Steckbriefe » There was the joy on the American bench

HOUSTON -- Bill OBrien got a bit antsy as his introductory press conference with the Houston Texans started to drag on and a question was posed about how much he knows about his new team. "Ive got a lot of work to do on this team and the sooner that I can get back to my office and start that work, itll be better," he said straight-faced as the rest of the room erupted in laughter. Less than two years after replacing Joe Paterno as coach at Penn State, the 44-year-old OBrien has returned to the NFL as coach of the Houston Texans. He was an offensive assistant under Bill Belichick at New England from 2007-12, but the Penn State job was his first as a head coach. Now he gets the Texans, who spiraled to an NFL-worst 2-14 record last season. "He showed that he has the ability to step into difficult situations and turn them around," Houston owner Bob McNair said. "He did that at Penn State under very difficult circumstances and did an outstanding job there. We expect to see good things happen immediately." OBrien was 15-9 at Penn State, hit hard by NCAA sanctions levied for the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal that cost the late Paterno his job. He takes over for Gary Kubiak, who was fired with three games left in the Texans dismal season. Despite Houstons collapse, many believe it is a plum position because the Texans have many talented pieces in place and could make a quick turnaround. Houston won consecutive AFC South titles before this years disaster. OBrien said he planned to meet with Houstons assistant coaches on Friday and begin making decisions on who will make up his staff. After his first season at Penn State, OBrien interviewed with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns, among others, only to stay in State College. This time the lure of the NFL was too strong to resist. "I do regret not being able to continue with the great kids on that team," OBrien said. "While I tried never to mislead anyone, I understand that some people feel let down. But again, it was a decision that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me." He said an attractive aspect of this job was Houstons world-class medical centre. OBriens 11-year-old son Jack cant walk or talk because of a rare neurological disorder that also causes seizures. Almost exactly two years ago, OBrien fidgeted with a water bottle while taking questions from reporters at his introductory news conference at Penn State. He said then that he couldnt wait to get going, and he feels that way in Houston, too. The first-time NFL head coach was relaxed and confident throughout most of his first press conference in Houston. He did squirm a little when asked about his lack of ties to Texas in following Houston native Kubiak, and stammered some when asked about his infamous sideline blowout with Tom Brady in New England. He escaped the first question by saying he was going to buy his first pair of cowboy boots after the press conference. As for the second issue -- he downplayed the screaming match that ended with other coaches pulling OBrien away. "These things happen," he said. "There was a camera on it which I feel bad about, but what people dont understand about that was 30 seconds after that was over, we were sitting together looking at the pictures ... that quickly passed." OBrien follows Dom Capers, who led the team from its expansion season in 2002, and Kubiak as the only coaches in Texans history. Like Kubiak, OBrien is known as a quarterback guru, which will be important for a team searching for a solution after veteran Matt Schaub had a terrible season and lost his job to Case Keenum, who also struggled. OBrien has almost exclusively coached offence with a focus on quarterbacks, though he was a defensive end and linebacker while at Brown. "Its a job thats never-ending," he said of coaching quarterbacks. "Its a job that you can always improve if you like coaching quarterbacks and its a lot of fun to do." Houston has the top overall draft pick and could use it on a one of a trio of talented signal-callers who could be available. Louisvilles Teddy Bridgewater, 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M and Fresno States Derek Carr, younger brother of Houstons first-ever draft pick, David Carr, are the top-rated quarterbacks expected to be in the draft. "If we wound up with a young quarterback, wed probably bring in a veteran so we dont have to depend on that rookie," McNair said. "Thats tough putting a rookie in there and expecting them to be able play right off the bat. Thereve been a couple of them that have done it but a number of them didnt do so well. I think having that veteran presence is important." Houston has had the first pick in the draft two other times, choosing Carr in 2002 and defensive end Mario Williams in 2006. "The defensive player worked out better than the offensive player," McNair said with a laugh. "But that wont lock us into anything. Theres always a possibility. (General manager) Rick (Smith) and the coaches will trade around. Maybe well trade down and still get a quarterback that can do the job and get an outstanding defensive player." Josh A. Smith Red Sox Jersey . Manager Alex Ferguson says the injury was sustained while the player tried to hit a volley toward the end of training on Tuesday. Joe Kelly Jersey . PAUL, Minn. https://www.cheapredsox.com/1541z-rich-g...ey-red-sox.html. - The RBC Canadian Open will return to Glen Abbey Golf Club next year, marking the 27th time that the national open championship will be played at the Oakville, Ont. Josh Taylor Jersey . -- Jerome Williams glanced at Philadelphias schedule and realized he would be facing the Oakland Athletics yet again, with another new team. Heath Hembree Jersey . Orlov, who scored two goals in the game, was assessed a major penalty for boarding on the play. The Flyers scored once on the power play and again with the extra attacker with 65 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.SOCHI, Russia – You could feel electricity in the air between Ryan Callahan and Yevgeni Medvedev as they stood nose to nose exchanging verbal jabs just outside the crease of Sergei Bobrovsky. You could feel it when the capacity crowd at Bolshoy Ice Dome roared as Pavel Datsyuk exploded past the American defence and beat the glove of Jonathan Quick for the first Russian goal. You could feel it when T.J. Oshie jumped off the bench not once, twice, three, four or even five times in the shootout, but six glorious times, the St. Louis Blues excitable winger finally ending it an exhilarating eighth round. Thirty-four years after the Americans and Russians made history in Lake Placid with the Miracle on Ice did another classic emerge at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. Albeit of less weight, both in the tournament (it was a preliminary round game) and on a global stage (the Cold War has long since ended), the proceedings on a sunny Saturday afternoon were about as entertaining and exhilarating as hockey can get and a delightful reminder of what the NHL has to offer the Olympics. "It was awesome," said Joe Pavelski, still beaming afterward. "Whatever type of game you want to explain it as, it was that." "Obviously we know the history between the Americans and the Russians," added Patrick Kane, "and you know this one kind of had a different story of its own, obviously. But being in Russia here, playing here, seeing how the crowd was into the game and being able to come up with the win is nice." The buzz in the rink, the fierce competitiveness, the relentless tempo, the tension and hostilities, the exuberant chants of the mostly Russian crowd any time Datsyuk, Malkin, Ovechkin rushed up the ice, there was something different about the air in this one. "It was amazing," said Kane. "I dont think anyone could have asked for a better game." "Great hockey game," added Ovechkin. And it went to the Americans. Oshie, with a seemingly unending toolbox of moves, scored on four of six shootout dangles, beating Bobrovsky (and the scary duo of Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk) one last time to capture the 3-2 victory for Team USA, all but sealing Group A and a trip to the quarterfinals. The gripping, edge-of-chair shootout, which saw Datsyuk, Oshie and Kovalchuk bounce up and off the bench time and time again, was just the icing on a spectacular cake though. In fact, there was so much more. Start with Kanes heart-stopping overtime breakaway, the one Bobrovosky stopped by closing the pads on a five-hole attempt. Circle back to Datsyuk tucking one under the glove of Quick for the games first goal, a shockwave of emmotion and energy pulsating through the crowd.dddddddddddd Continue on with the pockets of red, white and blue that stood tall when Cam Fowler – Canadian-born, American-raised – tied the score on a power-play. Recall the balloon of home turf enthusiasm burst when Pavelski popped the air out, blasting Kanes remarkable cross-ice feed for an American lead. "I tried not to look around," said Fowler afterward, "but you could feel the buzz in the air. It was such high intensity out there." There was Malkin angrily dumping Callahan with an emphatic cross-check in front of the Russian bench. There was the scrum that ensued after nearly every whistle. There was NHL defector Alex Radulov taking not one but two penalties, with the Americans scoring on both power-plays. There were the extra jabs, spears, slashes, punishing collisions, nose-to-nose confrontations, everything one would imagine in a smoldering rivalry suddenly renewed. There was David Backes charging like a train through Fedor Tyutin in the neutral zone. There was Ryan Kesler standing in the way of a dangerous point shot on the penalty kill, his stunned left hand requiring attention on the bench and in the dressing room, but not enough to keep him from returning. There was Ryan McDonagh sacrificing with another blocked shot shortly thereafter, the St. Paul, Minnesota native limping off in discomfort only to get back moments later. There were the undercurrents of history, two powerhouses pining for gold that has long since eluded both. There was that fiery U.S. penalty kill stonewalling an incredible array of power-play talent – Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk, Datsyuk – only to have Datsyuk tie it on the final man advantage with Dustin Brown in the box for a second time. There was Radulov, who screened Quick on the goal, smack-talking Brown as he exited the box. Not to be forgotten was the Tyutin point shot that beat Quick with less than five minutes left, nor the smattering of disapproval that followed when the goal was called back (the net was dislodged, however slightly). "I dont know what happened there, but definitely was a goal," said Ovechkin. And finally there was the shock, delight and awe of Oshie hopping onto the ice again and again. There was the joy on the American bench at the unlikely nature of it all. "At some point you think does he have any more moves left?" said American captain Zach Parise. All in all it was a game that wont soon be forgotten. "That one – in an atmosphere like that – is something youll remember for the rest of your life," said James van Riemsdyk. ' ' '