DETROIT -- Jim Caldwell got a ringing endorsement from one of his mentors when Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew was doing his homework. Jason Heyward Authentic Jersey . The Lions hired Caldwell on Tuesday to replace fired coach Jim Schwartz, ending a search that included a phone conversation between Mayhew and Tony Dungy. "Martin called me and said were looking for a leader who can help turn our locker room into a winning one and to help us get the most out of our investment in Matthew Stafford," Dungy recalled in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I told Martin that Jim Caldwell is exactly what youre looking for. Hell lead by making people accountable and by being a role model on and off the field. And with his attention to detail and history of developing quarterbacks, Stafford is going to flourish just like Peyton Manning did with us in Indianapolis." Detroit wanted to replace Schwartz with someone with experience as a head coach, ideally with a track record of tutoring quarterbacks. Caldwell helped the Indianapolis Colts reach the Super Bowl after his debut season in 2009, but was fired two years later after a 2-14 season while Manning was injured, dropping his three-year mark to 26-22. Before Caldwell was hired by the Dungy-led Colts in 2002 to be their quarterbacks coach, he had the same job for Dungy with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Caldwell was hired by Baltimore two years ago to be their quarterbacks coach and was promoted to offensive co-ordinator late in the 2012 season. The Ravens went on to win the last Super Bowl. The Lions will introduce Caldwell as their coach Wednesday during a news conference at Ford Field. "We believe Jim is the right man to lead our team and deliver a championship to our fans," Lions owner William Clay Ford said in a statement. The Ravens struggled on offence in 2013 and mightve replaced Caldwell if he didnt get another job. Baltimore ranked 29th on offence overall -- 30th rushing and 18th passing -- last season with Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice. Still, Caldwells body of work was enough to also make him a candidate to lead the Washington Redskins and Titans. Former Tennessee coach Mike Munchak and ex-Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak were also considered by the Lions. "Im excited because he has worked with some good coaches and he did a good job with the Colts," Lions offensive guard Rob Sims said in a telephone interview. "Players seem to like him, so Im looking forward to being a part of the next chapter of Detroit Lions football with him leading us." Caldwell won his first 14 games with the Colts in 2009 before losing the final two games of the regular season while resting Manning and most of the other starters. The Colts lost to the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl. Indy was 10-6 the following season and won another AFC South title, then lost to the New York Jets in a wild-card game. With Manning out for all of Caldwells third season, the Colts lost 14 games and Caldwell lost his job. In Baltimore, Caldwell replaced offensive co-ordinator Cam Cameron toward the end of the 2012 regular season and he seemed to give the offence a boost as it went on to win the Super Bowl against San Francisco. Helping the Lions win one playoff game would be a relative feat: Detroit has only one playoff victory -- more than two decades ago -- since winning the 1957 NFL title. Caldwell, who won two playoff games in his first season with the Colts, will be counted on to use his experience with quarterbacks to make Matthew Stafford better. Detroit drafted Stafford No. 1 overall in 2009 and after two injury-shortened seasons, he has been spectacular at times and shaky at others. When the Lions needed him most, he was at his worst last season. He had an NFL-high 14 turnovers from Week 11-16 as Detroit dropped five of six games, plummeting out of first place in the NFC North and wasting an opportunity to win a division title for the first time since 1993. Caldwells first job as a head coach was at Wake Forest, which fired him in 2000 with a 26-63 record over eight seasons. Caldwell, who is from Beloit, Wis., played defensive back for Iowa and began his coaching career in 1977 as a graduate assistant with the Hawkeyes. Caldwell later went on to coach quarterbacks, wide receivers and outside linebackers from 1982-84 for Bill McCartney at Colorado. "Hes one of the finest people Ive ever met," McCartney said in a telephone interview. "He has tremendous character. If he says something, you can take it to the bank and hang your hat on it. His players will trust them and theyll rally for him. Hes ready for this. "Every home, every business and every NFL team rises or falls because of leadership. And, the Lions have a leader now." Phil Niekro Authentic Jersey . The pitchers agent, Bob Garber, confirmed the decision and said Oswalt would go to work for his agency, RMG Baseball. Oswalt will be vice-president of baseball operations. Tom Glavine Jersey . Stamkos suffered a broken leg 10 weeks ago and continues to rehab in hopes of returning to the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup before the Olympic break. As a result of the positive feedback from the X-ray, Stamkos will continue to ramp up both on- and off-ice workouts.OTTAWA - Qualifying for Canadas Olympic Skating Team takes place this weekend at The Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in Ottawa This is not just another national championships. It is the chance of a lifetime to make the Canadian Olympic Team and its a celebration of 100 years of the Canadian Championships. Canadian skating is celebrating its past at these Championships and also its future, as based on stellar results, Canada has qualified to send the largest skating team to Sochi. This is about Canadian skaters continuing to break new ground at home and on the international stage. Patrick Chan is on the verge, he hopes, of being the first Canadian man to win Olympic Gold. He has treated us in the past to superb performances at nationals, en route to his World Championship wins. In light of his performances this season, we can expect nothing less of him here. Saving and peaking are words not in his vocabulary. He will no doubt hold nothing back as he goes after his 7th Canadian title. This is about what is believed to be a Canadian farewell to Olympic Champions and ice dance legends Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who unless we can convince them otherwise, will leave competitive skating after the Games. They have been building throughout this season and are looking stronger and fitter, more refined and in tune each time out. They will look at their performance here as a gift to themselves to be able to perform their Olympic programs in front of their Canadian fans while in peak condition. They will likely be soaking it all in and storing it to memory so that it can be looked back on fondly down the road. So too I bet, will the audiences. This is a welcome back to the nationals for six-time Canadian Medalists Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje. Kaitlyn was injured last year in practice a month before nationals and so was unable to compete. Her injury, a broken fibula, was so severe the doctors even ruled out the possibility of competing at Worlds last March. Three months to the day after the accident and after methodically and relentlessly working through the pain of rehab, Kaitlyn and Andrew competed and finished 5th at The World Championships and once again showed us how they can grow stronger and more resilient throough adversity. Brandon Beachy Authentic Jersey. Injury free and at the top of their game, they hope that they will put up the kind of numbers here that are worthy of podium contention in Sochi. This is about two rival pair teams continuing the rich tradition of Canadian pairs as they duke it out once again for the Canadian title. Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch were Canadian Champs in 2011, Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford in 2012. Last year in the closest of contests Meagan and Eric defended their title, beating Kirsten and Dylan by less than a point in the short and just over a point in the long. It was one of those events where when its over you literally sit back in your seat and think, "Wow! What a fight!" At last years World Championships, the edge once again went to Meagan and Eric who finished third and just one spot ahead of Kirsten and Dylan. Both teams have the same goals, Canadian title and Olympic medal. As teams, they cant get much closer. As a competition, it doesnt get much better. And then there are the unknowns. Kevin Reynolds, the quad king, who had a break-out season last year finishing 5th in the world, has not competed this year due to boot problems. There are seven guys going after three spots. Patricks got one of those spots and Kevin certainly has the credentials to earn the second, but he will be pressured in this, his first competition of the season. Canadian ladies champion Kaetlyn Osmond is feeling the same kind of heat as hers has been a season of untimely injuries which have cost her valuable training time. Six women fighting for two spots. Kaetlyn has posted by far the best scores to date, but she will contend with a Canadian Champion and some young and feisty up-and-comers and so will have to be on her toes, so to speak. This is about dreams coming true and bitter disappointments. About your last four years being defined by the next four minutes. About becoming a champion, a medalist, an Olympic team member or going down trying. As Roosevelt said in The Man in the Arena, "His place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." This is the 100-year anniversary of the Canadian Skating Championships. The tradition continues. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' '
