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TORONTO -- Mike Babcock talks and walks -- or jogs after a morning skate or practice -- like a man full of confidence.Two Olympic gold medals along with Stanley Cup and World Cup titles will do that.Babcock is embarking on his second season in charge of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the NHLs worst team last season and one of the leagues most storied franchises. Two weeks ago, Babcock led Canada to the World Cup of Hockey title right here in Toronto, winning every game along the way -- just as he did two years ago at the Olympics to extend a best-on-best winning streak to 16.Now hes back with the lowly Leafs, who will play in the leagues season opener Wednesday night at Ottawa.It wont be weird at all, Babcock insisted in an interview with The Associated Press.Unlike last year, Babcock believes -- or sounds as if he does -- that Toronto has a shot to be competitive.Babcock raved about the front office, led by Brendan Shanahan and Lou Lamoriello, and its efforts to reshape a roster that was in rough shape a year ago when he arrived after 10 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. Toronto gave him a $50 million, eight-year contract to turn things around and are making moves to give him a better roster.These guys have done an unbelievable job of restocking the cupboard in a hurry, he said. And, getting us in a good financial situation.The Maple Leafs made a forward-thinking trade last February, dealing Dion Phaneuf to the Senators to shed the remaining five years of his contract at a cap hit of $7 million. They went from four games under .500 with Phaneuf to winning just 10 of the last 31 games, plummeting to the bottom of the league with an NHL-low 69 points and their fewest victories in four-plus decades.By design, the Maple Leafs didnt overspend for a relatively lackluster group of free agents last summer.Were going to build from within and if theres a right fit for us in free agency, well do that, he said.Toronto won the draft lottery and landed 19-year-old center Auston Matthews . He is part of a young core group that has Babcock excited, along with Mitch Marner, the No. 4 pick overall last year; Connor Brown, a 22-year-old wing; Zach Hyman, a 24-year-old center; Morgan Rielly, a 22-year-old defenseman; and 24-year-old defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, who has been a standout in Russias top league.The names go on and on, Babcock said.It didnt take long for Matthews to figure out what his new coach was all about when he returned from his World Cup duties to lead the Maple Leafs.Very demanding. Very structural, Matthews said. I think that is a positive. He obviously knows what hes doing. His resume speaks for itself.No coach, in fact, has accomplished what Babcock has in hockey. The 53-year-old Babcock is the only coach who has won Olympic gold -- two, in fact -- a Stanley Cup, World Cup and world championship.Its called good players, Babcock said. I finished dead last in the National Hockey League last year over an 82-game period. Worst coach in hockey. So lets not get carried away here.But make no mistake, Babcock is convinced he can help Toronto chase its first Stanley Cup since 1967.The more you win, the more you feel like you can win, he said.---Follow Larry Lage at www.twitter.com/larrylage and follow his work at www.bigstory.ap.org/content/larry-lagewholesale jerseys . On Saturday night, the normally free throw-challenged centre did just that. Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2 1/2-minute stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 122-111. Cheap Houston Texans Jerseys . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. https://www.cheapjerseys-wholesalechina.com/?tag=cheap-new-england-patriots-jerseys . 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Cheap Seattle Seahawks Jerseys .com) - Richie Incognito has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric care unit in Arizona.ATLANTA -- Turner Field, the home of the Atlanta Braves and the 1996 Olympics, will get its third life when Georgia State University converts it to a college football stadium, Atlanta city leaders said Thursday.The deal involves new commercial development and improvements to streets and neighborhoods on the citys south side, an area that has struggled as other parts of the city blossomed.Speaking outside Turner Field, near a bronze statue of Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said the monuments presence was fitting.Hank Aaron helped unify a city -- and a country -- with one swing of his mighty bat at the old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Reed said.The project will give an economic boost to the five neighborhoods that surround Turner Field, Reed said.It represents a new beginning for the entire southeast quadrant of our city, he said.Discussions about the redevelopment project began after the Atlanta Braves announced plans to leave Turner Field and build a new stadium about 15 miles away in Atlantas northwest suburbs. This the last season for the Braves at Turner Field.Officials announced a signed purchase and sale agreement between Georgia State and the real estate firms Carter U.S.A. and Oakwood Development Group. Details of the financing werent immediately available, though Reed has toold reporters that Georgia State has committed at least $200 million toward redevelopment of the 70-acre site.ddddddddddddWith the redevelopment project, Turner Field will now get its third life as a college football venue, Georgia State President Mark Becker noted. It was built for 1996 Olympic Games, was home to the Atlanta Braves and will now become the home field of the Georgia State Panthers.Georgia State, with more than 53,000 students, is one of the nations largest universities. Its main campus is in the heart of downtown Atlanta, just north of Turner Field.The overall project will also involve building a new baseball field, student housing, shops and restaurants nearby. The project presents an opportunity to develop a world-class mixed use community, said Scott Taylor, president of the Carter firm.Reed noted that the old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, which once stood next-door to Turner Field, was known as the launching pad by home-run hitters who felt that its elevation of more than 1,000 feet above sea level helped balls soar out of the park.Turner Field becomes a different kind of launching pad, Reed said.---Information from: WSB-TV, http://www.wsbtv.com/index.html ' ' '