NEWS » great, he said. Top-10ing is great for ma

At a time when Australias batsmen are mired in a damaging pattern of failures, Joe Burns has returned to the Test fold with confidence derived from breaking out of his own.Until the first round of this seasons Sheffield Shield, Burns had an almost comically poor record in matches involving a pink ball. The inaugural day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval offered up scores of 14 and 11. That followed a similarly underwhelming run in floodlit Shield matches, despite Burns making extra efforts to learn - he did his own extra training against a pink ball away from the Australian side.After two poor Test matches in Sri Lanka against the spinning red ball, Burns was cast out of the national side. But, when his stocks seemed lowest, Burns was able to find a way against the pink ball. His well-struck hundred for Queensland at the Gabba against New South Wales, against an attack featuring Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood no less, means Burns will bring a much more positive vibe to Hobart than he might otherwise have.I guess it was a nice experience to make runs against the pink ball, in particular because theres a [day-night] Test match in Brisbane, Burns said. Obviously, thats a long way down the track from here, but I think as players, the more you play against the pink ball and the more confident you get against it as a batter, you certainly do feel more comfortable going into each pink-ball game.With the pink ball, the games played a little bit differently to the red ball, so just those experiences as a batter - where you can look to make your runs, where youve got to be a bit more cautions and the way the game ebbs and flows. In Brisbane anyway, its certainly a lot different from red to pink ball.The duel with the Blues was willing and vocal, placing Burns in a decent frame of mind to face South Africa at Bellerive Oval from Saturday as the replacement opener for Shaun Marsh. There was a bit of banter there, which is fantastic. You want to see guys playing the same way for their stats as you do for your country, he said. And I guess thats a strength of the Shield competition, so it was a very enjoyable challenge.When those boys are up and firing, it certainly spurs you on to bigger heights, and it was very satisfying to make some runs in that game. One of the things that you look back on and feel confident in, and know that youre hitting the ball really well against good opposition, and then, hopefully, carry that into a Test match against South Africa. But in saying that, its a new set of bowlers, new conditions, and you still have to prepare as best you can for this Test match.Burns said he learned a lot from the experience of losing his place in Sri Lanka, a perspective that will also be relevant entering a team that has just lost the first Test of a home summer for the first time in 28 years. Sri Lanka was my first Test loss and first series loss, so it was a tough tour, Burns said. It was tough because I wasnt making runs personally as well. But I guess thats part of the challenge of cricket, part of the challenge of playing for Australia.You always want to be making runs. You always want to be winning cricket games for your country, so you do everything you can to turn it around and try and get back to winning those matches. I think the experience within the group, weve had a lot of a success as a team and as individuals that theres no doubt we can turn it around.We just have to prepare well, go out and take up the challenge in that second Test match. Weve got no doubt we can certainly turn it around. Obviously, a lot of hard work will go into it, but, certainly, very confident going into the rest of the series.Farid Diaz Colombia Jersey . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. Marlos Moreno Colombia Jersey . Parker had 26 points and eight assists and San Antonio beat Toronto 112-99 Monday night. "We won that game because of Tony Parkers aggressiveness," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His juice; his aggression all night long. http://www.nationalcolombiafootball.com/sebastian-perez-colombia-jersey/ . Collaros, 25, was solid last season, posting a 5-2 record as the starter while incumbent Ricky Ray was injured. Collaros also started Torontos 23-20 regular-season finale loss to Montreal — Ray didnt dress because the Argos had already clinched first in the East Division — but was one of three quarterbacks to play that day. David Ospina Jersey . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. Jeison Murillo Jersey . On Tuesday, Ottawa placed forward Cory Conacher and defenceman Joe Corvo on waivers as trade rumours swirl around the Senators.FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- My fellow Americans, this is exactly what youve been waiting for.All right, so maybe not all of it. Not the part where Rickie Fowler, who looked assured of a Ryder Cup qualifying spot with four holes to play at the Barclays, stumbled down the stretch and failed to get it done.And not the part where Zach Johnson, who hasnt won since last summer, backed his way onto the roster with a 48th-place finish. Or the part where Bubba Watson never made a serious run at those last spots this week, or where J.B. Holmes parlayed an impressive start into a 41st-place result, or where Jim Furyk also finished 41st, or where Matt Kuchar was 64th, each of them unable to mount a serious challenge for one of those automatic berths.Sooooo -- not exactly what youve been waiting for. But maybe, kinda, sorta what youve been waiting for?Thats because after three losing teams this decade, after watching U.S. player after U.S. player implode with the pressure on, after seeing too many of these instances of guys backing their way onto the team or collapsing when the pressure is greatest, along comes Patrick Reed.Reed knew exactly what was at stake entering the final round. Starting the week in the eighth and final qualifying position, he needed to retain that spot by days end in order to clinch a place on the team. But he was also trying to win the tournament, a task which may or may not have proved beneficial to the Ryder Cup subplot.Like every pro golfer since the beginning of time, Reed contested that he was only focused on playing his best golf and everything else would fall into place. Hell, Tiger Woods offered that idea so much that Nike once made it an advertising slogan: Winning Takes Care of Everything.Reed was no different. Even after he won, he insisted that he was only thinking about getting the victory, not the Ryder Cup residuals.Coming into the week, we said, Well, you know what? Go ahead and do what you can do and get the job done, he explained. If you go and win it takes care of everything else: Gets you into the Tournament of Champions, gets you into Ryder Cup, gets you to lead FedEx. It takes care of everything.Thats a rational explanation, except for the fact that the Ryder Cup tends to do irrational things to players.Guys who have hit a million tee shots in their lives freeze over the first swing and just hope to make contact. Guys who normally play with all the emotion of a bassett hound start pumping fists and slamming clubs.dddddddddddd And yes, guys who say theyre simply trying to play their best and everything will take care of itself often wind up thinking too much about the repercussions.So while its a mature stance for Reed to insist hes just attempting to compartmentalize a win at Bethpage Black without worrying about the impending Ryder Cup scenario, thats easier said than done.This is a player who bleeds red, white and blue. This is a player who received global appeal by shushing the home European fans two years ago. This is a player who earned a late opportunity to represent the U.S. at the recent Olympics and jumped at it.With all of that and much more on the line Sunday afternoon, Reed was solid and efficient, if not flashy and dominant.He entered the day trailing by one stroke, and finished it winning by one. He posted a 1-under 70. He hit a few brilliant shots and a couple that hed like to have back.As if he needed more pressure, Reed is the type who prides himself on being a winner. Four victories on the PGA Tour by the age of 26 have assisted in that idea, but he hadnt done much to add to that résumé lately. His most recent win had come in January of last year, while this season he owned nine previous top-10s -- including two runner-up finishes -- without any titles.Top-10ing is great, he said. Top-10ing is great for making a living. But at the end of the day, every time we play golf tournaments, we dont settle for top-10s. Were going out there to try to get a W and try to get hardware and try to get a trophy. Because at the end of the day, a bunch of top-10s, its great. But its going to make you be on that bubble, as you saw. Ive had -- it feels like a hundred top-10s this year, and Ive just kind of stayed there on that six, seven, eight, nine stretch, on the Ryder Cup (standings), and it takes something like a win to be able to solidify yourself.Reed solidified himself this week. He solidified his place on this leaderboard, which in turn solidified his place on the Ryder Cup team.The entire performance of U.S. players might not have been exactly what American fans have been waiting for, but Reeds ability to force his way onto the team rather than backing into it should be taken as a heavy dose of exactly whats been needed. ' ' '