Off-topic » performance Sunday. Skating to the Lion Ki

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills have secured at least one half of their starting safety tandem after signing Aaron Williams to a four-year, $26 million contract extension Wednesday. A person with knowledge of the contract said Williams is guaranteed $14.625 million. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms were not released by the Bills. The extension locks up Williams through 2018, and comes at a time when the Bills risk losing three-time Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd, who is preparing to test free agency next week. "I told them I accept the role of leading this defence to where it used to be," Williams said. "Im just blessed that they gave me that opportunity, and they trusted me to be here long-term to get this team back to where it started." Williams, Buffalos second-round pick in the 2011 draft, was entering the final year of his contract. He was rewarded with the extension after successfully making the switch from cornerback to safety last season. In 14 games last year, Williams had a career-best 82 tackles and tied Byrd for the team lead with four interceptions. Overall, he has five interceptions and two forced fumbles in 34 career games. "Aaron is the type of young, core player we targeted early in the process to retain for years to come," general manager Doug Whaley said in a released statement. "We expect Aaron to continue to grow into a key contributor for the Bills organization." The question is whether Williams will continue to develop alongside Byrd. This week, the Bills decided against applying the franchise tag for a second consecutive year to retain Byrds rights, opening the door for the fifth-year player to test free agency on March 11. Williams is hoping the Bills can still reach a deal to re-sign Byrd, because the two established a solid on-field rapport last season. "If Jairus does come back, that would be the greatest thing ever, because our chemistry is unbelievable," Williams said. "If he doesnt come back, good luck to him. Were always going to be best friends. ... Well just have to move on and find another piece to try to replace his role." The Bills defence is undergoing another off-season change, with Jim Schwartz taking over as co-ordinator after Mike Pettine left to become the Cleveland Browns head coach. Schwartz has a similar aggressive defensive coaching philosophy, which is expected to ease the transition. "I feel real confident that nothing major is going to change," Williams said. "There might be a few things here and there, but I think team-wise, once we get all the pieces together we will be fine." The Bills also announced free-agent linebacker Jameel McClain had arrived in Buffalo to meet with team. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 245 pounds, McLain spent the past six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before being released by the team last week. 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Buffalo Sabres Jerseys . -- Without Carey Price, the run for a first Stanley Cup in 21 years got steeper and longer for the Montreal Canadiens.HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Gracie Gold is convinced the day will come when she wins a major international competition.For now, the U.S. champion is looking up at the Russians.Gold finished third in the Skate America womens competition on Sunday behind two-time world junior champion Elena Radionova and Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia.I just feel Im on the brink of breaking into that gold and silver medal, said Gold, who took fourth at the Sochi Olympics in February and fifth at the world championships. Ive had a string of bronze medals and obviously being (among) the top ladies in the various competitions, everybodys so good and everybodys doing all the tricks. As soon as I can get back that confidence and just really go out there and attack it, I know I can break into the gold medal, silver medal, at the other competitions.The 15-year-old Radionova, who was too young to compete at Sochi, overtook countrywoman Tuktamysheva in the free skate to capture the gold medal with 195.47 points. She had a slight stumble on her first jump, a triple lutz, but settled in after that.Tuktamysheva, the leader after the short program, finished with 189.62 points and Gold took the bronze with 179.38.Yuka Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov of Russia won the pairs competition in convincing fashion earlier in the day.Radionova would have been in the mix for the Olympic team had she been old enough. Instead, she was invited to participate in the gala at Sochi.Her country, meanwhile, had enough depth to take the team title and Adelina Sotnikova became the first Russian or Soviet to win Olympic gold in womens figure skating.The fact that I was invited to skate at the exhibition at the Olympic Games in Sochi was a very big experience for me and I felt really special, Radionova said. I really felt the Olympic atmosphere and I was nervous. I wasnt competing, but I still was nervous because I wanted to go out and skate my best and represent my country very well.This weekend, Radionova put on a good enough show to come away with her first victory at a Grand Prix series event and beat out her countrywoman.Gold, who used to train in the Chicago suburbs before moving to Los Angeles to work with coach Frank Carroll, committed mistakes in both the short andd long programs.dddddddddddd She was happy with her performance overall, but couldnt beat the Russians.Im much older than they are at 19, she said. I remember when youre younger, consistency is much easier. When I was 14 or 15, I thought doing all my triples like that was consistent, but it does get harder as you get older. But it just motivates me to be more consistent, and I just need to get into the season and get going again. As previous seasons show, I get more consistent and more confident as the as season continues.In the pairs, Kavaguti and Smirnov outclassed the field and came through with another solid performance in the free skate after taking the lead in the short program. The 2010 Olympians finished with 209.16 points to win by a wide margin.Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier (183.84) took second, the highest finish for a U.S. pair at Skate America since 2008, and Chinas Peng Cheng and Zhang Hao were third at 182.43.Kavaguti and Smirnov are re-establishing themselves after Smirnov injured his knee in a fall at a competition in St. Petersburg, Russia, a year ago. He had surgery and went through more than six months of recovery, and the duo missed the Sochi Games.They were clearly the class of this event, but Denney and Frazier were thrilled with their performance Sunday. Skating to the Lion King soundtrack, they moved up a spot to second after taking third in the short program, and left the ice to a rousing ovation.I would have to say that when I first got out there to skate for warmups I was a little shaky in the knees and I was a little nervous, Frazier said. I told myself when they called our names out, Dont think too much; just give everything you have and let your training take over.When we got done, the feeling of, Wow, I cant believe that happened. That was probably the best long weve ran and to do that at a competition I always wanted to compete at was just an astounding feeling.Vanessa Grenier of Sherbrooke, Que., and Maxime Deschamps of Loretteville, Que., were sixth in their senior Grand Prix debut.We each made an error in our free program but we feel we made a good impression this weekend, said Grenier. We were able to manage our stress level and we know what we need to work on. ' ' '