DieBruderschaft.com

ROME -- New IOC president Thomas Bach is pleased with the Italian governments support for a 2024 Summer Olympics bid and said its "time for the United States to present a strong bid. Swell Water Bottle Marble ." Bach is in Rome for the European Olympic Committees general assembly and meetings with Pope Francis. He also visited with Italian Premier Enrico Letta. "The prime minister appeared to be interested in a bid from Italy for 24, because he has realized that the games can serve as a catalyst for development for a city and a country," Bach told The Associated Press on Saturday. While Rome has not yet been officially selected, the capital -- which hosted the 1960 Games -- likely would be Italys candidate. Other potential 2024 bids could come from Paris; Doha, Qatar; and cities in Africa and the United States. "I think its time for the United States to present a strong bid," Bach said. "And Im happy to hear that the USOC is undertaking everything to prepare such a bid." Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington are among the cities that could present a U.S. bid. USOC chairman Larry Probst attended the EOC meeting in Rome as the Americans attempt to boost their presence and influence in Olympic circles. Probst was chosen an IOC member in September. The USOC, which brings more money than anyone to the Olympic movement in the form of sponsorship and TV revenue, hasnt hosted an Olympics since the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. The countrys last Summer Olympics were in Atlanta in 1996. Italys last Olympics were the 2006 Winter Games in Turin. Rome was the first city to declare its candidacy for the 2020 Games, but then-Premier Mario Monti refused to provide government financial backing and the bid was dropped. However, Letta voiced strong support for a 2024 bid in a speech at an Italian Olympic Committee meeting 10 days ago and again after meeting seeing Bach. "The Italian bid could become something definitive," Letta said after meeting with Bach on Friday. "Its not just a simple possibility." Bach also visited the pope both individually on Friday and again Saturday with a large delegation from the Olympic assembly. With numerous other high-profile IOC members also in Rome -- such as Sheik Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, the influential Kuwaiti who heads the Association of National Olympic Committees -- Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malago called the two-day assembly "satisfying from every point of view." "I really think we showed strong signs of credibility," Malago said. "For them to be here and touch things that we take for granted with their own hands was very special." While Italys financial situation has not improved since Montis rejection, with the countrys economy still in recession, senior Italian IOC member Mario Pescante said the Olympics would spur a turnaround. "Our country needs this," Pescante told the AP. "The principal problem for our country is to convince a defeatist public opinion -- and rightly so defeatist -- considering the way we react to any big event, whether its an earthquake or what not." Fears of rampant corruption play a big role. "People need to stop saying We cant do it, added Pescante, who stepped in as a special commissioner for the Turin Games. "If we continue not to build anything because were afraid of the Mafia, the country will commit suicide. ... We need to offer a strong signal that this story is finished, that were not a population of thieves. This is the biggest challenge and an Olympics could overcome that." Meanwhile, 10 weeks after his election, Bach is also pressing forward with his campaign to reform the bidding process -- starting with the detailed dossiers that bidders complete at the outset. "From most of them (its) always the same answer because they all answer the way they think we want to hear," Bach said. "I would like to invite the potential bidding cities to tell us how they think that the Olympic Games would fit best in their social and natural environment. It depends on diversity and creativity for them to say how they see it." Earlier this month, voters in Bachs home country of Germany rejected a proposed Munich bid for the 2022 Winter Games, citing financial and environmental concerns. For British Olympic Association chairman and 2012 London Games organizer Sebastian Coe, the two keys for the bidding process are making sure as many cities as possible want to join and engaging with the local communities. "The most demanding stakeholder that you have are the people that youre delivering these games for," Coe said. "Once youve focused on the needs of the athletes, the next most important group are the people in those communities that you are delivering the games for." Swell Bottle Canada Sale . Pospisil, from Vancouver, and Sock will compete for the title against defending champions and top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States, who defeated the 12th-seeded French duo of Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2. Cheap sWell Water Bottles . About seven hours before facing Washington in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference second round series, team officials said the oft-injured Bynum would miss the rest of the playoffs and would not even be with the team for the rest of the post-season. http://www.discountswellbottles.com/s-well-traveler-bottle.html . Among the six changes: Drivers are now eligible if they have competed for 30 or more years in NASCAR or turned 55 in the calendar year before nominating day. Previously, drivers were not eligible until they had been retired for three years, so drivers can continue to compete and still reach the hall.ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Wild gave Zach Parise all that money for games like this. Parise signed that megadeal two years ago for games even bigger than this. They forced at least one more with a furious finish. Parise scored early and late on tipped shots, and the Wild tacked on two empty-net goals for a 5-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night that sent the first-round playoff series to a decisive Game 7. "Its one of those nights where you just want to keep touching it and keep having the puck," said Parise, who added two assists for a career-playoff-high four points. The teams will meet in Denver on Wednesday night, with the winner taking on the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference semifinals. "We dont have any time to hang our heads here and feel sorry for ourselves," Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog said. "Were just going to get right back on the horse here and get ready for Game 7." Ah, Game 7. An already-tight series will produce one final dramatic performance. "We didnt sign here to win a first-round game. We look at the big picture," said Parise, who joined close friend Ryan Suter in signing 13-year, $98 million contracts with the Wild two seasons ago. The Wild were in trouble at the second intermission after what Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said might have been his teams best period of the whole series. Parise scored just 49 seconds into the game on a power play and Mikael Granlund made it 2-0 later in the first period, but a costly turnover by Suter at the end of a failed 5-on-3 situation led to a short-handed goal for the Avalanche when Paul Stastny scored for the fourth time in the series. Nick Holden got the tying goal in the second period to stop the power-play skid for the Avalanche, who had been denied by a resurgent Wild penalty-kill unit in 19 of 20 previous opportunities in the series. The Wild stumbled through to the second intermission, lacking the edge they had here throughout Games 3 and 4 and in the first period of this Game 6, and the atmosphere in the building became anxious, with one more goal by the Avalanche holding tthe power to end the home teams season. Swell Bottle Marble Black. So Wild coach Mike Yeo gave his team a spark by reuniting Parise on the first line with centre Mikko Koivu, who had two assists. "I think we started to get a little bit of fear in our game. Not necessarily afraid of them, just afraid maybe of what we were losing," Yeo said, adding: "Both of those guys were leading the charge up front and for me, their determination, their kind of get-after-it attitude, I wanted those guys going out together." Parked in the crease with the season on the line, Parise took a shove in the back from goalie Semyon Varlamov and then outmuscled defenceman Erik Johnson for position on Koivus shot from behind the circle that he knocked in with his stick with 6:29 left in the game. Roy pulled Varlamov with 2:44 remaining, and this time the daring move backfired after it led to tying goals for the Avalanche in Games 1 and 5. Jason Pominville and Marco Scandella found the back of the net for the Wild, and the celebration was on. Matt Duchene returned to the Avalanche lineup and notched an assist in extensive time on the power play, after missing the last month due to a left knee injury. The Avalanche leader with 70 points during the regular season, Duchene wasnt cleared for action until minutes before faceoff. "He was flying out there. He was playing well. He was playing hard," Roy said. He wasnt the only one. Ryan OReilly had two assists, and the Avalanche refused to express any frustration afterward, even though theyll be in an elimination situation for the first time in the series. "If thats what its going to need to be, then thats what its going to need to be," Avalanche right wing P.A. Parenteau said. "Its been a battle back and forth with the Wild. Were lucky we have the home ice advantage, but were going to have to be ready." NOTES: The Wild went 18-4-2 when Parise scored a goal in the regular season. ... Duchene said he felt all right: "Youve got to learn to trust an injury like that coming back, and as the game wore on I felt a lot more confident with it. Theres still a long ways to go." ' ' '