Kopfgelt » first-class century, while opener Saurabh Wakaskar and Arindam

The NFLs International Series shifts to Mexico City this week, and coverage will focus on the enormous support from local fans. Estadio Azteca will be sold out on Monday night as the?Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders?face off, a confirmation of the continued interest in American football outside United States borders. Less visible, but no less interesting, is the rise in player participation around the globe. A new adult league debuted in Mexico City this spring, joining dozens of semi-professional and club-level leagues in every corner of the planet -- from Europe to Asia to Australia.The worldwide action is tracked daily by American Football International (AFI), a website and advocacy group run by Roger Kelly and John McKeon. Kelly is a former Canadian Football League executive, now living in Sweden. McKeon, a former player in a French league, is based in New York.ESPN.com teamed with AFI to assess the quality and scope of Planet Football. What follows is a subjective ranking of the top countries from a standpoint of participation and local interest.1. CanadaKey stat: Canadians play with 12 rather than 11 players on each side, helping to fill up a field that is both longer (110 yards) and wider (65 yards) than traditional American football.Fun fact: The first documented American football game in Canada took place in 1861, a full eight years before the first documented American football game in the United States.Who is playing: The nine-team CFL offers a unique spin on the game, and it plays at a high enough level that a handful of players move on to the NFL after each season. Each team is allowed 19 international -- i.e. American -- players. The rest come from Canadas extensive CIS college system, which features 27 schools from four regions that play at its highest level. The CFL once felt comfortable enough to expand into the United States, an experiment that ended in 1995 but led to a firmer vision for a regionally focused league.2. GermanyKey stat:?There are 54,000 federation members among 450 club teams.Fun fact: Former Duke and Fresno State quarterback Brandon Connette was Germanys top quarterback in 2016. He threw for 4,747 yards in 17 games for the Dresden Monarchs.Who is playing: Germany proved to be the most fertile ground for NFL Europe, and eventually five of the leagues six teams migrated within its borders. That popularity carried on even after the 2007 shuttering, and the best club teams in Germany now play at a level equivalent to a Division II college team in the United States. This spring, Germany produced its first NFL draft pick: wide receiver Moritz Bohringer, who has spent the season on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. Bohringer was the first international player to move directly from a European league to the NFL.3. Great BritainKey stat: British American Football Federation has nearly 12,000 members.Fun fact: There is a five-on-five womens tackle league in Great Britain that has a tradition known as the Sapphire Series, which is now taking applicants for the 2017 tournament.Who is playing: NFL interest has soared in London and the surrounding areas since the start of the International Series in 2007. This year, a total of 242,373 fans attended three games held at two different stadiums. College football has grown dramatically throughout the United Kingdom, an important development. The UKs National League is fully amateur, meaning no paid American imports are allowed. So for the league to thrive at a post-college level, it needs native talent to surface. University teams are poised to provide that talent pool.4. MexicoKey stat: The first organized American football game in Mexico took place in 1896.Fun fact: Americas Team was once Mexicos Team as well. Perhaps thats still the case. The Dallas Cowboys, also known as Vaqueros de Dallas, began appearing on Mexican television in the 1960s. Hispanic place-kicker Danny Villanueva, a New Mexico native, was a big draw.Who is playing: American Football has a long history in Mexico. The first games were played there at the collegiate level in the 1920s, and Mexico is now one of two countries outside of the United States to support a fully professional league. (Canada is the other.) The Liga Futbol Americano debuted in the spring of 2016 with four teams and recently announced expansion into a six-team league for 2017. Most of the league is based in Mexico City. Geographical proximity to the NFL makes it a more natural transition for fans. A then-record 103,467 filled Estadio Azteca for the 2005 game between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. Two preseason games there in the 1990s drew a combined 218,800 fans, and this seasons game -- with a reduced capacity of around 87,000 following renovations -- sold out within minutes.5. AustriaKey stat: Approximately 4,000 people in Austria are licensed to play either flag or tackle football.Fun fact: The Vienna Vikings played in five consecutive Eurobowls, winning four of them, from 2003-07. Thats four more championships than their American counterparts, another Vikings franchise with whom they share an almost identical logo.Who is playing: The Austrian Football League rivals Germany for the highest-level football played outside North America. AFI currently ranks the Swarco Raiders as the top team in Europe. The Raiders origin goes back to the 1980s, dating to the earliest days of NFLs excursion into Europe. For a long stretch, Austrian teams dominated international competitions. During the Vikings run in the mid-2000s, their championship games were televised. Their games were played in front of crowds that were as large as 10,000 fans, and the entire league continues to draw well.6. JapanKey stat: There are 18 teams in Japans X-League.Fun fact: American football was first introduced to Japan in 1934 by the legendary missionary Paul Rusch.Who is playing: The highest levels of football in Japan are organized through corporations that sponsor the teams and staff them with their own employees. Companies that field teams include IBM, Fujitsu, Panasonic and Mitsubishi. A handful have developed into semi-pro-level teams, and the Japan Bowl will be played in December in the Tokyo Dome. Japanese teams have grown increasingly aggressive in recruiting American-born players. The IBM BigBlue roster, for example, includes quarterback Kevin Craft (San Diego State/UCLA) and receiver/tight end John Stanton (St. Johns of Minnesota).7. BrazilKey stat: Brazilians have played tackle football in an organized way for only eight years, but there are already 105 teams and approximately 8,500 members of its federation.Fun fact: Team names in Brazil are fantastic, as long as you are not prone to phobias. There are clubs known as the Rednecks, Tsunami, Crocodiles, Vipers, Black Sharks and Brown Spiders.Who is playing: Although the level of play is not high relative to other countries, fan support is wild for teams in the CBFA Superliga -- a structure devised this year to pit the top 31 teams in the country for a regular rotation. As many as 15,000 fans show up for games, rivaling soccer events in some cases. The Corinthian Steamrollers have 1.4 million fans on their public Facebook page. As a result, Brazil is viewed as perhaps the most fertile ground for grassroots expansion in the world.8. ChinaKey stat: The game was introduced about five years ago on a significant scale, and as of last summer, about 5,000 men and women were playing in some form. That includes the inaugural Chinese Arena Football League, backed in part by the owners of the Philadelphia Soul.Fun fact: Former Arizona State defensive lineman Zach Brown, living in China for work, started a semi-pro league by handing out business cards to people he met on the street. The cards said, I play American football. You look like a dude who could play. Contact us here. Runner-up: The Shanghai Skywalkers are a real thing. Enough said.Who is playing: Ken Li, the founder of the American Football Union, said China is more interested in the NFL than playing the game itself. The level of play here is no comparison to the NFL at all, Li said. He added: I always say that if we put the best players in China on an all-star team, the level might be similar to a Division III in the NCAA. That gives you the best-case scenario of what were seeing here.9. FranceKey stat: France has a huge if moderately competitive federation, counting 215 registered clubs and 22,136 members.Fun fact: Defensive end Micah Robinson, a former Syracuse star, had 18 sacks last season for Saint-Ouen-lAum?ne Cougars, the top team in France based on AFIs rankings.Who is playing: Soccer and rugby dominate the French sports terrain, so support is mixed even while participation and skill level is high. Most football teams have American imports playing quarterback, including many with experience at Division I schools. There have also been occasional instances of French-born players piquing interest of NFL teams. Receiver Anthony Dable, who like Bohringer discovered football on YouTube and went on to play in the French and German leagues, spent training camp with the New York Giants and had a September tryout with the New England Patriots.10. AustraliaKey stat: There are approximately 4,000 members in the Australian federation.Fun fact: The first season of American football in Australia was 1984. Players used boxing head gear instead of helmets and played on what Gridiron Australias official history called a disused rubbish tip. In other words, it was an abandoned garbage dump.Who is playing: American football has plenty of team-sport competition in Australia, from rugby to Australian rules football to soccer. But there is a growing list of Australian-born players working their way into the NFL. Former rugby star Jarryd Hayne is the most notable, having played last season as a running back/returner for the San Francisco 49ers. Most of them have been specialists, however, including current New York Giants punter Brad Wing. Sav Rocca had a seven-year career with three teams, and Mat McBriar punted for 11 years, mostly with the Dallas Cowboys. And Darren Bennett, the San Diego Chargers punter from 1995-03, introduced rugby-style kicking to the NFL. Malik Monk Jersey .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. Caleb Martin Jersey . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. https://www.hornetslockerroom.com/Larry-Johnson-City-Edition-Jersey/ . A big centre with all the tools to be an elite player, Johansen paced the Blue Jackets with a standout game Saturday night. He had a goal and two assists for a career-high three points as Columbus beat the New York Islanders 5-2 to snap a five-game losing streak. Jalen McDaniels Hornets Jersey . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Malik Monk Hornets Jersey . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. Seamers picked up all 23 wickets to fall on the opening day of the Group A match between Baroda and Bengal in Lahli. Baroda, who were dismissed for 97 in the first innings, finished the day with a lead of 84 runs after seamer Atit Sheths 7 for 36 routed Bengal for 76.Bengal grabbed the early advantage through Ashok Dindas 6 for 45. Barodas top score in the first innings was 17, from opener Aditya Waghmode. Only three other batsmen scored in double-figures, all of them making 13. Sudip Chaterjee top-scored for Bengal with 37, playing a lone hand as the side slumped from 25 for 1 to 52 for 8 within 14 overs. Six wickets in this period fell to Sheth, who had earlier dismissed opener Abhimanyu Easwaran in the second over.Mukesh Kumar and Amit Kuila, who had taken four wickets between them in the first innings, then quickly dismantled Barodas top order in the second innings before Kedar Devdhar stabilized the side with 34 not out. They finished the day at 63 for 3.Opener Priyank Panchals eighth first-class hundred led Gujarat to 246 for 3 at stumps against Mumbai in Hubli. Panchal and his opening partner Samit Gohel gave the side a strong start after Gujarat opted to bat, with a partnership of 172 runs. Gujarat lost Gohel, Bhargav Merai and Parthiv Patel quickly before Panchal added an unbeaten 43-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Manpreet Juneja. Panchal remained not out on 122 off 256 balls with 17 fours.Mumbai used eight bowlers but the only ones to get wickets were Vishal Dabbholkar, who struck in successive overs, and Aditya Dhumal.dddddddddddd. Railways batsmen, particularly Nitin Bhille, dominated the first day against Madhya Pradesh in Delhi, taking their score to 249 for 2 at stumps. Bhille was unbeaten on 102, his third first-class century, while opener Saurabh Wakaskar and Arindam Ghosh scored 62 and 61 not out respectively. Wakaskar and Shivakant Shukla had added 50 for the first wicket, before Bhille and Wakaskar put on 67 for the second wicket. Bhille and Ghosh then added 132 runs for the unbroken third-wicket partnership. Offspinner Saransh Jain and left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma took the only two wickets to fall on the day.Three wickets from seamer K Vignesh, including two in one over - the 32nd of the innings, helped Tamil Nadu claw back and limit Punjab to 241 for 6 in Nagpur. Punjabs openers had moved on to 97 for 0 in the 29th over before they lost three quick wickets for 10 runs. Vignesh dismissed Manan Vohra for 73 off the second ball of the 32nd over and sent back Mandeep Singh four balls later. Punjab recovered briefly through a 53-run partnership between Uday Kaul and Gurkeerat Singh, who led Punjab after Harbhajan Singh missed the game due to personal reasons. Tamil Nadu, however, reigned them in with two quick wickets before Vignesh contributed another one, through a run-out, which sent back Kaul for 56. ' ' '