Treffen, Stammtische etc. » . Seattle simply had no answers for Kaeperni

MIAMI -- Atlanta Braves left-hander Mike Minor is set to pitch in the major leagues for the first time this season. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez says Minor will start Friday night at home against San Francisco. The 26-year-old Minor has been slowed by shoulder soreness this season. Hes pitched five times in the minor leagues during rehabilitation games at three different levels. "We just wanted to make sure Mikey was healthy," Gonzalez said before Tuesday nights game at Miami. "But he feels good." Minor had urinary tract surgery on Dec. 31, delaying his spring schedule. After the shoulder soreness developed, he was shut down in spring training. Minor went 13-9 with a 3.21 ERA last year. He pitched a career-high 204 innings and led the team with 181 strikeouts. Even without Minor and other injured pitchers, the NL East-leading Braves top the majors with a 2.04 ERA going into the game against the Marlins. As for Fridays impending roster move when Minor comes off the disabled list, Gonzalez said it will likely be a pitcher who gets sent to the minors. "It will depend on who would benefit to go down and be stretched out (as a starter), and who will do a better job out of the bullpen," Gonzalez said. Vans Old Skool Outlet Italia . PETERSBURG, Fla. Old Skool Outlet Italia .C. -- Ryan Sproul scored the winner late in double overtime to lift the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 2-1 win over the Abbotsford Heat on Friday in Game 1 of their American Hockey League playoff series. http://www.oldskooloutlet.it/ . He spent the rest of the game making up for lost playing time. Green scored a career-high 36 points, including eight in overtime, and the Phoenix Suns beat Denver 112-107 on Tuesday night to hand the Nuggets their fifth consecutive loss. Vans Old Skool Scontate .C. -- Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe is resigning after 13 seasons at the school. Vans Old Skool Outlet . The 49ers announced the deal Thursday. San Francisco selected Kilgore in the fifth round of the 2011 draft out of Appalachian State. He has played in 33 regular-season games, plus all six playoff games the last two seasons. SEATTLE -- Richard Sherman did a CenturyLink Leap. Golden Tate grabbed a 12th Man flag and circled the field with it. Even team owner Paul Allen made an appearance and gave a victory speech. The Seattle Seahawks are headed to the Big Apple for the Super Bowl. "To see all our work that we put in -- the mornings, the nights, the weights, all your life, as a young player and in the NFL," Malcolm Smith said after his end zone interception with 22 seconds remaining clinched the 23-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. "Its amazing." Seattles top-ranked defence forced three fourth-quarter turnovers, and Russell Wilson threw a 35-yard touchdown pass on fourth down for the winning points. Seattle will meet Denver (15-3) for the NFL title in two weeks in the New Jersey Meadowlands. Its the first trip to the big game for the Seahawks (15-3) since they lost to Pittsburgh after the 2005 season. The conference champs had the best records in the league this year, the second time the top seeds have gotten to the Super Bowl in 20 seasons. It also is a classic confrontation of Denvers record-setting offence led by Peyton Manning against the NFLs stingiest defence. Denver opened as a 1-point favourite over Seattle on the Glantz-Culver Line. "It will be a great matchup," coach Pete Carroll said. "I think its an extraordinary opportunity to go against a guy that set all the records in the history of the game." Moments after Sherman tipped Colin Kaepernicks pass to Smith for the interception, the All-Pro cornerback jumped into the stands behind the end zone, saluting the Seahawks raucous fans. With 12th Man flags waving everywhere, and "New York, New York" blaring over the loudspeakers, CenturyLink Field rocked like never before. "Thats as sweet as it gets," said Sherman, who also went into several rants about 49ers wideout Michael Crabtree, whom he called a "sorry receiver." "This is really special," added Carroll, who has turned around the Seahawks in four seasons in charge. "It would really be a mistake to not remember the connection and the relationship between this football team and the 12th Man and these fans. Its unbelievable." San Francisco (14-5) led 17-13 when Wilson, given a free play as Aldon Smith jumped offside, hurled the ball to Jermaine Kearse, who made a leaping catch in the end zone. Steven Hauschka then kicked his third field goal following Kam Chancellors pick, and Smith intercepted in the end zone on the 49ers final possession. "This feels even sweeter, with the amazing support we have had from the 12th Man," Allen said, comparing this Super Bowl trip to the previous one. Until Seattles top-ranked defence forced a fumble and had two interceptions in the final period, the game was marked by big offensive plays in the second half. That was somewhat shocking considering the strength of both teams defences. And those plays came rapidly. Marshawn Lynch, in full "Beast Mode," ran over a teammate and then outsped the 49ers to the corner of the end zone for a 40-yard TD, making it 10-10. Kaepernick then was responsible for consecutive 22-yard gains, hitting Crabtree, then rushing to the Seattle 28. His fumble on the next play was recovered by centre Jonathan Goodwiin, who even lumbered for 2 yards.dddddddddddd Anquan Boldin outleapt All-Pro safety Earl Thomas on the next play for a 26-yard touchdown. Then, Doug Baldwin, who played for 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh at Stanford, stepped up -- and through San Franciscos coverage -- on a scintillating 69-yard kickoff return that made the stadium shake for the first time all day. That set up Hauschkas 40-yard field goal. And a frantic finish. Seattle took its first lead on Wilsons throw to Kearse with 13:44 left, and CenturyLink rocked again. The place went silent soon after when Niners All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman sustained an ugly left knee injury midway and was carted off. Bowman, who was having a huge game, had forced a fumble at the San Francisco 1, but Lynch recovered. "I never heard him yell like that, or even stay down for a moment," teammate Patrick Willis said of Bowman. The Seahawks had gotten their first turnover moments earlier when Cliff Avril stripped Kaepernick and Michael Bennett recovered. But Lynch and Wilson botched a handoff on fourth down on the play after Bowmans injury. It took only two plays for Chancellor to haul in Kaepernicks underthrow to Boldin, and Hauschkas 47-yarder ended the scoring. But not the excitement. Kaepernick, who rushed for 130 yards, got San Francisco to the Seattle 18 with his arm. But his pass for Crabtree was brilliantly tipped by Sherman to Smith. "We knew it would come down to us in the back end to win this thing," Sherman said. The final play was similar to last years Super Bowl ending, when Kaepernick missed Crabtree in the end zone from the 5 and Baltimore survived. "Its tough. Any time you get this close to the Super Bowl and lose, its pretty upsetting," tight end Vernon Davis said. "We just didnt get it. Weve been down this road before in the same kind of situation. Its hard." Whether it was nerves or just a great play by Aldon Smith, Wilson fumbled on Seattles first snap. Smith got credit for a sack and a recovery, too -- a defenders dream -- at the Seahawks 15. More staunch defence followed, this time by Seattle, which held and only gave up Phil Dawsons 25-yard field goal. Seattle simply had no answers for Kaepernicks runs, looking either flat-footed or plain-out lost when he took off. He gained 98 yards on the ground in the first half, including a 58-yard second-quarter run, the longest of his three-year career and the longest Seattles defence allowed all season. But he was less effective in the second half and was plagued by turnovers. Wilson came up with a huge improvisation of his own moments after Kaepernicks long jaunt. Wilson avoided the rush with some nifty scrambling before spotting Baldwin behind the defence for a 51-yard pickup. All it resulted in was Hauschkas 32-yard field goal, making it 10-3. Baldwin finished with six receptions for 106 yards. And now its on to New Jersey, where Carroll once coached the Jets for a season. That didnt end well -- he was fired so the team could hire Rich Kotite. He heads back with a chance to add a Super Bowl crown to two national titles as coach at Southern California. "Its quite a magical moment," Carroll said. "You cant really grasp the moment. Did we really do this?" Yep -- the Seahawks and their 12th Man. ' ' '