In his first official practice round at Augusta National, Graham DeLaet got in a great cram session, playing 18 holes alongside Mike Weir. As they walked off the first tee, Weir opened his book of course knowledge to his fellow Canadian, telling him to ask him about anything and everything. For the next four hours, the two talked about the humps and bumps and hills and swales of the famed course, with DeLaet trying to drink in as much information as he could ahead of Thursdays opening round. "It was nice to have Mike kind of showing me around," said DeLaet. "He was giving me guidance on a few things that other players had given him, guys like Jack (Nicklaus) and Freddy (Couples) and stuff along the way. Thats one of the cool things out here that guys kind of pass things along. You go to a regular tournament and guys kind of keep things secretive. But for whatever reason, out here you just kind of pass the torch along. Any time I asked, he was more than happy to point out a few things along the way I wouldnt have known about." And few people know the course better than Mike Weir, who is making his 15th start here this week. However, the 2003 champion cautioned DeLaet that many of his references were specific for his game, not the long-bombing power style that the Weyburn, Sask., native plays. "I wasnt overloading him because our games are so different," said Weir, who thrilled fans by jarring in his tee shot on the 16th hole during the round. "He has more power, hitting shorter irons into greens, while Im probably playing more for position. He can be more aggressive. I told him to be mindful of that. Im telling him out how I play it because Im back there hitting a four-iron." For DeLaet, the chance to play at Augusta National with Weir was more than an exercise in local knowledge, it was also the chance to play with one of his golfing idols. In 2007, when he teed it up in the Canadian Open for the first time, DeLaet managed to get his picture taken with the lefthanded star. Its a picture he keeps hanging on his wall at home to this day. "He was the guy I looked to when I was a kid," admitted DeLaet. "Now I call him my friend. Going around here, the respect he gets from the crowd – and rightfully so – is pretty cool." Now DeLaet has to take all the information and put it to use. His caddy, Julien Trudeau – who also raved about the details Weir passed on – said he and his boss will sit down and formulate a game plan for their opening round. That game plan will also try to take into account the butterflies that will undoubtedly be in DeLaets stomach when he gets set to start his first Masters. "I know that Im going to be nervous, Im nervous at the Byron Nelson tournament," he stated. "I do have a couple of majors under my belt now which is going to help a little bit but I dont know exactly what Im going to feel like on (the first tee) on Thursday but Im looking forward to it." Seby Zavala Jersey . Bale has had a successful debut season in Spain, and Ancelotti appears ready to reward him with a starting role on Saturday. Ancelotti says "Gareth had some problems at the beginning (of the season) but when he found good physical condition he scored a lot of goals, he had a good impact on the team. Steve Carlton Jersey . Luke Wileman and I stood in the corridor outside of the Vancouver Whitecaps dressing room at BC Place in Vancouver. https://www.cheapwhitesox.com/504e-jose-abreu-jersey-white-sox.html . In the late match, Shinji Okazaki scored two goals to pace Mainz to a 3-2 victory at Werder Bremen. Goals from Milan Badelj, Maximilian Beister and Hakan Calhanoglu ended Hamburgs two-match losing run and kept Hannover winless in seven games. Early Wynn White Sox Jersey . Louis Cardinals have agreed to a one-year contract. Ryan Burr White Sox Jersey . The 2014 edition will be the ninth meeting between the Caps and Vikes in a tradition that dates back to 2005. "Since the original Whitecaps, the club has enjoyed fantastic support from fans in Victoria and all across Vancouver Island," said Whitecaps FC president Bob Lenarduzzi.PITTSBURGH -- Coach Dan Bylsma knows that the disappointing finish of the U.S. Olympic mens hockey team in Sochi will linger. But now he has shifted his focus back to the Pittsburgh Penguins and looks to get his first-place team to make a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs. "I dont think you get rid of the disappointment," Bylsma said Tuesday. "But you have to put it behind you. The task at hand is coming back here and playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and I think thats the best way to put it behind you." The U.S. nearly knocked off Team Canada in Vancouver in 2010, falling just short of a gold medal and instead settled for silver. The Americans wanted to win an elusive Olympic hockey gold for the first time since the "Miracle on Ice," in 1980, and U.S. executives felt Bylsmas team had the right blend of skill, speed, and grit to get the job done. The U.S. offence got off to a strong start through the first four games of the tournament, outscoring the opposition 20-6. Included was the exhilarating, 3-2, eight-round shootout victory against the host Russians, one of the most memorable games of the tournament. "The Russian game was as unique of a game as Ive ever coached," Bylsma said. "The stage in terms of the tournament doesnt mean a whole lot because everyones going to play a fourth game, but trying to compare it to a Stanley Cup or a Game 7 was completely different. It had a different feel." The U.S. cruised past the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals, setting up a semifinal showdown with Canada. "Its a game we all wanted," Bylsma said. "Maybe the biggest disappointment is that it wasnt the gold medal game." Regardless, the U.S. had to get through Canada to win gold, and for the second straight time in Olympic competition, the Canadians topped the U.S. Canada, which went on to win its second straight gold medal, blanked the Americans in a suffocating 1-0 effort that wasnt as close as the final score. Bylsma was criticized after the loss, some drawing comparisons to the BBoston Bruins four-game sweep of a punchless Penguins team, which had trouble scoring during the 2013 Eastern Conference finals.dddddddddddd "You can draw the comparisons, but I dont know if theyre valid or applicable," Bylsma said. "The one thing we would like to go back to in that game was playing faster and playing quicker, allowing us to be on the forecheck in a better manner." Penguins GM Ray Shero, also the associate general manager for Team USA, credited Team Canada. "That might be the greatest Olympic hockey team ever," Shero said. "You can look at how we wanted to play, but sometimes the opponent doesnt let you get to your game." The Canadians, who never trailed in the tournament, flexed their defensive muscle, allowing just three goals in six games to become the first team in 30 years to go unbeaten through an Olympic tournament. "Canada was very good," Shero said. "We came in with high expectations and theres nothing wrong with setting a high goal." Both wanted to see a different outcome after a humiliating 5-0 defeat the following day against Finland in the bronze medal game. "The bronze medal game was a tough one for us to rebound and get to," Bylsma said. "Thats the biggest disappointment of the tournament." But now the attention shifts back to Bylsmas Penguins where Olympians Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz are back with gold medals from Team Canada, while Jussi Jokinen and Olli Maatta earned bronze with Finland. Bylsma returned empty-handed along with U.S. Olympians Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin, who broke his hand in the quarterfinal round and is out four to six weeks. Russian star Evgeni Malkin is also without a medal, motivation that Bylsma hopes will further fuel a deep playoff run for the Metropolitan Division-leading Penguins. The Penguins return to action when they host Montreal on Thursday. "We have 24 games to get back and focus on this team being the best it can be, getting to the Stanley Cup and winning it," Bylsma said. ' ' '