Die Chilluminati » Ligety, who won this race last year, ha

ATLANTA - Mike Smiths status as the winningest coach in Falcons history wasnt enough to save his job.Owner Arthur Blank said he fired Smith on Monday because in his heart of hearts he didnt believe Smith could take the Falcons to the Super Bowl.Smiths firing came one day after the end of his second straight losing season, capped by Sundays ugly 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers before booing fans at the Georgia Dome.Smiths 66 wins in seven seasons are the most for any Falcons coach. He reeled off five straight winning seasons for a franchise which previously had not finished above .500 in back-to-back years.For an owner looking to the future, those accomplishments were overshadowed by the Falcons 10-22 combined mark the past two seasons, including 6-10 in 2014. Blank acknowledged his confidence in Smith was shaken despite his affection for the coach.Can that individual take you to the next level? Blank said of his appraisal of Smith. If your answer is no in your heart or hearts, you have to put away your personal feelings.Blank said more changes could come. He said general manager Thomas Dimitroff will be part of the search for a new coach, but then could have his status reviewed.Hiring the coach is the first move, but may not be the only move, Blank said, adding he has told Dimitroff every part of our football organization will be under scrutiny. This may stop. It may finish today. It may not finish today. I dont know where were going to end up with this.Dimitroff, who was hired with Smith before the 2008 season, and team president Rich McKay attended Mondays news conference with Blank.Dimitroff said he and Smith are very proud of five straight losing seasons from 2008-12.The last two years obviously have not been what we wanted, Dimitroff said. I take a great deal of responsibility for what happens with this organization and the team building that has taken place. We think we have some good football players on this team.I know that I have made mistakes and Im going to be scrutinized for it. ... I am responsible as much as Smitty is for this organization, the success of this organization and the downfall of this organization.Atlanta had a 66-46 regular-season record with Smith and won two NFC South titles, but it was 1-4 in the post-season.Its a fact Smitty was the most successful coach in the history of the Falcons franchise, Blank said.Despite their losing record, the Falcons would have won the NFC South and hosted a wild-card playoff game by beating Carolina on Sunday.Blank said the decision to fire Smith was not based on one game. He left open the possibility a playoff berth might have saved Smiths job.I had not made a decision if we had won what our next step was going to be, Blank said.Blank said firing Smith was the most difficult decision Ive had to make. Blank said he met with Smith on Monday, and the meeting ended with an exchange of warm emotions.The last thing he said was I love you and I said the same thing, Blank said.Blank said he will be in the middle of the search for a new coach, with the assistance of the Korn Ferry search firm. The Falcons also have hired former Chiefs and Eagles executive Joe Banner as a consultant.Potential candidates include Denver offensive co-ordinator Adam Gase, New England offensive co-ordinator Josh McDaniels, Arizona defensive co-ordinator Todd Bowles and former New York Jets coach Rex Ryan.Blank said the search team on Monday would begin submitting formal requests to interview candidates currently coaching other teams. He said he had no timetable for hiring a new coach.NFL rules allow interviews to be held this week with coaches — including Gase and McDaniels — whose teams are in a bye in the first week of the playoffs.Blank credited Smith with bringing stability to a franchise rocked by quarterback Michael Vicks arrest on animal cruelty charges and coach Bobby Petrinos unexpected departure for Arkansas during the 2007 season.Smith immediately raised expectations with an 11-5 finish in his first season, and he was the NFL coach of the year. The Falcons won 10 or more games in four seasons under Smith, including 13-3 finishes in 2010 and 2012. Smith reached 50 wins in only 71 games, the third-fastest pace since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.Smith was the defensive co-ordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003-07. He was a defensive assistant with Baltimore from 1999-2002.___Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Charles Odum on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CharlesOdum Buy Air Jordan 4 Australia . "Back in 2011, when they announced that the game was coming here, we knew that it was going to be pretty important that we had a good year and hopefully could get into it, let alone win it, so I felt some pressure obviously within for sure," Taman said Monday, less than 24 hours after the Riders won the championship. Air Jordan 4 Australia Outlet .com) - The Winnipeg Jets placed defenceman Paul Postma on injured reserve Tuesday. http://www.airjordan4australia.com/ . The Nuggets leading scorer, Lawson is characterized as day to day by the team. Hes averaging 17.9 points and 8.9 assists. Lawson suffered the injury late in Denvers win Sunday at Sacramento. Wholesale Air Jordan 4 Australia . - Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has signed with WME-IMG, saying the sports management powerhouse will help maximize the value of my brand. Air Jordan 4 Australia . "Right now were kind of looking at him at the end of the rotation right now," said pitching coach Pete Walker. "Not indicative of how hes doing or how hes feeling. Its just, it seems like the spot we want him right now.ADELBODEN, Switzerland - Felix Neureuther overcame a big first-run deficit to win a World Cup giant slalom on Saturday for his second straight victory in 2014 as the Sochi Olympics approaches. The German was only seventh fastest in the morning, but benefited from fading sunshine in the afternoon to finish 0.10 seconds ahead of first-run leader Thomas Fanara of France. Marcel Hirscher of Austria was third, 0.19 behind Neureuthers combined time of 2 minutes, 34.60 seconds. World champion Ted Ligety of the United States, who was sitting third, skied out when poised to take the lead after being rocked by a rutted bump midway down. Neureuthers victory was just the second for Germany in mens giant slalom in 47 years of World Cup racing, and reduced team director Wolfgang Maier to tears in the finish area. "Its just unbelievable," said Neureuther, who matched Max Riegers win in March 1973 at Mont Saint-Anne, Canada. "It makes me very proud." The victory was even more surprising in an era of GS domination by Ligety, Hirscher and Alexis Pinturault of France, who placed fourth Saturday. That trio shared the last 14 World Cup victories dating to February 2012. "To tell the truth, I never thought in my career I would win a GS," said the 29-year-old Neureuther, whose seventh World Cup successs followed his slalom triumph on Monday in Bormio, Italy.dddddddddddd Ligety, who won this race last year, had little chance to recover after being launched toward a gate as he prepared to make a turn. "It is definitely a kick in the groin," said Ligety, who dropped to third behind Hirscher in his defence of the World Cup discipline title. Hirscher earned 60 race points and now leads Pinturault by 75 in the GS standings. Four-time winner Ligety trails by 120 with three races remaining. "Its very positive for me about the standings," said Hirscher, adding that Ligetys bad luck was "a shocking moment." Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway placed 12th and retained his lead in the overall World Cup standings, 77 points ahead of two-time defending champion Hirscher. A typically large and raucous crowd of 29,500 lining the Kuonisbaergli course had only one Swiss racer to cheer in the second run. Carlo Janka, the Olympic champion in giant slalom, finished 20th, 2.24 behind Neureuther. Bode Miller of the U.S. skied out midway down the first run when he lost balance in the softening snow with temperatures at 6 C (43 F). The Adelboden meeting, which featured in the very first week of World Cup racing, concludes Sunday with a slalom. Neureuther and Hirscher will be the favourites. ' ' '