significant and at a time when cricket was undergoing sign

NEW ORLEANS -- Oakland gambled with a 2-point conversion that David Carr converted with a pass to Michael Crabtree for the winning points with 47 seconds left to help the Raiders beat the New Orleans Saints 35-34 on Sunday.Carr hit Seth Roberts for a 10-yard touchdown setting up the gutsy call by second-year Raiders coach Jack Del Rio.Oakland had to overcome a 14-point, second-half deficit and a 424-yard, four-touchdown performance by Drew Brees. They also had to sweat out rookie kicker Wil Lutzs last second field goal attempt from 61 yards, which narrowly missed wide left as the Superdome crowd briefly erupted before realizing the kick was no good.Brees eclipsed 400 yards passing for the 14th time in his career, tying Peyton Manning for the most such performances in NFL history.Carr finished with 319 yards and one touchdown passing Jalen Richard ran 75 yards on his first NFL carry for a touchdown and Amari Cooper caught Carrs pass for a 2-point conversion to briefly tie the game at 27 in the middle of the fourth quarter.But Brees marched New Orleans back down field for a score, highlighted by a 57-yard completion that receiver Willie Snead fumbled and rookie wideout Michael Thomas recovered and advanced to the Oakland 2. That set up Travaris Cadets short touchdown catch to give New Orleans a 34-27 lead.Snead finished with nine catches for 172 yards and New Orleans nearly held on, but Saints linebacker Craig Robertson was flagged for interference on a four-down pass that sailed out of bounds.The Raiders had touchdown runs of 6 yards by Latavius Murray and 2 yards by Jamize Olawale.RECORD TD: Brees touchdowns included a franchise-record 98-yarder to Brandin Cooks, who beat Sean Smith in single coverage and raced away from free safety Reggie Nelson. It was a career-long passing play for Brees as well.COOPED UP: Cooper, familiar to fans in the Gulf South from his college days at Alabama, elicited cheers of, Cooop! from an audible contingent of Raiders fans in the Superdome with a couple receptions for long gains. He finished with six catches for 137 yards.CAREER KICKOFF: Lutz made two of four field goal attempts -- missing twice from 50 or more yards -- in his NFL debut. Payton made the surprising move of cutting veteran incumbent kicker Kai Forbath in favor of Lutz this past week after the undrafted rookie out of Georgia State had been waived by Baltimore. Lutz hit his first field goal from 42 yards out. He also handled kickoffs and hit a 20-yard field goal that was nearly blocked.INJURIES: Raiders right tackle Menelik Watson left the game late in the first half with what team officials said was a groin pull.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Brook Lopez Jersey . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. Cameron Reynolds Jersey . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. https://www.bucksrookiesshop.com/Robin-Lopez-City-Edition-Jersey/ . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks Jersey . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jersey . Numbers Game examines the deal that sees Michael Del Zotto and Kevin Klein switch places. The Predators Get: D Michael Del Zotto. Max Walker, the tangle-footed and rubber-armed Australia seamer of the 1970s, has died in Melbourne after succumbing to cancer. He was 68.A key member of the successful Australian Test teams led by Ian and Greg Chappell, Walker was also among the breakaway group of players who took part in Kerry Packers World Series Cricket from 1977 to 1979. Their stance fundamentally altered the shape of international cricket ever since.Walker played 34 Tests for Australia, bowling into the wind opposite Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson in the memorable home summers of 1974-75 and 1975-76, when England and West Indies were laid to waste.He also stepped up notably on occasions when the aforementioned pair were injured or unavailable. Chief among these efforts were early in his career: a Test match against Pakistan in 1973 when he ran through the tourists opposite an ailing Lillee, and the West Indies tour later the same year when he led an undermanned bowling attack to one of the teams best overseas wins.Greg Chappell remembered Walker saying: My two most indelible memories of Tangles would be the tour of the West Indies in 1973 when Australia lost our spearheads Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie, meaning that Jeff Hammond and Max had to shoulder the burden of the bowling. The conditions were pretty tough and they werent really conducive to swing bowling, which was Maxs strength, but it was one of the earliest occasions where we became aware of reverse swing, and he was able to get the older ball to go Irish, which really helped our cause.We won that series and he was a big contributor to that victory. The other moment that I can still recall vividly was during the Centenary Test in 1977 when England had dismissed us for 130-odd and we needed something special, and we got it from Max. Tony Greig was always a big wicket, but when he sent Greigys off stump cart-wheeling, the roar from Tangles was louder than that of the crowd. I was in slips and it was almost frightening as he charged down the pitch with both arms in the air, roaring his delight.Hailing from west Hobart, where he lived until recruited to the Melbourne Football Club by the legendary coach Norm Smith, Walker became an instantly recognisable figure for his handlebar moustache and toothy grin. Later in life those features helped him become a popular commentator and entertainer; he published a string of comedic books and hosted Wide World of Sports.James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chhief executive, paid tribute to Walker.dddddddddddd Max was an outstanding cricketer who played an important role in the emergence of successful Australian cricket teams in the 1970s, he said. It was a golden era of Test Cricket under the captaincy of Ian and Greg Chappell, and Maxs medium fast bowling and his unmistakeable bowling action were a feature of those teams, and then in the late 1970s when he joined World Series Cricket.The cricket world will be deeply saddened to hear of Maxs sudden passing. As a cricketer, with ball or bat in hand, Max was always fiercely competitive. He was a genuine crowd favourite wherever he played - and nowhere more so than at his beloved MCG, where he had also played senior football prior to his Test debut.Tony Dodemaide, CEO of Cricket Victoria, spoke of Walkers contribution. Max was a positive and jovial character and devoted much of his life to playing and serving the game, during what many would call a revolutionary period for cricket, he said. At the completion of his playing career, Max charmed many on our TV screens as he built his career in the entertainment industry.Maxs contribution to the game was significant and at a time when cricket was undergoing significant changes, playing a critical role in World Series Cricket. A gentleman of his era, Max was able to be part of some moments that will be cherished forever in cricket history and will continue to inspire future generations.Hugh Marks, chief executive of Channel Nine, offered his thoughts about Walkers time in television At Nine and across the game we have lost a genuine hero of Australian cricket with Max Walkers sad passing, Marks said. He was terrific bowler as his Test record shows, but an even better bloke. He will be missed by the whole Nine family.Larger than life on and off the field, a huge character with that laconic, laid-back approach to sport and life. Just a big, cuddly colourful bloke whom everyone really liked - his opponents just as much as the rest of us, Max enjoyed that unique sense of humour made only in Australia, which shone like a beacon in his post-retirement commentary roles on Nine, his hilarious books and his famous have a good weekend Mr Walker television advertisements.Max leaves an indelible signature on Australian cricket and its culture. He will be profoundly missed. ' ' '