Herzlich Willkommen » Rieder tallied the first two short-handed

ST. LOUIS -- Jeff Fisher has never been afraid to buck a trend, draft a troubled player or grant a second chance. The coach of the Rams stuck with Adam "Pacman" Jones and Kenny Britt when he was at Tennessee, despite their off-field problems. Britt is now reunited with Fisher in St. Louis. Fisher recently rehired Gregg Williams, the defensive co-ordinator who was given a one-year suspension by the league for the bounty scandal with the Saints. It was not a surprise that it was Fisher who helped Michael Sam make history as the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team. "He is an amazing leader, and even better, hes a better man," said Wade Davis, the head of an advocacy group for lesbian and gay athletes. Davis currently is doing some work with the NFL. "He looks at everything from all angles and hes not afraid to take on a challenge." The 56-year-old Fisher deflects any praise for being a trailblazer, insisting it was simply a football decision to upgrade one of the NFLs top pass rushes by taking Sam at No. 249. "In our world, nobodys going to agree with what you do 100 per cent of the time because everybody has opinions, and thats fine," Fisher said. "Im concerned about whats going on in the building, with the staff and players, the direction were headed. Thats always been the case." At least on the field, Fisher can relate to the challenge for Sam. He also was a seventh-round pick, the fourth wheel of a star-studded Southern California secondary that featured Ronnie Lott, Dennis Smith and Joey Browner. He then carved out a career playing under Mike Ditka for a Super Bowl winner in Chicago and is entering his 19th season as an NFL head coach. Lott, a Hall of Famer, recalls Fisher smoothly making the switch from wide receiver to cornerback. "To me, its easy to play wide receiver because you know where youre going," Lott said. "Having to react, respond and do it with confidence and knowing youre not going to win every play, thats the mindset on defence. The determination he had then has stayed with him." Not long after Sam came out in February, Fisher said hed have no problem having him on the team, that this was an age of diversity. Turns out it wasnt just talk. Several picks before the Rams took Sam, Fisher broached the subject with owner Stan Kroenke and general manager Les Snead. Ditka said he wasnt surprised it was Fisher who stepped up when every other team was backing away from Sam. Ditka, who once traded all his draft picks to land Ricky Williams, called it a "pretty gutsy move." Players have fallen in lockstep with their coach on the question of picking Sam. Defensive end Chris Long called it a "football move" and so did linebacker James Laurinaitis. "I dont think it was courageous," Laurinaitis said. "I think its a calculated move by the organization. ... If you have the opportunity to draft a guy that you think is extremely productive and maybe you had a higher grade on him than where he is, you go ahead and take that. I think football-wise, it was a very smart decision." Fisher wouldnt say how far Sam slid on the Rams draft board. The coach joked that divulging that information might affect Sams rookie contract. Titans broadcaster Thom Abraham remembers Fisher in 2009 after Tennessees 0-6 start removing his sport coat, tie and shirt at the podium of a civic function to reveal a Peyton Manning jersey underneath. The punch line: "I just wanted to know what it felt like to be a winner." "Picking Sam did not surprise me one bit," Abraham said of Fisher. "Hes confident in his ability to be out front, and almost represent the NFL." Sam has had several off-season workouts and more practices are on tap this week with the veterans. Long said Sam was working hard and former Missouri teammate, receiver T.J. Moe, said the team viewed Sam simply as someone trying to make it in the NFL. "He is on the team. Theres a 90-man roster, it doesnt go 89 and then Michael Sams over there, this is the gay team, this is the straight team," Moe said. "Michael Sam is on this team and hes treated just like anybody else." And if Sam struggles, nobody that knows Fisher well doubts the coach will have any problem cutting him loose. "He doesnt like doing that part of it," said Brad Hopkins, a former Pro Bowl offensive tackle who played his entire NFL career under Fisher. "But he knows it has to be done, and that you cant make everybody happy." Cheap NMD For Sale .Y. - Carey Price had an early feeling that one goal might be enough to settle the latest matchup between his Montreal Canadiens and longtime Original Six foe, the New York Rangers. Adidas NMD Wholesale China . For Bergevin, the best pick is the 30th — which traditionally goes to the Stanley Cup winner. "Thats our goal. http://www.cheapnmdonline.com/adidas-nmd...-clearance.html. Bozak and Clarkson suffered the injuries in pre-training camp workouts, according to Carlyle, who said they made "small amounts of improvement" from Friday to Saturday. After the players were deemed less than 100 per cent by doctors after Thursdays medical testing, the Leafs held them out of on-ice testing and are being cautious. Adidas NMD Mens Sale . Quarterback Drew Willy appeared to injure his throwing hand on the third last play of practice Thursday. Pharrell x adidas NMD Human Race Black . Maximilian Arnold put Wolfsburg ahead in the eighth minute, when the stationary Fallou Diagne allowed him to guide Patrick Ochs cross beyond the helpless Freiburg goalkeeper, and Ivica Olic doubled the lead three minutes later after Luiz Gustavo did well to set him up.Edmonton, AB (SportsNetwork.com) - Tobias Rieder scored two straight short- handed goals to ignite an unrelenting Arizona Coyotes attack en route to a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. Martin Erat and Oliver Ekman-Larsson both scored, Mikkel Boedker had a goal and an assist and Mike Smith made 25 saves for the Coyotes, who ended a three- game skid. Jordan Eberle and Jeff Petry each scored for the Oilers, who lost their 10th straight game. Viktor Fasth allowed all five goals on 24 shots. Edmonton has now lost 10 consecutive games for the first time since March 8-31, 2011. The Oilers took an early lead just 21 seconds into a Zbynek Michalek roughing minor. Taylor Hall raced up the left side and blasted a shot off the left shoulder of Smith, who was unable to control the rebound. Eberle was there to backhand it home 5:37 into the contest. Edmonton started the second period with 1:49 of power-play time due to a Shane Doan roughing penalty, but it was Arizona, particularly Rieder, that took advantage of it to spark a four-goal middle stanza. Rieder stripped an opposing player of the puck in the neutral zone and embarked on a breakaway before sliding the puck through Fasths pads for a tie game just 36 seconds into the second. It was the rookie forward again 58 seconds lateer.ddddddddddddHe received a stretch pass from Martin Hanzal, eluded a sliding defender and finished the play with a wrist shot to give Edmonton the lead. Moments later, Ekman-Larsson took a feed from Keith Yandle, skated across the top of the slot and slapped a shot past a screened Fasth for a 3-1 advantage on the power play. With just over eight minutes to play in the second, Nail Yakupov fired a shot just a few from the top of the crease, but Smith made a brilliant glove save to deny the Edmonton forward. Boedker tucked a rebound into the net with 17 seconds left in the second to cap the Coyotes impressive stanza. Erat continued Arizonas offensive outburst with the teams fifth straight goal 2:03 into the third, but Petrys shot from the point got past Smith for a 5-2 game over two minutes later. Game Notes Smith is now 10-1-1 in 14 career games against Edmonton ... Rieder tallied the first two short-handed goals of his career ... Edmonton has not won in regulation against Arizona since a 4-3 victory on Jan. 25, 2011 ... The Coyotes have registered at least a point in 16 straight games against the Oilers ... Coyotes defenseman Connor Murphy left the game with an upper-body injury ... The season series resumes Dec. 16 in Arizona. ' ' '