WASHINGTON -- Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis lobbying for a Winter Classic in his NHL teams home city began with an email sent to Commissioner Gary Bettman the moment the leagues first New Years Day game was played in 2008. [url=http://www.officialpacersfanstore.com/kids-tyreke-evans-pacers-jer

WASHINGTON -- Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis lobbying for a Winter Classic in his NHL teams home city began with an email sent to Commissioner Gary Bettman the moment the leagues first New Years Day game was played in 2008. Tyreke Evans Jersey . "The first emails I see any morning, on any typical day, are from Ted on any of a variety of subjects but he has been both persistent and passionate in pursuit of this event," Bettman said at Nationals Park on Tuesday, when the Capitals unveiled the uniforms theyll wear when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 1. "Were thrilled to be fulfilling his wish." On a sunny, start-of-autumn day with the temperature at about 70, Alex Ovechkin wore flip-flops and a borrowed pair of baseball pants, Nicklas Backstrom donned shorts, and Braden Holtby sported sunglasses while modeling the deep red jerseys with a blue "W," three white stars and the word "Capitals" across the chest. Hockey nets and boards showing the outline of a rink were set up across the back of the dirt diamond and the shallow outfield grass at the baseball stadium where the NL East champion Nationals play their home games. "One of the things I did for Commissioner Bettman a few years back (was) I had a rendering done of what the Winter Classic would look like here. So this is pretty cool to see," said Mark Lerner, son of the Nationals principal owner and a part-owner of the Capitals, as he looked at the setup. "Every time I saw him, I said, What about it? Ted and I were both on a mission since Jan. 1, 2008, that we wanted to have it in D.C." Leonsis called landing the game "a big moment" for hockey in Washington. "Our city deserves it, so it feels good to finally know that were going to drop the puck New Years Day," Leonsis said, "and Im just hoping for snow." He was asked how much snow. "Enough," Leonsis replied. "Just no rain." Tuesdays news conference came 100 days before the Winter Classic, which Bettman said "will be sold out, if its not already." "New Years Day used to be about college football," Leonsis said, "and now New Years Day is about hockey." The boards set up on the baseball field included logos of the Capitals and the Blackhawks. With the backdrop of the much-discussed appropriateness of the nickname of Washingtons NFL team, the Redskins, Bettman was asked Tuesday about "Blackhawks." "I dont think the two are analogous or comparable. The Blackhawks are accorded great respect, not just by the team that plays in Chicago but by the gentleman that first founded and owned them, naming them after his battalion that fought gallantly in World War I," Bettman said. "I dont think theres any comparison between the two names." Paul George Jersey . The Maple Leafs may not have had a pick until the third round, but they have made the biggest move of the second day of the Draft, dealing defenceman Carl Gunnarsson and a fourth-round pick in the draft to the St. Indiana Pacers Jersey . After rookie right-hander Alex Colome excelled in a 5-2 victory in the opener, the Rays fell to Chris Tillman and the Orioles 4-1 on Friday night. http://www.officialpacersfanstore.com/customized/ . -- Kevin Harvick pulled away on a restart with 47 laps to go and ended Chase Elliotts two-race winning streak in NASCARs Nationwide Series with a dominating victory early Saturday at Richmond International Raceway. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Tampa Bay Rays put switch-hitting second baseman Ben Zobrist on the 15-day disabled list Thursday because of a dislocated left thumb. "Right now, were just doing treatment and weve got to let the inflammation get down," Zobrist said before the Rays began a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels. "As far as everything else, I can throw, I can do exercises and I can run, so I can keep my body in complete shape -- outside of swinging and catching balls. "So once it starts feeling good enough, Ill be able to be able to hit left-handed first. Catching the ball will probably be the last thing." Zobrist was injured on a headfirst slide while trying to steal second base in Wednesdays 2-0 victory at Seattle. "I knew it was dislocated when I looked at it," he said. "But I was definitely relieved that it wasnt broken, too." The headfirst slide is a part of Zobrists game, and something he plans to continue when he returns to the lineup. "Ive slid headfirst a whole lot in my career," said Zobrist, who turns 33 in less than two weeks. "And every time Ive slid normally headfirst, Ive been safe -- not safe on the play, mind you -- but as far as not getting hurt. The oonly two times Ive tried to avoid a tag diving headfirst are the two times Ive hurt myself. Aaron Holiday Jersey. So for me, its not a matter of sliding headfirst. Its a matter of trying to do something crazy while youre sliding headfirst." Zobrist played in a career-high 157 games last season, becoming the first player in franchise history to appear in 150 or more games in five consecutive years. The nine-year veteran and two-time All-Star is batting .260 with three homers and nine RBIs for the Rays, who came to Anaheim last in the A.L. East -- but just 3 1/2 games out of first. "This guy is a regular part of our heartbeat," manager Joe Maddon said. "Hes the guy that puts you back into a normal rhythm a lot of times, so its no fun. But weve had to go through these moments before -- and some of our best years we had to go through a lot of adversity early with injuries. The fact that nobodys running away with the division while were going through our maladies is a good thing." The Rays selected the contract of Cole Figueroa from Triple-A Durham. 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