The odds are, Paul Roos has two games remaining as a senior AFL coach before he enjoys a well-earned Hawaiian retirement.His Demons are riding a wave of momentum and goodwill in the hope of earning a fairytale finals berth. But whether or not they bob their noses in front of North at the last minute isnt the be-all-and-end-all when judging Roos impact at the previously hapless Melbourne Football Club.In fact, playing finals would purely be the icing on the cake for Roos. More importantly, he has completely fixed the Dees culture and helped build the quality list the club now has at its disposal, which should ensure a period of sustained success. Incidentally, Sydney are about to embark on their 14th finals series from 16 years - what Roos was able to put in place at the end of 2002 has contributed immensely to what still goes on at the Swans. Dees supporters will be hoping for a similar legacy under Simon Goodwin.Assuming the Demons miss out on finals, Roos will soon escape the AFL cocoon and its enveloping hold over both he and family. Ill be sad to see him leave. Hes had an enormous impact on me as a player and a person, and I know theres many others out there who feel the same way.So, whats Roosy really like?Words that immediately spring to mind when I think of him are honesty, empowerment, family, and competitiveness.In many ways, hes two contrasting sides to the same coin. On one side, hes one of the most caring, empathetic people Ive ever met. He has a genuine care for everyone around him and does everything in his power to help people succeed. But hes also one of the most competitive, driven people Ive ever come across in the entire football industry.A lot of people only see how calm and happy-go-lucky he is -- making jokes in press conferences and the like -- and it appears nothing phases him, but what lies beneath is someone who is fiercely competitive. He chooses his moments but can give an enormous spray, which I have been on the receiving end of. One in particular stands out -- in Round 5, 2009 when we were playing Fremantle at Subiaco in Brett Kirks 200th and Craig Boltons 150th games. I was so wound up to perform, so eager to get the result for my teammates, that I made a heap of errors early in the match. He let me have it at half-time, saying that I had cost my mates the game! But thats what I needed. The thing with Roosy is that hed already built that rapport with me, so I wanted to do the best thing for him. Hes big on building a strong connection with his players and hell then follow up during the next week after any feedback. As a player, you really value that constant flow of dialogue and knowing hes always got your back.Hes a classic case of getting players to play for him, not to spite him. It was immediately apparent as soon as he took on the caretaker role when Rodney Eade departed the Swans midway through 2002 - no one was more certain than the playing group as to who we wanted as coach. A groundswell of support from the players and supporters alike ensured he was the man to take us forward. And that attitude appears to be evident in his time at Melbourne, too.Hes also very quick witted and loves telling a story - just ask him about the time he won two points against Pete Sampras one time when staying with his good mate Brett Stevens in the U.S. - and he really makes training enjoyable, while at the same time demanding extraordinarily high standards.On the field, Roos football philosophy has always been defence wins championships and thats what he used to stem the bleeding in his first two seasons at Melbourne. But this year, he and his assistant coaches have instilled a new attacking mantra, built on an unwavering ferocity at the coalface. Several key stats show how far Melbourne have come this year:-Clearance differential has risen from 16th last year to third in 2016. -Contested possession differential has improved from 11th last season to fifth this year. -Inside 50 differential was 15th last year and is now eighth. -Their kick to handball ratio was 11th last year but 18th in 2016, which shows how they now love to flick the ball around with a lot of handball, taking the game on. They broke away from stoppages against Hawthorn and darted through their team defence a couple of weeks ago and it shows the Dees are building a squad and game plan capable of mixing it with the best.Roos manages to instil confidence in both his players and assistant coaches. I remember clearly the night before the grand final in 2005, he spoke at the team meeting and said that if we went out as a team, committed to selfless acts and played like Bloods -- like we had all season -- we would beat West Coast. I put my head down on the pillow in a positive mindset that night and it reduced the stress ahead of the big game. Im hearing the same things come from this Melbourne squad. Players like Jack Watts have pointed out that they dont need to be the best player, just that they play their roles.Roos also introduced the power of meditation to a number of us at the Swans through his wife Tami, which helped us focus, heal, energise throughout a long season. Most importantly it gave us a coping mechanism for the stresses of footy - something I know is being utlised by the current Demons.Listen to Roos and you quickly understand why culture, and particularly the environment the leaders put in place, is so important. He spoke regularly about the expectations and standards that were set for him early at Fitzroy as a teenager by his peers and role models in Laurie Serafini, Bernie Quinlan and Mick Conlon.During his playing days, he wrote down a set of coaching commandments for if and when he ever ventured into coaching -- to always remind himself of the things he valued from his own coaches.The main thing I took from learning these from Roos was a focus on instilling confidence within a group. Under Eade during that period, a lot of us were low on confidence and were afraid of making mistakes but Roos backed his players to lift after making errors. His ability to communicate with someone on a human level was vital. As young men trying to find their way in the footy industry - and the world in general - that confidence was really needed. It wasnt about being sprayed on the phone after a turnover, it was about giving more and making amends.That philosophy has also been crucial in turning around the fortunes of the Demons. Roos has been honest in saying when he turned up at Melbourne, he didnt realise the enormity of the job at hand. The club was a mess, and for a man with the Midas touch, there were some major hurdles along the way, with many questioning his approach.But this wasnt just about on-field coaching. Roos had to change the whole mindset of the club, banish the negativity and poor self-talk that strangled the Dees in their tough periods. They have cleaned a lot of players out and this new, tougher outfit is filled with youthful exuberance. The mature players who remain and who have been through those dark times seem to be relishing this renaissance of the club. Roosy and the assistants clarify the players roles then reinforce them with game vision in a review meetings, to change their behaviour and strengthen their mindset.He helps creates high-performance environments driven by strong leadership through empowerment. The absolute key is that coaches dont take the reigns back once things go wrong - its a player-driven process. Thats where real development occurs and onfield leadership emerges..Will the Demons play finals? Results of course need to go their way. They will get every chance, however, with North Melbourne having to play the Swans and the Giants in these final two weeks. If the Dees can beat Carlton this Sunday, they then head to Geelong in what is always a tough place to win. If they come away victorious, they will be even more assured that they are playing a style and brand of footy that can stand up in September.The AFL industry will be worse off without Paul Roos. I hope he does return in some form one day but even if he doesnt, he can look back proudly on his incredible career as player and coach, and the impact hes had on the hundreds of young men who have been guided by him. Air Max 270 Flyknit Sale . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Air Max 2019 Clearance . Just not the game. Kyle Palmieri scored two straight goals in the third period to rally the Anaheim Ducks past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Tuesday night. http://www.airmax720wholesale.com/air-max-270-wholesale/air-max-270-bowfin.html . Their 38th instalment is arguably their biggest fight card to date, including three-title fights and a main event which was selected by the fans. The promotion boasts 14-straight years of business and is operated by MFC president Mark Pavelich, who is often overlooked in this country for the foundation hes established for MMA in Canada. Cheap Nike Air Max 720 .Y. -- Sabres forward Drew Stafford has witnessed plenty of turmoil during his eight seasons in Buffalo. Nike Air Max Plus Clearance .Y. -- Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers had no intention of changing his hard-hitting style before taking part in a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus head. There was nothing Sheryl Swoopes couldnt do well on the basketball court, but a familiar scene always comes to mind when reflecting on her career.Its the image of Swoopes intercepting passes -- even good passes -- at the top of the key, then zooming down the court for uncontested layups.Opposing players knew that Swoopes could do this. They were warned about it. They saw it on film. But they still found themselves getting burned by Swoopes this way, again and again -- and then staring hopelessly at her as she raced away from them.Swoopes will be inducted this weekend into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, an honor she seemed destined for since her college days at Texas Tech. The Lone Star State native put on a show in the 1993 national championship game that still has not been topped: 47 points, even though Ohio State did all it could defensively to stop the 6-foot guard/forward who seemed to be everywhere at once.Nothing worked, and Texas Tech took home the title. Then-Ohio State coach Nancy Darsch said of Swoopes ability to break through everything the Buckeyes tried to do: She attacked our heart.If you were in the Omni in Atlanta that April Sunday 23 years ago watching the NCAA championship game, you knew you were seeing a transcendent player. You lamented that there was no U.S. professional league for the senior to go to then. But you also rejoiced when the WNBA came around in time to let Swoopes brilliance get the stage it deserved.Swoopes was 26 and pregnant when the WNBA launched in 1997. She was able to play for the Houston Comets late in that season, though, as they won the first of their four consecutive WNBA titles. She would be named league MVP three times and win three Olympic gold medals.Swoopes helped change the way the womens game was played. Her speed, precision, skill level, coolness under pressure, opportunistic defense -- they set a standard for what the WNBA could be.There was a lightning-strike element to Swoopes. She did everything quickly without looking as if she were rushed. And when it was crunch time, Swoopes wanted to be the player who made things happen. Usually, thats exactly what she did. Marsha Sharp, her former coach at Texas Tech, described it best.Whatever it took to lift her team to a win, Sharp said, she was able to take her game to that level.Off the court, things have been more complicated for Swoopes. When she publicly acknowledged in 2005 that she was in a relationship with another woman, she became a kind of spokeswoman for LGBT athletes without ever seeming fully comfortable in that role.When that relationship ended and she got engaged to a man a few years later, Swoopes found herself explaining that she never really wanted any labels in regard to her sexuality or personal life.Swoopes went through some challenging times financially, too. And her exit from the WNBA wasnt what shed hoped. She played for Houston from 1997 to 2007, then in Seattle in 2008. Swoopes was cut by the Storm at the start of 2009 and didnt play in the WNBA that season or in 2010. In 2011, at age 40, she averaged 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds for Tulsa, and that season concluded her WNBA career.Swoopes never got the big send-off from the WNBA that a player of her caliber deserved. Unfortunately, part of that was because the franchise that should have honored her, the Comets, folded in 2008.Swoopes then got into coaching and was hired to run the womens basketball program at Loyola Chicago. But that ended this summer, with Swoopes fired after multiple player departures. She went 31-62 in three seasons at Loyola.None of those things, though, are what this weekend in Springfield, Massachusetts, is about for Swoopes.dddddddddddd This is about the amazing things she did while playing basketball, which were so frequent that they just came to be expected.The word relentless would be good for Swoopes style because she was always that -- both offensively and defensively.When looking at Swoopes WNBA numbers -- she averaged 15.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals in 10 full seasons and parts of two others -- remember that she didnt play what would have been her first four seasons because the WNBA didnt exist yet.In fact, after she finished at Texas Tech, one of the greatest basketball talents in the world was working at a bank, not sure how much of an athletic future she had.USA Basketball helped fill the void. And by the time Swoopes was part of the traveling team in 1995-96 preparing for the Atlanta Olympics, pro womens basketball in the United States was on the horizon.Swoopes was one of three signature players for the WNBA, along with Lisa Leslie and Rebecca Lobo, while many others went to the short-lived American Basketball League of the late 90s. The birth of her son, Jordan Jackson, delayed Swoopes WNBA debut in 1997. She averaged 7.1 points in nine regular-season games then and didnt score while playing 14 minutes in the two playoff games that inaugural season.But Swoopes was in full-on star mode by 1998, and that began an eight-year run -- not counting the 2001 season she missed with a knee injury -- in which she was regularly spectacular. Swoopes won her three MVP awards (2000, 2002, 2005) during that stretch.Her best season statistically came in 2000, when the Comets won their last title. She averaged 20.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.8 steals. Houston, at 27-5, actually didnt have the best record in the WNBA that season; Los Angeles did at 28-4. But the Swoopes-led Comets swept through all three playoff series, winning 2-0 over Sacramento, Los Angeles and New York. She averaged 18.8 points in the playoffs, capped by a 31-point performance in the title-clinching game against the Liberty.That was in August 2000. Then in September and October, Swoopes was the second-leading scorer for the U.S. Olympic team that won gold at the Sydney Games.Swoopes was a part of one more Olympic team, as she averaged 9.1 points for the 2004 gold medalists in the Athens Games. In 2005, even at age 34, Swoopes had another MVP season in the WNBA, as her coach Van Chancellor said she was playing as well as she ever had.Swoopes was still at the top of her game in 2006 but played just three games in 2007 before being derailed by a back injury. She felt as though she was still not fully healthy for her 2008 season in Seattle and hoped for a redemptive 2009. But that didnt happen.Her last season in 2011 with a Tulsa team that went 3-31 seemed a very anti-climactic way for such a player to exit the WNBA. Yet there was something profound in that effort, too: Swoopes still played hard, still flashed examples of why she was once on the very short list of the best players in the world.That she could still do that at age 40, particularly after her debilitating back injury, was in some ways the ultimate testament to her talent and resolve.Those qualities, ultimately, were what defined Swoopes as a player. When she was at her best, there was no one better. And even when she wasnt, she was still at a level that few others ever reach. ' ' '