in Whitby to officiating at the gold medal game in Sochi

MILAN, Italy -- Serie A leader Juventus remained on course for a third straight title with a 3-0 victory over second-placed Roma, which was forced to play with nine men for the final 13 minutes on Sunday. It was a 10th successive win for Antonio Contes team and saw it extend its lead at the top of the table to eight points at the halfway stage of the season. It was Romas first loss of the season. "Our statistics are impressive and show that we fully deserve to be top of the table, clearing away any type of doubts," Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said. "Today we won thanks to several incidents which we made the most of. While they were in the game, Roma showed they are a team to be feared, they are not second by chance. Roma impressed me for the first hour." Juventus was in complete control following goals from Arturo Vidal and Leonardo Bonucci but Roma was still fighting to get back in the game. However, Daniele De Rossi was sent off for a brutal tackle on Giorgio Chiellini and Leandro Castan was also shown a straight red card two minutes later after he handled on the goalline. Mirko Vucinic fired home the resulting penalty against his former club. "We had so much possession but we werent efficient up front," Roma coach Rudi Garcia said. "For me thats the problem. We didnt have many chances but Buffon had a good first half, but they didnt have many chances either. "We have to be stronger in the future to be able to win these matches, but the title race isnt over, it hasnt ended here, there are still 60 points at stake. We have to get back to winning as soon as possible. Our aim is to return to Europe, we are second so we are in the right spot." Earlier, Fiorentina beat Livorno 1-0 in the Tuscan derby and Cagliari drew 0-0 at Chievo Verona as Serie A resumed following a winter break. There was bad news for Fiorentina as star striker Giuseppe Rossi was injured again. Rossi, who is the top scorer in Serie A, limped off in the second period with what appeared to be a knee injury. The United States-born player has only recently recovered from two years of injuries and several surgeries. Juventus was boosted by the return of key playmaker Andrea Pirlo from a five-week injury layoff, but it was Roma which started the brighter and Gianluigi Buffon had to rush out smartly to close down Adem Ljajic after six minutes. Roma had more possession and several half chances but Juventus looked dangerous on the counter -- cheered on vociferously by the home fans -- and took the lead in the 17th minute with its first real opportunity. Carlos Tevez spun and threaded the ball through for Vidal to beat the offside trap and slot into the back of the net. Juventus almost doubled its lead shortly before halftime when Tevez rolled a tantalizing ball across the face of goal but no one could get on the end of it for the tap-in. The home side did score again immediately after the break when Bonucci was left unmarked at the far post and the Juventus defender slid in to turn home a Pirlo free kick. There was bad news for Juventus as Tevez went off injured on the hour mark. Romas hopes of a comeback diminished following De Rossis moment of madness and all but evaporated when Castan followed him. In Tuscany, Fiorentina struggled at times before grinding out a 1-0 win against struggling Livorno. Livorno almost took the lead shortly before Fiorentina scored, when Ibrahima Mbaye was left unmarked but headed off the crossbar. The visitors went close again when Paulinho rounded Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto but Rodriguez got back to clear off the line. Fiorentina moved provisionally level on points with third-placed Napoli, which hosts Sampdoria on Monday. Livorno remained two points off safety. Earlier, Cagliari missed a penalty as it was held to a 0-0 draw at lowly Chievo Verona. Mauricio Pinilla blasted his spot kick over the bar in the 66th minute after the Chilean forward had been tripped by Bostjan Cesar. It was the first penalty Chievo had conceded all season. Both teams struggled to create any scoring opportunities. Chievos best chance came with its first sight of goal, just before the hour mark, when Cyril Thereaus effort scraped past the outside of the post. Cagliari extended its unbeaten run to seven, while Chievo snapped a run of two defeats and moved provisionally two points off the relegation zone. Nike Sb Sale . The last team in the NBA that will have any sympathy for the Thunder is the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are showing signs of putting everything together after two years of devastating injuries. Nike Sb Clearance Sale .com) - The Kansas City Chiefs activated linebacker Joe Mays from short-term injured reserve on Saturday. http://www.cheapnikesbaustralia.com/ . 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Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Well, meet Derek Amell, 17-year NHL linesman and now an Olympian. When I turned on the mens hockey gold medal game between Canada and Sweden, I was happy to see that an old acquaintance would be working the lines for the biggest game on the worlds biggest stage. You see, over 25 years ago, Derek and I worked together at a drug store chain in Whitby, Ontario. I was a university student taking a year off school and he was a high school student looking to improve on his first job working the night shift at Burger King for $2.85/hr. There were two things I remembered about Derek back then: he was a lot bigger than me, and he had a very calm personality. Looking back, those are two good attributes for an NHL linesman. For Derek, the dream took off at the age of 24 when he worked his first Ontario Hockey League game. Three years later, he started working American Hockey League games and this is where our paths would cross again. I was an off-ice official with the Hamilton Canucks and Hamilton Bulldogs in the 1990s and we would touch base now and again at Copps Coliseum. I could see then that he was on his way to the NHL. "I felt the NHL was an attainable goal after working the AHLs Calder Cup Final in my first year," said Amell. He wouldnt have to wait long for the big moment. The following year, he found out he would be working NHL games in the upcoming season. In his first NHL season, the league made the decision to return to the Olympics in Nagano, meaning there was now another rung on the ladder of success for NHL players and officials. There would be some career highlights along the way, such as the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, the 2009 and 2012 Stanley Cup Finals as well as the 2012 NHL All-Star Game. Could the Olympics be next? And then he got the news. Unlike the athletes who are introduced at news conferences, Amell was contacted through e-mail by Stephen Walkom, the NHLs director of officiating. The message was sent on December 1, naming the 13 NHL officials who were chosen to work in Sochi. Of course, when athletes go to the Olympics, they stay in the Athletes Village and invite family and friends to share in the experience. Is it the same for the officials? "The officials stayed together in a hotel right inside the Olympic area. It was great to bee together with all the amateur officials," said Amell, who is a married father of two children but did not have any family join him in Sochi.dddddddddddd To work the gold medal game, he had to prove himself again. "The gold medal officials were chosen by a panel of supervisors from various countries and it was based on performance during the tournament. We were told by e-mail after the semifinal games," said Amell. When the officials for the gold medal game were announced, former NHL player and Swedish international Peter Forsberg was incensed that Canadians would be working the game but some current Swedish players defended the decision, saying their nationality wouldnt affect their decision-making. "We knew there would be extreme scrutiny on the officiating when it was announced that the officials were Canadian," said Amell. "We knew the players would be comfortable with us since we are all in the NHL. It was more an issue with the media than with the players. "At the end of the game, the entire Swedish team came over and shook our hands and told us we did a great job. That was very satisfying for us." So which was more nerve-racking: the first NHL game or the gold medal game? "Working the gold medal game was the most nerve-racking game I have ever officiated," he admitted. Its been a long road from collecting shopping carts in Whitby to officiating at the gold medal game in Sochi. And while Amells appearance at the Olympics may not have been as celebrated as many of the athletes, or even noticed by most viewers, the accomplishment is no less significant. And just like the athletes, family plays an integral role in the success of officials, offering support and enduring hardships over the years. "Since we only work 6-8 games a year at home, the family sacrifices are large," said Amell. "I miss most of my childrens sports activities and birthdays. They understand the life of an NHL official, but it still can be very difficult on my wife and children," said Amell. As for the hundreds of people who show up at the airport for our returning athletes, how does the return of an official compare? "No one met me at the airport," Amell laughed. "It was like coming home from any other road trip!" The Olympics is a place where dreams can come true. Most people dream of winning a gold medal but dont tell Derek Amell that his accomplishment is anything less. He just achieved his Olympic goal with a lot less fanfare. And, like a linesman who goes unnoticed when he does a good job, thats the way he likes it. ' ' '