Toronto FC Media Day has never been better. Donald Butler Womens Jersey . Seriously. Seven years of losing has brought many different faces, players and management, to the annual pre-season get-to-know-the-team round up. Unfortunately for those player-media relationships initiated and cultivated, most of the interviewees have been shipped out prematurely. Media Day became a meet-and-greet, followed by a see you later. Tuesdays team time out for Torontos media throng had a much different vibe at the Kia Training Grounds. A good mix of young up-and-comers with a core of veteran leadership has been assembled after an off-season of change, signings, spending and hype. First impressions are just that, but on initial glance, it all felt right. Nothing has been accomplished yet. But every ship needs a sail before heading out to sea. The good news is the mast is up and the TFC ship is heading in the right direction. Hopefully. Finally. Progress, alas. Stability and confidence go hand-in-hand. The revolving door of players and personnel has been TFCs worst enemy. General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko and Head Coach Ryan Nelsen have been busy in recent months filling the gaps and adding genuine quality. Bezbatchenko, hired in September, likes what he has in his group. "Im very comfortable with where we compare with other teams right now," said Bezbatchenko. The roster has coming a long way since end of season apologies and promises. On February 11th, comfortable will suffice. More is to be done, at least one more player is coming in, and more will go out. A work in progress. Here are eight notable notes from the eighth Media Day in franchise history. 1) Brazil Head Coach Felipe Scolari confirmed the seeming inevitable early Tuesday; that goalkeeper Julio Cesar, 34, has in fact joined Toronto FC on loan. The club refused to confirm anything, "I havent spoken to Julio for a couple days, but I think it would be really nice … I may have to give Scolari a call," said Nelsen. Give that man a phone! All sources indicate the deal for Cesar to join TFC on a short loan is done. Hes coming. The club will save that announcement for another day, with the five-time Serie A and UEFA Champions League winner in the flesh. Save that ink for another day. A lack of confirmation didnt stop anyone not named Bezbatchenko from heaping praise on the pending new arrival. Nelsen – "Hes a gentleman of a man, hes a quality guy, his character is flawless, and hes great around the locker-room. When you see him at work, theres a reason hes played nearly 80 times for Brazil and won everything in the game." Michael Bradley -"Its amazing, speaks volumes for the direction that this club is going. A week ago, if anybody had told us that now another guy like Julio Cesar would come in, I dont think anyone would believe them." Dwayne De Rosario – "Hes a winner. To have him here is a great opportunity to learn from him." The excitement is palpable. Although goalkeepers are often times interchangeable in MLS, the Cesar move to Toronto not only adds quality but also further shows the symbolic shift in approach and ambition of the franchise. 2) Last seasons number one goalkeeper Joe Bendik is the potential short-term loser with Cesars arrival. Key word: potential. It all depends on how Bendik takes the setback. Although Bendik wont play much, if at all in the opening months, its his job for the taking long-term. How he handles the situation will reveal whether his mind is on self or team. Cesars arrival is an opportunity not wasted rather than a shot at Bendik. The 24-year-old signed a new contract in December and has to understand this. Regardless, Bendik was noticeably uneasy about taking a back seat to Cesar. "It motivates me. Obviously its a little shot and a bomb to swallow … but it cant go badly because I can learn a lot from him and compete with him every day to play. Its a win-win." Bendik has to keep the long-view in mind. He need understand Bendik will be relied upon post World Cup as the team marches towards a potential playoff spot; the time with least room for error. 3) Big money signing Bradley didnt back away from my question regarding the sentiment amongst many MLS analysts saying Toronto FC overpaid for the midfielder. "I think its great, were now to the point with the growth of soccer in North America, a decision like mine to come to Toronto and back to MLS can illicit such a wide variety of responses and opinions … it doesnt bother me." Bradley remained poised throughout his time with the media. His teammates glowed when speaking about The Generals presence already in camp. De Rosario even spoke about meeting with Bradley and captain Steven Caldwell about direction and leadership. Bradley ticks all the boxes in terms of leadership and on-field qualities of a winner. Money necessarily spent. 4) Many players believe TFC have become the hunted after years of being the hunter. Caldwell is one of them. "We are probably the team to beat in MLS and its going to be difficult wherever we go." Teams will have undoubtedly taken notice the moves Toronto has made. And its unlikely the Reds will be MLS doormat of previous years. But it takes more than a team on paper to be the class of the league. Caldwell acknowledges as much, that the work is still to be done. Still, the acceptance of expectation is a healthy mindset and speaks to the newfound confidence in the group. 5) The third, often times forgotten designated player, Brazilian Gilberto has set lofty goals for himself for his inaugural MLS season. Through a translator, the striker stated his aim to score 25 goals. Seriously. No hesitation. Camilo Sanvezzo won MLS Golden Boot last season with 22 goals. Perhaps the proclamation was somewhat lost in translation, as the Brazilian says his biggest challenge right now is learning the language. After I wished him luck at learning English, he wished me luck learning Portuguese. Gilberto is a really friendly guy. He will be easy to cheer for, especially if he scores 25. 6) I couldnt resist asking Nelsen what he learned about MLS officiating last season. Nelsen, like many others, grew frustrated by the inconsistency and downright inferior refereeing performances on a regular basis. "They are really good guys, but for me, (they) just need experience at the very top level. In my humble opinion, theyve come to the top rather quickly without the pressure soaked experience. Its tough for them." It will be tougher for Nelsen to bite his lip when officiating goes against them this year. The stakes have been raised. How Nelsen grows from year one to year two in composure and approach will be a test. The manager sets the tone. Consistency will be key and a massive challenge for a manager with questions to be answered. 7) An ongoing worry among the media and diehards is the salary cap situation. Its a rather nerdy habit to worry about a GMs bookkeeping. Bezbatchenko tried to alleviate worries on potential limited financial flexibility. "You can always make room on your team for new players. We do have some space left. We always have space." This is a much different tactic than previous regimes, which overspent on players and used the cap ceiling as an excuse for lackluster play and lack of positive player movement. Bezbatchenkos experience with MLS puts him and the team in good stead in cap management. So dont lose sleep, moves can be made. 8) The clock is ticking on Toronto FCs efforts to resolve Matias Labas future. A loan move within or outside MLS is the most logical step. Laba is in Toronto and the club continues to consult with the player on whats best for the Argentines future. Bezbatchenko is clearly aware of the messy, borderline deceitful break-ups between club and player that have contributed to a negative perception of TFC among agents and power brokers. "Were trying to treat our players a little differently than in the past," said Bezbatchenko. This isnt a shot at past management. Its the truth. Good on him and the front office to right this long-standing wrong. The Laba situation will continue to be handled with kid gloves. Reputations and the future of a good young player caught in the middle of a rebuild are on the line. Ryan Mathews Jersey . Left guard Clint Boling tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a 17-10 victory in San Diego on Sunday. The Bengals put him on injured reserve Tuesday. Malcom Floyd Womens Jersey . -- Vincent Viola grew up in Brooklyn, graduated from West Point, is a former chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange and after the Sept.DETROIT -- The Nashville Predators scored only two goals on Tuesday night. But it was enough for a win because the slumping Detroit Red Wings couldnt get a puck past rookie Marek Mazanec. Mazanec made 27 saves to earn his first shutout, helping Nashville extend the Wings skid to seven games with a 2-0 victory. "Hes catching up to the level," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "Hes confident after seeing some of the best players in the world. When you start facing those guys on a regular basis, youre going to feel a little bit more confident if you have success." Shea Weber and Gabriel Bourque scored for Nashville, which has won two straight after losing four in a row. "Weve got to keep an even keel," Trotz said. The Red Wings are saying the same thing. Detroits home slide reached eight games (0-6-2), the franchises longest stretch without a win at Joe Louis Arena since Jan. 12-30 1991, according to STATS. "Its just a frustrating time for us right now," Jimmy Howard said after making 23 saves for the Red Wings. "It just doesnt seem like anythings going our way out there." Home -- or away. The Red Wings have gone seven games without a win overall (0-5-2) for the first time since the last seven games of the 2001-02 regular season, according to STATS. That team went on to hoist the Stanley Cup. This one, though, appears to have a lot of heavy lifting ahead of it to contend for a championship. "When youve lost that many in a row, it gets in your head," Trotz said. "They havent really lost that many games." In regulation, thats a fact. Detroit entered the game with an Eastern Conference-low five losses in regulation, but has lost all four of its shootouts and seven of eight games decided in overtime. "Theres no excuses -- whatsoever," Red Wings defenceman Niklas Kronwall said. "Our job is to win games and we havent been winning. Sure, weve been taking points here andd there, but its about getting two points and we have to get back to that as soon as possible. LaDainian Tomlinson Womens Jersey. " Weber gave the Predators a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal with 4.8 seconds left in the second period. The Red Wings failed to clear the puck out of their end and Weber took advantage. Weber kept the puck in Detroits end along the boards, passed it to David Legwand, who set him up perfectly for a slap shot just inside the blue line in the middle of the ice. "That was a huge goal," Trotz said. "Were in Detroit and theyve got guys like (Pavel) Datsyuk and (Henrik) Zetterberg, theyre dangerous." Bourque gave Nashville a two-goal lead at 7:13 of the third period, scoring on a rebound that caromed off the boards behind Howard. The Red Wings lost their previous three games in shootouts and the two before those setbacks in overtime, but didnt come close to pushing the Predators past regulation. "They didnt have a lot of good opportunities," Mazanec said. "Our defence played great." Detroits defence lost a key player early in the game. Red Wings rookie Danny DeKeyser injured his left shoulder after getting checked into the boards on his second shift and didnt return. DeKeyser entered the game with two goals and ranked among rookie leaders with seven assists. "Hes definitely not playing this week," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. NOTES: Former Red Wings defenceman Chris Chelios was honoured before the game for being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. ... NHL and Red Wings executives announced before the game that the 2014 Winter Classic is sold out. The Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs are expected play in front of 107,000-plus people on New Years Day at Michigan Stadium. In the same football stadium, Michigan and Michigan State set a hockey attendance mark of 104,173 in 2010. ... Legwand has three goals and 11 points in his past nine games, giving him a team-high 18 points this season. ' ' '
