IRVING, Texas - Brandon Carr stared away from a small group of reporters, looking a little emotional and unsure how or whether to answer a question he probably knew was coming.Breast cancer awareness month is a big deal in the NFL, putting pink on footballs, coaches, referees and all kinds of equipment worn by players throughout October.This year it arrived almost two months to the day after Kathy Carrs death following a long battle with the disease, during the early days of training camp when the Dallas Cowboys were without their high-priced cornerback while he spent his 59-year-old mothers final days with her.So yes, the leagues tribute means a little more to Carr now. And hes a different person these days, shutting out almost all things that arent football or family. His mom is part of the reason, but so is his teams surprising 3-1 start with the defence exceeding expectations.You just have to continue to try to live a great legacy and continue to motivate and do great things, Carr said. Thats what I took from everything my mom went through was she still was trying to get after it and motivate her grandchildren, kids at school or just whoever she came across. Im going to try to finish out her task.And that means helping the Cowboys, who face the equally surprising 3-1 Houston Texans on Sunday, break an 8-8 rut that has kept them out of the playoffs the past three seasons.The post-season drought is actually four years, or two years before Carr arrived on a $50 million free agent contract to address one of the teams biggest needs.Now hes consistently grading as the best defensive back Dallas has, and clearly seen as an emotional leader as well.Hes got an old soul ... you know, very mature for his age, said defensive end Jeremy Mincey, a free agent who joined the Cowboys this year. Hes a poised leader. Hes like Tony Dungy. Hes got the quiet strength. But hes speaking when it needs to be spoken, and thats what makes him special.Carr has had to put his quiet strength to the test several times in his three seasons with the Cowboys.During Carrs first year in Dallas in 2012, former Kansas City teammate Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend before driving to the team facility and killing himself. Belchers girlfriend was a close friend of Carrs fiancee, who is now his wife.Just a week later, Cowboys practice squad player Jerry Brown died in a car wreck that resulted in an intoxication manslaughter conviction for defensive tackle Josh Brent. Carr attended two memorial services in less than a week.This time around, he was back at practice just a few days after saying his final goodbye to his mom. He wears two bracelets that belonged to her so were skin on skin still.I think about her a lot, Carr said. I still sometimes I feel empty, and I dont know why. What Ive learned in this situation is that youre never alone. My mom always told me, Youre never the first and youre never the last. Thats true in this case. I just lean on people.The Cowboys are 3-1 for the first time since 2008, and the defence kept New Orleans out of the end zone for three quarters just a year after giving up an NFL-record 40 first downs.Carr isnt really interested in film-type talk about a turnaround engineered despite the loss of linebacker Sean Lee to a knee injury, defensive end DeMarcus Ware in a salary cap move and defensive tackle Jason Hatcher in free agency.He sees it as just another year in the system, more players knowing what opposing offences and their teammates are doing, and therefore being in better position to knock down passes or deliver hits that make receivers think twice before the next catch.And maybe the broken record of 8-8 seasons is part of it.You just get tired of the same results, get tired of the same story lines and everything, Carr said. All the disappointments.So Carr doesnt watch TV, doesnt look at the schedule. He swears he didnt know the Cowboys were visiting Super Bowl champion Seattle next week. He doesnt talk to a lot of people who used to be a regular part of his weekly chatter.His dads an exception, of course. The two have spent the past couple of weeks together, and when his dad was about to go home to Michigan earlier this week, Carr gave him the look that said, Nah, you cant leave.In my case, I can smile, Carr said. Its a victory that my mom was a strong fighter, courageous. Stood there in the midst of all the cancer, everything going bad for her, and was still able to experience life and her family. Thats what its all about to me. But this month is pretty big.Its big in paying homage to his mom, and getting the Cowboys closer to that elusive playoff berth.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuylerDeadrin Senat Jersey . He even addressed his group of relievers Sunday morning. Dustin McGowan made those worries a nonfactor, at least for a day. McGowan pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, Colby Rasmus hit a grand slam and Melky Cabrera added a two-run homer as the Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2. Atlanta Falcons Jerseys . Despite Barcelona showing the same vulnerability in defence, Messis best performance since returning from a lengthy injury layoff ensured that his side bounced back from a defeat by Valencia in the previous round. http://www.falconsrookiestore.com/Falcons-Deadrin-Senat-Jersey/ . -- Southern Illinois coach Barry Hinson couldnt hear himself amid the roar in Koch Arena, so he kept stomping on the floor in a fruitless attempt to get his teams attention. Ito Smith Jersey . Fans can also watch the game on the newly launched TSN GO (currently available to Bell TV and Rogers customers), which gives TSN subscribers the freedom to live stream the networks programming from their smartphones, tablets, and computers at no additional charge – just as they would watch Canadas Sports Leader on TV at home. The following week, MLS ON TSN is at BMO Field in Toronto to deliver live coverage of TFCs home opener vs. D.C. United on Saturday, March 22 at 4:30 p. Custom Atlanta Falcons Jerseys . - Hitting was supposed to be the Pittsburgh Pirates weakness coming into the season yet they lead the major leagues in home runs through the first 16 games of the season.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Bud Selig began his 8,173rd and final day in charge of baseball by waking up in a Manhattan hotel, having breakfast and working out. After nearly 22 1/2 years that began with unprecedented labour unrest, unfolded with rapid innovation and ended with unparalleled prosperity, he predicted a future filled with more transformation, perhaps with expansion to other countries.My dream is for this sport to really have an international flavour, he said Saturday during a half-hour interview with The Associated Press. Does it need teams in other countries? ... If one uses a lot of vision it could.Selig headed the group that forced Commissioner Fay Vincents resignation in September 1992. Owner of the Milwaukee Brewers since 1970, he was put in charge as chairman of the executive council and finally elected commissioner in July 1998 after years of saying he would never take the job.His reign saw expanded playoffs and wild-card teams, interleague play, video review to aid umpires, expansion to Arizona and Tampa Bay, the formation of baseballs Internet and broadcast companies and the start of drug testing — too late for some critics. The only person who headed baseball longer was Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the first commissioner from 1920-44.Bud will go down in history as the No. 1 commissioner that has served baseball, and without question, said Peter Ueberroth, baseballs commissioner from 1984-89. For Ueberroth, Seligs time heading baseball can be compared only with what Pete Rozelle has done in football and David Stern has done in basketball.Seligs final task was to accept a long and meritorious service award from the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America at a black-tie dinner Saturday night. Now 80, Selig becomes commissioner emeritus Sunday when Rob Manfred, his top deputy, takes over as the 10th commissioner.Its been quite a journey, and the journey I think has changed me in a lot of ways, Selig said. I wish I knew in 1992 what I knew today.Revenue has risen from about $1.7 billion in 92 to just under $9 billion last year. Attendance, which averaged 26,978 in 1992, has been above 30,000 in 10 straight seasons, peaking at 32,785 in 2007 before the Great Recession.With the start of revenue sharing and a luxury tax that has slowed spending by large-market teams, every club except Toronto has made playoffs this century.Selig emphasized consensus over confrontation.All these 30-0 votes that everybody is now talking about were important to me because I learned over the years that unity was so important, he said. We had no unity in the 70s and the 80s and early 90s. It was very fractured, and that was destructive.And that infighting led to stasis.The sport had been not active, really had spent two decades stuck in neutral, he said. It was harmful because other forms of entertainment and sports were gaining in great popularity.To maany, he seemed like a rumpled uncle or grandfather.dddddddddddd But owners listened to him because he was one of their own.I had a style that was I guess unique, to say the least, Selig acknowledged. I was always very cautious, always very thorough but maybe even became more so over the years. But it worked out well, because I understand my political constituency. A lot of people would be critical. They would say, well, after all, Why does it take him so long to do that?He calls cancelling the 1994 World Series his worst moment. Players struck for 232 days, fearful owners would implement a salary cap. Since then, the sport has had labour peace, and Manfred has two seasons before the current labour deal expires.The foundations of the stability that have been present in baseball and not in the other three sports since then come from the agreements that were made then, said Donald Fehr, then head of the baseball players union and now head of the NHL players.Seligs best nights were when Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrigs consecutive games streak in 1995 and when players and owners agreed to a labour deal in 2002, ending a streak of eight work stoppages dating to 1972.He lists Ripken, Derek Jeter and Edgar Martinez as his favourite players to dine with, although he quickly adds and others in fear of leaving someone out. He wont compare players of this era with the stars of his youth, because the game has changed so much, but his voice softened with nostalgia when he said: Henry Aaron, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Stan Musial — they dont get any better than those guys.Selig leaves Manfred with several unsolved issues.While 20 new ballparks opened during Seligs tenure, Tampa Bay and Oakland want new ones, and the Athletics want to build in San Jose, which is on the territory of the San Francisco Giants. Baltimore and Washington are in court over their regional sports network. There is the need to attract young fans and cut down on long game times. Selig never ruled on Pete Roses 1997 application to end his lifetime ban.I wish thats all I had in 1992, Selig said.Even though Selig helped force him out, Vincent concludes Selig has done an exemplary job.He is a masterful internal baseball politician and he was able to keep the owners from fragmenting, from looking for a salary cap, which some of the new guys used to scream about, Vincent said.Selig already has started teaching at the University of Wisconsin and Marquettes law school. Hes getting help from Doris Kearns Goodwin to organize preparations for his memoir — he doesnt plan to sit in front of a computer parsing prose.Ill be talking into something, a little microphone of some kind, he said.He plans on going to Wimbledon with wife Sue. And, as usual, hell be on the telephone with baseball buddies.Ive had a lot of calls today, he said, and they all said, Well, Ill talk to you tomorrow or on Monday. 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