SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Panthers coach Ron Rivera said the idea of labelling right tackle Mike Remmers as a Super Bowl goat is completely absurd.Sure, Remmers got beat twice on the edge by Von Miller last February, resulting in a pair of strip-sacks against Cam Newton that led to 15 points in a 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.And yes, Miller was honored as the games MVP, while Remmers was left answering questions about his inability to block one of the NFLs best pass rushers.But Rivera has staunchly defended Remmers, saying the criticism is unwarranted.People didnt understand what we were trying to do in terms of our protection, Rivera said.Rivera said the Panthers coaches and players made some mistakes across the board but to blame it on one guy and finger-point without really knowing is very unfair.Remmers, who is back as the teams starting right tackle this season, doesnt like to talk about the game saying it took him about 24 hours to put the loss behind him.Im not worried about that at all, Remmers said. Its a new season, a new beginning, a new everything.The big question is where does Remmers go from here -- will he be able to bounce back and have a great career, or will he forever be haunted by the memory of allowing two sacks on the games biggest stage?Remmers isnt the first player to struggle in the Super Bowl, of course.Hall of Fame tight end Jackie Smith retired after dropping a key pass in the end zone from Roger Staubach in Dallas Super Bowl 13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.Buffalos Scott Norwood only played one more season with the Bills after his potential game-winning field goal from 47 yards infamously sailed wide right against the New York Giants, beginning a string of four straight Super Bowl losses for the Bills.And Oakland Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon never completely recovered from his five-interception performance against Tampa Bay in Super Bowl 37.All of those players were near the tail end of their NFL careers anyway.Remmers is different.Hes 27 and viewed as a key cog in Carolinas highly regarded offensive line.General manager Dave Gettleman is quick to point out the Panthers are 22-4 since Remmers took over as their starting right tackle late in the 2014 season.Thats one of the reasons he didnt attempt to replace Remmers this offseason, instead signing him to a one-year restricted free agent tender of $2.5 million.Its easy to forget that two weeks before the Super Bowl the Panthers racked up 49 points against the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC championship game behind a dominant performance by their offensive line. Or that Carolina finished second in the league in rushing and first in scoring in 2015.I have absolute confidence in Mike Remmers, Rivera said. Ive got no issue with Mike Remmers.He has the support of his teammates, too.Five-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil said the Panthers are a better team with Remmers at right tackle. Kalils brother, Matt, plays left tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, so he knows just how difficult it is to be left on an island.Listen, Mike is a big reason for our success last year, Kalil said in defense of his teammate. Football is a team game so a lot of time people like to highlight players and look for scapegoats on certain things. So by no means is it one guys fault for winning or losing a football game.Remmers said hes continued to work on his technique and getting better.Hes leaned on the support of his wife, Kelly, and his teammates. Hes also entered a new phase of life, becoming a father in the offseason, which has helped put things in perspective.Norwood told the Buffalo News earlier this year that his missing the field goal against the Giants was like when I think about my parents and when they died. People always say time will take care of that. I dont think it really does.Remmers doesnt seem to be letting it affect him the same way. Perhaps he feels there is just too much football left to play in his young career.I can learn from every game, Remmers said. If you stop learning, you stop playing.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Sabres Jerseys China .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center. Cheap Sabres Jerseys . 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. http://www.customsabresjersey.com/ . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. Custom Sabres Jersey China . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. Custom Sabres Jerseys . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East.PHILADELPHIA -- Steve Mason was about to tee off on the back nine when Brayden Schenn interrupted with a breaking report. "Have you heard the news," Schenn asked. A puzzled Mason had no clue what Schenn was about to spill: Ilya Bryzgalov had his contract bought out by the Philadelphia Flyers. When it comes to Flyers goaltenders, Mason is suddenly the leader in the clubhouse. Mason finished his round with a solid day on the course and the realization that he is, for now, Philadelphias No. 1 goalie entering next season. Sure, his solid month as a Flyer after he was acquired from Columbus merited a deeper look from the organization. But the Flyers mostly wanted to get rid of the flaky Russian who never performed up to the $51 million, nine-year deal he signed in 2011. Mason has the chance to prove hes more the goalie who was the NHLs rookie of the year in 2008-09 and not the one who posted a goals-against average of 3-plus each of the next three seasons. "Im prepared to be the No. 1 guy," Mason said by phone from Toronto. "I feel Ive come a long way in the last few years in the growing-up process of being a goaltender in the NHL." Mason had it all figured out when he went 33-20-7 with 10 shutouts and won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2008-09, the only season the Blue Jackets have made the playoffs. But Mason and Columbus could never recapture that fleeting success again. He fell to 20 wins and five shutouts the next season, and hasnt had a winning record since he was a rookie. He bottomed out in 2011-12 with a 16-26-3 mark. Mason lost his job to eventual Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky, a former flyer, and was traded away by Columbus in April. He called the last few years "extremely humbling." "You almost hit rock bottom in terms of the way you feel about yourself as a goaltender," Mason said. "It got to the point in Columbus where I was struggling to find my confidence and also, struggling to come to the rink happy about playing hockey." Only 25, Mason appreciated a fresh start in Philadelphia. He instantly bonded with goalie coach Jeff Reesse, and a 4-2 record with a 1.dddddddddddd90 goals-against made him a hit with his teammates and management. He signed a $1.5 million, one-year extension shortly after the trade. "Im a big Steve Mason fan," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. "I know theres a short window that we got to watch him here, but he played very well. Even the game he lost, he played well." Holmgren has to add another goalie to play with Mason. But he expected the bulk of the playing time to be thrust on Mason. The Flyers went 23-22-3 and were 10th in the Eastern Conference with 49 points in this lockout-shortened season. "I looked at coming to Philadelphia as a great new challenge," Mason said. "Regardless of the length of Bryzs contract, I was confident that if I played well, I was going to get an opportunity to play a lot of hockey games." Theres been a revolving door in net for Philadelphia for decades. They Flyers -- and their fans -- thought that was solved with Bryzgalovs arrival. Perhaps Mason can finally take that honour. "I was going to prepare myself this summer," Mason said, "to have the mindset of being able to handle the pressures of playing in Philadelphia and the pressures of being a No. 1 goaltender again in this league." Bryzgalov was 52-33-10 with a 2.61 goals-against and a .905 save percentage in the two seasons for Philadelphia, which failed to make the playoffs this year. Bryzgalovs quirky personality and sometimes brutal honesty with the media didnt always endear him to teammates. But the Flyers say that didnt factor into this decision. Coach Peter Laviolette and Holmgren have each checked in with Mason this summer, though not since the trade. "It was an extremely easy team to come into," Mason said. "and feel welcomed." Example? Mason was invited along with captain Claude Giroux and other Flyers to play in Scott Hartnells charity golf tournament in Canada. Thats when word hit that Bryz was out -- and Mason was in. "It wasnt a celebration," Mason said. "It was, heres an opportunity and go with it." ' ' '