This Sunday, it comes to an end - the Manchester United era under Sir Alex Ferguson. Almost 27 years and 38 trophies later, Ferguson steps away from managerial life at Manchester United after a trip to the Hawthorns. An away tie at West Brom provides the stage and context for the most anti-climactic Fergie Time imaginable. If it were not for an unjust red card to Nani that turned the tides in Uniteds Champions League tie with Real Madrid, a more appropriate send off in a Champions League final at Wembley could have been in the cards for the decorated gaffer. But this is what were left with. Fergusons swansong cannot live up to the pomp and circumstance of the past 10 days since he announced he was stepping away. Tributes have poured in from around the world, bidding adieu, congratulatory messages, words of praise, acknowledgement of accomplishment. In addition to aforementioned acclaim, Sir Alex managed his final match at Old Trafford, hoisted his 13th Premier League title trophy and took in the celebratory parade through the streets of Manchester, commemorating league title No. 20 for the worlds most famous club. Manchester went Red, allowing Ferguson to move nicely into his quasi-retirement directors role, at peace. All my life Ive supported Manchester United. Im a Red, through and through. I can honestly say some of the best moments of my life have come supporting United. Its my passion. And as far back as I remember, that meant supporting Sir Alex Ferguson. Sir Alex is the only manager that any of us who were born in the 1980s knows firsthand. Watching and consuming Premier League football is easy nowadays. Turn on the radio or television. Go online. Its all at your fingertips. It took considerable more effort in my youth. Soccer Saturday on TSN was a prime destination. Press clippings in the mail from overseas kept me up-to-date. Or heading to the pub to watch matches on the satellite were our basic staples. I remember getting my first Manchester United kit from family in the UK in the early eighties: a red Adidas shirt with SHARP sponsor in the middle with the Manchester United crest above it. I still have the jersey and it surprisingly fits (kind of). The shirt pre-dates Sir Alex, but it was upon his arrival in 1986 I took a real interest. Supporting the club as a child, the work a manager does goes by the wayside. Your true heroes are the players. The players are the stars. They score the goals. They dazzle with their skill and vision. I remember wanting to be the next Steve Bruce, which turned into wanting to be the next Paul Ince as I worked my way up the field in my own playing days. I grew up with Manchester Uniteds golden generation. Scholes, Beckham, Butt, Neville(s). I swear if I ever have a son Ill name him Giggs. Cantona was a godsend. Keano was our fearless leader. And Robin van Persie is Uniteds new patron saint. Manchester United has been a place where the biggest names in world football have plied their trade and won. Won lots of trophies. It doesnt get better for a supporter. The last 27 years, the Impossible Dream has been a reality for United supporters. Its been incredible. Stoppage time magic in Barcelona. Penalties in Moscow. The ups and downs of a decisive run in the Premier League. Its been a ride. And if you get down to it, none of it would have been possible without The Boss. Nothing. The sporting heroism of the players turns to admiration of the manager. Its easy to become jaded by sport. The non-stop managerial and player turn-around at clubs across the world waters down identity. Its a by-product of modern sport, and I get it. But its something United has largely been immune. Yes, players come and go. Some probably stay too long. But its the identity of what being part of the club thats remained the same. And that has been set by Ferguson. Responsibility comes with playing for Manchester United. The history of the club is part of that. But Ferguson did the rest. He set the tone, steering the course, knocking off adversaries and keeping United at the top. Players were held accountable. Once a player put one above club, hed be knocked down or sent away. The club first mentality has been preached to the end. Wayne Rooney the last player to feel the brunt of Ferguson sending a message, watching Uniteds final home match from an executive suite. Its perspective Sir Alex brought. Professionalism. A column penned by former England goalkeeper David James gives a poignant glimpse how Manchester United players developed into a difference breed. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/...ager?CMP=twt_gu And it came about because Sir Alex demanded more. The full 90 on and off the field. Superior focus. A winners mentality. I still cant believe Ferguson agreed to be a guest on Off the Record with Michael Landsberg on Uniteds North American summer tour in 2010. Michael invited me into studio that day, knowing my passion for United. I had just landed from spending 40-something days covering the World Cup in South Africa and couldnt make it. Its one of my biggest regrets - not being able to meet the man in person. Theres no substitute for a real face-to-face conversation. Covering sport you meet personalities of all kinds. But Sir Alex to me is in a league of his own. That would have been special. Next season will not be the same without Ferguson on the sidelines. Ill miss Fergie Time, which has become preferred terminology when too much stoppage time is given. Anything can happen in Fergie Time and usually did. Ill miss the gum chewing and the assumption of the hair dryer after a poor 45 minutes. Ill miss questioning his squad selection. Ferguson has often remained steadfast and loyal to players and formations deemed not suffice. Yet time after time, Ferguson got it right. No matter whom he left on the bench, or what wonky substitution was made, it would all somehow work out over the long haul. His ability to see beyond the immediate into the big picture and manage accordingly may be his biggest strength, evidenced in his team hitting stride each year in and around the hectic holiday season. Ill miss the mind games. Ferguson had his ups and downs with the media. But how he went out of his way to send a message to a match official or opposing manager after an innocent question was a thing of beauty. There were no mincing words. And the message always delivered. Ill miss his visible love for the club and respect for its supporters. He was a pillar of strength, often controversially after the Glazers take over of the club. Hell have to continue to be influential behind the scenes so the new manager can thrive. Above all, Ill miss having blind faith of a Ferguson managed team on the field, no matter who theyre playing, who was on the field, or what the score line may be. The best way to describe Ferguson is a winner. The mentality is contagious. Managers come and go but how do you move on when Fergusons the only one Ive known? You dont. There is no way to truly replace Sir Alex. You simply move on with faith that the culture established carries through to the next edition of the team. Im choosing to be optimistic. At the very least, the entire idea of change is exciting. Most supporters of other clubs go through this on a semi-regular basis. New tactics, new motivation, fresh life into the on-field product has to be a positive under the backdrop Ferguson helped build. The club is bigger than one man. The club will move on. Football is fluid. Fergusons recognized this better than most, speaking to his longevity. Match 1,500 will be his last Sunday. A day Ill sit back, enjoy, and be thankful Sir Alex Ferguson was the manager for my football team. Cheap Calgary Flames Jerseys China . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Cheap Hockey Jerseys . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. http://www.cheaphockeychina.com/ . Dallas hasnt ruled out the star quarterback for Sunday nights game against Philadelphia, but all signs point to Romos back injury pushing Kyle Orton into the starting role after two years of limited play as the backup. Surely Ortons name isnt the first that comes to mind for fans wanting a change after years of damaging interceptions, fumbles or, most infamously, the field goal flub when Romo dropped the snap on a kick that could have won his first playoff game in 2006. Clearance Hockey Jerseys Store . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. Discount NHL Jerseys . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. The pre-tournament games are over and its finally time for the World Cup of Hockey to begin on Saturday. Now the big question: How do the teams match up?The tournament not only features Olympic-like rosters for Canada, Sweden, Russia, Finland and the Czech Republic, but it also includes the most intriguing group in Team North America, which is made up of all under-24 stars from Canada and the U.S.The addition of North America and Europe (players from European countries not named Sweden, Russia, Finland or the Czech Republic) adds a layer of competitiveness that does not always exist in the Olympics. It also makes the tournament a much tougher call than just assuming Team Canada will run away with the best-in-the-world title.Of course, the Canadians are still the favorites, but in order to get a clearer view on how well other teams stack up, lets look at Hockey Prospectus author Tom Awads projected 2016-17 goals versus threshold (find more information on GVT here) for each roster:Note: Players who did not play primarily in the NHL in 2015-16 do not have projected GVTs.Group ATotal GVT per player: 11.5The players left off of Team Canada could form a team and still be among the favorites in this tournament. Canada has the worlds best player, Sidney Crosby, in a familiar position of top-line center, and whoever they play alongside him will be a superstar. Matching lines against Canada is a fools errand, as they can use the most dynamic scorers in the sport like John Tavares and Steven Stamkos in offensive situations, and elite shutdown two-way players like Patrice Bergeron and Jonathan Toews in defensive situations.Canada also sports defending Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty and the defenseman with the best shot in the world in Shea Weber. Oh, and they have the 2015 Vezina Trophy winner, Carey Price, in goal. Good luck, world.Total GVT per player: 9.9Many have noted some of the surprising roster decisions made by Team USA when it came to adding players like Justin Abdelkader and David Backes to create a strong defensive roster. The only true one-dimensional player is last seasons Hart Trophy winner Patrick Kane. Everyone else in the forward group is known for being able to slow down opponents offensive attacks.Its a strategy that worked back in the 2010 Olympics, but it may be a tough road to travel here against the blazing speed and skill of other clubs. The USA defense group lags behind the other top teams, too. Jonathan Quick is a terrific goaltender, so that is the only area where USA matches up with the top teams.Total GVT per player: 5.1The team that will likely struggle the most to keep up with the pace is the Czech Republic. Fans in their respective markets understand how under-appreciated Michael Frolik, Martin Hanzal and Ondrej Palat are, but they are excellent complementary players, not play-driving stars. And those three, outside of Jakub Voracek and Tomas Plekanec, are the best forwards the Czechs have.Their defense would be well below average by the standards of an NHL team, as they dont sport a single top-four NHL blueliner; obviously, this is a problem when other teams are stacked with multiple All-Stars. The bright spot is the goaltending; Michal Neuvirth nearly stole a playoff series last spring, and Petr Mrazek is one of the NHLs top young rising netminders.Total GVT per player: 6.3Great idea for a team, but still not enough talent. Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar has a little more to work with than when hes played for his home country of Slovenia, but its not going to be enough to win the World Cup. Edmonton center Leon Draisaitl looks like he could soon become a top-end player, and Roman Josi is a star on defense, but the rest of Team Europe is made up of well-past-their-prime stars like Marian Hossa, Marian Gaborik and Zdeno CChara, and complementary players like Mats Zuccarello and Nino Niederreiter.ddddddddddddThere isnt enough skill or speed to keep up in a best-of-the-best format. And Europe definitively has the worst goaltending in the tournament, even if Thomas Greiss is coming off a solid playoff run with the Islanders.Group BTotal GVT per player: 8.3If we were ranking which teams had the best forward group, defense and goaltending, Team Sweden would be close to Canada on defense and goaltending. They sport the most mobile and skilled blue line in the tournament, with former Norris winner and top-scoring defenseman in 2015-16 Erik Karlsson to go along with two defenders who should soon win a Norris of their own, in Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Victor Hedman. And they are back-stopped by Henrik Lundqvist, who has not fully turned the Best Goalie in the World title over to Price.Unfortunately for the Swedes, their forwards arent close. An NHL team featuring all of these players would be dominant, but in this tournament of star-laden sides, they will have a tough time getting the job done.Total GVT per player: 8.5If the young guns are motivated to show the world they are the next wave of NHL talent, Canada might have a challenge on their hands. The next generational player Connor McDavid leads the team -- which could make for an awesome McDavid vs. Crosby matchup in the medal round -- and he is flanked by blazing-fast stars all over the ice. Jack Eichel, the second overall pick in 2015, and 2016 No. 1 overall selection Auston Matthews will be difficult matchups, even for the best in the world.The defense group is made up of players who could all soon be No. 1 franchise defensemen, outside of Aaron Ekblad, who is already a top-pairing star for Florida. But given the relative inexperience, this D group may have its ups and downs. Goaltending was a question when we first learned of this tournament two years ago, but it certainly isnt now with Stanley Cup winner Matt Murray in net. Speed, skill and effort may give Team North America a shot.Total GVT per player: 7.2The Russians group of wingers is marvelous, with Vladimir Tarasenko, Nikita Kucherov and Alex Ovechkin leading the way. Beyond their best wingers, however, Russia is going to have a difficult time keeping up with Sweden and North America in their group (let alone a matchup against Canada if they make it to the medal round). While Artem Anisimov is a strong two-way center, he isnt an elite player, and Pavel Datsyuk is past the days where he could match up against top-flight opposing centers.The defense corps is well below the level of the other top teams, though Russia does have three strong goalies in Semyon Varlamov, Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy. They will have to hope to convert a high number of power-play opportunities, and lean on great goaltending in order to make noise here.Total GVT per player: 6.0For whatever reason, Finland always seems to make life difficult on the favorites in any international tournament -- if not earn a medal or win the thing outright. They often build the club around hard-working, two-way players, which may play in their favor when every team expects to light up the score board.Finland is far from the most talented at any of the three positions, but they do have a No. 1 center who should be considered the next Jonathan Toews or Anze Kopitar in Aleksander Barkov. The major question is: Where will Finlands offense come from? Though No. 2 overall pick Patrik Laine has had some success on the international stage already, they are otherwise short on big-time point producers. And of course, they will have strong goaltending, with Tuukka Rask in the nets. ' ' '