Post by lingzi on Aug 16, 2012 20:56:37 GMT -5
NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees said in a radio interview Wednesday night that he is frustrated by what he views as a lack of communication with the New Orleans Saints in his ongoing contract negotiations, adding the club should have shown more urgency to get a long-term deal done. Denver Broncos Jersey . "Its been extremely frustrating for me. I dont think the negotiations should have been this difficult," Brees said on WWL radio in New Orleans. "Whats been a little frustrating on my end, or disappointing, is the lack of communication. Weve reached out on quite a few occasions and at times I know Ive been frustrated with the lack of response." While Brees said he wants to return to the team as soon as possible, he raised the possibility of missing minicamp and even training camp if he does not reach a long-term extension that he believes is appropriate. Brees has missed several weeks of voluntary off-season training with the club, and New Orleans holds its first off-season practices, called organized team activities, next week. Brees said the Saints cannot pretend that the NFLs bounty investigation and resulting punishment -- including the suspension of head coach Sean Payton for the whole 2012 season -- has not been a huge distraction that makes the remainder of the Saints off-season work "very important." "This is a big time for our team, especially when you look at what has happened this off-season," he said. Given his leadership role and his performance during his past six seasons, Brees said he would hope the Saints would make his next contract a top priority. "There should be a sense of urgency and it just seems like theres not," Brees said. The Saints did not immediately respond to Brees comments. However, general manager Mickey Loomis said last month he understands that he has never worked on a more important deal than Brees extension, and he wants to come up with a deal that makes his star quarterback happy. The Saints this season will attempt to make the playoffs for a fourth straight time. If they do so, theyll be in the running to become the first team to play the Super Bowl on its home field next February in the Superdome. New Orleans has most of the top players back from an offence that set numerous NFL records last season, when Brees passed for an NFL single-season record 5,474 yards, smashing Dan Marinos mark of 5,084, which had stood since 1984. The Saints have placed the exclusive franchise tag on Brees, meaning he wont be playing anywhere else next season. However, Brees does not have to report and has said he has no intention of playing under a one-year franchise tag that does not give him any long-term security. "I feel like our position is very reasonable and certainly appropriate for the situation that Im in, which is having played the full extent of my (previous) six-year contract," Brees said. "I knew exactly what I was signing up for and over the last few years I have not said a peep about wanting a new contract or not being happy with my current contract. ... Certainly, I took on a lot of risk last year by playing the last year of my contract without anything guaranteed for the future." Brees said he still wants to finish his career in New Orleans and has a plan to be as prepared as possible when he does eventually report. "If that means missing OTAs, minicamp, training camp, I will be as ready as can possibly be," Brees said. "Theres no way you can simulate those things anywhere else other than being on the field with your team, but I have a plan, so Ill execute that plan as I need to." Womens Brian Cushing Jersey . Shortly after introducing free-agent signing Justin Schultz, the Oilers also announced they had come to terms with veteran forward Ryan Smyth. Peyton Manning Womens Jersey . Elam had signed an offer sheet with Cleveland last week but New York matched the deal. In 2008, his third season in the NFL and second with the Jets, Elam appeared in all 16 games -- nine starts -- and compiled a career-high 69 tackles with two sacks, three forced fumbles, and one interception which he returned 92 yards for a touchdown. Tom Brady Patriots Jersey . LaBatte, an offensive lineman from the University of Regina, joins running back Daryl Stephenson, defensive back Marc Beswick and linebacker Pierre-Luc Labbe as the signees from the April 30 draft class. Antonio Gates Jersey . Melk Man. Melky Way. And the old standby from his Yankees days, Leche -- milk in Spanish. Cabrera has attracted quite the following at AT&T Park, where several men dress in 1950s-style "Melk Man" suits in support of San Franciscos hottest hitter. Womens Mike Wallace Jersey . In exchange Calgary will receive Hamiltons third-round draft pick in 2014. The Stampeders also sent their sixth-round pick in 2014 to Hamilton as part of the deal. LOS ANGELES -- John Axford is heading toward another huge season for the Milwaukee Brewers -- if he doesnt get burned out in the process. Axford recorded his third save in three days and 10th in 11 chances this season, pitching a hitless ninth inning to close out a 6-3 win for Yovani Gallardo over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night. The right-hander had converted 49 straight save opportunities before blowing a lead on May 11 against the Chicago Cubs. The streak was the fourth-longest in big league history behind Eric Gagne (84), Tom Gordon (54) and Jose Valverde (51). Now hes on another run, but will probably get Thursday off after pitching four straight days. "I felt good tonight and thats the reason I was in there," said Axford, who set a Brewers franchise record last season with 46 saves and tied Atlantas Craig Kimbrel for the NL lead. "I felt better today than I even did yesterday. I just wanted to make my pitches, try and get out of there quickly without throwing 25. The last two nights I kept my pitch count down -- for me, anyway." Carlos Gomez tied a career high with four hits, including a a go-ahead two-run single against Clayton Kershaw, and the Brewers handed the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner his third loss in five starts. Gallardo (4-4) was charged with three runs and eight hits in six-plus innings with eight strikeouts and three walks. The right-hander was lifted after the Dodgers loaded the bases with none out in the seventh, and Elian Herrera slapped Manny Parras first pitch the other way through the right side to cut the Brewers lead to 5-3. Parra minimized the damage by striking out James Loney and retiring Tony Gwynn Jr. on a double-play grounder, one of three the Dodgers hit into in consecutive innings. The Brewers got an insurance run in the eighth before Francisco Rodriguez and Axford helped seal the win. Dodgers centre fielder Matt Kemp, playing his second game since coming off the disabled list, re-injured his left hamstring while scoring all the way from first base on a two-out double by Andre Ethier in the first inning. Last years MVP runner-up was replaced in the field by Gwynn in the second. "I just felt it grab a little bit. Its hurting pretty good right now, so well see what the MRI says tomorrow," said Kemp, who is hitting .355 with 12 homers and 28 RBIs in 36 games. "We went through all the tests, and I was running real hard and doing everything normal. I dont know what happened. &qquot;It feels worse than the first time," Kemp said. Danieal Manning Womens Jersey. "This my first time ever really having any hamstring problems, so I dont know how to really treat it." Kershaw (4-3) allowed with five runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings, walked four and struck out seven. The left-hander retired only six of his final 15 batters, three on bunt plays and one on a double play. "It was just a rough one tonight," Kershaw said. "I threw a lot of pitches and just couldnt put anybody away. I felt like I had decent stuff, but I just didnt make pitches when I needed to. But give them credit. They had really good at-bats all night." Los Angeles still has the best record in the majors at 32-18 despite its first three-game losing streak of the season, and leads San Francisco by 5 1/2 games in the NL West. The Dodgers were the only team that hadnt lost more than two in a row. "This is our first tough stretch of the year, but well come out of it and well be better for it," Kershaw added. "We dont know how long Matts going to be out, but weve got to play like we did the first time he was out, and the guys who stepped up have got to keep doing that." After giving up the Dodgers first run, Gallardo walked his next two batters before retiring A.J. Ellis on a line drive that held up for Gomez in centre field. "I struggled in that first inning, so it was big for me to get into the seventh," Gallardo said. "Ive was able to command my slider and curve ball behind or ahead in the count whenever I needed to." Gomez put the Brewers ahead 2-1 in the fourth with his bases-loaded two-run single through the left side of the infield, and they tacked on three more runs in the sixth. Rickie Weeks led off with a double and scored on a safety-squeeze bunt to first base by Martin Maldonado. Gallardo followed with an RBI single that hit the left field fence on the fly, chasing Kershaw after 117 pitches. Corey Harts bloop single against Javy Guerra put runners at the corners, and Norichika Aoki used his speed to turn a routine grounder to second base into an RBI single as Herrera fielded the ball flat-footed and was a step too late with the throw. NOTES: Gallardo threw 35 pitches in the first inning and Kershaw made 34 in the fourth. ... Brewers C Jonathan Lucroy will undergo surgery Thursday on to put a pin in his broken right hand. Lucroy was injured Sunday night when his wife moved a suitcase in their hotel room and it fell on his hand. ' ' '