Matt Tifft has returned to racing 11 weeks after having brain surgery, and he said he felt great heading into Friday nights Camping World Truck Series race. Paul Goldschmidt Jersey .The 20-year-old had surgery July 1 to remove a tumor that was about the size of a half-dollar and was located on the right side near his temple, about an inch into his brain at the deepest point. It was not cancerous but had the potential to grow aggressively.Tifft, who received applause when he was introduced in the pre-race driver meeting, finished 12th.After the surgery, I think the reason I was able to make such a quick return was just the support I had from family and friends and just the motivation to get back to racing, Tifft said Friday, a day after his return to the track for practice. Its one of my favorite things to do and I love racing.I think for having that ability to go out and say, All right, I want to get back in the truck, I [had] the motivation to do that. That really helped along with the recovery process because the days that were hard I could say to myself, OK, next week youll feel a little bit better, a little bit better. Someday youll be back. And, that day was yesterday.Tifft has three starts in the Red Horse truck this year with a best finish of fifth. He also has competed in six Xfinity Series events for Joe Gibbs Racing and has recorded two eighth-place finishes.To get prepared to race and make sure he was OK to compete, Tifft has twice tested a late-model stock car at a North Carolina track in the past few weeks. NASCAR has cleared him to compete.Tifft said he has suffered no ill effects from the brain surgery after his two late-model tests.Every time I got in the car, it was like everything had been way before, Tifft said. [I] did a lot of go-karting as well in between and before the late-model test. I didnt feel anything at all that was different, and I would not be here this weekend if I did not feel like I was 100 percent and ready to go. Cheap Diamondbacks Jerseys Authentic . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap. Taijuan Walker Jersey . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. http:///...yasmany-tomas-jersey . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. Sometimes a Pakistani fan will find cricket love in the oddest of places, such as east of the border with India. In fact, from this side of the divide, odd doesnt even begin to describe it.There is, first of all, the subcontinents geopolitical backstory, spread over a thousand restless years and weighed down with enough psychological baggage to jeopardise any rapprochement for the foreseeable future. There is the serpentine barbed-wire fence snaking the border, from the coast in the south to the mountains in the north. Of course, there is the flashpoint, the K-word, whose mere mention can set off bullets and bombs. Unavoidably, there is the contemporary narrative, a Gordian tangle with finger-pointing and anxieties over nuclear war.In this twisted snarl of hysteria and hostility, I somehow lost my cricketing heart to a rising Indian star. The attraction I felt was overpowering, yet so were the barriers. Often the most exciting kind of love is forbidden love, and what better place to find forbidden love than in forbidden territory?Mahendra Singh Dhoni was 23 years old and playing his fifth ODI when he savaged the Pakistan attack in Visakhapatnam in 2005. The crowd was at capacity, the ground awash in coastal sunshine. India won the toss and batted. There had been some hype about Dhoni, and he more than lived up to it, coming in at No. 3 and plundering 148 at a strike rate above 120. Flowing red-tinted hair framing a strutting mien, he cut a captivating figure, giving off the smell of a future Indian great. It is a smell that we in Pakistan know only too well. It fills us with dread.As Dhonis career progressed and he kept winning laurels, including against Pakistan, those initial fears gave way to grudging admiration and, in time, to outright adoration and fondness. Much of his allure lies in the way he carries himself. When he bats, he is poised at the crease as if nestled in a comfortable leather sofa. His technique is to combine brilliant footwork with a secure bottom-hand grip showing the full face of the bat. He has the brain of an astute strategist and the temperament of a finisher. His manner is calm as night, solid as oak. You can see him trying, but never too hard. When he crouches behind the stumps, he is like a big cat huddled in the grassland, eying its prey.Above all, Dhoni appears utterly snug in his skin, going about his business with ease and flair, as graceful in victory as in defeat. There isnt the agitation of Kohli, the swagger of Sehwag, or the circumspection of Dravid. When he celebrates, it is easy on the eye. No jingoistic delirium or madness, no self-conscious understatement or taciturnity either. There is just this fluent channeling of cheerful emotions. You feel like smiling with him and celebrating along.There is no shortage of cricketing legends in India, but you could make a compelling argument that Dhoni stands taller than the rest. Yes, the likes of Tendulkar, Gavaskar and Dravid have the runs; Kumble, Bedi and Chandrasekhar - and Ashwin catching up fast - have the wickets; Kapil and Mankad have their all-round charisma. And Dhoni? He has the success. He haas captained his team in more Tests (60), more ODIs (199) and more T20Is (72) than anybody else. Ketel Marte Jersey. Under his leadership, India attained the top Test ranking for a 21-month stretch, starting November 2009, lifted the World Cup in 2011, captured the World T20 in 2007, and the Champions Trophy in 2013. Dhoni does have detractors, but really, who can argue with this record?He has been able to ask much of his team because he has given much as well. In the list of historys most effective wicketkeepers, he stands fifth in Tests, fourth in ODIs, and first in T20Is. As a batsman he has over 15,000 international runs at a composite average of almost 45; this career tally places him fifth among his compatriots. Most impressive is his deftness at the death. On the 40 occasions that Dhoni has been at the crease at the end of an ODI, India have lost only once. In Tests and T20Is too, Dhoni staying till the end strongly protects the team against defeat. The same aura of invincibility emanates from his captaincy. There is this unfailing level-headedness and cool, quick thinking. You always feel he has got your back. Along with all the applause and adulation have come material rewards. We never thought cricket could make one as rich as European footballers or American sportspersons, but Forbes magazine has repeatedly named Dhoni among the highest-paid athletes in the world, the only cricketer to crack the global top 100. Indias surging economy, with a billion-plus consumers, and Dhonis brand as a champion, explain his wealth, the bulk of which comes from sponsorships and endorsements. When I first heard of the Forbes mention, I was happy; not just for Dhoni, but happy - even in our part of the world, cash in sport had started to flow. That is promising and gratifying.As one might imagine, nursing a passion for Dhoni has been something of a struggle as a Pakistani. Apart from the fact that not many people get it, there is the inner conflict. A close friend, who happens to be a psychiatrist as well as a cricket buff, explained it away as reaction formation - a psychological phenomenon where you end up praising what you actually dislike. An honest examination leaves me unconvinced of this theory. Another friend, a self-proclaimed expert on relationships, opined that I am confusing admiration with envy. I dont think I am.I do wish that Sarfraz Ahmed will blossom into a Pakistani version of Dhoni before long, but I dont begrudge India its great good fortune. Dhoni is a creation of India and the modern Indian cricket scene, and he fits that setting incredibly well. Its a joy to see him perform, though when he does it against Pakistan, things get complicated. Five of Dhonis 22 Man-of-the-Match awards have come against my team, and I have watched all of those games. Naturally, it is no fun to see my team lose but it lifts my spirits to know that Dhoni has done well. It is not a case of divided loyalty. It is hearty applause for a man who so abundantly deserves his success. ' ' '