Colorado Avalanche and Swedish legend Peter Forsberg didnt mince words when it came to what he thought about Canadian referees working Sundays gold medal game between Sweden and Canada. Air Max 1 Sale Nederland . "What a f___ing joke!" the seven-time All-Star said to Swedish reporters, calling the selection of officials Kelly Sutherland, Brad Meier, Greg Devorski and Derek Amell "comedy at its highest level." Referees Sutherland and linesmen Devorski and Amell are Canadian, while referee Meier is an American who makes his home in Calgary. Not all Swedes are seemingly as upset as Forsberg. Veteran Swedish defenceman Niklas Kronwall of the Detroit Red Wings believes that both teams can benefit from North American officials. "We are used to having referees from USA and Canada in the NHL," said Kronwall. "We know their standards so I think its easier for us too if the referees are from there." Former Norris Trophy winner and Ottawa Senators standout Erik Karlsson agreed with his fellow blueliner. "I think most referees over there [in the National Hockey League] are Canadian, too," said Karlsson. "They probably support Montreal or Toronto, but they dont make any difference there. I couldnt care less about what the referees do. As you saw yesterday, we had two power plays, Finland had a lot, and we still won the game. Its nothing we can control and neither can Canada." IIHF officiating manager Konstantin Komissarov later confirmed the evaluation process for tournament officials and why that quartet was selected to work the final. "The main factor of the selection of these officials has most of all to do with their experience officiating in high-level competitions," said Komissarov on Saturday. "These include Stanley Cup playoffs, World Championship competitions, and Olympic competitions." Komissarov stressed that an officials nationality doesnt play into the process. "Their nationalities arent considered as factors nor should they be, we want the best officials working the medal games," he said. "We are fully confident that with their experience and professionalism these officials will do their job well and preserve the integrity of the game." The gold medal game between Canada and Sweden can be seen on TSN, streamed online and heard on TSN Radio on Sunday morning at 7am et/4am pt. Nike Air Max Thea Goedkoop .Brothers B.J. and Justin Upton each homered and had an outfield assist, and the Braves held on for a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night. Nike Air Max 90 Heren Sale . The same cant be said of last Saturdays 2-2 draw at Olympic Stadium against a very weakened New York Red Bulls side and one which had three stalwarts in Henry, Cahill and Olave back home in Harrison, NJ. http://www.airmaxkopennederland.com/uitverkoop-air-max-90.html . -- Atlanta Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson is being checked for a possible concussion after blowing a tire on his way to the first workout of spring training. ST. LOUIS -- Michael Sam got an extended look at defensive end in the St. Louis Rams preseason opener. Coach Jeff Fisher said thats where the first openly gay player drafted in the NFL will have his best shot at making the team. "Michael is a defensive end, OK? He plays defensive end with his hand down," Fisher said after a 26-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Friday night. "Theres a lot of talk with Mike being a tweener, maybe a standup pass rusher. Its rare to find a defensive end playing special teams in the NFL." Sam said his introduction to the NFL was "awesome," recalling thinking during the national anthem, "Wow, this is the big stage." But not too big. Sam, who was credited with one tackle and one quarterback hit, emerged with confidence. "You know, I can play in this league," Sam said. "I can play in this league." Sam was a seventh-round draft pick and hes attempting to launch his pro career a two-hour drive from where he starred on a 12-win Missouri team that played in the SEC title game last season. Sam shed weight to 257 pounds coming into training camp so hed be a viable special teams option on a team that already has a strong pass rush. Mark Ingram had eight carries for 83 yards and a 22-yard touchdown in the first half. "We wanted to come out here and start fast," Ingram said. "The line was just physical up front, got a lot of movement off the ball and created a lot of seams and holes for us to run through." Luke McCown started in place of Brees, limited by a left oblique injury for a week. First-round pick Brandin Cooks caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from third-stringer Ryan Griffin in the third quarter and had five receptions for 55 yards. "I know what Im coming into," Cooks said. "Im coming in with a great group of receivers. Ive got to come in and find my spot." Coach Sean Payton was non-committal about Brees chances of playing next Friday at home against the Titans. "Well be smart with his recovery. He certainly is smart enough, too," Payton said. "Look, itt is an area that is affected every time that you throw, so its important that it is 100 per cent. Nike Air Max 97 Goedkoop. " Bradford was held out as a precaution coming off knee surgery. Shaun Hill got the start and threw two touchdown passes in the first half. Greg Zuerlein was barely wide left on a 59-yard field goal attempt on the final play after missing a 46-yard attempt with just under six minutes remaining. The Rams started both of their first-round picks, offensive lineman Greg Robinson and defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Robinson, the second overall pick of the draft, started at left guard and also played left tackle. Attendance was announced at 54,850, about 12,000 shy of capacity at the Edward Jones Dome. The stadium appeared to be at less than half capacity not long after the opening kickoff and dwindled to perhaps one-third by the finish for the matchup between the Rams, whove had consecutive seven-win seasons under Fisher, and the 11-win Saints. Chris Long, the longtime starter at left end for St. Louis, intercepted McCown on the opening series to set up Cory Harkeys 16-yard touchdown catch. Sam began playing on the next series and made two nice plays in the second quarter, pressuring Griffin into an incompletion and getting a tackle. "Hes unpolished like a lot of rookies," Long said of Sam. "But he pleasantly surprised you when he went out in a game situation and played pretty well." Saints kicker Shayne Graham botched an extra-point kick from the longer distance being used the first two weeks of the preseason, hooking it off the left crossbar in the second quarter. NOTES: Rams TE Mason Brodine fractured his left ankle and is out for the season. ... Saints S Jairus Byrd, recovering from back surgery, did not play. Byrd attended high school in suburban Clayton when his father, Gill Byrd, was an assistant coach with the Rams. ... Saints RB Pierre Thomas did not play because of an undisclosed injury. ... Both teams hit triple digits in penalties, the Saints whistled 10 times for 104 yards and the Rams whistled 14 times for 118 yards. ' ' '