Former Toronto Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo addressed his tanking comments made at the MIT Sports Analytics Conference in Toronto on Friday and admitted it was merely a poor choice of words. Ed Dickson Seahawks Jersey . Speaking on TSN Radio 1050s TSN Drive with Dave Naylor on Monday, Colangelo said he had no intention of tanking the shortened 2011-12 season, but definitely wanted a high pick in the draft. "I wish that word wasnt used for headline reasons," said Colangelo, "but the story behind it was: how can we fix the system? How can we tweak the system to make it less likely that teams are rewarded for losing records? "I do believe that if youre as transparent as we were at the time - with our season seat holders, our fans, the market place and the media - everybody knew what the plan was and what we were going through. It didnt make it easy to lose games but there was anticipation that games would be lost. With that comes curtain rewards and in the system that we currently play under, the team with the worst record gets the greatest odds and a non-playoff team is in a lottery that can ultimately lead to them getting top-notch talent coming to their team." Colangelo said the team was happy getting Terrence Ross in the first round (8th overall) of the 2012 draft and would never tell a coach to lose games since it can only have negative long-term effects. "Coach was doing such a fabulous job with the group that there certainly was no intentional losing going on because we won far too many games than anyone anticipated and it put us in a position to still get a nice draft pick in Terrance Ross," said Colangelo. "But it certainly decreased our odds of getting the top choice, which was a franchise centre in Anthony Davis." Colangelo talked about when the team faced heavy scrutiny when they picked Jonas Valanciunas, who was selected in the first round (5th overall) in 2011. "We got booed off the stage when the announcement was made but that was the right pick for this organization. It was not an easy one to make knowing that Jonas would not be made available for at least a year and maybe more if the buyout hadnt been successfully negotiated. We knew it was going to be a tough scenario going into a new year without the inclusion of a top draft pick but the following season we also knew that not only would Jonas be coming but another fairly high-value draft selection - unknown at the time - would be helping us as well. Not to mention we would have cap space and greater developed players at that point." The Raptors finished the 2011-12 season with a 23-43 record, good for 11th in the Eastern Conference, 12 games behind the Philadelphia 76ers for the final playoff spot in the East, and the eighth-worst record in the NBA. The team neither rose nor fell in the lottery, receiving the eighth-overall pick in the 2012 draft where they selected Ross out of the University of Washington. The 2007 NBA Executive of the Year (with the Phoenix Suns) was speaking at the MIT Sports Analytics Conference on a proposal currently in front of the NBA Board of Governors which would see the draft lottery and any incentive to bottom out eliminated. "Admittedly, I will say, I tried to tank a couple years ago," said Colangelo to the conference. "And I didnt come out and say, Coach (Dwane Casey), youve got to lose games. I never said that. I wanted to have him establish a winning tradition and a culture and all of that, but I wanted to do it in the framework of playing and developing young players, and with that comes losing. Theres just no way to avoid that, but I never once said, Youve got to lose this game." Colangelo was relieved of his general manager position last May in favour of Masai Ujiri and eventually resigned his post as Raptors president the following month. Rasheem Green Seahawks Jersey . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. Alex McGough Seahawks Jersey . On Wednesday night, they showed that stellar defence and a little small ball can get the job done too. With pinch-runner Kevin Pillar aboard after Dioner Navarro opened the bottom of the ninth with a single, Anthony Gose dropped down an excellent bunt along the first-base line. http://www.footballseahawksfanatics.com/authentic-shaquem-griffin-seahawks-jersey/ . Off-Season Game Plan examines a team facing some challenging times as GM Bryan Murray tries to put together a roster for next season. Perhaps the first challenge facing Murray is that its expected he will be moving out Jason Spezza, a premier point producer who is about to enter the final year of his contract.CHICAGO -- Tyson Ross struck out a career-high 11, and the light-hitting San Diego Padres broke out for a season-best nine runs in the sixth inning in a 13-3 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night. Ross (9-10) allowed one run, five hits and one walk in six innings to reach a career high in wins. He went 3-2 in five July starts, but gave up just four earned runs in 35 innings. Rene Rivera had three hits, including a home run, and drove in three runs. Will Venable had three hits and two RBIs, and Alexi Amarista and Chris Nelson also drove in two runs apiece with singles in the sixth-inning outburst that gave the Padres their highest scoring output this season. San Diego led 3-1 entering the sixth, but after the first two Padres reached base, Cubs starter Edwin Jackson (5-11) was pulled because of cramping in his right hand and was replaced by Brian Schlitter. The first nine Padres reached as San Diego, which carried an MLB-worst .215 batting average into the game, sent 15 men to the plate. The Padres, who finished with 14 hits, used relievers Tim Stauffer and Nick Vincent to complete the game. Starlin Castro, Luis Valbuena and Chris Coghlan drove in Chicagos runs. Jackson dropped his fourth straight decision over six starts, allowing five runs and seven hits. He hasnt won since June 20 against Pittsburgh. He was followed by fiive relievers as Chicago lost for the 13th time in 16 games. Shaquem Griffin Seahawks Jersey. The Padres tagged Jackson with two quick runs with two outs in the first. The Cubs cut it to 2-1 in the fourth and had runners on second and third with two outs. But Ross fanned John Baker for his eighth strikeout to end the threat. Riveras solo shot to lead off the fifth made it 3-1. National League home run leader Anthony Rizzo swung and missed a 3-2 pitch in the dirt with two out in the fifth to apparently end the inning. But the pitch got away from Rivera, and Rizzo reached first with Arismendy Alcantara taking third. Padres manager Bud Black asked for a review, claiming the batted ball struck Rizzo, but the play was upheld. NOTES: The Padres plan to recall RHP Jesse Hahn and start him in Atlanta on Friday against LHP Alex Wood (7-7). Hahn, 24, is 5-2 in seven starts with San Diego this year. ... Padres rookie Jake Goebbert, a former Northwestern University standout, started in left field after sitting out Wednesday. Goebberts parents own a pumpkin farm in nearby Hampshire, Illinois, and he had a large group of friends and relatives in the stands. ... Cubs C Welington Castillo was rested after drawing boos during Wednesdays 8-3 loss when he didnt run out a comebacker to the pitcher. ... Cubs LHP Travis Wood (7-9,) will face St. Louis RHP Joe Kelly (2-1) on Friday. Wholesale NFL T-shirts Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping NFL Jerseys Wholesale China NFL Gear Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys Cheap NFL Hoodies Camo China NFL Jerseys ' ' '