started sobbing. After drying his eyes, he then had an important phone call to make.I just told Coach thank you. A thousand

The Detroit Red Wings went looking for a new second-line centre, and found one that has played as a number one quite a bit in recent seasons. Numbers Game breaks down the Red Wings adding Stephen Weiss. The Red Wings Get: C Stephen Weiss. Weiss, 30, is a reliable two-way centre who is coming off a disastrous season in which he was minus-13 in 17 games, scoring only four points, but his season was shortened by wrist surgery. Considering Weiss production in previous seasons -- between 49 and 61 points in each of the previous four seasons -- there is a temptation to write off 2013 as an anomalous lost season due to injury. In Detroit, Weiss fits into the second-line centre spot, a role that seems more natural to his skill set. While he had some productive seasons (back-to-back seasons with at least 60 points in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010) as the number one centre in Florida, Weiss shouldnt be expected to be a top scorer on a playoff team. Initial indications are that the Red Wings will be putting Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk on the Wings number one line, perhaps with newly-signed Daniel Alfredsson (if not Justin Abdelkader, who finished there last season), which would still leave some quality wing options for Weiss, including Johan Franzen, Gustav Nyquist or Todd Bertuzzi. Even if he has strong linemates, its going to be difficult for Weiss to produce like he did in his peak with Florida because there arent a lot of second-line centres getting 20 minutes of ice time per game. A reasonable expectation might be somwhere around 45 points, lower than his best years in Florida, but Weiss is in his 30s, coming off injury and likely to play fewer minutes. Florida could have really used Weiss, because they dont have much proven talent down the middle. 2013 first-round pick Aleksander Barkov, Shawn Matthias and Marcel Goc are at the top of the Panthers centre depth chart, so Weiss departure will mean more quality ice time available to them. At least Weiss absence from the lineup last season helped the Panthers make some adjustments at the position, so this change isnt going to be abrupt. Signed for five years and $24.5-million, Weiss will be well-compensated and its possible that, by the end of it, he may not be providing ideal value, but so long as there arent lingering effects from last years wrist injury, Weiss should be a fine addition for the Red Wings. Hes a year older than Valtteri Filppula, whom he effectively replaces in the Red Wings lineup, but Weiss should be more consistently productive. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook.S Well Bouteille Paris .Y. -- Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers had no intention of changing his hard-hitting style before taking part in a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus head. swell Gourde . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan. http://www.swellbouteille.fr/bouteille-s-well-marbre-france.html . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. Bouteille swell La Baie . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. swell Bouteille dEau . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it.Bobby Johnson made a pivotal catch for the New York Giants in 1986, when they trailed the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth quarter of Week 12. Quarterback Phil Simms found Johnson on fourth-and-17, putting the Giants within range for Raul Allegres game-winning 33-yard field goal.The 22-20 victory propelled the Giants into the postseason and, eventually, to their Super Bowl XXI win over John Elway and the Denver Broncos.Johnson, an undrafted free agent out of the University of Kansas, recorded 81 catches and 15 touchdowns his first two seasons in New York.Bobby was the mystery guy for a long time, said Bill Parcells, who coached the Giants from 1983 to 1990. No one really knew about him.Johnson might have appeared mysterious on the surface, but, in reality, he was hiding something from his teammates: He was addicted to crack cocaine.It was just a social gathering one night, Johnson said of his first encounter with the drug, sometime in the middle of the 1986 season. We were at my place. Somebody said, Try this. I had never tried it before. I thought my will was strong enough just to try it that one time and continue on with my life. But no. That one hit changed my life forever.The more Johnson began using, the more he struggled to honor his commitment to football. He began arriving late to meetings and practices and almost missed kickoff for the Giants NFC Championship Game against the Washington Redskins.Johnsons erratic behavior was overlooked when the team shared the joy of winning Super Bowl XXI, and of receiving the championship rings.Being as young as I was at that time, playing three years, and actually getting a Super Bowl ring, I didnt believe it, Bobby said. I didnt believe it that day. I just kept looking at it, thinking, This cannot be happening.The next summer, Johnson was traded to the San Diego Chargers.He was cut two weeks later.They couldnt count on me, he said. I dont blame them, you know. Just like a regular job, if you come in late every day, eventually youre going to get fired. Thats what happened. I would have got rid of me, too.But the cut pushed Johnson deeper into his addiction.I started doing cocaine 24/7. I didnt have to be at practice. I didnt have to get drug-tested, he said. I stayed high practically all day and night.Johnson headed home to Tennessee, but instead of being with his family in Smyrna, a rural town outside of Nashville, he hid himself in the city, often sleeping on benches along Nashvilles Cumberland River.It was embarrassing, Johnson said. One day youre in the Super Bowl, the next day, youre walking around, homeless, smoking crack. How in the heck did I end up in this situation?It was outside of a Nashville pawn shop in 1989 when Johnson said he hit rock bottom.The drugs were calling me. I mean, literally, the drugs were calling my name, he said. I walked into the pawn shop to get high, maybe a place to sleep that night. A cheap room.Johnson pawned his Super Bowl XXI ring for $250.I actually asked the man what he could give me for it, he said. He offered me $1,000. I said no because I knew I wasnt going to be able to come back and pay it. Finally, he got down to $250. I said, Ill take it.After that, it was just a distant memory. All I had was the tan line on my finger.Several weeks later, it would be Johnsons mother, Ruby, who snapped her son out of his addiction with a simple but poignant reality check.I walked in the house one day, and she looked me dead in the eye, Johnson said. She said, You look terrible. You look dehydrated, gray, you lost all kinds of weight. It went to my core. It went to my soul.She asked me, Are you my son? I didnt raise you like this. This is not you.Johnson has been clean for 14 years. ESPN learned his story, and shared it before tthis seasons Giants-Vikings matchup in Week 4.ddddddddddddWithin hours, a campaign to get Johnsons ring back to him began.Leading the charge was Lee Einsidler, a sports fan who was deeply moved by Johnsons recovery and positive outlook.Einsidler, who declined to be interviewed for this story, reached out to his close friend Bill Parcells with his idea. The two had bonded 10 years ago through a shared passion for horses in Saratoga, New York.Lee had seen the piece that ESPN had done on Bobby, on being homeless and selling his Super Bowl ring, Parcells said. Right after that aired, Lee called me and he said, You know, Bill, we need to try and get this guy his ring back. And I said, Well, Lee, I would like to assist you in doing that, if you would be gracious enough to let me. Which he was.Einsidler pursued the trail of Johnsons Super Bowl ring to a memorabilia dealers collection on Long Island. From there, he and Parcells split the cost to purchase it.I felt like I failed with him in some respects, Parcells said of that 1986 season. I wasnt able to keep him from going off the deep end, so to speak. We wound up having to trade him, and then football ended for him. Most of us thought that when we did hear about him, it wasnt going to be that good of news.Parcells crossed paths with Johnson five years ago, when the 1986 team celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Super Bowl win.He was different, Parcells said. He was good. He came right up to me, he gave me a big hug, told me the dark days were over. You could just tell that things were a lot better for him.On Oct. 16, Johnson was invited to MetLife Stadium to attend the Giants Week 6 game against the Ravens, joining 74?other Giants alumni being honored in a pregame ceremony. But before the ceremony began, Johnson was approached by Giants personnel.We were signing autographs, and they got me and said somebody wants to talk to me, he said. All the guys thought I was in trouble!Johnson was led into a back room, where Chris Mara, Giants senior vice president, was waiting for him, holding a ring box.Thirty years ago, my dad presented you with a Super Bowl ring, Mara told Johnson. Through the efforts of?some very good people, we were able to recover your ring after all these years. We want to present it to you today.Johnson was stunned. I just couldnt believe it. It was like a dream. It really was, he said. I just remember putting it on and crying. For five to 10 minutes, thats all I remember.With his ring finally back on his finger, Johnson could not hold in his emotions any longer. He sat down, bent over and started sobbing. After drying his eyes, he then had an important phone call to make.I just told Coach thank you. A thousand times. Amongst all the tears, and my runny nose, Johnson said.Parcells message to Johnson was a little more like tough love.He was like, Put it on; dont ever take it off! Johnson said with a laugh. Dont lose it again. Speaking to me like a father. Which was awesome. You have to respect that. He did everything he could to get it back. I didnt think it was going to actually happen.He was an important part of the group, and both Lee and I felt the same way, Parcells said. He deserves to share in that with everybody. Thats the only symbol that could represent his participation. So it was nice to get it back to him.Johnson has never met Lee Einsidler but is hoping to set up a meeting with him soon to express his gratitude.I never thought this would happen, Johnson said. God is good. Coach is good. I dont even know Lee. But I love him. This means the world to me.I have come a long way. I have come full circle. ' ' '