Conference Championship Picks By Kaylee Tanner

Who needs ESPN when we got Kaylee Tanner picking this week’s slate of NFL Playoffs Conference Championship games?

We kicked off the NFL Playoffs with Jesse Jane. 

We followed up last weekend with Ashley.

Now we’re back with Kaylee Tanner giving us the picks straight up.  Yes, this week we head to the Great White North for Canada’s own Kaylee Tanner.  So here’s this week’s schedule …

Ravens at Patriots | Sun 3pm ET

Vegas Patriots -7 | Kaylee’s Pick: Ravens

Giants at 49ers | Sun 6:30pm ET

Vegas 49ers -2.5 | Kaylee’s Pick: Giants

Follow Kaylee on twitter here for more on her adventures.  Follow us here for select news and info, and to interact with us and others on your topics of choice!

Note: Odds lines are from Caesar’s Palace and The Mirage in Las Vegas.  Odds lines were current as of print time Friday afternoon.

Sporting KC Selects Four In Supplemental Draft

Sporting Kansas City made four selections in the 2012 Supplemental Draft on Tuesday, adding defenders Shawn Singh, Stefan Antonijevic and Kyle Miller, along with midfielder Pablo Punyed to the team’s preseason roster.

“They all have some interesting qualities that we think could translate into the MLS game,” Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes said. “In the end, there's going to be a lot of competition for very few spots, so those guys are going to have to work very hard. I feel confident that there's some good talent coming in here and it will be interesting to see how they pan out.”

Sporting Kansas City selected Singh in the first round, drafting the UCLA defender with the 16th overall pick. The 22-year-old appeared in 61 matches for the Bruins, recording three goals and 10 assists in a three-year career. A two-time All-Pac-12 selection, Singh attended the 2012 Player Combine in Fort Lauderdale last week, where he was teammates with Sporting Kansas City 2012 SuperDraft selection Dom Dwyer.

“It's definitely exciting,” Singh said. “I get to join a great organization in Sporting Kansas City and I'm just looking forward to getting this new experience underway.” 

Punyed was chosen with the 32nd overall pick in the second round of the Supplemental Draft following a career as a four-year contributor at St. John's University. Punyed was named co-BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year in 2011 after scoring four goals and contributing three assists for the Red Storm this fall. Punyed tallied 10 goals and six assists in 84 games played at St. John’s and also represented the United States Under-20 men's national team at the 2008 Copa Chivas.

“I'm very pleased, very excited and very honored to be chosen by an established club like Sporting Kansas City,” said Punyed. “I'm ready for the opportunity I've been given, and I'm ready to come in and provide a spark to the team.” 

Sporting Kansas City’s 43rd overall pick produced Antonijevic, a Valparaiso University defender who was named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year in 2011. Despite playing primarily as a central defender, Antonijevic recorded eight goals and three assists in 59 appearances over three seasons for the Crusaders. After earning Second Team All-Horizon League honors his sophomore and junior seasons, Antonijevic was a First Team All-League honoree and NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region First Team selection in 2011.

"I've heard great things about the stadium, great things about the supporters and great things about the team,” Antonijevic said. “Coming from a smaller school, I consider this a great privilege and a blessing. I look forward to coming in and adding some depth to the backline."

Miller, a former member of the Sporting Kansas City Juniors youth academy and a product of Blue Valley Soccer Club, was taken in the third round with the 48th overall selection out of Rockhurst University. The Overland Park, Kan. native and St. Thomas Aquinas graduate anchored a Hawks' defense that allowed only seven goals during the 2011 season, fewest in the nation, and helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.

Miller appeared in 80 matches in his collegiate career, recording three goals and seven assists, and enjoyed a standout senior season in 2011 that saw him receive recognition including All-Conference, All-Midwest and All-America honors.

“It's a dream come true for me,” Miller said. “I went to all the games growing up. Playing for Sporting's Under-19 team was an amazing experience and made me realize that I could take the next step. I can't wait to get started and show what I can do.” 

Sporting KC Acquires ROFR For Michael Thomas

Sporting Kansas City announced Tuesday that the club has acquired the right of first refusal for midfielder Michael Thomas from the San Jose Earthquakes in exchange for the club’s natural fourth round pick (73rd overall) in today’s Supplemental Draft.

Thomas, an Olathe, Kan. Native who attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School, was drafted by the Earthquakes with the 19th overall selection in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft out of the University of Notre Dame, but opted to sign with Halmstads BK in Sweden.

In accordance with MLS Roster Rules and Regulations, San Jose retained the right of first refusal within Major League Soccer for Thomas. The right of first refusal grants an MLS club the first opportunity to add a player to its roster in the event that the player signs with Major League Soccer. Holding a right of first refusal applies only within MLS and does not indicate holding of the player’s International Transfer Certificate. 

The 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft will take place at 1pm CT today via conference call. Sporting Kansas City holds the 16th (first round), 35th (second round), 43rd (third round, acquired from Chivas USA) and 54th (third round) overall selections in the four-round selection process for draft-eligible players.

TRANSACTION: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) acquires right of first refusal for midfielder Michael Thomas from the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) in exchange for a fourth round selection in 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft.

Together At School With CN And The Alouettes

Montreal – Monday, January 16, 2012 – The Montreal Alouettes and CN (TSX: CNR, NYSE: CNI) announced their renewed commitment to Quebec schools and students on Monday. Together at School with CN and the Alouettes is a community outreach program that will see Alouettes players visit over 60,000 students at 120 schools in 2012.

"Together at School with CN and the Alouettes will focus on supporting elementary and high school students. Our players go to schools and use examples from both their personal lives and football experiences to discuss the importance of education with kids.  They encourage students to make the right decisions," said Alouettes president and CEO Ray Lalonde. "By having our players physically present in schools and interacting directly with the students, our goal is to inspire them and positively impact their lives."

Involved with schools since 1998, the Montreal Alouettes have been teaming up with CN since 2001 to support youth education in Quebec and encourage kids to stay in school. Together at School with CN and the Alouettes incorporates the aspects of the previous program while adding a tutoring and player mentorship component.

Sean Finn, CN's Executive Vice President, Corporate Services, and Chief Legal Officer, said: "At CN, we are deeply committed to building stronger communities, and we feel that it is our responsibility as a good corporate citizen to support young, at risk kids. CN is very proud to partner with the Alouettes again this year for the Together at School with CN and the Alouettes program, which has helped hundreds of thousands of young people across Quebec since its inception."

The 16 players participating in the program have completed a weeklong training session by experts in school mentoring and counseling to ensure they get the proper preparation. Leading the way for the group of players taking part in Together at School with CN and the Alouettes in 2012 will be defensive end John Bowman and centre Luc Brodeur-Jourdain.

"I'm looking forward to being involved in this program. As a product of the Quebec school system myself, I'm confident that I can relate to these students and make a real difference," said Brodeur-Jourdain, a native of St-Hyacinthe, QC."

Together at School with CN and the Alouettes officially launches the first week of February with visits to the Hebrew Foundation School in Dollard-des-Ormeaux (February 1), École de l'Arquarelle in Blainville (February 2), and École Adrien-Gamache in Longueuil (February 3). For a list of participating schools and more information, please visit here.

About CN: Canadian National Railway Company and its operating railway subsidiaries spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, BC, Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Alabama, and the key metropolitan areas of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information on CN, visit the company's website at CN.ca.