Russias Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov are holding a convincing lead in pairs figure skating going into Wednesdays free skate, winning the short program handily with a final score of 84.17. The clear favourite to win the gold medal in pairs on Wednesday, the duo skated a near-perfect routine in front of a wildly supportive hometown crowd. Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy from Germany, also looking strong in their short program, came in second with a score of 79.64. The duo performed a routine inspired by the Pink Panther. "We wanted to show that it was easy. We skated it for the fans," Savchenko says. "When youre having fun doing your routine and the audience goes with it, it just makes you feel good and less nervous." Szolkowy says that "we had a good feeling, indeed the most important thing was to skate clean. "Were glad that we did all our elements since we want to fight for the gold. The points dont matter for now. Lets see what comes out in the end." Third-place went to another Russian duo of Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov, scoring 75.21. on their routine. All three Canadian pairs also advanced to Wednesdays free skate finale. Meagan Duhamel of St-Leonard, Que., and Eric Radford of Toronto finished their short program as the highest ranking Canadians of the night, scoring 72.21 and finishing in fifth place. The duo enjoyed a solid routine with only a minor mistake on a triple lutz spin. Duhamel says it wasnt easy for her and Radford to skate right after eventual third-place finishers Stolbova and Klimov. "It was very difficult to skate after the hometown team. It sounds like a hockey game out there," Duhamel says. "We made some minor mistakes, but Im proud of what we were able to do in that circumstance." "We want a medal really bad, but for us skating the free skate of a lifetime would be worth more than gold, Duhamel says. Radford, who composed the pairs short program song in tribute to his late coach Paul Wirtz, says he "enjoyed every minute" of his short program experience. "Being out there, every moment is an amazing and unforgettable memory." Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catherines, Ont., and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto placed sixth in their short program, scoring 70.92. The couple skated a solid routine as the final performers of the evening. Moore-Towers says that she wasnt nervous heading out onto the ice. "I think the real win tonight was how comfortable we were out there." Moscovitch says that before the couple performed their short program routine, he told Moore-Towers to "leave everything we have on the floor, lets just leave it all out on the ice." "We had a lot of fun out there," Moscovitch says. Paige Lawrence of Kennedy, Sask., and Rudi Swiegers of Virden, Man., in their first Olympics, skated to a score of 58.97. The couples training has been hampered all season by injuries, with Lawrence saying she is about "80 per cent good" in her recovery from a leg injury. Lawrence touched down twice during the couples routine, which led to their 13th place finish. Custom Seattle Mariners Jerseys . Englands only win in the four most recent trips north had been tight, and Scotland was expected after losing 28-6 to Ireland six days ago to show some venom against its archrival. Seattle Mariners Store . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Marc-Andre Fleury, Penguins (3) - Surrendered a tough first goal against on a deflection through the body short side. https://www.cheapmariners.com/. He learned about pressure and expectations at the 2010 Games in his hometown of Vancouver. His next mission is to build on that experience at his next Olympic appearance in Sochi, where he plans to ride the momentum from the teams strong start to the season. Seattle Mariners Pro Shop . Now, Sarah Burkes legacy will live on in Canadas Sports Hall of Fame. Burke, who tragically died at age 29 from a training accident in 2012, headlined the 2014 class named for induction Wednesday. Seattle Mariners Gear . Ryan Callahan trade talks caught a lot of people off guard. Details are now emerging about why the Rangers would consider such a move. Darren Dreger: He wants a lot of money. Its been widely reported that Callahan is looking for a seven-year term around $6 million per year. That is not accurate. Im told that it is more than $6.INDIANAPOLIS -- Of the three quarterbacks projected to be picked at the top of the NFL draft this year, Blake Bortles is considered to be the most raw. This, he freely admits. "I have no problem with that. I need coaching. I need help. I think everybody in the game does," Bortles said. He is also determined to make up the difference, fueled by the belief he can become the best prospect at this heralded and critical position. "Im going to do everything that I can here to make sure that when I leave theres other people saying that besides me," Bortles said Friday at the NFLs annual scouting combine. Bortles was measured at an ideal 6-foot-5 and 232 pounds. He has a strong arm and decent athleticism for his size. He didnt face consistently top-tier competition at Central Florida, but he has shown steady improvement and shined at the Fiesta Bowl in his last college game before deciding to skip his senior season. "To give you a complete evaluation at this point, I dont think Im ready to do that, but I can tell you weve watched enough that were very intrigued by him, the traits he has: big, tall, timing, accuracy, decision making," Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley said. "Those are the things we take a close look at." With Houston at No. 1, Jacksonville at No. 3, Cleveland at No. 4, Oakland at No. 5, and Minnesota at No. 8, teams all seeking a long-term solution at quarterback, there is almost no way Bortles, Texas A&Ms Johnny Manziel or Louisvilles Teddy Bridgewater will still be available after that. Bridgewater, who wasnt available to reporters on Friday, declared early for the draft like the two others. But he is the most polished. "You can put the tape in and watch him do things and say, yeah, that translates to the next level," NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. "Hes not as much a wild card as Manziel, and I think hes more developed in his reads and throws than Bortles. So thats why I say I think hes the most ready to play." Bortles will throw in front of the teams and their evaluators Sunday when the quarterbacks test their skills at Lucas Oil Stadium. It is a seemingly simple decision now seen as risky by some prospects under advisement from agents to limit their participation to pro day workouts on their own campuses. Bortles stood at a podium Friday with poise, polish and plenty of confidence, not brash but sure sounding ready for whatever the NFL will bring.dddddddddddd. He revealed Brett Favre as his childhood favourite and said he sees Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck as contemporary examples of the type of quarterback he can develop into. He even boldly mentioned Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. "By no means am I those guys," he said, adding: "I 100 per cent believe that eventually I can do what those guys do." Bortles also emphasized his character during the mini-sales pitch he made to the media, undoubtedly similar to what hes sharing with the teams themselves during screening interviews throughout the weekend. "I wont embarrass an organization off the field by making maybe bad decisions or anything like that," Bortles said. "I wont embarrass my familys name, and will be a trustworthy guy and a trustworthy player." Perhaps that was a subtle shot at Manziel, the biggest headliner of this class. Manziel was all business in his news conference Friday, but he wont soon escape the tales of off-the-field shenanigans and questions of character that have followed him from Texas A&M. In many ways, Bortles is the opposite of Manziel, starting with the skill sets. "He is a big guy. He is athletic. He is a competitive guy," said Houston coach Bill OBrien, whose Penn State team was beaten by Bortles and Central Florida last year. "It has been fun to watch him play on tape. It will be good to work him out here." Derek Carr of Fresno State, Jimmy Garappolo of Eastern Illinois, and A.J. McCarron of Alabama comprise the consensus next tier of 2014 quarterback prospects. McCarron, of course, has what none of the others do: two national championships. In the hyper-saturated world of professional football analysis, somehow those titles have managed to become a potential weakness for McCarron, who had the benefit of maybe the most talented roster in the country around him. "Everybody says I played behind NFL talent at Alabama. Well, usually thats whats in the NFL: NFL talent. So I dont know how that can be a knock, really," he said, embracing the old chip-on-the-shoulder mentality. "Ive been disrespected my whole college career, because I won." ' ' '