I have no plans of going anywhere

SAINT JOHN, N. Bobby Leonard Jersey .B. -- Canadas Rachel Homan opened the Ford Womens World Curling Championship with a 7-5 win over Russia on Saturday. The skip and her teammates know properly managing sleep, diet, stress and downtime for another eight days will keep those wins coming. Homan, third Emma Miskew and front end Alison Kreviazuk and Lisa Weagle have played in enough national and international events to know their off-ice schedule impacts the on-ice performance, particularly in the important games at the end of the tournament. The Canadians will sleep as much as they can and eat at pre-scouted establishments that serve healthy food. When they need to mentally "check out", the Ottawa Curling Club foursome will play cards or "Heads Up", which is a game app popularized by Ellen DeGeneres. In short, winning a world title is a marathon and not a sprint. "We make sure were trying to keep it as loose as possible when were not on the ice because its pretty stressful out there wearing the Maple Leaf," Homan said. "We want to be as stress-free as possible when were not playing." For Homan, that means going to the gym a couple of times during the tournament. Miskew doesnt love napping, but she knows its important to lay down, put her feet up and close her eyes for awhile, particularly on a day when Canada plays morning and evening draws and not in the afternoon. Thats Canadas schedule Sunday when the host team faces the Czech Republic in the morning draw and the United States in the evening. Those days are the toughest when it comes to eating at the right time of the day. "The eating schedule is challenging because you eat in the morning, have a game and youre starving to eat a big lunch," Miskew explains. "Youre not really hungry before your next game, but an end or two in youre starving. You almost have to force yourself to eat before the game so youre not dying during the game." Canada had a kind opening-day schedule in Saint John with one game in the afternoon draw. Homan had hammer coming home with the score tied 5-5. She didnt have to throw her last stone because Russian skip Anna Sidorova was heavy with a draw. Latvias Evita Regza, South Koreas Ji-Sun Kim and Swedens Margaretha Sigfridsson also opened with wins, while Scotlands Kerry Barr, Denmarks Madeleine Dupont and Anna Kubeskova of the Czech Republic joined Russia at 0-1. Canadas average age is 25.5 and the Russians are even younger at 23.5. Sidorova, vice-skip Margarita Fomina and front end Alexandra Saitova and Ekaterina Galkina went 3-6 at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Sidorova, 25, is making her fifth straight appearance at a world championship and her third as a skip. Russia was scheduled to arrive in Saint John on Thursday, but they were delayed until Friday because of winter storms that wreaked havoc on air travel midweek. The Canada-Russia opener wasnt a classic as both teams made mistakes. But when Canada made a costly error, Russia let them off the hook with one of their own. "I cant say were really tired," Sidorova said. "Were ready to play. We still want to win. "We need to be much better than the others. Thats probably the goal this week and hopefully we will (be). The game was pretty tight, but in the end, they were just better than us." Miskews shooting percentage was 90 per cent compared to Fominas 78. Homan outcurled Sidorova 89 to 66 per cent. Saitova at 78 per cent and Galkina at 91 outcurled Kreviazuk and Weagle both at 71. Kreviazuk missed shots in the fifth and seventh ends, but Russia handed momentum right back with lethal errors. Canada scored two points in those ends to lead 5-3. "Its the first game so youre not going to know the ice perfectly," Homan said. "A couple of spots were learning and a few misses here and there, not because were throwing badly, just because were learning the ice." Russia countered with two in the ninth to tie it up. Homans double takeout that end limited damage from Miskew miscue. Another double from the Canadian skip in the eighth erased Russias chance to score two and forced Sidorova to blank the end. Homan was pleased to start the tournament with a win in front of 2,848 at Harbour Station, which seats 6,000 for curling this week. "It wouldnt have been fun to lose that one with everyone coming out to cheer us on," the 24-year-old Canadian skip said. "Im glad we got the win under our belts. Now weve got the night off to have some dinner with friends and family and re-group for tomorrow." Homan and company won the bronze medal at last years world womens championship in Riga, Latvia. Their reward for a 13-0 record at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Montreal was a return trip to the world championship and in their own country this time. The Jennifer Jones team from Winnipeg went undefeated in Sochi to claim gold for Canada. Edmontons Kelsey Rocque won the world junior title earlier this month in Switzerland. Homan wants to continue the domination of Canadian women on the world stage. The last Canadian team to win a womens world curling title was Jones in 2008 in Vernon, B.C. Kelly Scott (2007) and Colleen Jones (2004) earned Canadas other world womens titles in the last decade. Don Buse Jersey . -- Arizona pitcher Bronson Arroyo is expected to miss a week to 10 days because of a back injury. Indiana Pacers Gear . After missing 20 games as a rookie a year ago, Valanciunas - like the Raptors as a whole - has been fortunate to be in good health this season. As he spoke about it, the Raptors sophomore centre scanned the room for wood to knock on. "It is disappointing because we lost today so thats the worst part of the day," said Valanciunas, who left Tuesdays game with a lower-back sprain in the third quarter, missing the rest of Torontos 118-113 overtime defeat at the hands of the Hawks. https://www.cheappacers.com/ . Matt Carkner got back into the Ottawa lineup, and made his presence felt right away by settling his clubs score in a one-sided fight with Rangers forward Brian Boyle.LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers hadnt even digested the final loss of their tumultuous season before they had to consider the growing possibility that owner Donald Sterling wont leave the club quietly. After a month of playoff pressure and incredible off-court drama, a 104-98 loss to Oklahoma City on Thursday night ended the Clippers best season in franchise history. Their summer could match the tumult of the last few weeks, given Sterlings apparent determination to fight his lifetime NBA ban for racist remarks. "I dont think thats an ideal situation for us to start next season with that still going on," All-Star forward Blake Griffin said Friday. If Sterling and his long-estranged wife, Shelly, manage to postpone their ouster with legal manoeuvrs, several Clippers arent sure whether they would play for the team in the fall. They hope they dont have to find out. "Personally, I think the longer it lasts, the worse its going to be," Griffin said. "I think something should happen, and I think it should happen quickly. I think guys need to make decisions. I dont think anybody wants this to drag out -- except for, you know, one or two people. I think it just needs to be swift. We can make our decision, they can make their decision, and make a change." A few weeks after the players dumped their warm-up jerseys at centre court in Oakland in a gesture of solidarity against Sterling, the Clippers are clearly hoping they wont have to return in the fall with the saga still hanging over the franchise. "I dont anticipate that being how its going to be," Griffin said. "And if it still is, Ill make a decision then, but its not something thats ideal." Guard J.J. Redick predicts the process of removing Sterling will be lengthy, saying the Clippers realize "things will be in flux for a while." "I cant imagine a scenario where we start the season next year and hes the owner and all is kosher," Redick added. "He may be the owner when we start the season next year still, but I would imagine that there would be some legal proceedings ongoing if thats the scenario." Coach Doc Rivers didnt speak to the media on Friday, but the franchises shepherd through the last few weeks made it clear Thursday night that he planss to return to the Clippers. Jeff Foster Jersey. "I told them were going to have our day," Rivers said. "This is not the end. This is the beginning for us. ... Like Ive said before, Im under contract. I have no plans of going anywhere, as far as I know." Although Griffin, Chris Paul and their teammates were devastated by their final losses to the Thunder, Los Angeles will have plenty to savour. Although the Clippers had legitimate dreams of NBA title contention after acquiring Rivers from Boston last June, theyll have to settle for another division title and another learning experience on their path to a championship. "We definitely have to go through this," Griffin said. "Winning -- nobody has the formula. The more I lose, every time I lose, every time we lose as a team, its like I figure out how not to do it. I dont want to keep this up, but it is a necessary adversity that you have to go through as a player to get to where you want. Ive heard guys say that makes it that much sweeter when you do win." The Clippers 57-25 record was the best in franchise history, and their 113 wins over the last two years dwarf any other two-year stretch for a long-struggling franchise. Los Angeles won the Pacific Division for the second straight year and the second time in franchise history. Their first-round series against Golden State would have been taxing even without the distraction of Sterling, but Los Angeles hung on in the fourth quarter of Game 7 at home to finish off the Warriors. Paul and Griffin got the Clippers to the brink of a breakthrough win in Game 5 in Oklahoma City, leading by 13 points with less than four minutes to play -- but Pauls turnovers and fouls in the final seconds allowed the Thunder to grab an astonishing comeback victory. Los Angeles again failed to execute late in Game 6, leading to their ouster and a disappointed crowd at Staples Center. The Clippers earned just their third playoff series victory since Sterling bought the franchise 33 years ago, but couldnt advance to the conference finals for the first time in club history. "You wait your whole life to play with a group of guys like that, and you hope thats the group you end up winning with," Redick said. "When it doesnt happen, its devastating." ' ' '