Support » year which ended an exile of three and a half years.The W

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions made a series of moves in the wake of Calvin Johnsons retirement, signing one of the best receivers available at the start of free agency and another one a day before their first practice.Detroit added depth to a position led by Golden Tate and depleted by Johnsons departure by signing Anquan Boldin on Thursday just before opening training camp. The Lions signed Marvin Jones to a five-year contract days after Johnson left the league and Lions in March.In between those two transactions, they added veterans Jeremy Kerley and Andre Caldwell. They also plan on giving young returning players such as TJ Jones and Corey Fuller a chance to catch more passes in an offense that will no longer be designed to throw the ball to Johnson early and often.Your team is going to change somewhat in April about 30 percent, Detroit coach Jim Caldwell said. Some of its going to be easy transitions and some of its going to be difficult. But our job is to overcome any tough situations that we may face.The Lions wont face defenses for the first time in a decade set up to slow down the 6-foot-5 Johnson, whose size, speed and athletic ability helped him set league records.Post Calvin, its different obviously, Matthew Stafford acknowledged. Calvins a Hall of Fame-type receiver. Just the physicality of a 6-foot-5, 235 pounder, you dont have that anymore. But weve got a lot of talented players. Some old, some young, some right in the middle of their prime of their career.So, I think were in a good place.Boldin was in a place, looking to extend his career, after a solid season with the San Francisco 49ers.He ranks among the NFLs top 20 with 1,009 catches and 13,195 yards receiving. He has scored 75 touchdowns and started 182 games with Arizona, Baltimore and San Francisco over his 13-year career.The 35-year-old Boldin started 13 games last season with the 49ers, making 69 catches for 789 yards after averaging 84 receptions the previous two seasons. In Boldins last season with the Ravens in 2012, Caldwell closed the Super Bowl-winning season as his offensive coordinator.Hes maybe one of the best competitors Ive ever been around in terms of just flat out competing against individuals on game day, Caldwell said. Hes just had a knack of setting a great tone. He fights for the ball. He makes tough catches.Bob Quinn had a tough decision to make in his first weeks on the job as a first-time general manager with the Lions, figuring out whether the franchise should keep Caldwell for a third season and an 18-14 record or find someone else to coach.Quinn, who worked for the New England Patriots the previous 16 years, chose to stick with Caldwell.And for that, Caldwell is thankful.I dont take it for granted because more often than not, a change occurs in that situation, Caldwell said. Im appreciative of it, but also Im going to earn it. Ill take advantage of it. Were excited about an opportunity to keep going. Im still a young man, you know. ... In my particular case, lets not count me out yet. I got some good years ahead of me.The Lions are coming off a 7-9 season in which they lost seven of the first eight games, leading to some executives and coaches losing their jobs. They ended the season with six wins in an eight-game stretch that helped Caldwell keep his job for at least the start of another year.Were going to be a better football team, Caldwell said. We have to be.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Authentic Soccer Jerseys . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. Soccer Jerseys Black Friday . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. https://www.fakesoccerjerseys.com/ .com) - Richie Incognito has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric care unit in Arizona. Stitched Soccer Jerseys . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. Cheap Soccer Jerseys . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Heavyweight boxing is in a confusing -- some say messy -- state, but not everyone is complaining.When Tyson Fury imploded, so did the heavyweight division and two of the four versions of the world title are vacant.Briton Fury (25-0, 18 KOs), 28, is currently inactive and receiving treatment for mental health related problems after twice pulling out of a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko, who he beat a year ago.Fury relinquished the WBA and WBO belts while WBC champion Deontay Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs), 31, is currently injured and not expected to return until next spring.IBF champion Anthony Joshuas December 10 defence against American Eric Molina, which was hastily arranged after Klitschko decided not to fight the Briton on that date, has been criticised by fans as a mismatch.Fury, who became the lineal champion and holder of three world title belts (IBF, WBA and WBO) by out-pointing Klitschko, also caused a storm by offensive comments while champion before then testing positive for cocaine use.After the controversies, postponements, positive drugs tests and disappearing champions, the heavyweight division is in a state of flux.But has is all been so bad for boxing? It depends who you ask.I think its terrible for boxing what has happened with the titles, Mick Hennessy, Furys promoter, told ESPN.Tyson did something unique and very special by becoming lineal champion and ending Klitschkos reign. That was what was needed for the sport, something fresh. All the belts were together except one.For a period it really lifted heavyweight boxing. What is going on now is ridiculous. Everyone is scrambling around trying to get their hands on titles that they dont deserve.It degrades the value of the titles. People are calling Anthony Joshua a world champion but hes not a world champion. Others will be sold as world champions, but they arent. The public need to know they arent proper world champions. Only Deontay Wilder is a legitimate champion like Tyson was.Tyson isnt boxing at the moment but as far as Im concerned hes still the man. Until Tyson retires no one can say hes not the best.Hennessy expects Fury to box again in 2017.Its day by day, were not going to predict it [when Fury will box again] but I think he will when the time is right because its in his blood, Hennessy said.Its something that he loves and if he finds that love and when things are right, he will be unstoppable.The only person who can stop him is himself, none of these other fighters who are fighting for titles now.But for Joshua, the splintering of the title belts gives him a chance to strengthen his position. The 2012 Olympic gold medallist is set to dispute the vacant WBA super world title with Ukraines Klitschko -- providing he beats Molina -- in the spring, with Cardiffs Principality Stadium being considered as a venue.Joshua (17-0, 17 KOs), 27, only got to fight for the IBF title because it became vacant after Fury had won it from 40-year-old Klitschko (64-4, 54 KOs), who had ruled for nine and a half years. By agreeing to face Klitschko in a rematch instead of facing the IBFs mandatory challenger, Fury was quickly stripped of the IBF belt.Tyson Fury has done really well for the division, said Joshua.The fracturing of the heavyweight belts has also been good news for those wishing to get a crack at world titles.When three of the four worldd titles were in the hands of Klitschko, who most years has only boxed twice, it limited the chances of contenders getting the chance to challenge for the belts.dddddddddddd.Now, with at least three (four if you include the WBA regular title) world heavyweight champions next year, more will have a shot at global glory than in the days when Wladimir and brother Vitali held all four belts between them.Its all over the place in the heavyweight division right now, heavyweight contender David Price told ESPN. Thats maybe not good for the fans but its better than having just one champion for the boxers because we can be involved in bigger fights.It was locked down for years by the Klitschkos. You had to become a mandatory challenger for one of their belts or be a safe voluntary defence. Then Tyson Fury changed all that.Theres so much going on with the titles at the moment, the WBA is all over the place, and I just wish it had happened four years ago when I was British champion. Now Im not in the best of positions.Anthony Joshua has been so fortunate the way things have fallen into place for him.Price (21-3, 18 KOs) was overlooked as an opponent to challenge his fellow Briton Joshua on December 10 but is hopeful of a world title shot in 2017.Im ranked with the IBF [12] and WBO [11] and I want the quickest and easiest route to a title, it doesnt make sense to take the toughest route. The WBO have got a vacant title so maybe that is a route for me, Price said.I was supposed to fight Joseph Parker on this show on December 10 but that fell through and then I was supposed to fight Eric Molina on that date. Now Parker is boxing off for the vacant belt against Andy Ruiz.Las Vegas-based Parker (21-0, 18 KOs) will fight Mexican Ruiz Jr (29-0, 19 KOs) for the vacant WBO belt in his homeland of New Zealand on the same date as Joshua-Molina.David Haye (28-2, 26 KOs), the former WBA champion, lies in the wait for the winner of Parker-Ruiz, according to the WBO. Haye, 36, has also been linked to a fight against Russian Alexander Ustinov (33-1, 24 KOs), 39, for the fringe WBA interim title but the Briton has yet to announce his next fight after two easy wins earlier this year which ended an exile of three and a half years.The WBAs regular world title is also vacant and will be contested by Australian Lucas Browne (24-0, 21 KOs) -- banned earlier this year after testing positive for a banned substance -- and American veteran Shannon Briggs (60-6-1, 53 KOs), who at 44 is seven years older than Browne.Among the others scrambling to get a title shot is Florida-based Cuban Luis Ortiz (25-0, 22 KOs), who was recently stripped of the WBA interim title for failing to fight Ustinov next but this weekend hopes to put himself back in contention.The 37-year-old -- known as King Kong -- has his first fight after signing a deal with Joshuas promoter Eddie Hearn on Saturday when he faces American Malik Scott (38-2-1, 13 KOs) at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte-Carlo.I think Fury was able to shake up the heavyweight division and because of him, the division is now one of the most exciting divisions to watch, said Ortiz.I just want to get the opportunity to face him, or Wilder, to prove I am a champion as well. ' ' '