hands are tied and its potential return is instantly und

After steam-rolling the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, it should come as no surprise that the Seattle Seahawks open the 2014 season on top of the TSN.ca NFL Power Rankings. The Seahawks have a devastating defence and could be at an even higher level than last season if they can somehow keep wide receiver Percy Harvin healthy. Its never easy to repeat a championship in pro sports, but the Seahawks will at least have a viable chance to go back-to-back this season. Even though they were blown out in the Super Bowl, the Broncos are still ranked second. Adding DeMarcus Ware and Aqib Talib should provide more playmakers on the defensive side of the ball, which is the big question for the Broncos. Most of the top contenders, though, are in the NFC. Behind the Broncos, the New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles are teams that recorded double-digit wins last season and are viable challengers for the Seahawks and Broncos. Some of the teams making moves up, going into the season with higher expectations, include the Detroit Lions, who are in the Top 10, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who vaulted into the Top 20. At the other end of the spectrum, the Jacksonville Jaguars, St. Louis Rams and Oakland Raiders hold the bottom three spots, though there are several other teams that could easily slide into those dubious spots. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. NMD_R1 Shoes Canada . They have homered once every 27.3 at bats, which just happens to be the third best mark in the American League, albeit just 10 games into the season. Ultra Boost Uncaged Canada . Wrights first stint with Milwaukee was on a 10-day contract from March 14-23. He played in two games, averaging six points and two rebounds in 16. http://www.nmdshoescanada.com/ . Toronto announced the deal with the restricted free agent on Saturday. The terms were not disclosed. NMD XR1 Triple Black Canada . -- With Tony Allen back, the Memphis Grizzlies were able to turn up their defence pressure and hold off the Los Angeles Clippers down the stretch. Adidas NMD For Sale Canada . Thornton emerged as one of the leagues best defensive ends against the run in 2013. The former undrafted free agent from Division II Southern Arkansas led Philadelphias linemen with 78 tackles and had one sack.We are hearing the possibility that Martin St. Louis and Ryan Kesler have demanded to be traded. In the case of St. Louis, not much of an effort has been made to deny reports of a trade request. Now both players have no-trade clauses in their contracts - and the wisdom of granting a player a no-trade has long been debated. Ultimately, its a very risky move since the only certainty with athletes is uncertainty. They can go down at any time, see a significant drop in their production or relationships can sour. As well, player production aside, a team may see an opportunity to improve its team by way of trade, but cant close on the deal because a player has a no-trade. Some players, however, insist on the provision being included in their contracts on the basis that they dont want to leave. The player and his family are committed to the team and the city. In certain circumstances, teams will agree to it. With a no-trade clause, the team bears the risk. Its one-sided and may potentially cause long-term damage to a team. This is particularly the case in a salary cap world, where return on investment is critical and a failure to achieve may be fatal to a teams likelihood of success. The risk is amplified when a player with a no-trade demands a trade. As a result of having a no-trade, the player decides where he goes. Since his contract provides he cant be traded (despite ironically demanding a trade), the player is in complete control. As a result, the team foorfeits significant leverage in seeking a fair return on the player.dddddddddddd By way of example, if its known that St. Louis will only go to the Rangers, then there is no good reason for the Rangers to offer up an equal return. General managers rely on multiple teams bidding on a player to drive up the return. However, if a player says that of the four teams interested, he wont go to three, the teams hands are tied and its potential return is instantly undermined. Can that risk be mitigated? Yes. Give the player the no-trade clause he so deeply desires. However, include a trigger in the contract that provides that in the event the player demands a trade, he agrees to be traded to any team on a previously negotiated list of teams. That could, for example, be a list of 10 teams. That list was negotiated while the deal was being worked out - and is part of the contract. Lets be clear: the no-trade wouldnt be null and void. Rather, the no-trade would now qualified by the mutually-accepted list of teams. The sides negotiated the deal and the terms of the contract govern the relationship. If a provision is no longer convenient for either side, thats life. NHL player contracts dont account for irony. By structuring the contract this way, the player gets the assurance he wont be moved, while the team is able to better manage its risk. Otherwise absolute no-trade clauses tie the hands of teams and make it a real challenge to get a proper return on a player. ' ' '