NEW YORK, N. Vapormax Schweiz Kaufen .Y. - Geno Smith still thinks of himself as the New York Jets starting quarterback. Until hes told otherwise. Smiths up-and-down rookie season ended with four solid games as the Jets finished 8-8, but out of the playoffs. Both coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik have said that while Smith improved greatly, they will wait until they see whos on the roster in a few months before considering their starters at any position. "It motivates me," Smith told The Associated Press on Friday. "I know Rex, and he knows how to push my buttons. Im definitely going to go into this season as I always do: with a chip on my shoulder with that edge." Smith was in midtown Manhattan serving fans from an ice cream truck as part of a promotional event for New Era caps — a few hours after Ryan did the same. Smith, who had 12 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions, is expected to be in the quarterback mix whether the Jets sign a veteran or draft someone to compete with him. But, it appears he didnt do enough for the Jets to anoint him the starter as they head into the off-season. "Ive gotten better, but Ive got a long ways to go," Smith acknowledged. "Ive got to continue to progress and Im going to take this year just as I took last year, and thats to try to get better every single day." Smith declined to comment on his recent off-field issues, which included a disagreement with a flight attendant at Los Angeles International airport, for which Virgin America airline later apologized. "Nah, were not talking about that stuff," he said. Taking a quick break from handing out ice cream cones on Super Bowl Boulevard in Times Square, Smith talked about how much he enjoyed seeing the area jam-packed with football fans getting ready for the NFLs biggest game Sunday at MetLife Stadium. It also reminded him of his ultimate goal on the field. "Just being here and being around this atmosphere has definitely made me even more hungry," he said. "Just to get into this position has been something Ive been longing for my entire life, so I just want to work toward it." Smith started all 16 games for the Jets after claiming the job once Mark Sanchez went down for the season with a shoulder injury in the preseason. There were flashes from Smith at times, particularly with four winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime of the Jets first seven games. But there were also troubling stretches, such as the seven-game stretch midway through the season in which he had one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions. While Smith insisted "I dont do grades," he said he learned a lot on the job — a crash course in life in the NFL that not many rookie quarterbacks get to experience. "It was very valuable, man," Smith said. "Not only from the standpoint of being on the field, but off the field. All the emotions I had to go through and all the good and bad things I had to go through, and ultimately, it strengthened me. "It made me a better player and made me a better person off the field." ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org Nike Air Max 270 Damen Günstig Kaufen . The game was the first of two international friendlies that Canada is playing during the international break, with the second game against Slovenia set for Tuesday in Celje. Canada looked uncomfortable defensively throughout the game, and every free kick that came into Canadas penalty box looked like ending up in the back of the net. Nike Air Max 90 Off White Schweiz .com) - The Golden State Warriors have started another winning streak and theyll try to pad it Tuesday night when they head to Staples Center to face the Los Angeles Lakers. http://www.shopairmaxschweiz.com/ . - Even with a new coach, the Denver Nuggets still love to push the basketball.OKLAHOMA CITY - Prior to Sundays game - a game no rational person expected them to be competitive in, let alone win - Raptors coach Dwane Casey spoke about his teams newfound mental toughness. "I like the toughness factor in certain situations where last year and two years ago wed get bumped, get hit [and] wouldnt respond," Casey said an hour and a half before facing the league-best Thunder, a team that hadnt yet lost at home. "Weve grown up from that standpoint and learning how to win is huge." To suggest that Casey was foreshadowing is giving him too much credit. He couldnt have known or genuinely expected what was about to happen. No one did. But he was on to something. This is a different Raptors team than the one Casey was referring to, the one that would cower from adversity in years past. They were supposed to go winless on this exceptionally difficult Western Conference road swing. Instead, theyve won their first two games. “Im seeing it growing," Casey said of his teams resiliency after shocking the hosting Thunder, 104-98, winning four straight on the road for the first time since 2002. "It was one of those things where our guys fought through it and we could have folded or packed it in but they stuck with it and stuck together most of all and didnt fall apart." He called it their best win of the season, which is a given. To take it one step further, it was the Raptors most impressive victory of the three-year Casey era and for all the criticism Torontos coach takes, he had his fingerprints all over it. Casey earned his pay check Sunday evening. He didnt sit down, he didnt relax. He couldnt, not against this team. The Raptors got off to a quick start but withstood the inevitable counterpunch, they rose above spotty officiating and stood their ground when they needed to the most. Through it all Casey was manic on the sidelines. "Sit down Coach," a Thunder fan behind the Raptors bench kept yelling. He didnt. The Raptors were coming off an impressive win in Dallas, defeating a Mavericks team that was 11-2 at home on Friday. The Thunder, winners of nine straight and 17 of 18 overall, were perfect in 13 games at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Toronto threw the first punch and led by six at the break. They were "the aggressor," as Casey puts it, and they paid for it. The Thunder had attempted 22 free throws at the half, making them all, while Toronto shot just 10. That trend continued into the third when, finally the lopsided officiating began to seep into the psyche of a young team that has never been known for their mental resolve. A nine-point lead early in the third quarter turned into a nine-point deficit going into a fourth. Collectively Raptors fans thought, here we go again. The Thunder were fighting back - as we expected - and the Raptors couldnt catch a break from the officials. They missed 17 of 19 field goal attempts to end the frame. Thats when something seemed different. They didnt run, they didnt hide, they hit right back. For that, Casey and his players unanimously credited the work of veteran newcomer John Salmons. "I thought John Salmons maturity came through," Casey said of the reserve forward, who scored nine of his 14 playing the entire fourth quarter. Nike Air Max Großhandel. "He has a settling effect when hes in the game and it helps us. It rubs off on DeMar and Terrence. He doesnt get rattled." "John Salmons, I mean give him the game ball, offensively and defensively," added Kyle Lowry. "Just, here, take the ball. He was a big-time player tonight." For the second straight game Salmons came up big when it mattered most. On Friday he slowed down Monta Ellis and two days later he was a big part of the brigade that frustrated Kevin Durant, holding him to 24 points on 5-of-16 shooting, 1-of-6 in the fourth, and forcing his six turnovers. A 12-year vet, Salmons was an afterthought in the seven-player deal that sent Rudy Gay to Sacramento earlier this month. He was - and probably is - a temporary Raptor, a contract that can be moved at the deadline or easily bought out in the offseason. A day after the trade was finalized, he stood in front of the local media without much in the way of emotion or excitement, complaining about being tired from the trip. He has brought more to this team than anyone could have expected. "Im not a rah-rah guy at all but Ive been around for a long time," he said. "Ive experienced a lot so I just try to give my advice when I can." Taking the lead of Salmons, his teammates remained even-keeled when things looked to be going south. Nobody panicked. They executed and made good decisions, the right plays down the stretch. "Weve done a great job of just everyone cheering for each other, supporting each other and nobodys getting their head down," said Lowry, who continues to play the best basketball of his career, leading the team with 22 points and nine assists on Sunday. "Everyones focusing on winning the game no matter how bleak it looks." DeRozan played well, scoring 17 points against a tough defender in Thabo Sefolosha, someone who has given him fits in the past and once again, Amir Johnson was the unsung hero. Johnson - who recorded a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds - made some crucial defensive plays down the stretch, switching off on Durant and swatting a Russell Westbrook floater in the final two minutes of the game. "I cant [say enough], theres too much to say about him," Lowry said, or attempted to say about Johnson. "Hes just an unbelievable player. He had his struggles (early in the season) but we all said hell be alright once he finds his groove. And look at him, hes playing unbelievable. He guarded Kevin Durant as tough as he did and the other night he guarded Dirk (Nowitzki) as tough as he did. You just have to tip your hat to him." Back atop the Atlantic Division, the Raptors play their final game before a three-day Christmas break in San Antonio on the second night of a back-to-back Monday. The Spurs have the third-best record in the West and are 9-3 at home. The Raptors are not supposed to win. Care to bet against them? ' ' '