Die User » man Antonio Smith said Sparanos best trait w

ALAMEDA, Calif. - Tony Sparano won over the locker room and changed the mindset of the Oakland Raiders in 12 games as interim coach.That garnered him widespread support in the locker room despite getting only three wins. Whether it proves to be enough for him to keep the job next season will ultimately be up to owner Mark Davis.Sparano wrapped up the season Monday by holding a brief team meeting with his players and then emphatically stating his case for keeping the job in a season-ending news conference.All I want to do right now is be the head coach of the Raiders, Sparano said. How badly? Very, very badly. This is my team. I left my team today. Im looking forward to starting over again with them. Those decisions will be made down the road. I only have one concern now and thats to be head coach of the Oakland Raiders.Sparano appeared to be talking to Davis as much as anyone during the news conference. He cited the spark he has with his team, the improvement following the firing of Dennis Allen in September and the 27 first- or second-year players who participated in more than 10,000 plays this season.Im confident. I know the direction this is headed, Sparano said. Ive done this before, not quite like this. Ive got a lot of work done right here. I want that work to be for me, for this organization.Sparano will get the chance to talk directly with Davis when he interviews for the job shortly. Davis will also interview other candidates but big names like Jim Harbaugh and Jon Gruden are no longer options.Sparano and the players also talked about the importance of continuity, citing the eight head coaches and more than 100 assistants Oakland has had in 12 seasons since last going to the playoffs in 2002.Defensive end Justin Tuck, one of the many proven veterans brought in this off-season to help instil a winning mindset in Oakland, said he hopes that there will not be major changes on the coaching staff.Tuck, who won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants, said the Raiders are not as far away from becoming a winner as most outsiders might think.Were not far off, he said. Obviously you look at the record and say, Theyre at the bottom of the league and things like that. I think Ive played this game long enough and a lot of guys around here have played this game long enough to know that the foundation has been set here.Defensive lineman Antonio Smith said Sparanos best trait was his ability to keep the team together through an 0-10 start. The Raiders played their best football late in a lost season and never showed signs of giving up on the field.Smith said without that leadership from Sparano, this team could have joined the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only teams ever to go winless in a 16-game season.Definitely. It could have easily went that way, Smith said. Oh, yeah. If everybody wouldnt have bought in, if he wouldnt have been able to relate to players enough to get them to buy in, it would have been exactly that.Left tackle Donald Penn praised Sparanos honesty, motivation and leadership and said it only would be fair to get a full season to show what he could do with his own team.You have to understand, he inherited somebody elses team, Penn said. If you give him an off-season to make his moves and bring in the guys he wants to bring and give him a year with his own team, a full year, I think he will make some changes and I think things will get better.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Joe Mullen Jersey . Levante, which had lost five straight including a Copa del Rey game last weekend, fell behind at its Ciutat de Valencia stadium when Ionut Sapanura opened the scoring for Elche in the 26th minute. Custom St.Louis Blues Jerseys . - Chris Davis hit a two-run double, scoring Nelson Cruz in his Orioles debut in Baltimores 9-7 win over to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. http://www.cheapbluesjerseys.info/authen...y-blues-jersey/. On Saturday night, Winnipegs strong offense was again accompanied by some fantastic pitching which gave the Fish a commanding victory. Vladimir Tarasenko Jersey . Chris Johnson singled with two outs off left-hander Jerry Blevins (1-1), and Schafer pinch ran. With a 2-2 count, Schafer ran on the pitch and Upton dropped a single in front of Bryce Harper. Schafer already was rounding third when Schafer bobbled the ball. Wayne Gretzky Jersey . The turf is scheduled to give way to actual grass that is bright green, so we dont have to complain any more—we just have to wait a few years. Instead, do feel free to complain if the roof is closed for any reason other than to allow a game to be played.BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Pete Rose is returning to manage a baseball team, but just for one day. The 73-year-old Rose, who has the most career hits in major league history, is scheduled to skipper the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League on Monday. Rose was managing the Cincinnati Reds in 1989 when he agreed to a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball. He later admitted that he bbet on Reds games while running the team.dddddddddddd Rose can take this one-game job because the Bluefish are not affiliated with any major league team. He has occasionally appeared at official events since his ban, with MLBs permission. The Bluefish will host the Lancaster Barnstormers in Roses game. The team says the Atlantic League is all about giving people second chances. Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '