Heartbreaking as it was at the time, Sydney defender Dane Rampe feels lucky to have been overlooked by the Western Bulldogs after being invited to train with the AFL club.Rampe knows he wasnt ready for the rigours of elite football six years ago when the Bulldogs contemplated drafting him.The All Australian defender also believed he wouldnt have developed as a footballer without the sun, surf and support offered by his home town.Rampe moved to Melbourne to chase his AFL dream after finishing school but fell out of love with the game during a VFL stint with Williamstown.The 26-year-old said the turning point of his career came when he packed up his car and shifted back to Sydney.I hold no grudges against them. Im not bitter towards them for not picking me up because I wasnt ready, Rampe said.Its the best thing that ever happened to me ... had I been picked up, I wouldnt be where I am today. I dont think Id even still be on a list.Down there, it was all one thing. My life was really focused on footy ... footy doesnt define me now.Ive got an outlet to switch off with friends and family, just doing things with people that any normal person does.Rampe is one of Sydneys many rookie-list success stories who will run out on Saturday onto the MCG . In 2012, he was supporting them from the SCG stands, while dominating for UNSW-Eastern Suburbs in the local league.The 26-year-old made his debut and played 23 games in 2013, helping fill the void left by Alex Johnson. He featured in the 2014 grand final and, this season, earned his first All-Australian selection.Rampe doubts whether he would have achieved such a rapid rise at the Bulldogs or any Melbourne-based club.I dont think so. Ive got real respect for the players based in Melbourne, especially the big ones who can perform with so much scrutiny at bigger clubs, he said.Itd be a genuine challenge.Rampe, who was one of many Swans to play well below their best in the 2014 season decider, suggested hed learned some lessons from that gutting loss to Hawthorn.Its just about trying to keep a level head, appreciating whats going on this week but not getting consumed by it, he said.The main thing is the jobs not done yet. While it is an achievement in some ways to get to a granny, it means nothing if you dont win.Wed be disappointed with anything but finishing off as premiers.Wholesale Nuggets Jerseys . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Jamal Murray Jersey . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. https://www.cheapnuggets.com/147y-byron-beck-jersey-nuggets.html . But now that hes in the NHL, the Calgary Flames centre showed big improvement in that department by scoring the winner in the eighth round of a 5-4 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Monte Morris Jersey .Y. -- Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers had no intention of changing his hard-hitting style before taking part in a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus head. Michael Porter Jr. Jersey . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers.LINCOLN, Neb. -- When it comes to football and politics, Nebraska is as red a state as there is. When it comes to basketball, its a deep shade of blue, as in Creighton blue.The 10th-ranked Bluejays (8-0) and Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-3) play their annual game Wednesday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, and Creightons dominance is expected to continue. The Jays have won 14 of the previous 17 meetings, including each of the last five by at least 10 points . Another win would even the all-time series 25-25.The matchups story lines provide a fun yet contentious backdrop.First, not much gets under the skin of Huskers fans more than the small Jesuit school in Omaha being better than the states flagship university at anything. On top of that, it bugs them that a lot of Creighton fans root for Nebraska in football -- the Bluejays dont have a team -- and even cheer for the Huskers in basketball outside the one game a year against the Jays.The `Jaysker thing, said Omaha radio host Nick Handley. That draws this weird, aggressive debate. The true Nebraska fans say you cant be a fan of both.Second, the Huskers have given scant attention to Omaha when looking for players. Creighton has two starters from the states largest city, guard Khyri Thomas and center Justin Patton, and each said he received no recruiting interest from Nebraska. Neither said his feelings was hurt.I wouldnt have chosen Nebraska anyway, Patton said. I look better in blue.And then theres the Greg McDermott-Tim Miles dynamic and their repartee. McDermott, the Creighton coach, is 12-0 all-time against his Nebraska counterpart going back to the late 1990s when they were Division II coaches at Wayne State and Southwest Minnesota Sttate.ddddddddddddcDermott pointed out that Miles never beats him on the golf course, either.I can only hope the game Wednesday would be as easy as the Ryder Cup match between our two staffs this summer, he said. I dont think they were mathematically eliminated after the first day, but it was close.Said a smiling Miles: They cheated. Typical Creighton. Heres a guy, 18-handicap, shoots 81. When Macs got sand coming out the bottom of his shorts and ears and hands, hes the biggest sandbagger you ever met in your life.This is one of the toughest nonconference weeks ever for the Huskers. The game against Creighton will be followed by a visit to No. 3 Kansas on Saturday.Creighton is fifth nationally in scoring at 90.8 points a game. Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster is scoring 19.4 points a game, Maurice Watson is second in the country in assists (9 per game) and Patton is second in field-goal shooting (78.9 percent).The Huskers top scorers are Tai Webster (16.9 ppg) and Glynn Watson Jr. (13.8). Their best win is over Dayton, 80-78 in the Wooden Legacy in Fullerton, California, two weeks ago. They stayed close with now-No. 2 UCLA until the closing minutes in an 82-71 loss at the same tournament.Were going into an arena thats full, a lot of energy in the building, McDermott said. When they come here, our building is the same way. Its what college basketball is about. When you have a rivalry like that in the state where you have two of the top 20 fan bases in the country and you get together, its a lot of fun.---More college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org ' ' '