th, he birdied 13, 15 and 17 to close on two under - 11 shots off the lead.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Ron Rivera cant imagine the Carolina Panthers without fullback like Mike Tolbert on the roster.The 5-foot-9, 250-pound Tolbert does a little of everything for the NFC champions -- blocks, catches passes, carries the ball and even contributes on special teams. So its hard for Rivera to fathom how nearly one-third of the league didnt even carry a fullback on their rosters last season.I couldnt tell you why teams dont, Rivera said. I think that is one of the missing links in the league to be able to have an effective running game, to have lead blockers and guys who can get dirty down inside.It has worked for Rivera and the Panthers.The Panthers have run for at least 100 yards in an NFL-best 32 straight games, including the playoffs. They were second in the league in rushing last season and first in scoring and reached the Super Bowl before losing 24-10 to the Denver Broncos.That success is why the Panthers didnt hesitate to re-sign the 30-year-old Tolbert to a two-year, $3.3 million contract after he became an unrestricted free agent. All things considered the Panthers might have gotten a bargain for a guy who has been an All-Pro two of the last three seasons.Then again, its not as though fullbacks are the Pokemon Go of the NFL.The Miami Dolphins are among the teams that dont employ a true fullback.Dolphins coach Adam Gase said after careful consideration the team decided they couldnt afford the luxury of having a specialty position like fullback on the roster.Where we kind of ran into the problem was that we liked staying on the ball, we didnt like changing personnel and we always liked the fact of having a guy that could play the fullback role (but) still be a guy that we could flex out plus play in-line, Gase said. Were really being a little pickier as far as we want a guy that can do it all, and then play special teams as well.We didnt want to get stuck in a spot where we had some experience with a fullback when we were first at Denver and he was getting like eight plays a game. We just felt like lets get the guy out there that is going to play 30 plays a game on just offense, plus special teams.The Jacksonville Jaguars stopped carrying a fullback prior to the 2015 season after they hired offensive coordinator Greg Olson to replace Jedd Fisch.Olsons offense simply doesnt use one, relying on backs to find holes and using more multiple tight end sets up front.We dont use one in any of our offensive sets so no sense in carrying one if were not going to use one, Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said.Some teams are reincorporating the fullback into the offense.The Philadelphia Eagles have gone back to using a traditional style running game following the departure of coach Chip Kelly. Theyve moved tight end Trey Burton to fullback.But the importance of the position has been undeniably downgraded.A lot of the game nowadays is predicated around the quarterback, said Tolbert. You try to develop him first as a passer, where as in the old days it was more about the run game and defense. Its not that way anymore.Tolbert collected 256 yards rushing and 154 yards receiving last season for the Panthers and scored four touchdowns.He also played on most of the special teams.Tolbert said the key to surviving is changing with the tide and remaining versatile, knowing well that the days of true smash-mouth fullbacks like Lorenzo Neal, Daryl Johnston and Tom Rathman may be over for good.You have to do special teams and pass protect and block out of the backfield and run routes, Tolbert said. You have to be able to do different things than in the past, more than just being a bang-your-head-against-the-wall fullback.---AP Sports writers Mark Long in Jacksonville, Florida, Steven Wine in Miami and Rob Maaddi in Philadelphia contributed to this report.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Wholesale Nike Shoes Ireland . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. Nike Zoom Shoes Ireland .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. http://www.nikezoomsaleireland.com/ . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Nike Zoom Ireland Outlet . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Nike Zoom Ireland Online . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. PARIS -- No tantrums, no screaming and shouting, no condemnation by TV jury. No calls for them to be sent home and fired from their jobs.Whats gone wrong with referees at the European Championship?Well, nothing. In fact, with just three games to play, everythings going right.The referees performances in the 48 games played so far in France have received top marks.Soccer pundits have been forced to describe the action rather than berating the man in the middle and his assistants.And there have been so many top performances by referees that UEFA will struggle to select the man to take charge of Sundays final in Paris.Will it be Englands Mark Clattenburg, Germanys Felix Brych or Hungarys Viktor Kassai, all of whom have turned in impressive performances?Mark Clattenburg must have a great chance of that huge honor of taking the Champions League final and a major international final in the same season, now that the rules allow you to do so, said former FIFA referee Kim Milton Nielsen, writing on the You are the Ref refereeing website.Clattenburg, who has not officiated since the round of 16, may fall victim to footballing politics, however, as might Brych. The German will not get the prestigious appointment if his country qualifies for the final, and Clattenburg, an Englishman, may endure the same fate if Wales -- a close neighbor to England -- beats Portugal to make the final.Much of the credit for the improvement in standards has been given to Italian Pierluigi Collina, now in charge of UEFA referees. He is better known for being the best referee of his generation, using charisma rather than yellow and red cards to control games, and has introduced a series of measures to help develop elite match officials.Referees put in charge of semifinals are rarely awarded the final. So Swedens Jonas Eriksson, who will referee Wednesdays semifinal between Portugal and Wales, and Italys Nicola Rizzoli, who will have the whistle for Germany vs. France in Marseille on Thursday, will probably head home after those games.European soccers ruling body UEFA is delighted that it has not had to defend reeferees from criticism that they are making incorrect decisions.dddddddddddd TV technology that has introduced dozens of cameras to games highlighting every mistake has rarely caught mistakes this time round.Refereeing experts put the improvement down to a UEFA program to improve refereeing.Man management is often the most crucial aspect of a referees performance. Referees have been noticeably calm and confident in France, without appearing arrogant or distant from players.The body language of the referees, often with an outstretched hand palm facing downwards, has remained calm and they have avoided conflict, said Keith Hackett, former head of English Premier League referees.There is no doubt that when you get those close up shots of referees during the course of the game they look calm and confident with no sign of any arrogance, he said.Referees have also shown fitness levels that are better than they ever have been.Players claiming a foul or a penalty are looking up to see the referee a few yards (meters) away and perfectly placed to rule on whether an offense has taken place.Dynamic sprinting is the phrase used by modern referees. Before being approved for matches at the highest levels, referees have to be able to sprint as fast as, if not faster than, most players. That ability does not happen overnight and has been part of the referees daily training for the past two years.Players also have to take a bow.In France, they have behaved better than in previous tournaments. There has been less cheating and a clear desire to play the game legally and at high speed, unlike in club soccer and previous tournaments that have been spoiled by petulance and attempts to deceive the referee.The number of yellow cards awarded in France has not changed much. Four years ago, four yellow cards per game were awarded. In France the figure is 3.8 yellows, slightly down on 2012. Red cards are down sharply, from one every 10 games in 2012 to one every 16 games in 2016. ' ' '