Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork. Jack Johnson Jersey .com) - In his classic Velvet Underground song Who Loves The Sun, the late, great Lou Reed told us all the reasons why not everyone cares for that glowing orb in the sky. Im not sure if Dan Craig has ever heard that song, but he could relate with the sentiment. Craig may have the most important job when it comes time for the leagues annual Winter Classic. As the NHLs senior director of facilities operations, it is Craigs job to make sure the ice holds up outside among the elements and one of his biggest enemies in this fight is plain old sunshine. This year, of course, the New Years Day tradition is being held at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. The air temperature for the outdoor battle between the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals shouldnt be a problem for Craig and his team, as the thermometer isnt expected to climb above the mid-40s. The problem instead could be too much sun as forecasts are calling for little cloud cover Thursday afternoon when the Blackhawks and Caps are scheduled to do battle in the nations capital. Sunny days can cause the ice surface to melt ahead of the contest, something Craig and his crew will be diligent of as we creep closer to game time. However, the sunshine also could present an issue during the contest, as players may have to battle the glare reflecting off the surface. It was the latter problem which caused one of the NHLs many outdoor games last season -- a late January clash between the Devils and Rangers at Yankee Stadium -- to be delayed for over an hour. We could see a similar delay on Thursday but only because Craig puts a great deal of pressure on himself to ensure the players get to partake in something that looks and feels a lot like a normal NHL game. Its a game, and thats one of the things I never lose sight of, and within hockey operations, within our world, we never lose sight of it, Craig recently told NHL.com. This is a regular-season game and I want the guys to be able to play this as any regular-season game. As the novelty of the Winter Classic and other outdoor games continue to wear off, one of the most interesting aspects of this NHL phenomenon is the amount of preparation that goes into making these events work. Thanks to Craig and his handpicked ice crew, the league has a group of guys who are completely dedicated to getting the most out of every possible scenario Mother Nature throws their way. When there was heavy rain falling in D.C. on Christmas Eve, Craig and a few members of his team stayed in the area to monitor the situation. As the day of the event draws nearer, the crew is ready to spring into action at a moments notice to combat whatever issues happen to arise. I have guys on this crew now that have been here for six or seven years, and theyre very much aware that they can get a text message at 6 oclock in the morning that says, Get on the bus and get over here, Craig said. The key word for what Craig does is vigilance. Pulling off an outdoor hockey game is a battle right up until the moment the puck drops. Come Wednesday or Thursday, new obstacles could turn up and wreak havoc on Craigs plans because every day has the possibility to present an unexpected challenge. We wake up in the morning and whatever Mother Nature throws at us, thats what were prepared to deal with, Craig said. You dont know if you have things left to do. The checklist is prepared for tomorrow as a lead up to practice day, but you only have a couple rehearsals because come Thursday there is no more rehearsing. So, when youre watching the Winter Classic and youre wondering why the ice looks sloppy or why theres so many delays, just remember that isnt for a lack of trying on the NHLs part. In Craig, the league has found someone who is as dedicated to making the outdoor game feasible as you could imagine anyone being. And his team deserves a large share of the credit for what has become a special and surprisingly successful tradition for the NHL in the 21st century. For the sake of all the people who work so hard to make the Winter Classic work, lets hope the clouds cover up that pesky sun come New Years Day. Lukas Sedlak Jersey . Erik Cole scored on a breakaway with 4:49 to play, and the Stars rallied to defeat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Saturday night. Joonas Korpisalo Jersey . Thats what he did over the past 2 1/2 years with the Washington Wizards. Wittmans approach helped turn the Wizards from pushover to playoff winners. http://www.cheapbluejacketsjerseys.com/?tag=adidas-nick-foligno-jersey . FIFA said the suspension was requested by ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia, making Beckenbauer the first person to be punished as a result of the case. Beckenbauer refused "repeated requests for his assistance, including requests that he provide information during an in-person interview or in response to written questions provided in both English and German," FIFA said in a statement.SEATTLE - The last time Seattle punter Jon Ryan recalled throwing a pass that led to points, he was tossing a 2-point conversion for the University of Regina.Steven Hauschka couldnt recall attempting an onside kick in his four seasons with Seattle.And Chris Matthews only spent four weeks on the Seahawks active roster.While Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch will deservedly get the bulk of the attention for Seattles fourth-quarter comeback and eventual 28-22 overtime victory over Green Bay in the NFC championship on Sunday, the Seahawks would not have been in position for the comeback if not for special teams.Seattles win — that clinched a second straight Super Bowl trip — was filled with unlikely characters coming through in key moments.Tight end Luke Willson wasnt even supposed to be involved in the 2-point conversion he caught to give Seattle a 22-19 lead. DeShawn Shead, with all of 89 defensive snaps in the regular season, was forced into action in the second quarter when All-Pro Earl Thomas left with a shoulder injury.And Jermaine Kearse capped it all with his 35-yard touchdown catch in overtime.It just shows the character throughout, from top to bottom, for the entire team, said backup tackle Garry Gilliam, who caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ryan — who played his college ball in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan — in the third quarter for Seattles first points.At any given time, anyone can make a play, Gilliam added. Given the opportunity, youve just got to do it.Seattle didnt put the fake field goal into its game plan until Thursday. Ryan said anytime he was near head coach Pete Carroll or special teams coach Brian Schneider, he brought up wanting to run the play.Seattle noticed how hard the Packers crash their edge rushers on field goal attempts and wanted to take advantage of the pursuit. The original design was for Ryan to keep the ball and run, using his athleticism to try and get the corner.But when A.J. Hawk came up toward Ryan, he threw to the wide-open Gilliam.It was brought from the sideline and as long as we had thee look on the field that we want to go with we would stick with it, Ryan said. Cheap Blue Jackets Jerseys Authentic. While Ryan said the play happened quickly, Gilliam felt it took forever for the ball to find his hands. Gilliam was a tight end at Penn State before making the switch to tackle his senior season, believing that was the best chance at having a professional career.I saw the guy that would have been covering me shoot down, so I was like, Well the ball has to come to me at that point, Gilliam said. So at the point, just catch it and score.The fake field goal was the jump start Seattle needed. They were trailing 16-0, had just 120 yards of total offence and had committed four of their five turnovers.Thats what we needed. We needed seven points, Seattle cornerback Byron Maxwell said. We started little by little. That was the key, that got things rolling. The game shifted back our way.While the fake field goal was the start, the onside kick was the difference. Wilson had just scored with 2:09 left to pull within 19-14. Hauschka said very little is done in practice with onside attempts. The hope is to get the ball in the air and hope for a fortunate bounce.I thought he was going to catch it, Hauschka said of seeing Brandon Bostick initially get his hands on the ball. And then, its got a lot of spin on it. I guess youre lucky. Its a 50/50 ball after that.It was Seattles first successful onside kick since Oct. 4, 2009, at Indianapolis.Matthews was the recipient of being in the right spot. Matthews was in camp with Seattle, released at the end of August and then on and off the practice squad at various times of the season. He was signed to the active roster in early December, appearing in three games without catching a pass.But after recovering the onside kick and enjoying the on-field celebration, Matthews was overcome being part of what transpired.They set me up in the best position to succeed and I wanted to take full advantage of it, Matthews said. Hopefully I did what I had to do.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Cheap Diamondbacks Jerseys Cheap Braves Jerseys Cheap Orioles Jerseys Cheap Red Sox Jerseys Cheap Cubs Jerseys Cheap White Sox Jerseys Cheap Reds Jerseys Cheap Indians Jerseys Cheap Rockies Jerseys Cheap Tigers Jerseys Cheap Astros Jerseys Cheap Royals Jerseys Cheap Angels Jerseys Cheap Dodgers Jerseys Cheap Marlins Jerseys ' ' '