ches. Allam has injected about 75 million pounds ($125 million) into the club since 2010, when Hull waecured a surprise re

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalos notoriously long, harsh winters have their advantages as far as Jim Schwartz is concerned. The nasty weather that stretched well into April provided the Bills new defensive co-ordinator an additional excuse to stay indoors and become more familiar with his players and staff. "One of the good things about being here in Buffalo is the weather was so bad that we had plenty of time as coaches to stay together," Schwartz said with a laugh, following a voluntary minicamp practice this week. "When the snow was rolling and it was 5 degrees outside, we were holed up in the room watching all their stuff from last year." It was an invaluable experience for the defensive-minded specialist, who finds himself back in his element in Buffalo a few months after losing his job following a five-year stint as the Detroit Lions head coach. "You can spin coaching changes any way you want. The one thing I would say is the players do have a clean slate," Schwartz said. "They have to prove themselves. And Im in the same boat. Ive got to prove myself all over again. Its exciting. Thatll bring out the best in players. Itll bring out the best in coaches." Filling the vacancy after Mike Pettine left to take over the Cleveland Browns, Schwartz inherits a Bills defence that began shedding its once-porous and passive reputation by emerging as the teams strength last season. While Buffalo (6-10) struggled on offence in large part because of rookie quarterback EJ Manuels inconsistencies and injuries, the defence finished 10th in the NFL in yards allowed -- the units best ranking in nine years. The Bills also finished second in the league with 23 interceptions and a franchise-record 57 sacks. And they had four defenders earn Pro Bowl selections, including tackle Marcell Dareus, who was added as an injury replacement. The only area of concern was Buffalos inability to stop the run. The Bills gave up 150 or more yards rushing six times, and finished 28th in allowing an average 129 net yards rushing per game. Schwartz has a strong track record in devising schemes to stop the run. During his eight seasons as Tennessees defensive co-ordinator, the Titans finished sixth or better in rushing yards allowed six times from 2001-08. Its on Schwartz to build on that success with a unit that features a few new wrinkles at linebacker, where the team added Brandon Spikes and Keith Rivers in free agency, and was unable to re-sign three-time Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd. Schwartz is Buffalos fourth defensive co-ordinator in four seasons. He doesnt anticipate a difficult transition, even though hes making the switch to a 4-3 style of defence, and his philosophy is considered less aggressive than Pettines pressure-the-passer approach. Schwartz is keeping much of the same play-calling terminology. And he said the switch to four linemen and three linebackers shouldnt be regarded as significant, because his and Pettines defences share similar elements. Veteran defensive tackle Kyle Williams doesnt foresee much change in the Bills approach. "No, were not going to be read-and-react. Were going to attack guys," Williams said. "Now, if we do it with four rushers, five rushers or six, thatll have to be game-planned. But were going to be on the move. And were going to attack." Spikes liked what hes seen after two weeks of minicamp practices. "Weve still got a long way to go, but if we can take these necessary steps, I think we can be great this season and shock the world," said Spikes, who was signed in part because of his reputation as a run-stuffer during his first four seasons in New England. "I take that personally. If you can stop the run, you can make them one-dimensional," Spikes said. "I think this season therell be some eye-openers." Authentic Air Jordan 4 Cheap . 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Bjoergen pulled away from Swedens Charlotte Kalla on the final straight to win in 38 minutes, 33.6 seconds and defend her title from the 2010 Vancouver Games. Kalla was 1.8 seconds back. Heidi Weng of Norway took bronze.A request by the Egyptian owner of Premier League team Hull City to change its name to Hull Tigers is set to be turned down by the English Football Association. The FA said Monday that its membership committee has recommended that the request be rejected following "consultation with stakeholders within and outside of the game." The recommendation has been passed to the FA council, which will vote on it at a meeting on April 9. Hull owner Assem Allam believes a name change will attract investors and boost the clubs marketing appeal abroad. In January, he threatened to quit if the FA turned down his request, saying: "No one on earth is allowed to question my business decisions. I wont allow it." Many Hull fans have reacted angrily to Allams controversial move, unhappy that it removes 109 years of tradition, and have made their feelings known in protests and chants during matches. Allam has injected about 75 million pounds ($125 million) into the club since 2010, when Hull was in the second-tier League Championship and on the brink of financial ruin.dddddddddddd The team secured a surprise return to the Premier League last season but Allams desire for a name change has provoked fury among many fans as well as traditionalists in English football. The backlash intensified when Allam responded to supporters chants and banners of "City Till We Die" by telling a Sunday newspaper: "They can die as soon as they want, as long as they leave the club for the majority who just want to watch good football." Allam has said the word "City" in the name is "redundant" and "irrelevant," and that he would prove to be a trailblazer for clubs changing their names "to something more interesting." "City, Town, County: these are meaningless," he told The Guardian newspaper in September. "In marketing, the shorter the name, the more powerful — think of Coca-Cola, Twitter, Apple." There was no immediate response from Hull or Allam to the decision of the FAs membership committee. ' ' '