LONDON -- After spending last season as one of the key forces behind Leicesters rise to the Premier League title, Jamie Vardy is now the symbol of the teams alarming decline.The rough diamond unearthed in non-league soccer helped power Leicester to its first English title by scoring 24 goals. Defenses struggled to contain him as he scored in a record 11 consecutive Premier League games from August to November 2015.Now, the striker can barely get a shot on target and Leicester is struggling because of it.If Vardy fails to score against Manchester City on Saturday, it will be 11 consecutive games without a Premier League goal. And if results go against Leicester, the team could start the game in the relegation zone.The 29-year-old Vardy rejected the chance to join perennial top-four team Arsenal to see if Leicester could build on its fairytale season. That has happened in Europe, with Leicester qualifying for the round of 16 in its Champions League debut as group winners.Leicester collected as many points in the six group games as in the 14 Premier League matches so far: 13.Vardy didnt find the net once in five European games before being rested in Wednesdays 5-0 loss to FC Porto, which didnt affect Leicesters status as group winners but was a high-profile humiliation.Vardy has only contributed two Premier League goals and managed a mere four shots on target in the competition dominated by Leicester so unexpectedly last season. Whats also been noticeable is how Vardy is no longer linking so effectively with Riyad Mahrez -- if at all -- as the supply line for scoring opportunities has fractured.Unless the symbiotic relationship between Vardy and Mahrez rejuvenates in the second half of the season, Leicester is in real danger of seeing its three-season stay in the Premier League end on the first anniversary of its title triumph in May.Of course hes not happy, Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri said of the central England clubs Thai owner. No one at the club is.The one player Leicester couldnt persuade to stay offseason is being sorely missed. NGolo Kante produced a league-leading 175 tackles and 156 interceptions last season before joining Chelsea. The midfielder would seem to perform the work of two men when he was on the field and without him Leicesters defense has seemed easier to break through.Many at the club have publicly attributed the drop in domestic form to the desire to impress on the continent. Now there are no distractions for the next two months before the Champions League knockout phase begins.The visit of Manchester City is a timely reminder about the fate of champions. City was the last team to follow a title triumph with relegation, far back in 1938.Citys current mission is coping for the next four games without Sergio Aguero, with Kelechi Iheanacho replacing the banned striker in the starting lineup. City is fourth in the standings, four points behind Chelsea.---SWANSEA vs. SUNDERLANDWith only one win in seven games as Swansea manager, Bob Bradley has seen his new team slide to the bottom. The Americans dire introduction to the Premier League was heightened when his disjointed team lost 5-0 at Tottenham last week.Is Bradleys job already under threat?You go in every day and at any moment the club can say `We need to make a change, Bradley said Thursday. But if you worry about that, the players will spit you out fast. They will see through you. If I am telling the players they have to look adversity in the eye and have some courage, then I have got to do that, too.Bradley shouldnt give up hope. He only has to look to Sunderland, the team that was last when he took charge in south Wales and plays Swansea on Saturday. Sunderland has hauled itself to a point from safety by winning three of its last four games under David Moyes.---BURNLEY vs. BOURNEMOUTHTheres a meeting Saturday between two of the leagues four English managers.What is surprising is that only Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, rather than Burnley counterpart Sean Dyche, was seriously linked with the England coaching job when it came up twice this year.In its second-ever top-flight campaign, Bournemouth is 10th in the 20-team standings after beating Liverpool last weekend by winning 4-3 from 3-1 down.Burnley, after making an instant return to the Premier League, is 15th. Custom Chicago Blackhawks Jerseys . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. Chicago Blackhawks Gear . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. https://www.cheapblackhawks.com/ . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. Chicago Blackhawks Store . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Blackhawks Jerseys China . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Tim Tebow threw a wrinkle into the baseball season when he enticed dozens of reporters and scouts to trek to Los Angeles in late August to watch him run a 60-yard dash, shag fly balls and crank batting practice fastballs over the fence.For his next trick, Tebow will ascend to the ranks of the Spruce Bluff Preserve, the Botanical Gardens and the Treasure Coast Model Railroad Club as a Port St. Lucie tourist attraction.Tebows professional journey begins for real Monday when he joins 57 other aspiring New York Mets for the teams three-week instructional league at Tradition Field. The event is open to the public, and the Mets have fielded enough inquiries to expect more than the usual trickle of back field stragglers.Ive never seen more than seven people at our instructional league before, Ian Levin, the Mets director of minor league operations, said with a laugh. Im making that up, obviously, but its typically just family and friends. This will definitely be a different instructional league.Tebow, a former Heisman Trophy winner, two-time national champion at Florida and NFL quarterback with the Denver Broncos, New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles, is taking a high-profile plunge into a new sport. After signing with the Mets for a $100,000 bonus, hell try to buck convention and carve out a career in baseball despite an 11-year absence from the game.Ever since Tebow revealed his plans to pursue baseball, he has been the focus of a debate over the worthiness of the experiment. Supporters are intrigued by the entertainment value of a natural athlete chasing his dream. Skeptics dismiss the Tebow story as a publicity stunt and think hes receiving an inordinate amount of attention for someone with a minuscule chance of reaching the big leagues. Tebow also has received criticism for his plan to leave the instructional league for a day or two each week to continue his TV work with ESPNs SEC Nation.Amid the dissenting views, Tebow approaches his quest with his typical brand of can-do optimism.Im excited about it. I really am, Tebow told Newsday last week during a national media tour. Ive loved the game of baseball. Hitting a baseball is one of my favorite things to do in sports. Im excited about the journey, the challenge, the difficulties, all of it. Its going to be a lot of fun and its something thats definitely exciting for me.The Mets signed Tebow knowing that hes raw and has a big learning curve ahead of him, so instructional league is a natural place to start. Its a compressed learning lab that allows young players to polish their skills in a structurred environment with an emphasis on individual instruction.dddddddddddd Tebows progress in Florida will help determine whether hes ready for the Arizona Fall League or winter ball, or if hes better served working one-on-one with coaches during the offseason heading into spring training.The Mets are sending 24 coaches to Port St. Lucie to oversee 29 pitchers, eight catchers, 12 infielders and nine outfielders (a group that includes Tebow). Tebow and his fellow instructional leaguers will arrive at the park at 7:30 or 8 a.m. each day. After breakfast and morning meetings, theyll hit the field from 10 a.m. to 1 or 2 p.m.The Mets minor leaguers are scheduled to play five games against other organizations and several more intrasquad games in Port St. Lucie. Factor in weight training before or after games, and Tebow will be logging some days of eight hours or more in the 90-degree heat. Former Boston College pitcher Justin Dunn, New Yorks top pick in Junes first-year player draft, has the highest profile among the other 57 players in camp. The oldest instructional leaguer after the 29-year-old Tebow is pitcher Cameron Griffin, who turned 25 in June.The youngest attendee, Venezuelan outfielder Raul Beracierta, turned 17 in May. Dominican shortstop Gregory Guerrero, who signed for a $1.2 million bonus in 2015, is also 17. Hes the nephew of former big league All-Star Vladimir Guerrero.Mets general manager Sandy Alderson has expressed the hope that Tebow will have an impact on New Yorks prospects with his energy and wide range of life experiences. Tebows give-and-take with players of high school and college age is likely to be one of the more intriguing facets of his instructional league experience.Development comes from all different areas, Levin said. Theres on-field development that comes from the coaches and playing games, and theres off-field development from your peers and the environment. I havent spoken to Tim yet, but from everything Ive seen about him, hes a very positive person and obviously a hard worker whos become successful in his own right.Im looking forward to seeing him interact with the players. It brings another perspective and another viewpoint that could rub off on our guys in a positive way.Judging from the media attention and the number of Mets fans wholl be dropping by Tradition Field this week, Levin and his colleagues in New Yorks front office arent the only ones who are curious how Tebow will fare in his strange new world. ' ' '