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Tennessee general manager Ruston Webster thinks Mike Munchak helped the franchise that drafted him back in 1982 through a challenging time through three seasons as head coach. Unfortunately for Munchak, loyalty to the NFL team with which he spent 31 seasons just wasnt enough anymore. The Titans fired Munchak on Saturday after spending the past week talking about changes needed for a franchise that has not reached the playoffs since 2008 and last won a post-season game in January 2003. "In the end, we were not able to agree just on the future or the direction of the franchise, and I felt it was time to make a change," Webster said at a news conference. "We move ahead into the next phase of the Tennessee Titans and look for the next coach, and also looking for great things." Munchak became the seventh NFL coach fired. He said in a statement issued through the team that he had hoped this day would never come and that he couldnt express his sadness at leaving a franchise he had been with for more than 30 years. "My goal as head coach was to do things the right way with the right people, and I felt confident that the results would follow," Munchak said. "Sometimes rebuilding a team and its culture takes time, but I truly believe we were on the verge of great things. Unfortunately, my vision did not match that of the organization, so we will part ways." Webster now has to oversee this franchises first coaching search since February 2011 when Munchak was promoted and only the second since this franchise left Texas for Tennessee in 1997. Munchak flew to Texas on Friday morning to meet with team president and CEO Tommy Smith and Webster. They returned late in the afternoon. Smith said in a statement that those talks continued into Saturday before the decision to let Munchak go. "Ultimately, we decided it was best to move in different directions," Smith said. "As I told him, we appreciate his efforts as head coach and I think he helped us progress as a team." Munchak had a season left on his contract and was 22-26 overall. He had been with this franchise since 1982 when the then-Houston Oilers made him a first-round draft pick, and he joined the coaching staff as an assistant the year after he retired. The Titans made Munchak their 16th head coach when late owner Bud Adams promoted him after firing Jeff Fisher. But Munchaks first off-season was wiped out by the NFL lockout before his only winning season at 9-7. He went 6-10 after the second off-season was chewed up when Adams ordered his front office to chase Peyton Manning. Adams spent more than $100 million this past off-season to restock the Titans roster and made it clear he wanted a playoff berth. That spending spree landed 13 new free agents, along with seven draft picks making the roster. Smith, Adams son-in-law, was named president and CEO a week after Adams died in October. The Titans went 7-9 losing six games by one possession and also won six games decided by a possession. They also dropped eight of 10 games in one stretch, including five straight at home, with fans showing their displeasure by staying away by the thousands. That didnt change in the season finale with Smith watching even as the Titans beat Houston 16-10. Webster, who praised Munchaks professionalism, said the decision was shared by telephone Saturday. "He was a bridge between having a long tenured coach that had just left, and things had been done a certain way, and an older owner who in his tenure passed away," said Webster, promoted to general manager in January 2012. "I think weve been in a pretty major transition and he was part of that. Hes actually made the place better." Munchak had made it clear over the past couple of weeks that he thought having quarterback Jake Locker available for all 16 games likely would have been the difference in the two or three wins needed to earn this franchises first playoff berth since 2008. Webster wouldnt comment when asked if Munchak wanted an extension past 2014, and changes to the coaching staff likely was another issue. Defensive co-ordinator Jerry Gray and senior assistant coach for defence Gregg Williams both have expiring contracts, and special teams had problems on kick and punt returns until the team signed Leon Washington late. Munchak also promoted an old friend, Chet Parlavecchio, already on his staff as linebackers coach for 2013, and a young group featuring Zach Brown, Colin McCarthy and Akeem Ayers struggled most of the season. Asked if Munchak had been asked to fire six assistants as a condition to stay, Webster called that a "big number." Left guard Andy Levitre, who signed as a free agent in March to play for Munchak, wrote on Twitter: "Unfortunate to hear the news about Coach Munchak. Couldnt be more thankful 4 him giving me this opportunity in Nashville. Wish him the best." Air Max 95 Sale Canada . Peter Dawson took his long before he started the job. "I was playing an American one year at Oxford Golf Club, and he introduced me to this travelling mulligan," Dawson said. Cheap Air Max 95 Wholesale Canada .Y. - Terry and Kim Pegula have no immediate plans to tinker with their new NFL team. http://www.airmax95outletcanada.com/ . The Italian side scored twice in a four-minute span in the second half to defeat former stars from S. Cheap Air Max 95 Free Shipping . -- Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera has a broken bone below his right eye after being struck by a bad-hop grounder, sidelining the star slugger for at least a week with opening day on deck. Cheap Air Max 95 Canada . Johnny Manziel, college footballs most entertaining player with the reputation for pulling off magical plays, was selected with the No.TORONTO -- The Toronto Maple Leafs didnt make it easy on themselves, but their losing streak is over. Again they were badly outshot and a late penalty almost did them in, but Trevor Smith scored in overtime as Toronto beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 Thursday night at Air Canada Centre to end the skid at five games. Relief was the primary emotion after giving up 50 shots and winning for the first time since Nov. 23. "Im happy we won because there seems to be a lot of pressure on our group, and hopefully this helps flush some of the things that are going on out there that we can feel a little bit of room to breathe what we went through," coach Randy Carlyle said. "By no means that we think were out of the woods, but it feels good to win a hockey game." The Leafs (15-11-3) won in large part because goaltender Jonathan Bernier made 48 saves, including six in overtime before Smith beat Kari Lehtonen with 42 seconds to go before a shootout. Bernier conceded this did feel like a night during which he saw 50 shots and that it made him tired. All in a days work for a Leafs goaltender given that this was the 10th consecutive game they were outshot. Bernier called being outshot -- this time 44-22 in regulation and 50-24 total -- this teams "style." "My job is to go out there and give my team a chance to win," Bernier said. "I thought my last couple of games I wasnt very good. I needed to come here and play the way I can play and go shot-by-shot." Bernier earned first-star honours for his play, but his performance didnt shock Carlyle or his teammates. "Im not that impressed any more because hes done this night in and night out," said centre Nazem Kadri, who scored twice. "Its almost expected of him now. Hes been a great contributor to this team even throughout those tough stretches when they had us pinned in our end. Our goalie needs to make a couple big saves for us to get the win, and thats exactly what happened." Bernier earned praise from Stars coach Lindy Ruff. "I give their goalie a lot of credit. I give their team a lot of credit. They found a way to win," Ruff said. "Kudos to them." But even Bernier wasnt perfect. Erik Cole beat him with a goal on the rush early in the third period when the Leafs got caught on a bad line change, and then former Edmonton Oilers captain Shawn Horcoff tipped a shot in on the power play to tie the score late in regulation. Horcoff almost had a similar goal at the 9:42 mark of the third when he redirected a power-play point shot past Bernier. But the referees waved it off right away and video review upheld the no-goal call. "I was hoping theyd count it, but I felt like it was a little bit high," Horcoff said. "I knew the next one was OK." When Kadri scored his two goals of the night, there was no doubt. His first came thanks to some sharp passing from linemates Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk 58 seconds into the second period. Kadri added another, his ninth of the season, 6:58 into the third. He didnt grab that puck but did call Thursday night a "memory" because the game was dedicated to his late grandfather, who died earlier this week. "Its definitely something that he wouldve loved to see," Kadri said. "In the last couple yyears there hasnt been a game hes missed.dddddddddddd Hes going to be dearly missed by our family." Kadri had no other choice but to return to hockey after missing Tuesday nights loss to the San Jose Sharks to attend his grandfathers funeral in London, Ont. When he came back, he was on the first line between van Riemsdyk and Kessel because Tyler Bozak is out indefinitely with an oblique strain. Another player who has made the most of his opportunity is Smith, who scored his fourth goal of the season 4:18 into overtime. Smith, who was named captain of the AHLs Toronto Marlies, was playing on what could be called the Leafs second line against the Stars (13-10-4). On a team thats lacking in secondary scoring and has grown accustomed to being outshot, Smith put two on net in regulation and then scored the winner. "Overtime, thats a lot of fun," Smith said. "Real exciting looking up at the crowd after scoring." It probably shouldnt have gotten to overtime. With the Leafs clinging to a 2-1 lead, their best penalty-killer, Jay McClement tripped up Tyler Seguin, who was returning after missing two games with a concussion. Horcoff scored with four seconds left on that penalty. It was the ninth power-play goal Toronto had given up in its past six games, including at least one each night. "Its a big part of when youre struggling and things not going your way as far as handling pucks and pressure," Carlyle said. "We were four seconds away, but we still had two chances to clear the puck. It would have been over. But that little bit of adversity hurt us for a period of time." Had the Stars managed to score again in regulation or overtime or win in a shootout, it would have hurt more. The losing streak was starting to take its toll. "We had to break it," Smith said. "We havent been playing well, and I dont think we put together 60 minutes at all tonight. But with Bernier playing over his head for us and giving us a chance to win, thats all we can ask for." Led by Bernier, Smith and Kadri, the Leafs go to Ottawa for Saturday nights rivalry game against the Senators unburdened by the pressure of this skid. "Hopefully they feel good in there and we can flush whats been going on because theres been a lot of things going on," Carlyle said. "And we just think that its time for this group to take a deep breath and lets go to work tomorrow and get ourselves ready for Saturday." NOTES -- The Leafs held a pre-game moment of silence to honour the death of Nelson Mandela. His name along with his dates of birth and death were put on the scoreboard along with a profile photo of the South African leader. ... Winger Jerry DAmigo, called up earlier in the day as the Leafs placed Bozak and enforcer Colton Orr on injured reserve and Jerred Smithson cleared waivers, made his NHL debut playing on the fourth line and finished with 4:02 of ice time. Stars defenceman Trevor Daley left the game with a lower-body injury after getting tangled up with van Riemsdyk on the play that led to Kadris first goal. Daleys left leg got caught up with the Leafs winger, and he slid into the boards. ... Defenceman Morgan Rielly was a healthy scratch for the Leafs as Cody Franson returned after missing three games with a lower-body injury. ' ' '