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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- American gymnast Aly Raisman was a three-time medal winner at the 2012 London Olympics. She long ago proved her toughness at competitions. At 22, shes also the leader of the U.S. womens gymnastics team, and so much a veteran that Simone Biles, the new star of the team, jokingly calls her Grandma Aly.If Raisman feels any pressure while shes competing at an event, she hides it well while on the floor. But if you sit Raisman down and ask her about the grind of making it through the two-day U.S. Olympic team trials that conclude Sunday, thats an entirely different story. Shes not too proud to confess every doubt and crying jag and throat-clenching fear she has felt about making the five-woman squad that will compete at next months Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.Or how the pressure gets ratcheted up more at the trials.Its the survival of the fittest, Raisman says. And all of us are exhausted.The months-long U.S. Olympic team selection process is choreographed by national team director Martha Karolyi and meticulously designed to be high on difficulty, high on volume training, high on the sort of longitudinal oversight that is meant to produce pressure-ready gymnasts who can conjure up great performances on demand. Karolyi and her selection committee closely watch even off-day workouts.The process is meant to milk the best possible performance out of every contender for the five-woman Olympic team, whose names will be announced by Karolyi and her selection committee after the competition concludes Sunday night.While Karolyi listens to the others, she always has the biggest say.Laughing at herself now, Raisman says, I definitely get a little nervous when Martha comes over. If I even see her in the corner of my eye, I always get a little nervous. If you watch her selection committee, theyre watching every single move you make and she has them placed at each event to make sure were all doing our job. So I always take a look around and know where she is. I think all the girls are like that here. Were always like [whispering]: Shes here, shes here. Shes right here!Raisman says she tried to prepare her younger teammates for what else they would encounter here at the trials, especially in Fridays opening-night competition. I told them the arena is going to be so loud, theyre going to be chanting U.S.A as loud as they can, the noise is going to be incredible. Every parent and kid in the stands will be cheering for us, unlike other places we go in the world. Its just going to be intense.And she was right. The pressure on all 14 finalists was palpable. You could see it as they came tearing down the vault runway with their faces serious, jaws set. You noticed the tight little smiles they could barely muster after landing a dismount off the bars or beam because their minds were already racing ahead to what their score would be. Would it get them to Rio? Would it hurt their chances?Laurie Hernandez got the biggest roar of opening night for her terrific floor routine. But the gasps of the capacity crowd at SAP Center when returning favorite Gabby Douglas fell off the beam had to only add to Douglas horror.Its hard to flip the switch, Douglas admitted, and get back on track.Even Biles -- a three-time world champ, but rookie when it comes to the Olympic trials -- walked off the floor staring at her feet after her beam routine because she was unhappy with her performance.I wouldnt say it was nerves tonight, exactly, that affected her, Biles coach, Aimee Boorman, explained Friday. I think she was more excited than nervous. At one point, she turned to me and said, Theres just so much energy in this room. This energy is out of control! She had to find a way to control it.Biles should be more relaxed than anyone. Shes a lock to make the Olympic team. Raisman and 16-year-old newcomer Hernandez seem safe too, barring a catastrophe on closing night. Hernandez, in particular, was terrific Friday, despite a bobble on the uneven bars. The energy and charisma she threw out later during her electric floor exercise left Karolyi smiling and nodding, Wow! after Hernandez stuck her last pose and the music stopped.Douglas wasnt so lucky. The defending Olympic all-around champ was sitting fourth until she fell off the balance beam on her last rotation of the night, dropping her to seventh place with one day to go.?Douglas never complains about still being judged by her 2012 standard, or relentlessly asked questions about Now versus Then. But the storyline has always been a little dishonest toward her. Douglas is now a 20-year-old woman who is three inches taller and light-years different from her 16-year-old self in London. Its also been clear for some time that she isnt the same gymnast she was four years ago and, anyway, even if she was, Biles has come along since then to blaze past Douglas and everyone else in the world. Its disingenuous to suggest Douglas could again win the all-around.Instead, Douglas has spoken repeatedly at these trials about trying to get back to being smiley and bubbly and trusting her training because thats when I compete best. But she looked lost in thought and emotionally subdued in both Thursdays workout and Fridays competition and now needs a strong showing Sunday to cement her place on the Olympic team.I have to find that joy again, Douglas said.Raisman understands.Its all just so hard sometimes that Ive doubted if I have what it takes, Raisman says of her own comeback. There were some days in training where my coach would say, Do something, and Id look at him like, Are you crazy? ... As he always says, You can hate me now, but I promise you, youll thank me later.Raisman laughs now and says she sees the wisdom in making the U.S. Olympic team selection process as arduous as its become.The system works, she says. So they shouldnt change it. Its intense, but we all know if we just do our jobs, we can be the best in the world again.Joe Flacco Youth Jersey . - Goaltender Philippe Desrosiers of the Rimouski Oceanic has broken a shutout record that was only three months old in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Trace McSorley Youth Jersey . Emery skated the length of the ice and fought an unwilling Holtby during the third period of the Flyers 7-0 loss Friday night in Philadelphia. He was given 29 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. But Emery did not face even a disciplinary hearing with NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan because rules 46. http://www.ravensrookiestore.com/Ravens-Ben-Powers-Jersey/ . 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Hayden Hurst Youth Jersey .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Six months after general manager Jerry Reese revamped the New York Giants defense with the draft and free agency, coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is finally going to get a chance to play with his new toy.With Olivier Vernon, Damon `Snacks Harrison, Janoris Jenkins, Eli Apple, Kelvin Sheppard, Keenan Robinson, Darian Thompson and Leon Hall added to the roster, the Giants are no longer the NFLs worst defense.Just how good they are going to be remains to be seen, but the talent is there, and the Dallas Cowboys are going to be the first test on Sunday.I like the way the guys have come together, Spagnuolo said Thursday. I just think the feel; I dont know what you call it, the chemistry, the way they are jelling on the field...Its all there for Spagnuolo, something he did not have last season when the Giants (6-10) lost six games either late in the fourth quarter or in overtime.The players can see the potential, too.He is not only waiting to let this group go, Dallas has been something I have been hearing since the moment I got here, said Harrison, who also signed as a free agent.Its a pretty big game for the team. Its a rivalry and we want to win it. I think Spags is excited. The guy has energy every single time you see him. Hes probably in the hallway now just doing flips. Thats what you get in the meeting room when he is talking about Dallas.The defensive line is imposing with Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul at the ends and Harrison and Johnathan Hankins at the tackles. It can pressure opposing quarterbacks and stop the run.The secondary also was improved. Jenkins also was signed as a free agent and fellow cornerback Eli Apple was drafted in the first round. Add in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Hall (another free agent) and the Giants are deep at cornerbacks.Safety Landon Collins is back after an outstanding rookie season and Thompson, the third-round pick, is fighting Nat Berhe for the other starting safety job.Free agents Sheppard and Robinson give New York depth at the linebacker spots, joining Devon Kennard, Jonathan Casillas and J.T. Thomas.Were light years ahead of where we were last year defensively, and I hope it showws this Sunday, Casillas said.ddddddddddddVernon, who signed an $85 million contract, gives the Giants one of the leagues top pass rushers. He had 7+ sacks and 36 quarterback hits with the Miami Dolphins last season and he looked impressive in the preseason.Harrison and Hankins are the run stuffers in the middle and JPP can create havoc, even with his fireworks-mangled right hand.Lets just wait until Sunday, Vernon said when asked how good the defense could be. I know if I were a fan I would just be anticipating Sunday.Dallas will be a test for the defense. It has one of the leagues top offensive lines, talented receivers in wide out Dez Bryant and tight end Jason Witten and promising running backs in rookie Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris. The question mark is rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, who is replacing the injured Tony Romo.Prescott was outstanding in the preseason, but he now must perform when it counts, against a defense which will try to confuse him.Spagnuolo said the Giants have been talking to their scouts and players about Prescott. Collins played for Alabama against Prescott and Mississippi State.However, the job is to defend against the Dallas offense.With this team that we are playing, its not all about bringing people, Spagnuolo said. If we dont stop them from running the football, first, well never get to that other stuff. I know people are talking about confuse the rookie quarterback.Well the confusion in a rookie quarterback is more when you can get him behind schedule. If they are ahead of schedule and all he has to do is hand it off and play action passes, there isnt anything we can do to confuse that.Game notesDwayne Harris was treated for heat exhaustion after practice. ... Thompson, who returned to practice this week after hurting his shoulder in the second preseason game, believes he is ready to play in the opener. ... Casillas (ribs) and Thompson were limited at practice for the second straight day.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '