Again, Favre stopped his induction speech, overcome by his emotions.This is tough

NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Davis doesnt accept the premise that the New Orleans Pelicans will struggle again this season simply because they let two of their best shooters walk this offseason and didnt make a splash in free-agency.For now, Davis has faith that the acquisitions of hard-nosed, two-way players including Solomon Hill, ETwaun Moore and Terrence Jones will make up for the departures of more offensive-minded players like Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson.Its not about having the most talent, Davis said. Its about what (players) can bring to the table to help our team, and all these guys bring something to the table.Davis said he sees the Pelicans aspiring to be kind of like Boston last year, not having a lot of talent but guys play hard.Thats how they were able to win games, Davis added. Thats what we bought into and thats what were looking forward to.Beset by injuries to virtually all top players, the Pelicans went 30-52 last season, which was Alvin Gentrys first as head coach in New Orleans after winning a championship as a Golden State assistant the year before that.Gentry imported the Warriors up-tempo style to New Orleans, hoping it would suit Davis, whose speed and shooting range are exceptional for a 6-foot-11 front-court player. The Pelicans saw possessions per game rise by a league-leading 5.2 over the previous season, to nearly 99 possessions per game, but defensive deficiencies caused their up-tempo approach to backfire.So this offseason, We tried to make sure we were getting two-way players, Gentry said. We also signed guys that play with a lot of grit and added toughness to our team that maybe we were missing last year.---Some other things to watch as the Pelicans try to return to playoff contention:SIDELINED REGULARS: New Orleans will start the season without three prominent players: guard Jrue Holiday, guard Tyreke Evans and small forward Quincy Pondexter. Holiday is on indefinite leave to care for his wife, Lauren, a retired soccer star who was diagnosed with a brain tumor while pregnant. Treatment for the tumor could not start until after the birth of their daughter in late September. We told Jrue, forget about the basketball part of it. This is where you take care of your family, Gentry said. Were going to welcome him back whenever he feels its time. Evans and Pondexter are coming off knee surgeries. Pondexter missed all of last season and Evans most of it. Both hope to return by December.ROOKIE RANGE: The Pelicans know first-round draft choice Buddy Hield, their first round draft choice, can shoot. Hield, a unanimous AP All-American when he averaged 25.4 points for Oklahoma last season, routinely scored in double digits this preseason. But there are other aspects of NBA basketball the sixth overall pick is still learning, particularly on defense, so the Pelicans intend to have him come off the bench to open the regular season. Moore is slated to start at shooting guard for now.DAVIS IN THE MIDDLE: Gentry said Davis, who has filled out substantially during his first four pro seasons, now has the strength and skill set to routinely play at center when opponents dont have physically dominant big man on the floor. It gives us a huge advantage when were not playing overpowering centers, Gentry said. When Davis is at forward, the Pelicans top centers will again be 7-footers Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca.HILLS MISSION: When Hill played for Indiana, he routinely guarded opponents most dynamic scorers. He said hell embrace such a role with the Pelicans while helping instill a more defensive-minded mentality across the roster. We all love the style that coach Gentry wants to implement, but everythings going to be on defense, Hill said. We cant get out and run if we cant stop anybody. Whats the point of having points in the 100s if you only have 100 and the other team has 120?TOGETHER AGAIN: Davis and Jones are teammates for the first time since winning the 2012 NCAA national title with Kentucky (in New Orleans). I always loved Terrences game. He can score. He pays hard. He defends. He rebounds. And of course we all know hes got a winning mentality, right? Davis said. Its good to have one of your guys that you went to war with come back and play with you.Custom Arizona Cardinals Jerseys . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. Custom San Francisco 49ers Jerseys . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. http://www.footballcustomjerseys.com/ . John Lucas, signed as a mentor for rookie Trey Burke, showed he can score if required, scoring 12 points of his 16 points in the second quarter as Utah built an 18-point lead. Custom Football Jerseys Store . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. Custom Seattle Seahawks Jerseys . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal.CANTON, Ohio -- Brett Favres love of football never wavered. Not even in the toughest hours of a 20-year career that led him to induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend.Just before Christmas 2003, Favres father, Irv, passed away. The Packers were scheduled for a Monday night visit to Oakland. Despite reported uncertainty if Favre would play, his appearance against the Raiders never really was in doubt.And that victory in Oakland was about more than winning one for dad. For Favre, it was about redemption.My dad was my high school football coach. He was the head football coach, and he coached me and my two brothers, Favre said during his emotion-packed induction speech Saturday night. But I never had a car growing up. I always rode to and from school with my father in his truck, so he was always the last to leave the building because he had to turn the lights off, lock up, and then we made our way home.So it was the last high school football game of my high school career, and although I dont remember how I had played before, and I dont remember how I played in the last game, what I do remember is sitting outside the coachs office, say, on a Wednesday, waiting for my father to come out so we could leave. It was dark. And I overheard my father talking to the three other coaches -- and I assume I didnt play as well the previous week only because of what he said -- and he said: `I can assure you one thing about my son, he will play better. He will redeem himself. I know my son. He has it in him.Until his Hall of Fame speech, Favre never told anyone he overheard Irvs comments. He used them as fuel, though.I thought to myself, thats a pretty good compliment, you know? My chest kind of swelled up, he said. But I never forgot that statement and that comment that he made to those other coaches. And I want you to know, Dad, I spent the rest of my career trying to redeem myself.Favre halted his speech to compose himself as the fans in a stadium packed with Cheeseheads cheered encouragingly.But I spent the rest of my career trying to redeem myself and make him proud, and I hope I succeeded, Favre added to a deafening recception.ddddddddddddThat high school scene was nearly two decades before Irv Favres death. And on that Monday night when Favre threw for four touchdowns and 399 yards in a 41-7 romp at the Black Hole, a new objective entered his mind.It came on the flight back to Green Bay on a chartered plane with his wife, Deanna, at his side. She told him how Irv said to her that he couldnt wait for the day Brett would be enshrined at Canton so he could introduce his son.And up until that moment I had never thought about the Hall of Fame, and I mean no disrespect to the Hall of Fame, Favre said. I had dreamed of playing in the NFL, believe me, way more than I thought about my schoolwork. I thought about being Archie Manning, running around, throwing underhand passes. I thought about being my childhood favorite, Roger Staubach and throwing it to Preston Pearson or Drew Pearson, and handing it off to Tony Dorsett. Being Kenny Stabler coming out of tunnel. I had thought of those things so many times, but I never thought of the Hall of Fame until that moment.So a new goal had entered into my mind then and there, and I said to myself: `I will make it to the Hall of Fame. That I would make it to the Hall of Fame so I could acknowledge the fact of how important he was.Again, Favre stopped his induction speech, overcome by his emotions.This is tougher than any third-and-15, I can assure you, he said before returning to describing his chase for redemption. So I could acknowledge the importance of him and my career and my life, which he was a tremendous part of my life. He taught me toughness. Boy, did he teach me toughness. Trust me, there was no room for crybabies in our house.He taught me teamwork, and by all means no player was ever more important than the team.So then and there in that moment on that plane I was determined for selfish reasons to get to this point to acknowledge how important he was. I would not be here before you today without my father.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '