull the Marlins to 2-1. Maurer allowed one run, two hits, and two walks in 4 1-3 innings in his season debut. "He was tired; he was exhausted," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. "We knew that was going to be a pitch-count (situation) anyway. He did good in the time he was in there." Miamis Kevin Slowey pitched five innings allowing two runs. NOTES: Stanton was intentionally walked in three consecutive games for the first time in his career and has drawn five intentional free passes on the season after having five all of last season. .... The teams combined to use 12 pitchers in the game. ... It was the first time in 11 games that the Marlins did not hit a home run. ... Miami begins a three-game series at Atlanta on Monday with RHP Tom Koehler (2-1, 1.89) on the mound against RHP Julio Teheran (2-1, 1.93). ... Seattle will host Houston on Monday sending ace RHP Felx Hernandez (3-0, 1.91) to the hill against LHP Dallas Keuchel (1-1, 3.50). ' ' '