Grüße und Vorstellung » when he couldnt afford a good seat at their games

SUNRISE, Fla. Keke Coutee Jersey . -- Vincent Violas first event as owner of the Florida Panthers opened in a manner worthy of a West Point graduate like himself, with a colour guard presenting a U.S. flag and an Army sergeant singing the national anthem. Viola sang along and clapped at the end. His enthusiasm was evident, as he hopes it will be in his new role. Viola was formally introduced as the Panthers principal owner, chairman and governor on Friday, after spending $250 million for the team and the operating rights to the BB&T Center, where Florida plays its home games. "We understand the privilege of the stewardship that ownership of a sports franchise really means," Viola said. "We dont really own anything. The players sweat, sacrifice their health in later years to do well on the ice, to provide the right feeling and connection to the fans. Its about the players and the fans and our service to those two respective groups that will determine our success. I really, truly believe that." Viola also gets the Saveology.com Iceplex where the Panthers train, along with teams development partnership with Boyd Gaming, an effort to put a casino adjacent to that arena. His acquisition of the Panthers happened quickly, starting about a month ago when he asked NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to have lunch. "A very nice lunch," Bettman said. Must have been, since Viola didnt wait around to complete the deal. He and his family -- his sons are hockey-mad -- plan to relocate to South Florida soon, and Viola said hes already assured general manager Dale Tallon that any resources the team needs to move closer to the ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup will be available. As part of the deal, Douglas Cifu takes over as the Panthers vice chairman, partner and alternate governor. Team president Michael Yormark was promoted, now getting chief executive officer as part of his title. "When you think back at the 20-year history of this team ... there has been one constant," Bettman said. "South Florida has always been an important, terrific hockey market for us and weve had passionate, loyal fans for the Florida Panthers. Well, today, we open a new chapter." Viola is the chairman and CEO of Virtu Financial, an electronic trading firm with offices in the U.S., Singapore and Ireland. Hes taking over a franchise that has been to the playoffs only once since 2000 and finished with the fewest points in the NHL last season. Then again, his resume shows hes never hidden from a challenge. Viola is a graduate of West Point, once chaired the New York Mercantile Exchange and was so moved by the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks that he decided to found a centre devoted to helping military officials combat terrorism. Viola helped ensure that the mercantile exchange reopened quickly after the attacks on the World Trade Center, earning him a citation saying in part that "his actions embody the American Spirit in its most noble form." "With Vinnie as the principal owner, we are going to be looking at an era where I think there will be unprecedented commitment," Bettman said. "Vinnie represents a focus and a determination to bring out excellence, commitment, hard work, teamwork, and hell make sure that the resources that this club needs -- not only to be competitive, but to be a winning, successful team -- will be available to the club and to the players." Viola said he has a long hockey background, as a fan. The Brooklyn native was a New York Rangers fan going back to the early 1960s, when he couldnt afford a good seat at their games, or really one that allowed him any decent view of the ice. Eventually, his seat kept getting better. And he said watching the Panthers at the end of last season provided him with the intuition that the time was right to call Bettman and start thinking about getting a view from an owners suite. "Its poised to win," Viola said of the Panthers. "And Im committed." Jordan Akins Jersey . The Earthquakes (6-9-7) were coming off a 5-0 loss at home last Saturday to FC Dallas. Even with the draw, the Sounders (13-7-3) climbed back into a tie for both the Western Conference and overall top spot in MLS. Seattle, West co-leader Real Salt Lake and East leader Sporting Kansas City all have 42 points. Justin Reid Texans Jersey . The Flames are in the midst of a six-game slide (0-5-1), their longest losing streak since an 0-6-3 skid from Jan. 11-28, 2010. They havent won since Nov. 3 in Chicago and most recently went winless on a three-game homestand. http://www.texansrookiestore.com/Texans-Justin-Reid-Jersey/ .J. Fair didnt have many chances to be the main option for Syracuse last season.Quinn Smith will not be appealing his failed drug test. The Calgary Stampeders draft pick, taken seventh-overall, tested positive for a banned substance prior to the draft and released a statement through the team that he will not appeal the result. "I have been informed by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) that the B sample result from an out-of-competition doping control test on Mar. 21 in Toronto has confirmed the presence of Stanozolol metabolite,” Smith said. "I accept the consequences of the findings and will not be appealing. I would like to reiterate that I accept full responsibility for the result of the test. I assure everyone that it was not my intention to use a banned substance. I did not properly research the contents of supplements I obtained online and I will accept the consequences of not being as diligent and thorough as I should have been. The faullt is mine alone. Houston Texans Jerseys. "I apologize to the Canadian Football League, Canadian Interuniversity Sport, Concordia University and the Calgary Stampeders for the negative attention that has been resulted from this episode and can assure everyone that this will not happen again. I thank my family and friends for their continued support." Stampeders head coach John Hufnagel also released a statement. "After speaking to the young man, I believe his explanation of what took place,” Hufnagel said. “I am confident that he has learned from his error and that he will be much more careful in the future. I applaud Quinn for accepting responsibility for his mistake and I do not expect a reoccurrence of this situation." Smith will enter the league with a first violation, which subjects him to mandatory testing under the provisions of the CFLs drug policy. 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