hat team," said Cecil. "I cant say enough about those guys. The

Its been nice, hasnt it? All that quiet without Greg Hardy in the NFL. Sure, there have been issues this year, but most havent been accompanied by photos of a woman allegedly battered at the hands of the 6-foot-4 defensive end.?But instead, Hardy is redirecting his athletic career and training to become an MMA fighter, he told MMAFighting.com Tuesday.?Its a desperate attempt to stay relevant after the NFL put his football career on hold. Hardy was a toxic presence on the Cowboys and, before that, on the Panthers. In May 2014, he was arrested on charges of assault and communicating threats, and a North Carolina judge found him guilty in a bench trial. He asked for a jury trial instead, and when the alleged victim declined to cooperate and prosecutors dropped charges instead of proceeding, he was cleared of all wrongdoing.?While the NFL was investigating the alleged incident, he missed all but one game with the Panthers. After the investigation, the league initially suspended him for 10 games, but then reduced that punishment to four games, and Hardy made his return to the football field with the Cowboys in Week 4 of the 2015 season. But he fought and feuded with coaches and teammates on the sideline.?And last month, he was arrested after a traffic stop and search turned up cocaine in his wallet. He claims it was planted.?So then it isnt surprising that Hardy, 28, hasnt been picked up by another NFL team and needs a Plan B. (Even if a team did become interested in Hardy, he wouldnt be able to play until the NFLs conduct division investigated the most recent arrest). And a declaration that he wants to take up MMA gets Hardy some attention.But while it reminds teams that hes an athlete, it also brings forth memories that he was accused of inflicting damage on another person.MMA has dealt with these issues before. Bellator, an MMA promotion company, immediately ejected Jon Koppenhaver, aka War Machine, after seeing the near-lethal injuries onetime girlfriend Christy Mack posted to social media after the 2014 attack.?His decision isnt linked to a particular MMA league, but unfortunately, all Hardy needs is one promoter to see a payday in Hardy and stoke his violent image and NFL association for a gate and TV package.Its the worst kind of sports story, wrenching one last spotlight from the yawn of troubled irrelevance. It almost doesnt matter if he can fight -- hell be big and imposing, and its perhaps even better for the fans if he gets pummeled.But let me offer Hardy some free advice. The part of your personality thats geared toward violence? That shouldnt be the part you try to cultivate. And those parties where, as you said in your defense, someone puts a bag of cocaine in your wallet as youre passing it around? You should probably avoid those as well.Hardys opportunity has so far come to a dead end in the NFL, but he has a long life ahead of him. He could make some different choices that might help set him on a better path instead of stoking the worst of his impulses.Cheap Nike Free Wholesale . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. Cheap Nike Free Sale .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. http://www.cheapnikefree.net/ . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon. Cheap Nike Free China . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. Nike Free Clearance Sale . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year.TORONTO - The Blue Jays are sending three, perhaps four, players to the All-Star Game in New York City. Each has his own story of perseverance. Jose Bautista, 32, will play in his fourth consecutive Midsummer Classic and fourth overall. Starting in right field, this marks the third-straight season hes been voted in by fans. "Its a great feeling when you go to the All-Star Game," said Bautista. "Youre recognized by the fans or your peers or elected by the manager. Obviously, in my case, I got voted in by the fans. Its a great feeling when that happens. I feel very honoured, humbled and proud to be elected. I have to thank all the fans for all the votes. It takes a lot to either vote at the stadium or at home on the computer so I appreciate it a lot." In 80 games this season, Bautista has a slash line of .264/.360/.511. His 20 home runs tie Bautista for seventh in the American League with the Yankees Robinson Cano. Bautistas 52 RBI rank second on the Blue Jays and 15th in the American League. Since arriving in Toronto on August 21, 2008, Bautista has been a model of consistency. He backed up his 54-home run season in 2010 by hitting 43 in 2011. Injury cut short his 2012 campaign; still he had 27 home runs in 92 games. With good health in the second half its realistic to expect Bautista to challenge the 40-home run mark again. Originally drafted by Pittsburgh in the 20th round of the 2000 draft, Bautista spent three seasons in the Pirates organization before his selection by Baltimore in the Rule 5 draft. Bautista made his major league debut with the Orioles in 2004 but before that season would end, he had made stops in Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Pittsburgh. Bautista remained a Pirate, experiencing moderate success, until his trade to the Blue Jays for catcher Robinson Diaz. "My hard works paying off, I just have to keep doing it," said Bautista. "But ultimately I think my success is going to be dictated with the success of my team and so far we havent been able to make it to the playoffs or play for the championship but hopefully that changes in the near future." If asked, Bautista will consider taking part in the home run derby, which is the marquee event of the festivities the day before the All-Star Game. Edwin Encarnacion, 30, is enjoying another stellar season. His 23 home runs (T-3rd, American League) and 66 RBI (3rd, American League) lead the Blue Jays. Sporting a slash line of .266/.351/.526, Encarnacion has walked almost as many times (40) as hes struck out (42). This will be Encarnacions first All-Star appearance. "For me this is big," said Encarnacion. "This is my first experience at the All-Star break and I feel very happy and I thank God to give me thhis opportunity to be at my first All-Star Game.dddddddddddd" Prior to his breakout 2012 season of 42 home runs and 110 RBI, Encarnacion had never hit more than 26 or driven in more than 68 (with Cincinnati in 2008). Quite an accomplishment for a guy who was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays, in June, 2010, less than a year after he was acquired from the Reds for Scott Rolen. "At the beginning I was always thinking about making the All-Star Game, play in the playoffs or play in the World Series," said Encarnacion. "Now its come, my first All-Star Game and my next goal is to play in the playoffs." Encarnacion doesnt plan to participate in the home run derby, even if asked, due to lingering pain in his hamstring. Cecil, 27, had legitimate reason to doubt whether hed break spring training as a member of the Blue Jays. During the final week of camp, Cecil was called into general manager Alex Anthopoulos office and informed hed pitched well enough to remain in the big leagues. After clearing that hurdle, Cecil has emerged as one of the premier setup/specialist relievers in baseball. In 44 innings (38 appearances,) he has a 1.43 ERA, has allowed only 23 hits and has struck out 50. Earlier this season, Cecil set a franchise record by facing 43-consecutive batters without allowing a hit. "I want to start out by saying that every guy in that bullpen down there deserves to be on that team," said Cecil. "I cant say enough about those guys. Theyve done a heck of a job the whole season and Im not kidding, every single one of them deserves to be in my place. But Im sure glad to be representing the Blue Jays and our bullpen down in New York City and hopefully I can represent them well." Since his breakout season when he won 15 games as a starter in 2010, Cecil has struggled to find a niche. After going 4-11 in 2011 and experiencing a confounding drop in velocity, Cecil began 2012 in the minor leagues. This season, Cecil has recovered his velocity and mixes his fastball with a knee-buckling curveball, a pitch which has proven effective against both right-handed and left-handed hitters. Meantime, reliever Steve Delabar, who turns 30 on July 17, is one of five finalists for the final American League roster spot. Hes competing with four other relievers, including the Tigers Joaquin Benoit, Tanner Scheppers of Texas, the Red Sox Koji Uehara and New Yorks David Robertson. Fan online balloting determines the winner. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons will serve as a coach on American League skipper Jim Leylands (Detroit) staff. The 84th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 16 at Citi Field in Queens, New York, the home of the New York Mets. ' ' '