England tight end Rob Gronkowski and that despite his own skill

GENEVA - Luis Figo wants to be FIFA president and claims he has the nominations needed for official challenge against Sepp Blatter.The former Portugal, Barcelona and Real Madrid playmaker announced his campaign in a statement on Wednesday timed for release with an interview with CNN.I look at the reputation of FIFA right now and I dont like it. Football deserves better, the 42-year-old Figo said in the statement. Football has given me so much during my life, and I want to give something back to the game.FIFA president Blatter is the strong favourite to get a fifth presidential term in the May 29 ballot despite bribery and financial scandals which have implicated several of his executive committee colleagues.The deadline for would-be candidates to file nominations from five of FIFAs 209 member federations is 2300 GMT Thursday.I have seen the image of FIFA deteriorate, and as I speak to many people in football — to players, managers and association presidents — so many of those people have told me that something has to be done, Figo said.Figo, the 2001 world player of the year, launched his campaign one hour before Netherlands federation president Michael van Praag held a news conference in Amsterdam to explain his bid.Van Praag also says he has five nominees but, like Figo, has not identified them.Their rival campaigns suggest splits within UEFA, which is the only one of the six FIFA confederations officially opposing Blatter.Figo was UEFAs ambassador for the Champions League final in Lisbon last year, and Van Praag is an elected member of UEFAs ruling board which met on Monday.Van Praag, an outspoken critic of Blatter last year, said late Monday he was running because no other credible challenger had emerged.UEFA president Michel Platini opted last August not to stand against Blatter, though said he encouraged rivals for his 78-year-old former mentor.On Wednesday, Platinis spokesman, Pedro Pinto, welcomed Figos entry.Credible candidates with new ideas will hopefully add to an open debate in the campaign, Pinto said in a statement. It is good for FIFA, and it is good for football to have valid candidates with extensive experience in the sport, and from different parts of the world.Platini has also supported the candidacy of his fellow FIFA vice-president, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan.Other potential contenders seeking nominations include former FIFA official Jerome Champagne — a longtime Blatter ally and the only contender to publish a detailed manifesto — and former France player David Ginola, who is being paid by a betting operator to run.Figo is also paid to do promotional work for a betting firm, Asian operator Dafabet, and was an ambassador for its 2014 World Cup promotions.It is unclear if Figo and Ginola will pass mandatory integrity checks on potential candidates by FIFAs ethics committee.The FIFA code of ethics covers officials who are forbidden from taking part in, either directly or indirectly, or otherwise being associated with, betting, gambling, lotteries and similar events or transactions connected with football matches.FIFA has set up an election oversight panel, chaired by its audit and compliance panel chairman Domenico Scala, to assess the integrity checks and nomination papers before declaring which are the official candidates.Scala is expected to publish the candidate list before mid-February.Blatter has led FIFA since 1998, and has worked for footballs governing body for 40 years.Beside the scandals during his leadership, the Swiss official has overseen FIFA use spectacular commercial success from the World Cup to build cash reserves of $1.5 billion and distribute increasing bonuses to its national members who have shown little desire for change.Blatter needs two-thirds of the votes for victory in a first round of secret balloting of the 209 members in Zurich, or a simple majority in subsequent rounds. 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The game got off to a less-than-ideal start for the Jets as Oliver Ekman-Larsson found a wide open net from the slot and opened the scoring for the Coyotes a lead in the first period, but Olli Jokinen answered back just over half a minute later. Cheap Hydro Flask Ombre . The 41-year-old Northern Irishman has proved a perfect fit at Liverpool since taking over from Kenny Dalglish in the summer of 2012 and steered the team to an unexpected title challenge in the Premier League last season.HOUSTON -- Xavier Sua-Filo had a two-year layoff between his first season of football at UCLA and his final two years, thanks to a Mormon mission. The guard, taken by the Texans with the first pick in the second round on Friday night, believes the time off helped him improve as a player and a person. "Obviously I was away from the game for two years, but I think it helped me be physically more mature and mentally more mature and helped me just become a better football player," he said. "When I came back I was an older guy. I was more suited to be a leader at UCLA. I look at it all positive." Despite a need at quarterback, the Texans went with another position again after selecting defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday night. They continued that trend in the third when they took Iowa tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz with the 65th pick. Houston traded the first pick in the fourth round (101st overall) and the first pick in the fifth round (141) to the Eagles to move up and select Notre Dame nose tackle Louis Nix at No. 83. Despite their need at quarterback, the Texans have also drafted defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the No. 1 overall pick and guard Xavier Sua-Filo in the second round and picked up tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz with the 65th overall pick. Nix started eight games in 2013 and finished with 27 tackles and two tackles for losses. Houston general manager Rick Smith said Friday night that he still believes there are some good quarterbacks left in the draft. "Weve done a lot of work on quarterbacks throughout the process because it is a position -- wed like to be able to draft quarterbacks and develop young quarterbacks and thats certainly something that we want to do," Smith said. "But we will always do that with corresponding value. So if theres an opportunity for us to do that (Saturday), we certainly will entertain that." In 2009, Sua-Filo became the first true freshman in UCLA history to start 13 games before leaving for his mission in Alabama and Floriida.dddddddddddd He picked up right where he left off in 2012 when he started 14 games at left guard for an offence that averaged 466.5 yards a game. He split time between left guard and left tackle last season and won the Morris Trophy as the Pac 12s top offensive lineman. Sua-Filo isnt sure how the Texans will use him, but hes looking forward to showcasing his versatility in Houston. "I can play either," he said. "I just want to get in there and I want to compete and contribute and help the team as best as I can." Fiedorowicz had 30 receptions for 299 yards and six touchdowns last season. Houston re-signed tight end Garrett Graham this off-season, but lost tight end Owen Daniels in free agency. The 6-5, 265-pound Fiedorowicz said he has always looked up to New England tight end Rob Gronkowski and that despite his own skill as a blocker he wants to prove he can be a well-rounded tight end. "I feel like Im going to really prove to everybody that Im a dual-threat," he said. "Im going to catch the ball, Im going to block on the edge and do everything (OBrien) asks." Sua-Filo has fashioned his game after veteran New England Patriots guard Logan Mankins and raved about his skills. "I love the way he plays," Sua-Filo said. "I think hes physical. I think hes nasty. You know, I try to implement as much from his game that I can." The 6-foot-4, 307-pound Sua-Filo, perhaps unsurprisingly, is looking forward to the culinary delights in Houston. "The whole state of Texas is pretty great, but Im looking forward to eating at Pappadeaux and Whataburger," he said of the Houston-based Cajun restaurant and the burger-chain, which started in Corpus Christi, Texas. Nix started eight games in 2013 and finished with 27 tackles and two tackles for losses. He cant wait to join a defensive line with 2012 Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt and Clowney. "I never thought ever in life that would happen," Nix said. "Im super excited." ' ' '