News » In MLS, you dont necessarily need to spend mega

In a short time at the helm, Tim Leiweke has made a massive impact on Toronto FC and his upcoming departure as president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment will likely lead to some uncertainty as to how the club will move forward. Trumaine Johnson Jets Jersey . After seven years of failure at TFC, Leiweke started the job of dragging the club off its knees and giving it relevance again in the countrys biggest media market. He has made big progress, but the task is nowhere near finished, and the departure of Leiweke will raise questions about Torontos future ability to compete as one of the top two or three power brokers in Major League Soccer. In MLS, you dont necessarily need to spend mega bucks to bring success – look at last years two MLS Cup finalists, Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake for example - but with Leiweke in charge the goal wasnt just to be good in MLS, it was to become a "super club." He made big, bold promises, and he certainly delivered. On a cold, January day Toronto FC made one of the biggest splashes in Major League Soccer history, introducing not one, but two Designated Players arriving in the league from Europe. The signings of Jermain Defoe from Tottenham Hotspur and Michael Bradley from Roma marked a day in the clubs history that can only be matched in importance by the day the franchise was launched. "A very simple saying we will steal from the Kennedys is appropriate today," Leiweke said when opening the press conference on that day back in January. "Some people see things as they are and say why. Others dream of what can be and they say why not. Today is why not. Why cant we be great?" It was a day that made a big impact within the city of Toronto, but also changed the landscape across Major League Soccer. Those deals set a new standard for MLS, but they also saved the club from obscurity. Toronto had to commit what Leiweke called "financial suicide" to make the signings, but it was the only option at the time. In Leiwekes own words, "the patient was dying." The club was on "life support." You cant put a price on saving a club. Since bringing David Beckham to LA Galaxy from Real Madrid in 2007, Leiweke shown he has the ability to operate superbly in the global football environment. That ability is something Toronto FC lacked in the past, and will need to ensure they establish post-Leiweke if they are to compete on the biggest stage. Without Leiweke there is no Defoe in Toronto. Without Leiweke there probably wouldnt be the signing of Michael Bradley either. It was his contacts, negotiating skills and sales charm that made those moves a possibility. Having him in charge of TFC opened doors. He also managed to convince the board of directors to splash out enormous sums of money to make those deals a reality. Leiwekes arrival in Toronto was a big win for the MLS team because of his soccer background. He had already achieved a lot within the sports and entertainment business, but he also had a track record in MLS. His interest in the team and the league meant he invested a lot of time into fixing the club. While others in that role may give more time and energy to the Maple Leafs and Raptors, Leiweke was just as invested in getting things right at Toronto FC. He fired TFCs vastly experienced president and general manager Kevin Payne and appointed rookie GM Tim Bezbatchenko from the league office. He stuck with head coach Ryan Nelsen. Its still too early to say whether those moves will prove to be a success, but at this stage the club is on course for its first ever playoff appearance. So as Leiweke exits, it will be intriguing to see how big the impact will be on Toronto FC. Will they still choose to go after the big names with the "anything is possible," approach? Or will they be much more reserved in their ambitions? Either way, Leiweke has laid a foundation and there is still much building to be done. Isaiah Crowell Jets Jersey . LOUIS -- When Braves second baseman Tyler Pastornicky backpedaled into shallow right field to catch the popup and Jason Heyward didnt arrive fast enough to take charge, Kolten Wong got the green light. Terrelle Pryor Sr. Jets Jersey . Will Venable and Ryan Ludwick drove in a run each for the Padres, who have taken six of their last seven contests and clinched their third straight series win after winning the first two in this set. Clayton Richard (4-9) allowed five hits and a pair of runs over seven innings, while fanning five. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Sam-Darnold-Jersey/ . On Wednesday night, they showed that stellar defence and a little small ball can get the job done too. With pinch-runner Kevin Pillar aboard after Dioner Navarro opened the bottom of the ninth with a single, Anthony Gose dropped down an excellent bunt along the first-base line. CLEVELAND -- The Browns are on the clock with Alex Mack. Clevelands Pro Bowl centre signed a five-year, $42 million contract offer sheet with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday. The Browns, who have received official paperwork on the deal, are expected to match it and keep one of their best players. The Browns have five days -- until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday -- to match Jacksonvilles offer or theyll lose Mack, who has not missed a single offensive play since the Browns drafted him in 2009. The club secured that right for the time to weigh the decision after placing a $10 million transition tag on the 28-year-old Mack before free agency opened. The deal includes $26 million guaranteed and would make Mack the NFLs highest-paid centre. The team entered free agency with re-signing Mack as one of its top priorities, and there doesnt seem any reason the Browns wouldnt lock him up for a few more years. Macks contract also has an option for him to void the deal after two seasons. Also, his team cant tag or trade him. Earlier this week, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said he was confident Mack would remain with Cleveland. "We remain optimistic that Alex Mack will be a Cleveland Brown for a long time," Haslam said at the premiere of "Draft Day," a fictional film about the Browns. "We want him to be. I think weve made it very clear that hes the kind of person, the kind of player we want in our organization." Mack has played 4,998 consecutivee snaps with the Browns. Trumaine Johnson Jersey. In 2011, Mack played despite a severe attack of appendicitis that landed him in surgery the following day. He has developed into one of the games top centres, lauded for his blocking ability, leadership and helping Clevelands quarterbacks read defences. With Mack in the middle and Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas on the left side, the Browns have one of the AFCs top offensive lines. They dont want to weaken one of their only strengths. "Obviously, weve made it kind of evident how important Alex is to this team, and whether its talking with (Pro Bowl tackle) Joe (Thomas) or talking with some of the other players, were all just hoping it gets resolved soon and hes back," quarterback Brian Hoyer said. "Obviously we have a new system to learn and hes the anchor of that offensive line." It would be understandable if Mack wanted to test the free-agent waters. The Browns have gone just 23-57 since he joined them in 2009, and Mike Pettine will be Macks fourth head coach in six years Mack reportedly enjoyed his visit with the Jaguars, who like the Browns, have been stuck in a cycle of losing. But the teams offer to Mack is a strong sign of its intention to upgrade its roster and revamp one of the leagues worst offensive lines. The Jaguars selected left tackle Luke Joeckel with the second overall pick in last years draft and signed former Denver guard Zane Beadles in free agency last month. Cheap Denver Nuggets Jerseys Cheap Minnesota Timberwolves Jerseys Cheap Oklahoma City Thunder Jerseys Cheap Portland Trail Blazers Jerseys Cheap Utah Jazz Jerseys Cheap Los Angeles Clippers Jerseys Cheap Los Angeles Lakers Jerseys Cheap Phoenix Suns Jerseys Cheap Sacramento Kings Jerseys Cheap Dallas Mavericks Jerseys Cheap Houston Rockets Jerseys Cheap Memphis Grizzlies Jerseys Cheap New Orleans Pelicans Jerseys Cheap San Antonio Spurs Jerseys Cheap Golden State Warriors Jerseys ' ' '