Campus Maximus » ter fighter. I dont see Thiago pulling any

Jason Spezza has heard the whispers that maybe being the captain of the Ottawa Senators wasnt the best thing for his career. That perhaps the added pressure of wearing the "C" made him a bigger target for criticism with the fans and media in this city and ultimately served as the catalyst for his departure from town. But on Friday afternoon – doing his first extensive interview since the trade to Dallas in July – the star centre said the captaincy did not play a role in his decision to ask for a trade. "I think its bogus. To me, I think if anything, having the C made me think even harder about wanting to stay, because I didnt want to seem like I was running away from being a captain," Spezza told TSN 1200 on Friday. "I think anybody thats been around the rink, anybody that knows me, anybody thats been on the team, knows that... I think I come by leadership honestly. I think Im a guy that Ive always taken things pretty hard when the team struggles." "Ive looked at myself as being one of and a leader on that team for a long time. So, the C, obviously with Alfie leaving and me taking over the C and now me moving on, its not something that can be ignored. But, the reason for me wanting out isnt because I got named captain and we had a bad season. Its just because I felt like it was time." Spezza wont be back in Ottawa again until the Dallas Stars pay a visit to Canadian Tire Centre on January 29th. His Ottawa house is up for sale and the family packed up their belongings a few weeks ago – ready for a fresh start in Dallas. He was only in Ottawa for a few days after the trade was engineered on July 1st and says that it was strange for him to be in the nations capital and not be a member of the Senators. "It was eerie going back there a little bit this summer, but I knew what I was getting into," Spezza explained. "I knew that I had asked to be moved, and its not something that I woke up one day and thought that I needed a change of scenery. Its something that I thought out, and I feel like as tough as it is to move on - it probably wouldve been the easier thing, just to re-sign and stay there, but Im ready for a challenge, and I expect a lot from myself and I think Ive got a lot of great years left." After the Senators missed the playoffs in the 2013-14 season, there were rumblings that Spezza was on the trade market. General manager Bryan Murray confirmed that Spezza and his agent Rick Curran had requested a trade in May, which created a ton of media interest leading up to the NHL Draft weekend at the end up of June. Spezza declined an opportunity to head to Nashville in a trade and says he wanted to end up in Dallas. He wishes the entire episode was kept quiet, but he harbors no ill feelings towards Murray or the Senators organization for the fact the trade request became public. "I think obviously the goal of mine was to kind of get traded without the hoopla around it and all the conversation that went around it. The reality of it is, that was never going to happen," Spezza said. "So I just tried to stay quiet, and I talked to Bryan a few times throughout the process. I have a lot of respect for Bryan, I think he has a lot of respect for me, and unfortunately, things get kind of dragged out through the papers and the media and sometimes things get skewed, but thats the nature of the game and it was my decision to ask him to move me and I had to live with the consequences. But, Im happy with the end result." Spezza had an injury-plagued 2013-14 campaign, recovering from major back surgery in February of 2013 and then dealing with hip and groin issues in the fall. He ended up leading all forwards on the team with 66 points in 75 games – but the writing appeared to be on the wall that Spezzas time in Ottawa was done as the regular season came to a close. The 31-year-old says he wasnt counting down the final games of the regular season as the end of his tenure in Ottawa. "I dont think I ever looked at those last games as my last game as a Senator. I did have a year left on my contract and I wouldve been able to play that year out and go from there, but I think that the move was beneficial to both sides," Spezza added. "I just felt that I think it was time for me to move on. I think that the organization was going through a different period, probably a little bit more of a rebuild, and going with a different approach." "So for me, I felt that at the place of my career where Im at, that I wanted to move on somewhere else and get a fresh start for myself, and also it allowed the team to grow and be a younger team. So, but I think that I knew it was time to move on, and I think they knew the same thing." Spezza ended up serving as team captain for only one season, replacing longtime captain Daniel Alfredsson who served in that role for 13 seasons. When asked who would be a logical candidate to assume the captaincy with the Senators next season, Spezza was hesitant to pick a new leader. "I have to think, I have to be careful how much I weigh into the captaincy of my former team. I have a lot of good friends there. Chris Phillips is definitely the most mature guy - one of the most mature people Ive been around I think in my career, and just somebody you can always lean on," Spezza explained. "So, if Erik becomes captain, if Philly becomes captain, if someone else becomes captain, theyll have each other to lean on. And I think that a guy like Erik Karlsson - the confidence he gives and the confidence he portrays is obviously something that shows on the ice and can be a positive for the team." "But, I dont think its my position to weigh in on whos going to be captain. But theres a solid group of guys there. They get along well, and they should be able to help each other out." Cheap Retro Jordans From China .m. ET, CBSOPENING LINE — Colts by 5RECORD VS. SPREAD — Cincinnati 8-8, Indianapolis 11-5SERIES RECORD — Colts lead 18-10LAST MEETING — Colts beat Bengals 27-0, Oct. Cheap Jordans Outlet .C. -- The RBC Cups semifinal participants were decided by a pair of overtime games. http://www.cheapoutletjordans.com/. Early in the first period, Stuart pinched in from the blue line, hit Nash and was assessed a minor penalty for elbowing. Nash remained in the game for the rest of the first period, but did not return for the second. Cheap Jordans China Free Shipping . The appointment of Boullier continues the behind-the-scenes restructuring at McLaren, who recently brought back former team principal Ron Dennis as its new chief executive. Jordans China Free Shipping . Theres little time for rest, too. The Flyers and Rangers play again Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Simmonds scored in the first period and twice more in the second for his first career post-season hat trick. Mason survived a busy first period and stopping 31 straight shots until Carl Hagelin scored late in the third.Not missing a beat, UFC Fight Night 32 emanates from the Goiania Arena in Brazil on Saturday, just three days after the promotions Fight for the Troops 3 event. The main event features a rematch from 2006 at PRIDE 32 and a number of Brazilian fighters slated to please the hometown crowd. Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks for this weekends event. Let us know which side youre on! Tweet either #TeamLynch or #TeamJC, on Twitter. Also feel free to leave your opinions in the comment section below. Vitor Belfort vs. Dan Henderson James Lynch TSN.ca (@LynchOnSports) A confusing, yet exciting rematch headlines the night as former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Belfort battles former PRIDE Middleweight champion Henderson. I use the word "confusing" because Belfort is moving up to light heavyweight despite an impressive winning streak in UFCs middleweight division (since his loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 126). These arent lacklustre wins either; finishes against Anthony Johnson, Michael Bisping and most recently former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold. No doubt his usage of the very controversial TRT has played a major role in this decision, with his inability to earn a licence fight in various states in the U.S. In addition with Chris Weidman becoming the new UFC middleweight champion at UFC 162, the 185lb class certainly has a logjam. Either way, a rematch with Henderson is an intriguing matchup for the hardcore fans, especially in Brazil. For the Olympic wrestler Henderson, hes coming off two close decision losses to Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans and is in need of a win should he still have title aspirations. At 43-years old, it does appear age has caught up with him, but hes still proven to be extremely durable and still possess dynamite in his right hand. With that said, even if the Team Quest captain is able to neutralize the 36-year old with his wrestling, he still wont have the power advantage in this fight like he usually does. In Hendersons decorated 39-fight career hes never been knocked out and only submitted twice. Saturday night well likely see him stopped via strikes for the first time in his career, as Belfort is too strong and too fast for the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion. The Blackzillian member should find his range sometime in the third round and earn some revenge in front of the hometown crowd. Belfort via third round TKO. Jordan Cieciwa TSN Radio 1290 (@FitCityJordan) There is not much that Dan Henderson does better than another fighter in his division. I dont mean that with any disrespect, heck, the guy has been my boss for years. The thing is, he is usually the slower fighter. On paper, he is normally less talented a boxer. His jujitsu is almost non-existent. Dan can wrestle, and throw a bomb of a right hand. No new tricks for this old dog. Yet, he is still a threat. Its strictly because more than he loves of winning, Dan hates losing. So he goes through the fight with the single goal of landing a huge punch, or neutralizing his opponent against the cage with his Olympic level Greco Roman wrestling. This is going to be a very long night for fans, I expect this to be one of those fights that happens along the cage featuring lots of Dirty Boxing, and control. That doesnt bode well for Vitor Belfort. If Dan gets tired in the later rounds, it will end with a swarm from Vitor. If Dan is ready to go the whole fight, he should be able to control, the second he cant hold on to Vitor, it will end quick. Henderson via third round (H-Bomb) knockout Cezar Ferriera vs. Daniel Sarafian Lynch A pair of Brazilian middleweights looks to please the crowd on Saturday night, as 6-2 Ferreira battles 11-3 Sarafian. Both fighters competed on the debut season of TUF: Brazil and advanced to the tournament final, however Sarafian would bow out due to an injured elbow. The 31-year old Sarafian lost a surprising split decision to C.B. Dollaway at UFC on FOX 7, but would rebound earning his first UFC victory with an early submission of Eddie Mendez at UFC on FUEL 10. Ferreira meanwhile would take home the title of TUF: Brazil champion and earned a submission victory in just 47 seconds against Thiago Santos at UFC 163. Similar to when Michael Bisping fought Matt Hamill back at UFC 75, this matchup will finally give credence as to who the real Ultimate Fighter winner will be. Expect the younger Ferreira to emerge victories as his significant height and reach advantage will aid him in the win. The Vitor Belfort protégé will look to impress his coach and will likely edge out a decision. Ferriera via unanimous decision JC Im excited to see this fight, both these fighters are starting their career and in my opinion arent ready for the higher level competition yet. They both broke into the UFC at the same time on TUF:Brazil. This is a good way for them to get a little more cage time and another camp at the level they should be at. This is going to be a sort of David and Goliath battle, with Ferriera having a substantial reach advantage, and coming out of Vitor Belforts camp he will know how to strike and use the advantage. That being said, Daniel Sarafian is no slouch, and his submission game is top notch. If there is a breakdown in the reach game, and it goes to the ground Sarafian gets the nod. Given the experience of Ferreira, I expect a break in defense. This will hit the mat, and it will go to Sarafian. Sarafian via third round submission Rafael Cavalcante vs. Igor Pokrajac Lynch Two fighters in desperate need of a victory clash in the UFCs light heavyweight division as "Fejao" and Pokrajac go to war. Since winning the Strikeforce light heavyweight title back in August of 2010, Cavalcante struggled, failing a drug test in his victory over Mike Kyle and losing his UFC debut to Thiago Silva brutally by way of first round knockout. The Croatian kick boxer Pokrajac is in a similar situation, losing two of his last three fights including his most recent outing, a unanimous decision loss to Ryan Jimmo at UFC 161. Fejao has fought tougher opposition, including Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, Dan Henderson and Thiago Silva. But the 34-year old "Duke" takes the edge in experience, having 36-fights on his record compared to just 16 for Cavalcante. With 15 knockout victories between the two of them, fans can expect a standup affair that is sure to deliver fireworks.dddddddddddd Clearly this fight wont go the distance, so the question becomes who will get knocked out first? The 32-year old Blackhouse member should be the superior fighter in this fight and we should see the UFC jitters wear off in his second octagon appearance. Expect the BJJ blackbelt to find his range in the second round and earn his 12th career knockout victory. Cavalcante via second round knockout JC Coming over from Strikeforce I had a lot of hope for Rafael Cavalcante. He had a No Contest due to a performance enhancing drug in his system in his last bout in Strikeforce, and looked less than stellar when Thiago Silva knocked him out cold. Hes stepping in against Igor Pokrjac. As a product of Mirko Cro Cops team, Igor Pokrajac should be a devastating and aggressive kickboxer. That isnt what he has showed, and in fact, has put on one of the most boring matches in UFC history. His match up with Ryan Jimmo didnt live up to the hype. It did light a fire under Pokrajac, and I think that this fight will see him more aggressive. Good news for fight fans as Cavalcante will respond well to that. This will be an exciting stand up battle. The kind of fight most fans tune in for. Im expecting the iron chined Pokajac to get beat up for most of the fight, but win with a solid well placed shot. Pokrajac via third round KO Brandon Thatch vs. Paulo Thiago Lynch UFC veteran Thiago makes his 11th octagon appearance Saturday when he faces off with rising star Thatch. This is a classic matchup between two fighters headed in opposite directions, as Thiago has lost four of his last six fights and the Grudge Trainer Center product is on a current nine-fight winning streak. Part of the issue is that the 32-year old Brasilla native still works fulltime as a policeman in his native Brazil, so his focus cant be solely concentrated on fighting. Aside from his win over Josh Koscheck, anytime hes faced potential contenders in the division, hes faltered. His losses to Diego Sanchez, Martin Kampmann and Jon Fitch are evidence of this. Meanwhile his 28-year old foe turned some heads when he brutally knocked out Justin Edwards in his UFC debut back in August, making use of his exceptional height and reach advantage in the win. While Thiago poses a big step up in competition for the Denver native, he should have the power and speed advantage in this fight. Despite Thiago being undefeated in his native Brazil, Thatch should win this fight by knocking out the 20-fight veteran in the second round. Thatch via second round knockout. JC Paulo Thiago is one of the hardest working men in the UFC. He is one fight shy of a dozen and hes got a battle on his hands with Brandon Thatch. Thatch is riding an impressive nine fight winning streak. A win streak that has not had much in the way of top talent come his way. This fight is interesting, in that Thiago is 2-4 in his last six, but still has the compete level and skill of a top UFC veteran. Hell be a good proving ground for Thatch. This should go to the younger, faster fighter. I dont see Thiago pulling any upsets on this one. Thatch via second round knockout Ryan LaFlare vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio Lynch Arguably the most competitive matchup on the main card as Ponzinibbio makes his UFC debut against Ring of Combat champion LaFlare. The 27-year old, who appeared on the TUF: Brazil 2 reality show broke his hand in his semi-final victory over Leonardo Santos which forced him out of the tournament. Many pundits were picking the Team Tavares fighter to win the show, so a matchup against an undefeated American like LaFlare will certainly be an antiquate test. Speaking of which, the 30-year old Long Island native had a successful UFC debut defeating Ben Alloway back in April. Its a coin flip who wins this fight, I give LaFlare the slight edge because hes undefeated. LaFlare via unanimous decision JC This is a good event for Ryan LaFlare to prove that a championship in another fight organization is truly worth something. LaFlare is representing Ring of Combat. This fight will also give Santiago Ponzinibbio the chance to prove that he was as good as the opinion many experts had regarding his skills. The TUF: Brazil 2 Tavares team member was unable to compete due to injury and left many wondering exactly the level of his abilities. This one will go to the hometown, more experienced fighter. Ponzinibbio has been in the UFC spot light for a while, it will be less of a shock for him than for LaFlare. Ponzinibbio via unanimous decision Rony Jason vs. Jeremy Stephens Lynch A matchup initially slated for UFC Fight Night 29 is now the opening Saturday nights main card, as TUF Brazil 1 winner Jason faces Alliance MMA fighter Stephens. After winning the inaugural season of TUF Brazil, the 29-year old dispatched Sam Sicilla and Mike Wilkinson to improve his octagon record to a perfect 3-0. Stephens meanwhile got back on the winning track in his last outing, earning a decision over Estevan Payan at UFC 160 in his featherweight debut. Prior to that, "Lil Heathen" was coming off three straight losses to Yves Edwards, Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis. Not since defeating Rafael Dos Anjos way back at UFC 91 has the Iowa native earned a big victory in his career. Many pundits are picking the Team Nogueira product in this fight, and why wouldnt they? Jason is on an eight-fight win streak and generally Brazilians dont lose when fighting on their native soil. But Stephens experience should serve him well as I think he will use his wrestling and land the better shots over three rounds to earn a decision victory. Stephens via unanimous decision JC Rony Jason won the first TUF Brazil and has since moved to 3-0 in the Octagon. Across the Octagon is a very accomplished mixed martial artist in Jeremy Lil Heathen" Stephens. You can bet that this is going to be a fight where Stephens brings all his game to the table. The problem is, I dont know if that game is enough. This fight should go to the home town favorite. Rony Jason via unanimous decision Undercard Picks: Lynch: Sicilia, Akmedov, Tavares, Cruickshank, Tome JC: Sicilia, Akmedov, Tavares, Cruickshank, Ortiz Also be sure to tune into the "Weigh-In" on TSN Radio 1290 Winnipeg every Saturday as myself, Jordan and "Big Marv" Timog go toe to toe discussing the hottest topics in MMA. ' ' '