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BRESCIA, Italy -- Vincenzo Nibali coasted to the Giro dItalia title in the final stage of the three-week classic Sunday, while Mark Cavendish won the 21st leg in a sprint finish for his fifth victory in this years race. For Nibali, an Italian with the Astana team, the title cemented his status in an elite group of current riders considered capable of winning Grand Tours, along with Alberto Contador, Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins. Nibali took the overall leaders pink jersey after the seventh stage, never gave it up, and padded his lead by winning the final two mountain stages in dominating fashion. Wearing entirely pink, Nibali was celebrated by fans throughout the mostly ceremonial final stage. "It was a really unique emotion hearing all the fans cheering for me," Nibali said. "I really enjoyed this stage. It was unbelievable seeing all those people along the road. This victory crowns a lifes dream." Rigoberto Uran of Colombia finished second overall and Cadel Evans of Australia, the 2011 Tour de France winner, was third, 4:43 and 5:52 behind Nibali, respectively. Evans said from the start that he was using the Giro to prepare for the Tour. "Like I said from the first day, I came here to recover the days of racing I lost last year to illness and to get back to my best," Evans said. "Not looking at results, but in terms of objectives to work for, it was really successful. To be on the podium for what was, in some ways, just a training ride, is something." It was Cavendishs 15th win in his Giro career and 41st in cyclings three Grand Tours -- the Giro, Tour de France and Spanish Vuelta. He has a career total of 102 victories. "Ive always just wanted to win," Cavendish said. "Ive been addicted to it since I was a child. Just wanting to win brings the best out of everyone. Especially when you have a team built around you, you have to deliver 100 per cent. Thats what I try to do. If someone comes along who is faster, Ill go home, work harder, and come back faster the next year. Its as simple as this." The British rider with the Omega Pharma-Quick Step team clocked 5 hours, 30 minutes, 8 seconds over the 206-kilometre (128-mile) leg from Riese Pio X to Brescia. The stage route was altered slightly due to avoid passing through a few towns where local elections were being held. Italians Sacha Modolo and Elia Viviani finished second and third in the stage, respectively, with the same time as Cavendish. The end of the stage was held entirely in Brescia, over a 4.2-kilometre (2.6-mile) circuit that was completed seven times. Part of the circuit took riders over cobblestones. While much of the three-week race was characterized by wet and cold weather, including hard rain and even a snow blizzard in the penultimate stage Saturday, the final leg was held under clear skies. Cavendish also secured the red points jersey by winning an intermediate sprint with 16 kilometres (10 miles) to go. Its the first time he has won the points jersey at the Giro, adding it to his jerseys from the 2010 Vuelta and the 2011 Tour. "Im lucky, the peloton is full of gentlemen that were content to let me fight for the punch (red jersey)," Cavendish said. "Nibali could have fought for it, but he was content to go for the maglia rosa (pink jersey)." After Cavendishs sprint, Nibali rode across the finish with his arms raised. While Nibali is not planning to ride the Tour this year, he could attempt to win the Vuelta in August and September, and perhaps go for the world title in Florence, also in September. It was his second Grand Tour victory, having also won the 2010 Vuelta. He finished third in last years Tour behind the Team Sky duo of Wiggins and Froome. Wiggins began the Giro as one of the pre-race favourites but the British rider withdrew before the 13th stage due to a chest infection. Defending champion Ryder Hesjedal also pulled out at the same stage, citing a "deteriorating physical condition." A 28-year-old from Messina, Sicily, Nibali (prounounced NEE-ba-lee) is nicknamed the "Shark of the Strait," after the Straight of Messina. Giuseppe Martinelli, Nibalis team director at Astana, has now guided six different riders to a total of seven Grand Tour wins. His other wins came with Marco Pantani (who had two), Stefano Garzelli, Gilberto Simoni, Damiano Cunego and Alberto Contador. Nibali has twice finished on the Giro podium previously, placing third in 2010 and second in 2011 after Contador was stripped of victory for doping. Discount Baseball Jerseys .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place. 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For all the fond memories of yesteryear, the final season when ties were allowed in college football -- 1995 -- was a reminder of why they went away.The ties that season included a Pac-10 game that ended up deciding who went to the Rose Bowl; an ugly 3-3 snoozefest between Big Ten foes that was the final Division I game to finish tied; and a lower-level national title game that finished with co-champions and is believed to be the final college game to end deadlocked.Its the worst. Its the worst. Its like, `Why did we even play, is what you are thinking, said Darrell Bevell, current Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator and Wisconsin starting quarterback in 1995.Heres a look at three memorable ties from the final season before they were vanquished for good by a rules change that now provides both teams with chances to win in overtime:- Dec. 16, 1995. Central Washington 21, Findlay 21, NAIA Division II championship gameIts inconceivable that a championship game could finish in a deadlock. But thats what happened in the NAIA championship game.It was frustrating on both sides, said then-Central Washington coach Jeff Zenisek, now a high school coach about an hour southeast of Seattle. It was like, `Its not supposed to end like this. It just felt like, `Lets go out into the parking lot and finish this thing.The teams were aware the game could finish tied and in reality likely should have been decided in regulation. Down 14-0, Central Washington rallied behind quarterback Jon Kitna. His 7-yard touchdown pass to Todd Murray early in the fourth quarter pulled the Wildcats even at 21-21. But Central Washington missed a pair of field goal attempts in the fourth quarter, the last coming with 6 seconds left. Findlay took a knee on the final play rather than make a final desperation effort to provide a winner.We realized it but you really dont. The adrenaline is going and its like an automatic, `Lets get ready for overtime. And then all of a sudden it was like, `Oh, this is it, its over, Zenisek said. It was kind of a shock to both teams.Despite the unsatisfying result, the game was the catalyst for Kitnas lengthy NFL career. Then-Seattle Seahawks coach Dennis Erickson was in attendance at the title game to watch his nephew who played for Central Washington. Kitna was later signedd by the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent and eventually stuck around the NFL for parts of 14 seasons.dddddddddddd- Nov. 25, 1995. Wisconsin 3, Illinois 3.The final Division I game to finish tied is a painful memory for Bevell. Not so much for the result.It was the last game of my career and I ended up in the hospital with lacerated kidney, Bevell said.Bevell was injured late in the first half, sandwiched by Illinois Simeon Rice and Kevin Hardy. He was thought to have bruised ribs and remained in the game. Bevell remembered aggravating the injury in the second half getting pulled down from behind. Unable to continue, Bevell left the game with 3 minutes remaining and the Badgers facing a third down. The Badgers fumbled on the next play and Illinois missed a long field goal in the final minute.Once Bevell reached the locker room his condition was deemed more serious and was taken to a hospital where he was place in the intensive care unit. It wasnt until he was visited by coach Barry Alvarez that he found out the game finished 3-3, the second tie of the season for Wisconsin.I thought we were going to win if we could have gotten one more first down, Bevell said.- Oct. 28, 1995. Washington 21, USC 21.Washington was rolling toward at Pac-10 title. The Huskies were leading USC 21-0 headed to the fourth quarter and about to take complete control of the race for the Rose Bowl.USC rallied with three touchdowns in the final 15 minutes, capped by Brad Ottons 2-yard TD pass to Jimmy Williams with 33 seconds left. Because USC had a better non-conference record than Washington, the Trojans knew a tie was to their benefit and didnt even think about going for the 2-point conversion.There were still three conference games left for both teams, but Washington lost the following week to Oregon -- meaning when USC later lost to UCLA, the Trojans were still Rose Bowl bound.I remember getting booed out of the stadium. ... It was an awful feeling after that game, then Washington QB Damon Huard said. I had never tied before and looking back now it was one of the worst moments of my career in so many ways because we missed the opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl. ' ' '