Kosmetik » l Bowl. After his first practice W

DETROIT -- William Clay Ford, the last surviving grandchild of automotive pioneer Henry Ford and owner of the Detroit Lions, has died. He was 88. Ford Motor Co. said in a statement Sunday that Ford died of pneumonia at his home in Grosse Pointe, Mich. Ford helped steer the family business for more than five decades. He bought one of his own, the NFL franchise in the Motor City, a half-century ago. He served as an employee and board member of the automaker for more than half of its 100-year history. "My father was a great business leader and humanitarian who dedicated his life to the company and the community," William Clay Ford Jr., executive chairman of Ford Motor Co. and Lions vice chairman, said in a statement. "He also was a wonderful family man, a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him, yet he will continue to inspire us all." Ford was regarded as a dignified man by the select few who seemed to know him well. To the masses in Detroit, he was simply the owner of the Lions who struggled to achieve success on the field despite showing his passion for winning by spending money on free agents, coaches, executives and facilities. Fords first full season leading the Lions was in 1964, seven years after the franchise won the NFL title. The lone playoff victory he enjoyed was in 1992. The Lions are the only team to go 0-16 in a season, hitting rock bottom in 2008. After an 11-year drought, the Lions improved enough to make the playoffs in 2011 only to lose a combined 21 games over the next two seasons. "No owner loved his team more than Mr. Ford loved the Lions," Lions President Tom Lewand said in a statement released by the team. "Those of us who had the opportunity to work for Mr. Ford knew of his unyielding passion for his family, the Lions and the city of Detroit. His leadership, integrity, kindness, humility and good humour were matched only by his desire to bring a Super Bowl championship to the Lions and to our community. "Each of us in the organization will continue to relentlessly pursue that goal in his honour." Born into an automotive fortune in 1925 bearing what was already a household name, Ford was 23 when he joined the Ford Motor Co. board of directors in 1948, one year after the death of his grandfather, Henry Ford. He maintained as low a profile as his name would allow, serving on various executive committees and spearheading the design, development and introduction of the Continental Mark II in 1956. He was elected a Ford vice chairman in 1980 and retired with that title in 1989. Ford remained a company director until 2005, later taking the title of director emeritus. "Mr. Ford had a profound impact on Ford Motor Company," Ford CEO Alan Mulally said in a statement. "The company extends its deepest sympathies to the many members of the extended Ford family at this difficult time. While we mourn Mr. Fords death, we also are grateful for his many contributions to the company and the auto industry." He helped institutionalize the practice of professional management atop the company that began with the naming of Philip Caldwell as Ford CEO in 1979 and as Ford chairman in March 1980, without relinquishing the Ford familys control. As a board member, Ford helped bring the company back under his familys control in 2001, when the directors ousted former CEO Jacques Nasser in favour of William Clay Ford Jr. The youngest of Edsel B. Fords four children, Ford Sr. was first elected to the Ford Motor Co. board in June 1948. He rarely spoke publicly but was reflective during the companys centennial year in 2003. At the annual meeting, he told stories about his grandfather teaching him to drive at age 10, and of being taken for his first airplane ride in a Ford Tri-Motor by Charles Lindbergh. "I just want you to know that we have tremendous pride in the Ford name," he told the shareholders more than a decade ago. "We have a spirit of working together, and we have a passion for cars. And we also have a great desire to see the Ford name in the forefront of world transportation." Ford always kept the Lions close to his heart. He knew how much the team meant to people who lived in or grew up in Michigan. "I think sports are a wonderful diversion," Ford told The Detroit News in 1980. "People can relate to sports very easily. Its a quick study." But while each of the Motor Citys other three professional franchises -- the Red Wings, Pistons and Tigers -- won at least one championship, the Lions were synonymous with losing under Ford. He seemed to lead the Lions with a light touch, leaving most decisions up to administrators such as Russ Thomas, Chuck Schmidt, Matt Millen and current general manager Martin Mayhew. Even though the franchise rarely produced a successful product, the stands are usually filled with fans desperate to witness a winner. "Detroit, and Im not blowing smoke at anybody, is probably the greatest fan sports town in the country," Ford told The News in 1980, the year after a 2-14 team set a franchise attendance record. "Theyll support anything." Ford moved the club from Tiger Stadium in Detroit to the Pontiac Silverdome in 1975 before bringing his team back downtown. Ford Field -- a spectacular 65,000-seat, $315 million indoor stadium -- opened in 2002 that, coupled with a state-of-the-art team headquarters in nearby Allen Park, gave the Lions the best facilities money could buy. But a blueprint for consistently winning was elusive. From Fords first season as team owner to his last, the Lions won 310 games, lost 441 and tied 13. Ford was married to the former Martha Parke Firestone, an heiress to the Akron, Ohio, rubber fortune. Her grandfather, Harvey Firestone, was a close friend of Henry Ford. They had three daughters, a son, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be private. Tie Domi Jersey . JOHNS, N. Jeff Beukeboom Jersey . He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 5th. The 34-year-old Laval, Que. native has played six seasons with the Penguins. http://www.rangershockeyonlineshop.com/kevin-shattenkirk-hockey-jersey/ .com) - The Eastern Conferences best team takes on one of its worst Tuesday night when the Atlanta Hawks pay a visit to the Wells Fargo Center to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Eddie Giacomin Rangers Jersey . Pominville scored in all three of Minnesotas games last week to help the Wild (8-4-3, 19 points) earn four out of a possible six points. His best performance was in a 4-3 win over Montreal on Friday, where he posted a season-high three points (two goals, one assist), including the game-winning goal. Sergei Nemchinov Rangers Jersey . Adam Lind provided the power and rookie starter Marcus Stroman had the best start of his young career as the Blue Jays dumped the Yankees 8-3 at Rogers Centre. Stroman, making his fifth start for Toronto, allowed one earned run and three hits over a career-high eight innings.WINNIPEG -- If a labour dispute does derail the start of the CFL season, new Winnipeg Blue Bomber quarterback Drew Willy says hes "100 per cent behind the players" and knows just what to do. He was with the New York Jets in 2011 when the NFL locked out their players after they failed to agree on a new contract. Willy went undrafted but was given a look by four NFL teams before heading north. "If there was something to happen, Id make sure we were getting the guys together in Winnipeg . . . getting our work in, obviously not in the building but somewhere around Winnipeg," he said Wednesday as the Blue Bombers rookie camp got under way. Thats what quarterback Mark Sanchez did with the Jets during the four-month NFL lockout in 2011. "Whoevers in the area, well make sure we get all the leaders, a lot of guys that are in the area." Not that Willy, 27, is looking forward to running a makeshift camp as he prepares to take the field for the first time as a starting quarterback in the CFL, after spending two seasons as a backup with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. "Being a first-time starter, I need all the reps I can get but also I understand it is a business and I back the players," he said. Things still remained very much up in the air Wednesday as the clock ticked down and talks resumed. The collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players ends Thursday at midnight ET, and a possible strike looms before the start of main camp Sunday. Willy said he was looking forward to throwing his first passes as a Blue Bomber on Investors Group Field as rookie camp got rolling Wednesday evening. "Quarterbacks, we dont get hit in practice, so Ive always loved practice." He had already spent a couple of days in the teams quarterback school with the Bombers other three pivots, Robert Marve, Brian Brohm and Max Hall, the only active quarterback from last season the team elected to keep on their roster. Brohm was signed last season but went straight to the injured list. Hall took over mid-season and finished as Winnipegs most consistent quarterback in 2013, starting nine of Winnipegs 12 final games. But the team still floundered and finished at 3-15 in thhe CFL cellar.dddddddddddd Offensive co-ordinator Marcel Bellefeuille is also back after taking over last August when Gary Crowton was sacked, and he has been putting the teams quarterbacks though their paces. "We pretty much started with what coach Bellefeuille expects from us as a unit, as individuals. Just mentally doing the right things, watching a lot of film," said Willy. "You get towards the installation period where we put in different aspects of the offence." The one good thing that came out of last season was the ability to pick second in the CFL draft (behind expansion Ottawa, which traded its pick to Calgary), and the Bombers also announced Wednesday that they had signed their top 2014 pick, offensive lineman Matthias Goossen. The team is hoping Goossen might even be able to start this season, perhaps at centre. The six-foot-four, 294-pound lineman was a conference all-star the past two seasons at Simon Fraser and was also on the world team that defeated the U.S. for the first time ever at the 2012 IFAF International Bowl. After his first practice Wednesday, Goossen said it was exciting, tiring and also the first time the Vancouver-area native has lived away from home. Hes bunking in a University of Manitoba dorm. "You only have one first practice and it was a lot of fun, very fast and very physical," he said after lining up at centre, although he said he isnt necessarily counting on winning that spot. "Im just trying to do my best every day. Im going to try and get better and contribute to the team in any way possible." Coach Mike OShea was happy Goossen made it for the start of camp and sounded a lot more positive about his chances. "We drafted him at that spot for a reason because we like him a lot," said OShea. "Hes going to be just fine." The Bombers are hanging a lot on Willys shoulders as they prepare for their second season in a new $200-million-plus stadium that carries a hefty mortgage they must pay. But Willy isnt short on confidence. "Ive been around some good coaches and players. I just need to take everything Ive learned here and there, put it all together and go out there," he said. ' ' '