r spending more than $200 million in?free-agent money over the offseason?and improving their defense. But not all of their issues are fixed. The New York Jets invested heavily last year in free agency and came out with 1

NEW YORK -- A flock of newcomers quickly swoops into Yankee Stadium and suddenly a team that wobbled all season turns into a playoff contender.So exactly whos gotten the New York Yankees flying so high? A rookie slugger, a fresh set of pitchers?Sure, theyve helped. But maybe its something more.Pigeon power , outfielder Aaron Judge said. Theyre fueling us.OK, go ahead and laugh. Then look at the Yankees record lately -- against the Blue Jays and Orioles, no less -- ever since dozens and dozens of pigeons began descending for picnics at the park.Besides, if the Royals can have a Rally Mantis, the Angels a Rally Monkey and the Cardinals a Rally Squirrel, why not a good-luck pack of pigeons?Sometimes, these birds arrive early, searching for new seeds that keep the grass so green and fresh. More than 85 of them recently roamed the yard before batting practice.Often, they stick around for the game, hardly ruffled by the balls that go whizzing past them.In the sixth inning last weekend against Tampa Bay, six gray pigeons lounged in medium left-center field, a half-dozen hung out in shallow center and seven others strolled in right-center. No surprise, moments later the Yankees hit back-to-back home runs to break open a scoreless game.Theyre fearless, longtime head groundskeeper Dan Cunningham said.Speedy, too.I dont worry about them too much because theyre pretty fast, star center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury said. They can take care of themselves.No birds have been hit yet. Certainly nothing like that spring training episode many years ago when a fastball by Randy Johnson struck a dove in mid-flight. And they arent pesky, like the seagulls that hover around AT&T Park late during San Francisco Giants games.Scorned and shooed away all around town, these pigeons relax at The House That Ruth Built. Oh, and they seem to prefer day games.When line drives get too close, they simply flap away and settle somewhere else, perhaps on the warning track in deep center or near the foul lines. Or they take off toward the scoreboard and stay there for a while, with a birds-eye view.Weve been watching them fly overhead, more and more of them, reliever Tommy Layne said. You just hope they dont unload on you.Cunningham said the birds come for the seeds that maintain the combination blue and rye grass. The stadium hosts the Yankees and the New York City FC team in Major League Soccer, making for a lot of reseeding late this summer.Plus, players who spit sunflower seeds provide tasty snacks.Overall, thats brought more and more feathered fans in the last month. Not that Cunningham minds.Im not a pigeon hater, he said. Its New York, theyre part of the scene here.A month ago, Judge homered in his first major league at-bat. He fits into the Yankees wave of the future, along with Gary Sanchez, Tyler Austin and the fittingly named Greg Bird.Judge has grown accustomed to sharing his surroundings with the other birds in right field.Actually started noticing them maybe about a week ago. Kind of started showing up in little bunches, he said. Started out with five or 10, now its 20, 30, 40. Just a big bunch of them out there now.I go for a ball in the gap, they start flying everywhere. Could cause a little bit of havoc, he said.Then again, pigeons have always had a place in this city.I dont mind them, Judge said. A little company in the outfield. Comprar Zapatillas Salomon Mujer . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger. Salomon Outban Mid Bottle . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. http://www.zapatillassalomonoutlet.es/zapatillas-salomon-hombre-baratas/salomon-outban-mid.html . -- Five former Kansas City Chiefs players who were on the team between 1987 and 1993 filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the team hid and even lied about the risks of head injuries during that time period when there was no collective bargaining agreement in place in the NFL. Salomon Kalalau Hombre . They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display. Salomon XT Wings 3 Hombre . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. While some might think its unfair to label players as free-agent busts three-quarters of the way through the season, the NFL is a bottom-line business, and results matter.If players?arent performing to the level of the deals they signed this offseason, judgments have to be made.Twelve poor games doesnt mean the player is a complete bust, though. Theres still time to bounce back from rough starts. Those who receive big money have the remainder of their contract to live up to expectations, as long as the team that signed them doesnt release them.Fans complain if their teams arent aggressive in free agency, but teams cant build only through free agency. They have to build through the draft and supplement their roster with free-agent signings. Sure, the 8-4?New York Giants deserve credit for spending more than $200 million in?free-agent money over the offseason?and improving their defense. But not all of their issues are fixed. The New York Jets invested heavily last year in free agency and came out with 10 wins, but now they are sitting near the bbottom of the league at 3-9.ddddddddddddHeres my ranking of the most disappointing free-agent deals from the 2016 offseason, taking into account the value of the deals they signed:1. Brock Osweiler, QB, Houston TexansThe Texans signed Osweiler to a four-year, $72 million deal this offseason, hoping to bring consistency at the quarterback position. Osweiler has been consistent -- consistently below average. He has 14 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Hes averaging a dreadful 5.8 yards per attempt. Anything below 6.4 is considered terrible. The Texans are averaging only 17.3 points per game, which is 3.9 points below their numbers from last season, when?Brian Hoyer?was playing quarterback. Houston has scored 24 points or more in only three games this season. Osweiler is 1-5 on the road. Whats worse: His slow start has allowed the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts to catch up to the Texans in the AFC South. ' ' '