In a franchise that has no time for spotlights, with a roster that has no interest in headlines, R. Chris Ivory Bills Jersey .C. Buford may be the very embodiment of the all-for-one San Antonio Spurs. For more than two decades he has toiled in the shadows, happy to let the attention fall on coach Gregg Popovich and the team that Buford has played such a pivotal role in assembling. He quietly -- happily -- lives in the back channels and has built a reputation as one of the most respected executives in the NBA. Yet for all his impressive work over the previous 11 years as a general manager and architect of the most enduring success story in modern American sports, Buford had never been honoured by his peers as the leagues executive of the year. Until now. Buford won the award Wednesday, and as is the custom in the Alamo City, did as much as he could to downplay his significant contributions to a team that posted the best record in the NBA. "I think its not why we do what we do," Buford said. "I think its a great honour for the group of people that have been here and have been through here that have built and an ownership group thats allowed a continuity to build a program that were proud of so to be recognized as a program that people respect by your peers, thats rewarding." That Buford had never won the award before while helping to put together a team that won four championships and has posted a staggering 15 straight 50-win seasons has been one of the great mysteries in league annals. Hes helped put the Spurs at the forefront of the international invasion, implemented a system that demands commitment and humility over recognition and individual achievement, and has been partly responsible for so many teams pilfering his staff to run front offices or teams across the league. Yet he may have finally earned the award in his 12th season as GM because of what he didnt do. In the wake of a devastating loss to Miami in the NBA Finals last season, Buford didnt panic. He didnt give up on an aging Manu Ginobili. He didnt let Tiago Splitter get lured away by big money elsewhere. He followed the Spurs creed: Stay the course. Believe in the system. Never give in to outside influence. While other teams chased huge stars and made big splashes, Buford quietly re-signed Ginobili and Splitter and added second-tier free agent Marco Belinelli. The moves werent flashy, but were exactly what the Spurs, who enter Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on Friday night leading Portland 1-0, needed to recover from that bitter defeat. "Its pretty cool," Popovich said. "Were all excited for him; long overdue. Hes done a great job for a very long time. Were giving him the requisite amount of you-know-what all over the offices. He walks down the halls we hit the walls we hit the sides to make room for him." Buford received nine first-place votes and 58 total points to win the award. Phoenixs Ryan McDonough (47) finished second for his superb job in turning the Suns from an afterthought into a 48-win team that just missed the playoffs. Neil Olshey, who added Robin Lopez, Dorell Wright and Thomas Robinson to bolster the Trail Blazers depth and get them into the playoffs, finished third in the voting with 34 points. Torontos Masai Ujiri and Miamis Pat Riley rounded out the top five. Popovich and Buford have made the Spurs the envy of the league, assembling one of the most uniquely stable systems in professional sports built around Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Ginobili, a trio that has won three championships together and keep coming back for more. "Weve been working with each other for a long time," Popovich said. "We participate in everything. Its been a great relationship in that regard. We share everything its benefited both of us and the organization without a doubt. Just having that ability to communicate and having an owner that allows us to do that." Popovich gets more of the credit for making the Spurs machine go, and thats just fine with Buford. But most around the league, and certainly everyone in San Antonio, recognizes what a big role Buford has played in helping the Spurs avoid the teardowns that almost every franchise has endured since he and Pop took over. "You recognize how difficult that is and how fortunate weve been that an ownership group has allowed us to stay together and have the opportunity to survive through the growing pains," Buford said. "To have a group of players that have wanted to be a part of what this community of San Antonio and what our fans mean to them. To have wanted to stay with an ownership group the sacrifices that theyve made to make this a unique environment and then how theyve handled themselves that presents a platform that other players want to come join. "Again, were not in this to win an award. Were in this to try to win a championship. Thats the reward were all hoping for." Vontae Davis Bills Jersey . The first of the three games will be played in Week 4, when the Oakland Raiders will take on the Miami Dolphins on Sept. Jim Kelly Jersey . Calgarys Bo Levi Mitchell and Montreals Troy Smith will be the starting quarterbacks in a CFL season-opener for the first time in their careers. Both want to reinforce their No. 1 status. You can watch the game live in the first half of a doubleheader on TSN and TSN GO at 3:00pm et/Noon pt. http://www.shoptheofficialbills.com/Elite-Star-Lotulelei-Bills-Jersey/ .com) - The Tennessee Titans agreed to terms with running back Jackie Battle on a one-year contract Friday.The idea that the PGA Tour calendar is too full depends on how you look at the calendar.In this new world of the wraparound season, it seems as though golf never ends. There was a three-week break between the end of one season (Tour Championship) and the start of another (Frys.com Open). And then the PGA Tour takes a seven-week break before resuming the new season in Kapalua.But is that much different from 10 years ago?The PGA Tour had 44 consecutive weeks of golf in 2004 from Jan. 8 at Kapalua until Nov. 7 at the Tour Championship. That schedule included three tournaments held the same week as World Golf Championships, the B.C. Open opposite the British Open and the Texas Open the same week as the Ryder Cup.The tour had 43 weeks of golf in 2014, with the three-week break built around the Ryder Cup in the early fall and the final tournament Nov. 16 in Mexico. And there were only three opposite-field events the same week as three WGCs (Doral, Firestone, Shanghai).Is the new fall start any different from the old fall finish? Now it starts in California and goes to Las Vegas, Sea Island, two in Asia, one in Mississippi and Mexico. Ten years ago, the lineup after the majors included Hartford, Canada, Tampa and now-defunct tournaments at Disney and 84 Lumber. There also was a WGC thrown in the mix.Go back even further. Twenty years ago, the PGA Tour schedule featured 43 consecutive weeks of tournaments. That was right about the time the WGCs were being discussed, and a decade before the FedEx Cup was even an idea.The biggest change might be the golf that isnt being played.Back in 1994 when the Tour Championship ended (at Olympic Club — those were the days) on Oct. 30, there were six tournaments as part of the silly season. That included the Lincoln-Mercury at Kapalua, the Shark Shootout, Skins Game, JC Penney Mixed-Team Classic and the Diners Club Matches.Either way, there was never a shortage of golf. That much hasnt changed.___HAWAII FIVE-O: A friendship in Hawaii has led to Michelle Wie making her first cameo on a television series.Wie met actor Daniel Dae Kim through mutual friends in Hawaii — Wie was born and raised in Honolulu, while Kim has been living in paradise with his wife and children toward the latter years of his role in the miniseries Lost.Kim played in Wies charity Ping-Pong event after she won an LPGA Tour event in Hawaii this year. He was working on a movie in Atlanta in June when he drove over to Pinehurst No. 2 to watch Wie win her first major at the U.S. Womens Open.That led to Wie getting a small part in an episode of Hawaii 5-0, on which Kim plays Chin Ho Kelly. Wie shot the episode this weekend while in Hawaii. Still unknown is her role, although agent Jamie Kuhn says Wie is playing herself.Wie took an Instagram sitting in a directors chair, flashing the hang loose sign and adding, Officially an actress now with three emoticons crying of laughter.___MASTERS BID ON THE LINE: The Dubai Open on the Asian Tour is the final golf tournament of 2014, and more than a trophy is riding on the outcome.It likely will determine who gets into the Masters.Danny Willett of England has made a late surge with his tie for fourth in Turkey, his victory in the Nedbank Challenge and a tie for fourth last week in the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa. He is No. 51 in the world, though he will go to No. 50 ahead of Kevin Streelman in the final ranking of thee year. Tremaine Edmunds Bills Jersey. ommy Fleetwood has eight top-15 finishes in his last 13 events, including a fourth-place finish in Thailand. He is at No. 52.Fleetwood is playing the Dubai Open, and he could pass Willett for the 50th spot in the world ranking depending on how he fares.The top 50 in the final world ranking of the year get invitations to the Masters. Streelman will fall out of the top 50, though he already has earned a spot at Augusta National next year with his victory at the Travelers Championship.___RICKIE IN THE UAE: Rickie Fowler is starting 2015 with back-to-back weeks in the desert — but in two parts of the world.Fowler is the latest American to sign up for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Jan. 15-18. After taking the following week off, he will make his U.S. debut in the Phoenix Open before what amounts to a home game at Torrey Pines.Im looking forward to it, Fowler said. Ive never been there. Ive heard good things. The world ranking points are good. And I look at it as an opportunity to see other places. This is one of those times to do it.Tiger Woods played in Abu Dhabi in 2012 and 2013, while Phil Mickelson was a runner-up at Abu Dhabi in 2014.___ANNIKA DESIGN: Annika Sorenstams golf project hits close to home. Annika Course Design has been hired to build a seaside course 20 minutes outside the capital of Estonia, a project geared around a family leisure resort and spa.Sorenstam, a 10-time major champion from Sweden, will be working with European Golf Design on the Annika Course at Estonian Golf & Country Club. It is to open in 2019 along with 50 of the planned 150 rooms at the resort.This will be her fifth golf course design overseas, and her first in Europe.Its exciting to be designing my first golf course in Europe, especially one that is close to home, Sorenstam said. The golf industry has been talking a lot about the need to develop golf facilities that are more flexible and family friendly, and Estonian Golf & Country Club is actually making it happen.The course will replace the clubs existing nine-hole course and complement the Sea Course, a qualifying site for the 2011 World Cup.___DIVOTS: The Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua is sharing the good fortune for an ace. If a player makes a hole-in-one on the par-3 eighth hole during the tournament, the player gets a 2015 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 and his caddie will receive a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The bad news? Lucas Glover in 2006 is the only player to make an ace on No. 8 during competition. ... A scholarship has been created to honour Ron Balicki, the former Golfweek magazine writer who died in April of cancer. The Ron Balicki Scholarship will be given each year at the NCAA Championship to honour and encourage journalism and writing students with an interest in writing about college and amateur golf. ... Padraig Harrington has received an exemption to the Phoenix Open.___STAT OF THE WEEK: Brendon de Jonge has played 72 tournaments worldwide the last two years, the most of anyone in the top 100 in the world ranking.___FINAL WORD: I cant remember the golf course because I was only 9 years old. The only thing about the golf course that I remember is that I got blown over on one of the tee boxes and Dad had to pick me up. — Charley Hull, who won a Ladies Golf Union championship at Turnberry in 2005. The links course will host the Ricoh Womens British Open next year. Cheap Jerseys Online Wholesale Black NFL Jerseys Youth NFL Jerseys Wholesale Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping ' ' '