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DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Jose Reyes reported to Blue Jays camp two days early, donning a Superman T-shirt, a wide grin and an optimistic attitude on what he expects will be a much improved season. The four-time All-Star shortstop spent much of the morning Tuesday working out and joking with teammates in the clubhouse. "Were very excited about this year, because last year was a tough year for me and for the whole team," Reyes said. "This year, I feel like Im 100 per cent and back to normal. I just cant wait to go to the field and do what I do best, and help this ballclub get where we need to get." The speedy Reyes was limited to just 92 games last season because of a broken ankle. Hurt in April, he says the injury continued to nag him after he returned from the disabled list in June. But with more time to rehab, Reyes says his ankle has gotten "way better." He says he is not worried about what kind of effects the artificial turf at Rogers Centre could have on it. "I feel like this off-season, I was able to move how I wanted to," Reyes said. "Last year, it was kind of tough for me. Running the bases, going from first to second. Stuff like that bothered me a little bit. But this year, its not a concern at all." Reyes said he is eager turn the page on the past two years, which he described as the hardest of his major league career. After spending his first eight seasons with the New York Mets, Reyes opted become a free agent in 2011. He signed a six-year, $106 million contract with the Marlins, believing a revamped roster could help them contend for a World Series title. But after the Marlins stumbled to a 69-93 record, Reyes was shipped to Toronto along with pitchers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle as part of an off-season purge by Miami to dump salary. The results didnt get much better for Reyes in a new uniform. Picked by many to be playoff contenders, the Blue Jays were crippled by injuries and poor starting pitching and finished 74-88, last in the AL East. "It is tough, because you come with high expectations in spring training," Reyes said. "But in baseball, you never know whats going to happen. You have to put it in the past. This is a new year." Reyes said he kept in touch with sluggers Jose Bautista and Melky Cabrera during the off-season. And while it wont be easy, they agree if the Blue Jays continue to build chemistry, they can contend in the division and return to the playoffs. "We just need to put it together on the field," Reyes said. "If we put it all together -- pitching, hitting, out there on the field -- why can we not compete? The team is still here. We still have the star players that we need to have. We just need to stay healthy and go from there." NOTES: Manager John Gibbons announced that knuckleballer R.A. Dickey will be the teams opening day starter for the second consecutive season, on March 31 against the Tampa Bay Rays. "Itll be Dickey opening up in (St. Petersburg), where he has pitched very well," Gibbons said. "Hes had some good outings down there and hes our guy." Gibbons said he has not yet determined the rest of the rotation order. ... CF Colby Rasmus and 3B Brett Lawrie also stopped by the clubhouse. ... The Jays signed OF Brett Carroll to a minor league contract. Carroll, 31, is expected to report to Triple-A Buffalo. Quinton Patton 49ers Jersey . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. NaVorro Bowman 49ers Jersey . 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Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda.It was an amazing road trip. The Toronto Argonauts became the first team in CFL history to play four consecutive games on the road and win them all. What makes the accomplishment even more amazing is that it came without the services of Ricky Ray and Chad Owens for all four games, with Chad Kackert and Jeff Johnson missing at least two full games each. "Its not time off," Kackert told TSN.ca. "Its actually overdrive with the work. Its extra hours in the training room, and rehab isnt just sitting on a table and having someone attach electrodes to you and do ultrasound." Kackert missed six games earlier this season with a knee injury. He returned to play in Saskatchewan, but left the game in the second quarter with a concussion and missed the next game. He also missed a lot more during his forced time off. "Its really tough, and its not just the part that youre not playing and doing what you love," said the native of Simi Valley, California. "Its that youre missing a serious bonding experience with your teammates." Ricky Ray practised with his teammates this week for the first time since suffering a partially torn shoulder muscle on August 23rd. Unlike his teammates, Ray travelled with the team for every road game during his injury to act as a mentor to his replacement, Zach Collaros. That doesnt mean the time off was any easier. "Its hard because every day youre dealing with ups and downs with your recovery," said the 11-year CFL veteran. "Sometimes youre not as positive as you want to be, but theres other guys here to keep you positive and keep you motivated. "When you get hurt you feel like the world is going to stop for you and everybody is going to wait for you until you get back. It just keeps going, the team just keeps playing, life keeps going and youve got to go along with it and stay involved the best you can and help out in different areas, knowing that you cant help out on the field." Chad Owens missed all four games of the record-setting road trip. "It was tough. It sucked." said last years CFL Most Outstanding Player. "I hate not playing. Ive been injured before and its not fun." Some of the players who didnt make the trip gathered together and watched the game as a group, while Owens watched the games onn TSN with his family.dddddddddddd He said watching the games as a fan gave him a different perspective on the game and he also learned something about the character of the Argonauts. "No matter how much it seems like were out of the game, were not." Jeff Johnson has spent the last dozen seasons with the Argos and is one of the teams locker room leaders. He plays some fullback and is a key component of special teams. Hes missed a total of four games this season. "When you play at this level, the game courses through your veins" Johnson told TSN.ca "To be standing on the sidelines, its very difficult, to the point of potentially depressing to deal with. The way you get out of that is to try and contribute from the mental side of the game and keep our teammates up." Johnsons longest stretch of missed games was in 2007, when he suffered a broken leg in mid-September and missed essentially the second half of the season. This injury, however, comes with Johnson at 36 years of age, not in his early 20s. Does that mean that he can sense his own football mortality and appreciate every time he runs through the tunnel? "Ive always had the perspective that this could be my last game," said the York University product. "Even when I was 22, I always thought that I was going to get cut the next day." Johnson used the leg injury to help motivate him to come back stronger than ever. "That injury in 07, that was a reset button for me" said the Mimico, Ontario native. "Breaking my leg was a challenge. I said Im going to come back from this and Im going to be better than I ever was. I was determined to not miss a single day of rehabilitation, stuck to the schedule, and going into the 08 season, I wasnt 100 percent, but I was able to be effective on the field. It was about halfway through that season that things started to come around and, as far as I was concerned, I felt that I was better." Johnson, Ray, Kackert and Owens have not all been in the lineup at the same time since July 19th in Winnipeg, a game in which Kackert and Ray suffered knee injuries. There is a strong chance the four veterans, all of whom are considered leaders in the locker room, will be on the field in Guelph this Monday for a key game against the Tiger-Cats. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '