ver-turned-starter has in himself the most important tool for any professional athlete. “Im confident,” said Rogers. “I think that thats the key. The co

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Right after getting off the plane, sweat beads will start to gather on your forehead. Thats just Rio de Janeiros ever-present humidity saying hello.You will be enveloped by shades of green -- lush tropical forests jammed between buildings of all sizes -- and tones of blue along miles of inviting coastlines.Towering over the 2016 Summer Olympics host city is the Christ the Redeemer statue. After a few days, you might chuckle when a hotel brochure or tour guide tries to sell you something by saying it includes a view of the statue.Jesus is everywhere here, as is plenty of temptation and sin.In Brazil, prostitution is legal, though that doesnt mean that you will see women and men hawking their bodies all over the city. Walking around, you are more likely to come upon churches, especially of growing evangelical denominations like Pentecostals.Up in the hills, you can see small dwellings that look like stone huts jammed one after the other, in red and green and pink and orange. The slums of Rio, known as favelas, are the most colorful places in the city, culturally vibrant and filled with interesting people. They are also the citys poorest areas, often controlled by drug-traffickers and plagued by violence.Across Rio, you might hear gunfire. It could be drug dealers battling it out for turf, or military police conducting an operation. Firefights mostly happen in favelas, but sometimes spill out into the zona sul, or southern part of the city, home to more well-heeled Brazilians and where tourists flock.You will be tempted to capture all the vibrancy on your smartphone. But take a good look around before pulling it out. The Cidade Maravilhosa has long been plagued by violent muggings and robberies that can happen at any time of day and in any neighborhood.A walk along the famed beach in Copacabana reveals both luxury and seediness: Rios iconic area of yesteryear still shines but also has its share of hobos, panhandlers and hard-luck cases.Keep walking west to get to the Ipanema beaches. And if you are in the mood to see and be seen and spend more money, go a little further to get to Leblon, Rios most expensive neighborhood.Its winter in the Southern Hemisphere, the equivalent of February up north. But the beaches still have plenty of people, both local and foreign, taking dips. And with good reason: Temperatures are frequently in the mid-80s and sometimes even low 90s.Here you will see some of Rios stereotypes: dental-floss bikinis for women, tight speedos for men and bodies that ooze fitness and sensuality. But the beaches have so much more than that. There are pickup soccer and volleyball games and capoeira martial arts. The beats of the drum circles will make you feel like youre in a movie.Speaking of rhythms, in cafes, food stands and bars, its common to hear the soothing sounds of Caetano Veloso or Gilberto Gil, just two of the countrys talented musicians known worldwide. The classics are embraced but there is so much more for the ears: pop, funk and everything in between, especially in any of the thousands of yellow cabs circulating in the city.At the beach or anywhere close to a waterway, you could smell something rank. Your sniffer is not off. Thats sewage. How strong it smells depends on where you are, how recently it rained and many other factors. Currently Rio only treats about 60 percent of its sewage, which means the waste from millions of residents finds its way into the water. Olympic athletes competing on that water are taking a host of preventative measures to avoid getting sick.If all this made you tired, just about any corner on the city offers the perfect pick-me-up: fruits. It would be impossible to exaggerate the variety or all-around scrumptiousness of what you are about to eat or drink.If you dont speak Portuguese (and most Rio people dont speak English), just point at the reddish mangos, the green guavas (with pink insides) or fruits you may have never heard of like jabuticaba, which look like oversized grapes.Sit back and enjoy.----Peter Prengaman is Brazil news director for The Associated Press.---Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/peterprengaman Cheap Football Jerseys Throwback China . 1, meaning problems for the doping controls at both major international sports events next year. The World Anti-Doping Agency provisionally suspended the Moscow Antidoping Center on Sunday, saying its operations must improve or a six-month ban on the facilitys accreditation will be imposed. Stitched Football Jerseys Throwback . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. http://www.cheapfootballthrowback.com/ . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. Custom Football Jerseys Throwback .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Sale Football Jerseys Throwback . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence.TORONTO - For six innings on Tuesday night, Esmil Rogers confused the Colorado Rockies, holding them to one hit. When his night was over, two outs later in the seventh, Rogers left to a standing ovation, a grin on his face. The reliever-turned-starter has in himself the most important tool for any professional athlete. “Im confident,” said Rogers. “I think that thats the key. The confidence that Gibby and Pete give to me right now is unbelievable. They told me right away, be confident on the mound. I didnt have it in Colorado, Im not going to lie to you, and Ive got a real, unbelievable confidence right now that I can throw any pitch in any count that I want.” Rogers followed up his seven-inning, 93-pitch performance in Thursdays 6-1 win over Texas with 6 2/3 innings of two earned run baseball. He worked ahead and relied on his recently developed two-seam sinking fastball. Of Rogers 20 recorded outs, 14 were either strikeouts or groundouts. “Hes a four-pitch guy now,” said manager John Gibbons. “Coming out of the bullpen hes basically a two-pitch guy but hes added that two-seam fastball, he throws a little curveball now and then to go along with his slider and he actually throws some changeups. “I see much better command than coming out of the bullpen,” Gibbons continued. “The mentality sometimes there is you go in one or two innings and air it out, let it fly. Now hes pitching more. I tell you what: hes got a dynamite arm.” Rogers has a 1.71 ERA over four starts (four earned runs in 21 innings). Understandably, there is a question about whether Rogers arm will hold up given his off-season training program was geared toward middle to late relief. The answer wont be known until later in the season. In the meantime, Rogers will enjoy the ride.dddddddddddd He wont stress. “Im not that kind of pitcher, like I come into the stadium the day before I pitch and try to look for the scouting report,” said Rogers. “I know Ive got ability and I know if theyre going to hit, theyre going to hit my pitches. Jose Reyes Update Jose Reyes started and played nine innings at designated hitter for class-A Dunedin, his second rehab outing. Reyes went 1-5 with a single in Dunedins 9-4, 11-inning win over the Yankees affiliate in Tampa. The win clinched the first half division crown for the Blue Jays, assuring the club playoff games when the regular season concludes. Dunedin plays on Wednesday morning at 11:00. Reyes was scheduled to be back at shortstop. Morrow Suffers Setback As Reyes continues to make progress toward an impending return to the Blue Jays, the club got bad news on starter Brandon Morrow. “The forearms still bothering him,” said Gibbons. “Theyre backing him off that rehab, get him re-examined and see where hes at. Same spot, forearm, tenderness.” Morrow started Monday nights game for Single-A Dunedin. He allowed three runs on five hits, including a home run, in two innings. After the game he reported a recurrence of pain in his forearm. In the meantime, hell be shut down from all throwing. Luis Perez Suffers Setback Left-handed reliever Luis Perez, who had Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery last July 17, has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation. Perez, 28, had progressed to Single-A action. He appeared in one game for Dunedin on June 10, pitching two scoreless innings. Perez had a 3.43 ERA in 42 innings, 35 relief appearances, for the Blue Jays in the first half of the 2012 season. The Blue Jays dont believe the setback is serious. ' ' '