A brutal hit while having a punt blocked sidelined San Diegos Mike Scifres with a broken left collarbone.In came placekicker Nick Novak, charged with one of the most important roles in special teams. He hadnt punted since high school and barely practices it as a pro.Yet he was more than comfortable with the challenge.I can do it, Novak said after punts of 27, 33, 45, 51, 46 and 38 yards in the loss to New England on Dec. 7. I cant do it on Mikes level, but I feel I can certainly get the job done. The pressures not there, because Im sure the expectation is, just catch it and kick it and get it out. ... If you mess up, Well, he doesnt punt. If he does well, its more of a Wow kind of thing.There really was no pressure there.Ah, but usually there is tons of pressure on a placekicker replacing a punter in a game, and vice versa. The only similarities between the jobs are that both players make a living with their foot, and their specialties are critical to field position and scoring.Because there are so many differences in the mechanics of each job, rarely do the kickers and punters practice the others role.Puntings very linear, and your swing is more straight up and through the ball, explained Minnesota field goal kicker Blair Walsh. Kicking, youre coming around it a little bit more and youre worried about a plant.Still, as a pro, Walsh has studied what the Vikings Jeff Locke and other NFL punters do, and believes he could handle the assignment. He even spends some time on Fridays working on punting.You could use the similarities between the two, whether its locking your foot out or having an explosive motion through it, he said, adding that overdoing it must be avoided.Theres definitely similarities you could carry over to each position to make you successful at both, Walsh said. Ive been around it long enough where Ive seen a lot of good punters do the right technique, so you sort of emulate it a little bit in your mind.But I think the biggest thing would just be getting used to the live rush coming at you.Indeed, the rush to get to the punter is a sprint, entirely different and probably more dangerous than attempts to block field goals.While NFL coaching staffs and personnel people try to account for all situations, an in-game injury or illness to a placekicker or punter often falls outside their preparation. San Diego was extremely fortunate that Novak was so successful; the Chargers have a similar history because Scifres did the placement work in the 2011 opener when Nick Kaeding injured his knee.Thats also how Novak wound up in San Diego.Generally, though, its a desperate spot when one of those guys goes down in a game.I was 70 per cent in college, which is plenty enough to get you cut in the NFL, Saints punter Thomas Morstead said of his placekicking. But Id be a very serviceable backup, I would think, if they need me in a pinch.I can kick it a long ways, but whether it goes between the sticks, you know. ...Theres the rub.Theyre so different, but Im going to say its probably more difficult filling in as a field goal kicker just because theres not much room for error, Jets punter Ryan Quigley said. Punting, youve got the whole field to work with. Its like, when youre punting, you can just say, OK, were going to punt it down the middle and hopefully it stays in bounds and you get a good 40 yards out of it.Punters and placekickers find good reasons not to practice the other guys art. San Franciscos Phil Dawson, now in his 16th season making field goals and extra points, works on punting occasionally. He notes the more I do it, the worse I get.But he points out with a sharp jab that punter Andy Lee trying Dawsons specialty would be worse.Some teams even had other players as the backup punter or placekicker. On the Saints, its second-string quarterback Luke McCown behind Morstead. For Philadelphia, wide receiver Riley Cooper backs up placekicker Cody Parkey.Perhaps the patron saint of replacement kickers is Craig Hentrich, who punted for 16 NFL seasons. Hentrich was a standout at both jobs at Notre Dame, won a Super Bowl as a punter with Green Bay and played in another with Tennessee.He went 3 for 3 on field goals of 49, 34 and 33 yards in the 2003 opener after placekicker Joe Nedney suffered a season-ending knee injury. Hentrich hadnt made a field goal since 1995.Ive seen some punters, actually, step in and have good games kicking when the kicker went down. The most noticeable Ive ever seen is ... Hentrich, Saints placekicker Shayne Graham said. But he was also a respected kicker at Notre Dame in college because he did both, so he had the background for it.Nobody does both in the NFL anymore, except in a pinch.So if Quigley gets called on to replace Folk during Sundays finale, whats his philosophy?Shoot, Id tell them to back it up and put me out there from anywhere, he said with a laugh. Nah, thats the way I think because Id just crank it and use my leg strength. But who knows where its going?___AP Pro Football Writers Teresa M. Walker, Dave Campbell and Rob Maaddi, and Sports Writers Janie McCauley, Joe Kay, Dennis Waszak Jr., Bernie Wilson and Brett Martel contributed to this story.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFLCheap Jordan 1 For Sale .com) - Fair Grounds commences its road to the Kentucky Derby Saturday with the 71st running of the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes. Cheap Jordan 1 Retro . The White Sox said Wednesday they acquired left-handed pitching prospect Sean Bierman and infielder Ben Kline, who both played at Class A this season. The White Sox dealt Crain to Tampa Bay on July 29. http://www.airjordan1discount.com/ .7 million, one-year contract.The deal, announced Friday, includes a $50,000 performance bonus if the left-hander appears in 60 games. Discount Air Jordan 1 . Inter Milan ended its five-match winless streak in all competitions by beating 10-man Bologna 3-1 on new manager Claudio Ranieris debut, while injury-plagued AC Milan edged Cesena 1-0 with an early goal from Clarence Seedorf. Cheap Jordan 1 Sale . Millsap will miss Wednesday nights game against the Chicago Bulls. The Hawks say Millsap also will be held out on Thursday at Boston.The following letter from commissioner Mark Cohon was sent to CFL players on Wednesday. May 21, 2014 Dear CFL Players: On May 15, 2014, we presented your Executive Committee with a full and comprehensive offer that unfortunately was rejected. We believe that this offer is fair and reasonable, and we want to share its details with you. If ratified by the Players, the CFL offer would provide the following: Financial Terms - Increase the salary cap by 9% this season from $4,400,000 to $4,800,000 per team (and further increasing by $50,000 each year over the following five years to $5,050,000)- Effectively increase the average player salary up to 12% this season from $82,904 to $92,917 (and further increasing over the following five years)- Increase the minimum player salary by 11% this season from $45,000 to $50,000 (and further increasing to $55,000 over the following five years)- A further increase to the salary cap of $100,000 per team if the CFL receives more television revenue from TSN under a renegotiated broadcast agreement for each remaining year on the CBA- Maintain the $450,000 annual payment to the CFLPA for Player marketing and other rights This has been a long and difficult process for all involved. And when it comes right down to it, we just want to play. So, we have also offered to pay a ratification bonus of $3,000 to veteran Players and $1,000 to rookie Players (on a team roster as at June 22, 2014) if this agreement is ratified on or before June 2, 2014. Player Safety & Welfare - Immediately add two players to each teams Active Roster - Immediately restrict the number of contact practices during the regular season- Maintain 2013 CFL policy to restrict the number of contact practices during training camp- Maintain all current Player pension, medical plan and life insurance benefits- Maintain all CFL annual payments for Player counselling and rehabilitation support under the CFL-CFLPA Drug Policy On May 20, 2014 your Executive Committee provided us with their financial proposal in response to our offer. The CFLPAs financial proposal provides for a salary cap increase to $6.24 million in 2014, as well as approximately $240,000 per team per year in other monetary increases to pre and post-season compensation and pension plan contributions per year. From 2015 forward, significantly more would be added to salary cap based on a revenue sharing model. We advised the CFLPA in no uncertain terms that their proposal was not realistic, and would not form the basis for any financial settlement. In fact, it would threaten the very existence of the CFL. We have obviously rejected the CFLPA proposal today in negotiations, and we have told your Executive Committee that we are prepared to meet in bargaining at any time once they are prepared to discuss a fair and reasonable settlement that makes sense for both the Players and the League. Over the last five years, we have improved the foundation of our league. Howevver, our work in this regard is not yet complete.ddddddddddddnbsp; Continued investment, focus and effort is required to achieve our vision of a strong, stable, and sustainable CFL. And while we remain mindful of the additional steps we must take, we also recognize the progress, together with the Players, that we have already made. And this progress is reflected in this offer. The CFL offer strikes an appropriate balance of, on the one hand, providing significant compensation increases and health & safety improvements to the Players while, on the other hand, creating an environment in which the League and its teams can continue to build for a strong and stable future. It provides a fair share to the Players, and helps us to effectively manage our businesses with a view to a strong future - for everyone. Over the last 25 years, with limited exceptions, CFL teams have either operated at a financial loss or struggled to generate even the slightest amount of profit. There are numerous factors that contributed to this, but central among them was the unbalanced relationship between revenues and all costs. Quite simply, the revenues being generated from the primary revenue streams of ticket sales, television, and sponsorships were insufficient to meet the essential operating requirements of the teams. Investments were needed in infrastructure (notably in stadiums and training facilities), and in modernizing our operations (i.e. developing our internet capabilities, and actively building competitive brands in our largest markets). However, without operating profits these investments were either insufficient, or not made at all, at both the League and team levels. A reasonable, fixed salary cap provides the foundation for a sensible business model. The League and teams have started to invest in their own futures. They have increased the skill and professionalism of their business leaders and staff, consistently and thoughtfully begun to strengthen their brands in their local markets, and have spent or committed $175 million in private money towards major stadium and infrastructure projects to create a modern CFL. Instead of reverting back to the days of old - limited investment, limited growth, significant instability, and a stagnant or declining business - we have a credible opportunity to boldly look to the future. In this new scenario, everybody ultimately wins. If you have any questions about this offer, please speak with your teams Players Association representative or a member of your Executive Committee. I want to thank you for considering this offer. This is not an easy process. The business side of football is never as much fun as the game itself. But we all share a responsibility to ensure that our league is strong for this generation of CFL fans and those that follow. Thank you for your consideration and your dedication to our League. Mark CohonCommissionerCanadian Football League Authentic Nike Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jerseys CheapAuthentic Nike Tennessee Titans Jerseys CheapAuthentic Nike Washington Redskins Jerseys CheapAuthentic Nike Arizona Cardinals Jerseys CheapAuthentic Nike Denver Broncos Jerseys CheapAuthentic Nike Green Bay Packers Jerseys CheapAuthentic Nike Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys CheapAuthentic Nike New England Patriots Jerseys CheapAuthentic Nike Oakland Raiders Jerseys CheapAuthentic Nike Seattle Seahawks Jerseys CheapAuthentic Nike Carolina Panthers Jerseys CheapAuthentic Nike Cleveland Browns Jerseys CheapCheap Throwback Baseball Arizona Diamondbacks JerseysCheap Throwback Baseball Atlanta Braves JerseysCheap Throwback Baseball Baltimore Orioles JerseysCheap Throwback Baseball Boston Red Sox JerseysCheap Throwback Baseball Chicago Cubs JerseysCheap Throwback Baseball Chicago White Sox JerseysCheap Throwback Baseball Cincinnati Reds JerseysCheap Throwback Baseball Cleveland Indians Jerseys ' ' '