lead New York. But the Knicks first win since Nov. 2 a

NEW YORK -- Roger Goodell believes the NFLs new player safety rules are working. Goodell participated in a series of meetings on player health and safety at the leagues headquarters Wednesday. He said the feedback he has received from coaches, players, officials and administrators has been positive. "The overwhelming reaction is that players are adjusting to the new rules, the new techniques," Goodell said. "I do believe that this is a very positive shift in the culture. Youre always going to have things that dont necessarily fit into that culture in a period of time, but people are recognizing when these hits dont fit into the context of the game." Asked about appeals officer Matt Birk overturning the one-game suspension for Tampa Bay safety Dashon Goldson for a helmet-to-helmet hit on New Orleans running back Darren Sproles, Goodell said he had not read the decision. But he stressed that the $100,000 fine delivers a message to Goldson and others that such hits must be eliminated from football. "Its not that there wasnt a violation of the rule, and its not that there were not consequences for violating the rule," he said. "So that, in and of itself, is a shift, and a positive shift that the culture is changing. But the culture doesnt change overnight, and we will probably always have violations of rules." The Buccaneers could wind up being punished financially for excessive fines accumulated by their players this season. In fact, any team is subject to such penalties. Fine amounts under the leagues club remittance policy for player safety count toward a team maximum of $105,000. If a teams players go over that, the club is fined $50,000. If the total of fines gets to $157,500, the club must hand over another $25,000 and match any subsequent fines or suspension amounts. The most an individuals fine can count toward the club total is $50,000, and Goldson already has two infractions worth $80,000 in fines. Tampa Bay is at $87,825 in 2013 -- just two games into the season. Goodell also said the league has compromised as much as it can with the players union on HGH testing. The NFL and NFLPA agreed in principle to conducting such tests in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, but the union has balked about procedural matters in the testing, and about the appeals process, for which the union wants neutral arbitration. Both sides have gotten much closer to finding a solution, but no testing is happening yet. "What does neutral arbitration add but more credibility?" NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said. "The majority of the policy that they already agreed to allows the commissioner to impose discipline, but an appeal is subject to neutral arbitration if the player so chooses. The players dont want an exception to the rule." The NFL will release its second annual health and player safety report next week. It will show that USA Footballs Heads Up Football program to teach the proper and safest tackling techniques has met with an overwhelmingly popular response. The NFL, which supports USA Football and the program, expected perhaps 100 youth football organizations to sign up this year; 2,800 have, covering more than 90,000 coaches and 600,000 players. "Next year, were going to look to get to all 10,000 across the country," said Jeff Miller, the leagues senior vice-president of health and safety. "We want youth football unified in a way that its taught safer and better." Nuri Sahin Jersey . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. Marco Reus Jersey .J. Ward appeared in court Friday on misdemeanour charges that he threw a glass mug at a bartender at a Denver strip club. http://www.dortmundfcfanshop.com/c-47-manuel-akanji-fc-borussia-dortmund-jersey.aspx . New York secured second place in the Metropolitan Division when the Philadelphia Flyers lost at Tampa Bay later Thursday. The Rangers will face either the Flyers or Columbus in the opening round of the post-season. The Rangers struggled throughout against the lowly Sabres and goalie Matt Hackett, who played in just his seventh NHL game of the season. Erik Durm Jersey . As the schedule flipped from November to December, they would go on to drop five straight, falling six games below the .500 mark before a franchise-altering trade turned them into an unrecognizable team. Marcel Schmelzer Jersey . A larger-than-life personality known for his intimidating style in the 18-yard box, Schmeichels career spanned some 20 years -- including a memorable tenure at Manchester United.NEW YORK, N.Y. - One strong defensive quarter helped the New York Knicks end a seven-game skid.New York held Denver to just one basket in the second quarter en route to a 109-93 victory over the Nuggets on Sunday.The Nuggets missed their first 15 shots of the period before Ty Lawsons layup at the buzzer ended the nearly 13-minute drought. New York outscored Denver 31-8 in the quarter to blow it open.I thought probably defensively that was the difference in that quarter, Fisher said.We scored 31 points in the first quarter as well even though it may not have looked as pretty as it did in the second quarter but someway we found a way to hold them to eight points and I thought that was the difference in the game.Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, whove had their shares of moments grasping the concepts of a new offensive system, each scored 28 points to lead New York. But the Knicks first win since Nov. 2 against Charlotte boiled down to their defensive effort in the second quarter, which gave them a 62-39 lead heading into the second half.I thought in that second quarter we played great defence, buckling down, keeping them out of transition. It led to our offensive end, said Anthony, who made 10 of 14 shots from the field. Once we got stops on the defensive end, we felt confident enough to go down there and make some shots and run our offence and do what we had to do.Arron Afflalo had 18 points and Ty Lawson added 17 points and nine assists for the Nuggets, whove lost seven of their last eight games. Kenneth Faried chipped in 16 points.Afflalo, who hit 4 of 5 3-pointers and scored 13 points in the first 12 minutes of the game, had never experienced a slide like the one Denver went through in the second quarter.I noticed that we only had scored six points pretty much that whole quarter and I knew we hadnt made a few free throws, but I didnt recognize the fact that we hadnt been able to score the ball from the field, Afflalo said.Samuel Dalembert had eight points and eight rebounds for New York.Trailing by as many as 25 points after Anthonys shot made it 79-54 for the Knicks with 5:36 leftt in the quarter, Denver went on a 25-10 run, capped by Nate Robinsons three-point play that made it 89-80 with 8:55 in the final quarter.ddddddddddddBut New York pulled away for good with a 13-3 spurt of its own. Amare Stoudemires three-point play made it 92-80. After a free thrown by Denvers Alonzo Gee, Smith scored four straight points and Anthony hit a 3-pointer that extended New Yorks lead, 99-82 with 5:50 remaining. Lawson then added a free throw before Smith answered with a shot beyond the arc that made it 102-83 with 3:58 left.The Nuggets started out with a good rhythm in the opening quarter, hitting 6 of 9 3-pointers, but then hit their scoring drought, which started after Darrell Arthur hit a 20-footer with 50.2 seconds left that gave Denver its last lead 31-29 of the game.I thought we started out the game getting what we wanted, but it was an exchange, we were scoring, they were scoring, Denver coach Brian Shaw said. In the second quarter we were tentative offensively and we had a long drought with no penetration, turnovers missed free throws and they slowly continued to score.TIP-INSNuggets: Denver took advantage of the Knicks defence, which entered the game having given up an NBA-worst 42 per cent beyond the arc, by hitting 6 of 9 3-pointers in the first quarter.Knicks: Smith started in place of shooting guard Iman Shumpert, who sat out after suffering a right hip contusion Friday night. He made 10 of 16 from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers and hit six free throws.QUICK RESTStoudemire, who had played in each of New Yorks first nine games, was back in the lineup after sitting out Friday nights loss to Utah. He scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds in 20 minutes.OFFENSIVE FUTILITYThe one basket in the second quarter wasnt the worst ever for a team as a few teams have gone a whole period without a hoop. The last of which was when Chicago held Atlanta without a basket in the third quarter of a game in 2007 according to STATS.UP NEXTNuggets: Denver plays at Cleveland on Monday night.Knicks: Travel to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '