ake a big hit. In the here and now, these hits ar

LONDON -- India athletes will compete under the Olympic flag -- not their national flag -- at next months Winter Games in Sochi. The three Indians who qualified for the games will compete as "independent" athletes, rather than represent their country, after their national body failed to schedule elections before the start of the Olympics on Feb. 7. The Indian Olympic Association was suspended by the IOC in December 2012 for electing tainted officials, notably secretary-general Lalit Bhanot, who spent more than 10 months in jail on corruption charges related to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. The International Olympic Committee said last month it would lift the suspension once new elections are held. The Indians have set their general assembly for Feb. 9, two days after the opening of the Sochi Olympics. "Following the executive board decision in December, the IOC is considering all necessary arrangements for the Indian athletes who have qualified for the Sochi Games to take part as Independent Olympic Participants under the Olympic flag," the IOC said in a statement on Thursday. The trio includes Shiva Kesavan, a 32-year-old luger who will be appearing in his fifth Winter Games. Kesavan told Indian media that not being able to compete under the national flag was "shameful and pathetic." "It is a sad and embarrassing situation that Indian sport has been put in," he said. "People around the world know about the failure of our systems and about corruption and bad governance in sports." Under pressure from the IOC, the Indian body amended its constitution last month to ban corruption-tainted officials from running for election. Had India not complied, it would have become the first country expelled from the Olympics since South Africa was kicked out more than 40 years ago. The IOC has made provisions for athletes to compete under the Olympic flag at previous games. Athletes from the former Netherlands Antilles and marathon runner Guor Marial of South Sudan competed as independents at the 2012 London Olympics. Athletes from East Timor marched under the Olympic flag at the 2000 Sydney Games. Real Air Jordan 1 Shoes Outlet . -- The Minnesota Vikings have signed Jerome Simpson, the former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver recently convicted on a felony drug charge. Cheap Air Jordan 1 Authentic . -- Lindsey Vonn squeezed in a little freeskiing on Thanksgiving morning, a step in the right direction for a return to racing after reinjuring her right knee in a recent training crash. http://www.cheapairjordan1forsale.com/. It will be their 15th head-to-head meeting and fourth in the post-season (Sunday at 2pm et/11am pt on CTV) and for his part, Brady isnt downplaying just how big the game is for him. "Im excited - Its everything you could ask for as an athlete," the New England Patriots quarterback told WEEI Radio in Boston on Monday. Cheap Air Jordan 1 China . The club says Fridays surgery was successful. Holiday, a former Eastern Conference All-Star acquired from Philadelphia last summer, has not played because of the shin injury since Jan. Cheap Air Jordan 1 Shoes For Sale . According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, Brodeurs agent Pat Brisson has spoken to six teams so far regarding the veteran goaltender.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. In Sundays Blackhawks-Penguins game, Pittsburgh defenceman Brooks Orpik laid a huge hit on Chicagos Jonathan Toews. Now in my view, Orpik can be clearly seen leaving his feet while delivering a moderately high hit. Why wasnt there supplemental discipline, and should there have even been a penalty? I thought anytime you leapt or left your feet, a penalty is called! Am I missing something? Stu Alderson Stu: You and I are not the only ones missing something here as players continually elevate their posture and leave their feet at impact to deliver devastating hits. Dangerous and significant contact to the head of their opponent almost always results whenever a player leaves his feet to make a big hit. In the here and now, these hits are deemed "legal." With an eye firmly set on the end game, which I hope still remains to greatly reduce contact to the head and resulting concussions, it is irresponsible to continue down this path any longer. While each camp can passionately debate their respective position on whether to allow or eliminate high hits where significant contact to the head of an opponent results, I respectfully submit this issue should no longer be a matter of personal opinion. Instead, it should only be about "science." Through irrefutable medical evidence, we now know the short and long term effects of blows to the head. This road map can provide us with a clear picture of the end game! Brooks Orpik set up to deliver a body check as he slowed and glided toward Jonathan Toews in the corner. Toews sole intent was to advance the puck around the end wall. In doing so, Jonathan Toews lowered his body posturre to place him (and particularly his head) in a vulnerable position and must share the responsibility for the location of where he was hit.dddddddddddd The onus of "how" the contact was delivered and the "degree of force" utilized is exclusively on Brooks Orpik and taken into account by the referee to determine the legality of the check. No differently than the vast majority of current players, Brooks Orpik finished his hit on Jonathan Toews with considerable force as demonstrated by his upward launch with skates high off the ice. This intensified the velocity and violence of the hit regardless of whether Toews was in a vulnerable position or not. In many cases I would even suggest that an opponents apparent vulnerability is something a player will capitalize on to enhance the degree of force exerted through a hit. We certainly dont see many players let up! Rule 42.1 tells us that a minor or major shall be imposed on a player who "jumps into" an opponent. The "jump" element of this rule was once applied when a players skates lost contact with the ice. Charging is seldom called in the current era of the game, where players leave their feet with far more frequency in the act of delivering a body check than ever before. The most common "excuse" for not calling this infraction is that a players skates did not completely leave the ice prior to initiating body contact. This generous and liberal interpretation is extended to include times when the toe tip of one skate remains in contact with the ice at impact. Referees should be directed to impose a charging penalty in every case when a players skates leave the ice in the act of delivering a body check, period. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to see the end game; just a medical scientist! ' ' '