And a very happy birthday ahead of Friday to Scotlands greatest rugby player. Such titles are inherently subjective and arbitrary, but it was the one conferred last year on Gary Armstrong, who turns 50 on September 30, by the Herald, a paper with a long record of sane and serious coverage of the Scottish game.Armstrong, who won 51 caps at scrum-half between 1988 and 1999, squeezed ahead of Gordon Brown and Andy Irvine at the top of the Glasgow-based papers list of Scotlands all-time greatest 50. ESPNs own John Griffiths in 2003 rated him number 6 in his top 50, with Irvine at No.1, ahead of Gavin Hastings and post-war flanker Doug Elliott.Certainly few players have been more warmly regarded by a greater range of compatriots, not all of them natural rugby fans. Gregor Townsend has recalled his experience as a student of walking into an Edinburgh biker bar whose walls were decorated with news cuttings about Armstrong.It also helps to have been associated with some of the happiest moments in Scotlands rugby history. Armstrong and prop Paul Burnell were the common factors in both the Grand Slam of 1990 and the Five Nations title in 1999. His deft pass was perhaps the key moment in the creation of Tony Stangers decisive try in the 1990 Grand Slam decider against England.Those 51 caps spread across a dozen years might not look so impressive to modern eyes. But there was less international rugby in the era either side of the shift to professional in 1995, and Armstrong was unlucky enough with serious injuries to devote an entire chapter of his autobiography to his medical mishaps. Scotland played 89 matches in all between his debut against Australia in October 1988 and his final appearance against the All Blacks 11 years later.He was also an unlucky Lion. He made the party to Australia in 1989, but was kept out of the tests by Robert Jones -- a rivalry which, to the credit of both, generated friendship and mutual respect -- on Armstrongs own reckoning at that time probably the best scrum-half in the world. Forced to settle on that tour for membership of a memorably happy and effective midweek squad, Donals Doughnuts, led by Irish lock Donal Lenihan, he was slated for a bigger role on the 1993 trip to New Zealand. Coach Ian McGeechan reckoned him likely to be the first name on the team-sheet, but he was ruled out of the tour by a serious groin injury.His home town of Jedburgh ranks a little behind Hawick or Galashiels as a Border hotbed, the Jed-Forest club a periodic rather than a consistent contender for honours. But it provided Scotland with world-class scrum-halves for two decades. Armstrong emerged in succession to Roy Laidlaw, Scotlands scrum-half of the 1980s -- the two facing each other in one final Scottish trial before Laidlaw retired at the end of the 1988 Five Nations.Some commentators were incredulous that the same small club could provide Scotland with consecutive number nines -- in the process squeezing out heir apparent Greig Oliver -- but as Armstrong pointed out he did not just appear out of the blue, having played at youth, under-18, under-21 and B levels before winning his first senior cap.He was, he recalled in his memoirs always a scrum-half. I must have looked like a scrum-half from day one and that was where I was put. Usually identified as the extra loose forward type of scrum-half, he always offered rather more than that.He was fearsomely committed, a quality which made him a favourite of notoriously demanding Scotland coach Jim Telfer. David Sole, the abrasive leader of the 1990 Grand Slam team, said that if you were picking one guy to go over the top you would pick Gary Armstrong. He would put his body on the line for the cause -- a phenomenal player with incredible courage. Jonny Wilkinson, a team mate at Newcastle in the later 1990s, thought of him as the junk-yard dog.But he was much more than a rugged auxiliary to the fine back rows Scotland could field in the 1990s. His aim was to keep opponents guessing, never sure whether he would pass, break or kick. The golden rule was never, ever to give his half-back partner bad ball, a priority he kept to the extent that legendary Scottish commentator Bill McLaren, writing at a time when Armstrong had already amassed 30 caps, could not recall an occasion on which he passed on rubbish ball to his partner.And he had a wider range of skills than is often remembered. Like every other team-mate, Townsend admired his toughness and commitment, but for me, his kicking game and ability to break tackles were just as impressive. Taking a therapeutic career break from the pressures of playing scrum-half in 1993, he had sufficient all-round ball-playing skills to appear at outside-half, full-back and centre for Jed-Forest before the needs of both club and country compelled a return to the number nine shirt.And he got smarter as he got older, using the opportunity to dedicate himself full-time after the switch to professionalism post-1995 to develop his game -- Townsend noting that playing and training as a professional for Newcastle had made him a more rounded player. He no longer played like a ninth forward and his first option was to quickly get the ball in my hands.His Scotland career might have ended much sooner than it did. There were the injuries, that sabbatical in the 1993-4 season and numerous offers to move to rugby league. His autobiography details how close he came to signing for the Carlisle club before a background check revealed the league teams financial instability.A lorry driver in the pre-professional eras, he was a significant beneficiary of the transformation post 1995. He was not only paid his considerable worth by the original big-money club, with whom he won an English championship in 1998, but extended his career by several seasons.His 1995 autobiography made it clear that the prospect of after-dinner speaking was enough to put him off becoming captain -- although he was a keen participant in the less formal aspects of post-match banquets -- but he wound up leading his country, captaining Scotland to the final Five Nations championship before ending with the 1999 World Cup match against the All Blacks.Scotland has hardly been ill-served since at scrum-half. Bryan Redpath and Andy Nicol were the immediate competitors to succeed him, while Mike Blair, Chris Cusiter and Greig Laidlaw have ensured that, whatever their limitations elsewhere, Scotland have fielded consistent quality in the number nine shirt.But where Armstrong left Scotland as champions they have not won, or come near to winning, a title in the 17 seasons since. Coincidence? One rather suspects not. Cheap Air Max 2017 . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. Wholesale Air Max Shoes . Perhaps Carroll was so prepared for a break because he believes there is very little the Seattle Seahawks need heading into the off-season. "I dont see anything that we need to add. We just have to get better," Carroll said. http://www.airmaxshoescheaponline.com/ . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. Cheap Air Max Shoes . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. Air Max Shoes Online . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Wake Forests guards did what theyre supposed to do -- make shots, take care of the ball and pass it to teammates who can score. The result: Another lopsided win to open the season.Keyshawn Woods scored 22 points with five of Wake Forests 13 3-pointers in a 94-74 win over Bucknell on Sunday.John Collins added 19 points and Mitchell Wilbekin had 13 to help the Demon Deacons (2-0) sweep a short, season-opening homestand, with this win coming less than 48 hours after a 21-point rout of Radford.Dinos Mitoglou finished with 11 points and Austin Arians had 10 for Wake Forest, which shot 50 percent both from the field and behind the arc, while matching a high for 3-pointers under third-year coach Danny Manning. The Demon Deacons also made 13 in a loss at Virginia Tech last January .Youre not going to shoot 50 percent from the 3-point line on a regular basis, Manning said. Were going to have to make shots throughout the course of the year to have success.Another stat may have thrilled him even more: Wake Forests four guards -- Bryant Crawford, Brandon Childress, Woods and Wilbekin -- combined for 16 assists and no turnovers. Eight of those assists belonged to Crawford.Ill take that every game, Manning said.Zach Thomas scored 16 points and Kimbal Mackenzie finished with 15 for the Bison (1-1), who shot 45 percent and clawed back into the game by turning 15 offensive rebounds into 22 second-chance points.Manning has said this is the best outside shooting team hes had in Winston-Salem, and it was hard to argue against that while the Demon Deacons made seven of their first nine 3-pointers to put Bucknell in an early hole.After the Bison pulled within single digits for the final time early in the second half, Wake Forest hit three more 3s in the span of four possessions -- including a four-point play by Arians -- to build a comfortable lead it wouldnt give back.ddddddddddddEvery time we made a mistake, and sometimes when we didnt, they made it, Bucknell coach Nathan Davis said.BIG PICTUREBucknell: Though they still havent beaten a team in the Atlantic Coast Conference at the time since 1961, the Bison showed signs that they will be a factor in the Patriot League race with a knack for getting to loose balls and turning them into buckets. But fouls were a problem for the Bison, who had two players pick up their fourth fouls in the first half. Davis said his team showed a lot of character in clawing back from 16 points down and had a chance to make it interesting.Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons took care of business this weekend with those two easy wins to get them prepared for even bigger challenges at the Charleston Classic -- where well surely learn more about what this teams ceiling ultimately is. Defending national champion Villanova likely awaits in a later round.STAT SHEETWake Forest was 23 of 29 from the free-throw line while Bucknell was just 5 of 9.TIP-INSBucknell fell to 11-52 against current ACC members with nine of those wins coming against Pittsburgh -- all before the Panthers joined their new league. ... This was just the seventh time under Manning that Wake Forest reached double figures in 3-pointers.UP NEXTBucknell: The Bison return home to face Robert Morris on Wednesday night before beginning play in the Las Vegas Invitational.Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons head to Charleston, South Carolina, for three games in the Charleston Classic, starting with a matchup with UTEP on Thursday.---Follow Joedy McCreary at http://twitter.com/joedyap---More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jersyes Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '