im out.I dont like guys to try and read my mind, I tell them exactly what Im thi too many physical confrontations, using

RIO DE JANEIRO -- On the day before these Olympics even began, U.S. swimming assistant coach Greg Meehan gathered the 22 women on his team on a patch of grass outside the American building in the Olympic village. He handed out a bunch of small American flags. He gave a brief history lesson about the Homestead Act of 1862 and how anyone could claim a particular patch of land.Then he instructed the two women who had qualified for each event to take turns sticking their flags into the Brazilian ground, claiming that event for the United States.The idea being it would be their property if they claimed it first, said Dave Marsh, the U.S. womens head coach.Around the same time, Michael Phelps, Anthony Ervin and Nathan Adrian stood in front of the 22 other members of the U.S. mens team and delivered an emotional yet stern plea. After a disappointing team performance at the world championships in Russia a year earlier, the three veterans spoke of the importance of getting off to a good start in Rio. Once the American medal haul began, they said, it couldnt be stopped.Now, through five days of the Rio swimming competition, it appears the Olympic veterans were right. And the Americans are claiming land everywhere you turn. Wednesday night was just another example, with the Americans adding three more medals to their tally of 18, including Josh Prenots silver in the 200 breaststroke, Adrians bronze in the 100 freestyle and, for the finale, gold in the womens 4x200 freestyle relay.Tack it on to the success from the first four nights of competition, and its a historic pace. Consider: U.S. swimmers have medaled in 18 of the 20 events held so far, and they finished fourth in the two events in which they didnt medal -- including the womens 200 butterfly Wednesday night.The Americans are on pace to win the most medals in a single Olympics since 1972, when they won 43. And that was a year when countries were allowed to enter three swimmers per event. Now the limit is two.The party began the first night of competition, when Chase Kalisz blasted his personal best in the 400 IM by more than two seconds to take silver, and then the womens 400 freestyle relay capped the night with a silver. The Americans havent stopped since.Its just gotten bigger and bigger as the ball has been rolling downhill, said Jacob Pebley, who finished third in the semifinal heat of the 200 backstroke and will go for his own medal Thursday night. And its kind of hard not to follow all that momentum and jump on.The coaches and athletes alike will tell you its more than just talent. They insist this team has a chemistry and bond that has proven critical to their success. It was forged in the two training camps that preceded the trip to Rio, one in San Antonio and one in Atlanta. There were late-night card games. Rookie skits. Inside jokes. The carpool karaoke music video. Cody Miller dressing up like a lobster. And the women playing a game where Marsh would hold a sheet between two swimmers, and when he dropped it they would have to say which event the other was competing in as quickly as possible.Coming together as a team -- it helps you swim fast, said Simone Manuel, the top seed in Thursday nights finals of the womens 100 freestyle. Its that X factor that we are a family, not just a team.Added Marsh: We have all kinds of personalities, but also people who are easily adaptable to a team setting within their own personal preparation.And they feed off one another. In the American area in the warm-up pool hangs four floor-to-ceiling banners signed by family, friends and complete strangers wishing the team good luck. When each swimmer leaves the warm-up area and heads to the pool to race, he or she is sent off with a cowbell, cheers and chants of USA, USA, USA.The cowbell, its been working pretty good at this meet, Prenot said. Im not sure if the other countries like it.Probably not. USA Swimming, after all, is the equivalent of the New York Yankees. Their 520 medals before competition began in Rio is almost three times as many as have been won by the second-most decorated team, Australia.The 2016 U.S. roster includes not only Phelps, but Katie Ledecky setting world records of her own. Ryan Lochte is the second-most decorated Olympic swimmer of all time behind Phelps, his longtime rival and friend.The American swimmers 21-medal haul so far exceeds the next two teams -- Australia (7) and Japan (5) -- combined. There have been big-name stars in Phelps and Ledecky and newcomers such as Ryan Murphy and Lilly King. And there has been three golds and a silver in the relays with only the mens and womens medley relays still to come.Its really good, mens coach Bob Bowman said. Its not just the medals. We are swimming well, a lot better than trials. And that means our plan worked.The Americans have their trials later than any other country in the world. Their performance at the Games shows they have perfected their tapers, knowing the exact pattern to rest their swimmers so they can make the team at trials but then get their bodies back up to compete for medals five weeks later at the Olympics.These Games also brought a unique concern -- finals starting each night at 10 p.m. Rio time, jolting the swimmers circadian rhythms. Its why the team held practices during both training camps at 11 p.m.The coaches did a great job there, Prenot said. I was a little concerned about that coming in, but everyone has done well. I havent heard one person complain about it or anything.Instead, the only ones complaining are the other countries -- about all that red, white and blue dominance. Timo Werner Jersey .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Mario Gotze Jersey .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. http://www.germanysoccerpro.com/Antonio-Rudiger-Germany-Jersey/ . PETERSBURG, Fla. Ilkay Gundogan Jersey . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. He was taken to a local hospital where the clot was revealed. The club announced the surgery following a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sandro Wagner Jersey .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward James Neal on injured reserve Tuesday. TORONTO -- James Reimer appeared in 207 regular-season games for the Toronto Maple Leafs.He is a former Maple Leaf now.When the Florida Panthers goaltender dons his pads at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday night, he will be playing against the Maple Leafs for the first time.It will be fun to start here and hopefully steal two points, Reimer said on Wednesday.The Panthers are making their second visit of the season to the ACC. They lost 3-2 there on Oct. 27 with No. 1 goalie Roberto Luongo making the start.The visit to the ACC brings back memories for Reimer who was traded to the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 27 and signed a five-year deal with the Panthers in the offseason,Youre sitting there remembering the times that this or that happened, this game or that game, Reimer said. Hopefully this time we can get a win.Frederik Andersen is expected to start in goal for Toronto on Thursday.Both team won on Tuesday.The Panthers (8-7-1) defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in overtime, giving Montreal goaltender Carey Price his first loss of the season and ending the Habs 10-game home winning streak. The Panthers have won two in a row since the first two games of the season.The Maple Leafs (7-6-3) defeated the Nashville Predators 6-2 with James van Riemsdyk scoring three goals and adding an assist with linemate Tyler Bozak earning four assists.The Maple Leafs are 6-2 at home.We want to make this a tough place to come, van Riemsdyk said. You earn that reputation by how you play at home every night. You just want to find some consistency, whether its (with the lineup) or whatever the case may be. I think were doing a good job of paying attention to detail.dddddddddddd. We have some skill and with that combination, it can lead to good things. When you get on a roll, the crowd gets more into it.Aaron Ekblad scored the overtime winner for the Panthers on Tuesday, breaking his own stick on the shot. The slow-rolling puck was then deflected into the goal by a Montreal player.Youll take those when you can get them, the 20-year-old said. Theres plenty of times when it should go in and wont, and Ive been feeling that so far this season for sure. Maybe a few of us or the team havent gotten those bounces but now that we did, we feel confident that we can take that with us.Panthers coach Gerard Gallant hopes the goal could be the start of a good stretch for Ekblad.Hes had a tough go so far, Gallant said. Aarons a guy that gets a lot of points. Hes got three goals so far, he wants to get more points and get more on the board. Sometimes a goal like that will turn things around.Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock continues to adjust his defense, which has been prone to breakdowns in the defensive end of the rink.Babcock said that Connor Carrick, who did not play in the previous two games, will return to the lineup against the Panthers with Martin Marincin being left out. Babcock said there was no message to Carrick by sitting him out.I dont like guys to try and read my mind, I tell them exactly what Im thinking, Babcock said. Connors a good player and weve talked to him about staying out of too many physical confrontations, using his skating and his skill more. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '