Its quite surprising to watch the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on the practice field this week, loose and calm with no sense of panic or despair a€” considering their four-game losing skid, defeats in six of their last seven games, and sitting in last place in the West Division with just five games to play. Indeed, its a thorough departure from the attitude and tone that engulfed the club last season when October rolled around a€” they were on a three-game losing streak with only a pair of wins next to their name in the East Division standings. But this year something has changed, and its not just the move to the West where the competition jockeying for playoff position is much more fierce for the 6-7 Blue Bombers. (Mike) OShea can say that its not him but he brings a lot of this atmosphere to us, said second-year Bomber Greg Peach of the rookie head coach. It allows us to be the way that we are and compete and have fun doing it. Its a lot of different things. You cant really put your finger on one thing. But for sure Im having a great time playing out here this year. We know what we have here. We know what we can do, and if we shore up what we need to we can get on a run starting with this game (in Ottawa). Determined. Conviction, were the two words OShea chose to describe his teams mood in the days following their 16-11 Week 14 loss to Hamilton. Theyre going to stick together and focus and theyre going to sacrifice what they need to sacrifice to try and get this next win. I have not instilled (those values). Those guys have those values. Thats the bottom line, that weve got a group of guys that came in with those values and theyve shared them amongst each other. It makes it easy, but youre right, it feels good watching them, understanding that theyre not quitting or anything. Theyre determined. But it often takes a leader to bring out the best in collected individuals. It always is from the top down, said fifth-year veteran Chris Greaves. Mike OShea a€” thats his attitude. Never say never, and never quit. So we always believe we can win and its never going to let us down regardless of the circumstances. Were just going to do our jobs, plain and simple, do whats been asked, and keep high spirits doing it. Absolutely (OShea helped foster that attitude) because hes been through it all. Youve got to listen to a guy whos played 16 years and has won three Grey Cups. Plain and simple. He knows whats required and it comes from the top down. NOTES: Following a week of speculation about whether he would be able to play against Hamilton, quarterback Drew Willy appears back to his old self in practice this week after taking Tuesday off due to some overall body soreness. He will start in Ottawa on Saturday... Middle linebacker Ian Wild (shoulder) and Nick Moore (ankle) will both miss a fourth-consecutive game, while also both looking like theyre champing at the bit to get back into the lineup... Right guard Pat Neufeld (calf) will miss his fifth-straight game this week, with Jarvis Jones remaining at his spot, and Devin Tyler getting a second start at right tackle... Standout rookie halfback Bruce Johnson returns to the starting lineup after missing last week with a heel contusion. Johnsons fill-in last week Johnny Sears, who missed over two months with a hamstring injury, will remain in the lineup. Sears took reps at a few different positions in practice this week... Kick returner Troy Stoudermire, who has lit-up Winnipegs return game since cracking the lineup in early August, watched practice in a walking boot this week. He has been placed on the six-game injured list with a foot/toe injury... With Stoudermire out, Demond Washington and Sam McGuffie will handle return duties. McGuffie also took first-team reps at running back this week, so we may see him get some carries with the offence as well. The soon-to-be 25-year-old heptathlete and decathlete says he plans on training for the 2016 U.S. Olympic team this offseason now that he is done school, where he held the hand-clock 40 record of 4.24 seconds as a freshman at Michigan. Babe Ruth Jersey . Josh Bailey had a goal and an assist as the New York Islanders earned a 2-1 win over Ottawa Wednesday, leaving the Senators five points out of a playoff spot with just five games to play and four teams ahead of them. Sean Newcomb Jersey .The McLaren MP4-30 was launched on Thursday, with chief executive Ron Dennis saying it marks the start of a lengthy journey back to winning grands prix and eventually world championships.McLaren, which hasnt won a grand prix since 2012, will be using Honda engines for the first time since 1992, and has signed two-time world champion Fernando Alonso to partner Jenson Button for the upcoming season. http://www.baseballbravesproshop.com/chi...raves-jersey/.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills have fired receivers coach Ike Hilliard. Tyler Flowers Braves Jersey . The Raptors have been outscored 88-66 in the opening quarter over a three-game span to begin the month of February. Their most recent loss, 109-101 in Sacramento on Wednesday, was eerily similar to Saturdays defeat at the hands of the Trail Blazers. Greg Maddux Braves Jersey . Seriously. Seven years of losing has brought many different faces, players and management, to the annual pre-season get-to-know-the-team round up.Late last summer, London bookmakers were offering 2-to-1 odds Manchester United would retain the BPL title and meagre 1-to-14 odds they would finish in amongst the Champions League spots. Not sure any bookies were offering odds that, deep into the business end of the season, Liverpool would be placing job ads related to a victory parade the club are planning to possibly stage the day after the season ends. For those who recollect the quite extraordinary city scenes the day after Liverpool had beaten AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League Final when a reported 750,000 people lined the route as an open top bus carrying the European champions made its way from John Lennon Airport to City Hall, these arent the type of events you leave to chance. Even the Queen got in on the act then, as she sent the club her congratulations from Edmonton on the last day of her Canadian tour. A bus of an entirely different nature may have derailed Liverpools title bid after their club record equalling 11-game winning streak grinded to a rather abrupt halt last Sunday, but there can be no denying Liverpools rightful place at the head table - that Champions League virtuous circle more commonly referred to as the "top four." Having finished last season in a very distant seventh place, the turnaround at Liverpool has been nothing short of remarkable and especially when you consider the spending power and superior squad strengths of their title rivals. With Champions League football assured for next season, the target Brendan Rodgers set out with last August, making it all that more special their place back amongst the elite of English football, has come at the expense of their bitter rivals Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson may have preached patience for the incoming manager to the 75,000 in attendance at Old Trafford at his final home game last May, but how about the patience of the Anfield faithful who have waited almost a quarter of a century since their last championship triumph? Although the Chelsea reversal last week handed the initiative to Manchester City, that disappointment pales into insignificance when recalling how the 1989 title was decided. Arsenal not only had to go to Anfield on the last day of the 1989 season and win, but they had to do so by a two-goal advantage. With 90 minutes on the clock and Arsenal leading 1-0 the title was Liverpools.dddddddddddd Then, with time running out in added time, up popped Arsenals Michael Thomas to score the decisive goal. Seconds later came the final whistle, as Liverpool players lay completely distraught on the hallowed Anfield turf. Arsenal celebrated, the Kop, for once, in stunned silence. How cruel the beautiful game can be. No victory parades will be staged for the clubs who escape the dreaded drop going into the penultimate weekend of the season, with even FA Cup finalists Hull all the way up in 13th place not safe yet. Following a run of five-straight defeats that firmly rooted Sunderland to the foot of the table in mid-April, it led to questions been asked if Gus Poyet, who had only replaced Paolo Di Canio in October, would resign before seasons end. But my how the club have responded, most famously taking Jose Mourinhos unbeaten BPL home record, earlier this year. On Friday, 21-year old striker Connor Wickham was named BPL player of the month for April, his five goals playing a huge part as the club moved out of the bottom three for the first time since February. With a game in hand against the teams below them, Sunderland control their own destiny. Norwich, Fulham and Cardiff will need help from others this weekend. With the possibility that top place could change hands three times between tomorrow and Monday afternoon when Liverpool play, the real prospect exists come the final game of the season next Sunday that three clubs will still be in contention for the title. This would be the first time this has occurred in the BPL-era and, in doing so, will plunge the league into a silverware crisis. As there are only two BPL trophies in existence and, as traditionally the trophy is handed out on the last day of the season, a trophy will be needed next Sunday at Anfield, the Etihad and in Cardiff where Chelsea plays. So come the final whistle between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park on Monday afternoon, the Premier League may have to put a call and a delicate request into Old Trafford, where, sitting resplendent in their trophy room, a replica BPL trophy exists. Any chance you can deliver it to Anfield please? You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter ' ' '