MARTINEZ BOLD CHANGE It is the morning after the opening day of the Premier League season and a national sports radio station in England is taking calls from football fans on the changes they witnessed and didnt like on day one of the season. Ron Behagen Jersey . Some replies are funny, such as a fan of lower league team, Hartlepool, who said he was disgusted at his sides decision to not score goals this season, while others, like the Arsenal fan complaining at the price of wine going up inside their stadium, failed to get much sympathy. At least something went up in value at The Emirates during the summer, I thought. In the end the overriding message was football fans had to embrace change because there is an awful lot of it taking place.Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once said progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. Luis Suarez would argue his constant mind changing has changed very little this summer but if Shaw was alive today he most certainly would have written an equally clever phrase about the Uruguayans current plight. He would also have relished Saturdays action as the Barclays Premier League turned the page on a new chapter, with an unprecedented four new managers taking charge of the best six clubs from last season. David Moyes at Manchester United, Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City and Jose Mourinho at Chelsea will certainly receive their fair share of ink this season but at Everton, new boss Roberto Martinez shouldnt go unnoticed as he goes about molding a team into his way of thinking.During their 2-2 draw at Norwich City on Saturday, seen live on TSN, Martinez wasted no time in making a significant adjustment to his side immediately. On paper it looked like a team that could have been drawn up by Moyes last season. They featured a back-four including attacking wingbacks Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines, a midfield three of Leon Osman, youngster Ross Barkley and Marouane Fellaini, with Steven Pienaar on the left wing, Kevin Mirallas on the right, flanking Nikica Jelavic up front. Under Moyes, Belgian Fellaini would have played as the attacking member of the midfield three, a position he excelled in last season when he went on to lead the club in goals(11) and shots(90). One of his best performances, in fact, came in week one, at home to Manchester United, when he scored the games only goal and was a menace all night to the opposition. (Click for larger image) The towering 25-year-old went on to score five headed goals in the 2012/13 campaign, just one behind Swanseas Michu for the league lead, in a season so successful many expected him to be at a different club by now. At Norwich on Saturday, still dressed in the blue of Everton, Fellaini started a Premier League match for the first time not under the guidance of Moyes. Martinez responded by immediately placing him alongside Osman in a much deeper role, a position he has adopted for Belgium internationally and periodically for his club in his early days under Moyes. On the surface it appeared the decision may have come from a lack of depth at that position as Darron Gibson was injured, but Fellainis performance in the role, along with his wishes and the managers plans for the team going forward, could mean the Belgians time as a number ten, off the striker, has come to an end. In May, when discussing his future, Fellaini showed his cards on what he really feels about being versatile: "Sometimes I look at myself and ask, What is my best position? But I think its a defensive midfielder, thats the best one. The manager might like it sometimes when I play up front because I can cause trouble for the defenders, but for me my best position is defensive midfield, stopping the opposition and then looking to impose myself on a game," he said. A year on from his commanding showing against Manchester United, on day one of this season, the stats were very different from the ones that night at Goodison, with many aerial duels won much deeper in his own half. (Click for larger image) Everton are a side whose full backs play very high up the pitch, so it is no surprise that many of Fellainis winning headers are done so deep as on several occasions, particularly against long balls or fast pace counter attacks, he is one of the four deepest Everton players, alongside Osman and the two centre-backs. However, this does not mean he cannot make a statement as an attacking threat from that position, quite the opposite in fact. Fellainis deeper position allows him to read the game better, and in a team that treasures the ball well (a trait that will likely improve more under Martinez), he can make penetrating runs from deep without worrying about being caught out in a transition. Against Norwich not only did he lead the game in passes attempted (88) and passes completed (77), more importantly he led the game with 26 successful passes in the attacking third, with many accurately finding Evertons wide players whose overlaps cause opponents constant problems. (Click for larger image) Fellainis placement as a defensive midfielder did not come without problems and when he was guilty of allowing Steven Whittaker to easily go by him on his way to scoring Norwichs opening goal of the game, it was clear he was a man who was still unsure when to be overly physical and take a sensible yellow card. His reservations are not surprising considering he has spent the best part of the last three seasons defending his own poor disciplinary record. That is an area he will need to improve on but there seems to be a common ground between club and player that this position change could work out for both parties. It is no secret that Fellaini wants to play Champions League football for a bigger club and playing in the second band of a four band system, rather than in a 3 of a 4231, showcases his talents to technical teams unlikely to ever adopt such a direct style where a big man is needed further forward. Everton, meanwhile, may grow into a side that will soon deploy the 3-4-3 style Martinez used at Wigan, a system where a forward is required to come deeper with his back to goal into the space a further advanced Fellaini would occupy. If Martinez gets his wish and Fellaini stays for another season, his box-to-box style will be essential in the centre of a midfield 4. Either way, change is certainly taking shape already at Everton, yet the only one that will get the fans to call into radio shows will be if he is sold. More commanding performances in a deeper role will ensure it will be a matter of when, not if. For the good of the club, it appears that is a gamble Martinez is willing to take. George Bernard Shaw would have been proud. Spud Webb Jersey . Berkman almost left the game last off-season before signing with the Texas Rangers. He then had another injury-plagued season and was limited to 73 games. Tyus Edney Jersey .com) - The Grand Slam season will get underway Monday at the Australian Open in Melbourne, where a new champion will be crowned this year. https://www.cheapkingsbasketball.com/ . -- Wichita State is all alone in the record book. DETROIT -- Spencer Abbott and Greg McKegg scored shootout goals to lift the Toronto Marlies to a 4-3 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Monday in an AHL outdoor game in front of 20,337 at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. Abbott had two assists during regulation, and McKegg had one. They were the only players to score in the five-round shootout. Luke Glendening, who was playing in his fourth career outdoor game, scored twice for the Griffins. "Its special," said Glendening, a Grand Rapids native and Michigan graduate. "Its in Detroit, and I come to Tigers games with my family and friends, so to be able to play here was fun. "Obviously, were frustrated with the outcome, but to soak in the whole experience was special." Carter Ashton had a goal and an assist for the Marlies. The game was part of the Hockeytown Winter Festival. preceding the NHLs Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium on New Years Day. "It was louder than I thought it was going to be," Griffins coach Jeff Blashill said. "The fans were into it for sure, and Id be interested to be a Tiger and see what its like when its full because it was loud out there. "It was a great atmosphere." Of the seven previous AHL outdoor games, five have gone to overtime. Toronto forward Kenny Ryan, who is from nearby Franklin, Mich., scored the tying goal at 2:22 of the third period. "I come to games a lot in the summer with friends and family,&quuot; Ryan said. DeAaron Fox Jersey. "It was a pretty cool experience sitting out there in the outfield, almost, just looking at all the people that came, everything that was going on. "It was a really great experience." Light snow fell periodically throughout the game, and the game-time temperature was a chilly 22 degrees. Outdoor games are generally tougher on the goalies, who dont get a chance to warm up on the heated benches. "It was definitely tough staying warm out there," Griffins goalie Tom McCollum said. "I was skating around as much as I could. I actually ended up switching to a heavier shirt after the first period. It seemed to help a little bit but its one of those things you have to battle through." Marlies counterpart Drew Macintyre, who spent time in the Detroit organization, admitted to his own struggles, as well. "After a while, you get comfortable in a game. Pucks tend to kind of stick to you," Macintyre said. "Every puck, it was a battle to kind of cradle the rebounds. The entire game, you feel like you just got into the game. Even when I got into the shootout, it was like the game just started. "I hadnt got into a rhythm. That was different." It was the largest home crowd for the Griffins, who usually play at the 10,834-seat Van Andel Arena. However, it wasnt a record crowd for Grand Rapids, which played some games during its International Hockey League days at the 20,804-seat Palace -- the home of the NBAs Detroit Pistons. ' ' '