negotiations that could keep him with the Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Alex Smith would like to stay in Kansas City. He just doesnt want to waste his time dealing with the negotiations that could keep him with the Chiefs beyond next season. "My agent and representatives handle all that," Smith said. "Thats why you hire them." Smith did confirm that his agent, Tom Condon, has been talking with the Chiefs about a new deal. Smith is due to make $7.5 million in the final year of a contract he signed in 2012, when he was still a member of the San Francisco 49ers. "I have no date as far as expectation (of getting a deal done)," Smith said on the first day of the off-season program. "I still have a year on my contract, so for me, no, I dont have any expectations. I dont know when itll get done." Chiefs general manager John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid have both expressed their desire to keep Smith in Kansas City. Smith completed 66 per cent of his passes with a career-best 23 touchdowns and only seven interceptions while leading a team that had been 2-14 the year before his arrival to an 11-5 mark and a spot in the playoffs. Kansas City lost to Indianapolis in the first round. "Ive played long enough, going into Year 10 now, its all year to year in my mind anyway," Smith said. "At this point, you have to continually prove yourself, so I dont think it changes anything as far as my mindset or my approach to the game at all." The Chiefs traded what turned out to be a second-round pick last season and their second-rounder this season to San Francisco to acquire Smith. That leaves them with only one pick in the first 86, and could make it difficult to surround their quarterback with help. Theyve already lost left tackle Branden Albert and both of their right guards, Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz, during free agency. They have also struggled to find a complementary wide receiver for Dwayne Bowe, and could select a wide receiver with their first-round pick. Smith said he doesnt worry about any of it. "I knew some of that was to be expected. Its tough. Those were all good players," he said. "I knew we werent going to keep everybody. Thats part of the deal." Along with turning his focus toward next season, Smith is also working on a commencement address that he will deliver May 1 at Utah. He was approached a while back by the presidents office at his alma mater, though he wasnt sure how far down he was on the pecking order. "Humbled to give it. Its kind of sitting in the back of my mind this entire off-season, knowing I have to give this speech," he said. Asked if there was a theme, he glibly replied: "Yeah, they should work really hard on running fast and throwing the ball far." wholesale jerseys online .C. - Canadian ice dancing, it seems, is in good hands. wholesale jerseys authentic . Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void. http://www.wholesalejerseyschinagate.com/.com) - The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to get back on track Monday night when they welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves to Chesapeake Energy Arena. jerseys nfl wholesale .com) - Intrastate rivals collide Saturday as the Texas State Bobcats hit the road to take on the eighth-ranked Texas Longhorns in a non-conference battle at Frank Erwin Center. wholesale nfl jerseys china . She was a pioneer. She did things on skis that made the birds take notice.NEW YORK - Sometimes a little bit of confidence goes a long way. Looking at the standings - where the Raptors sit atop the woeful Atlantic Division - wins in Dallas and Oklahoma City count just the same as less impressive victories over the 76ers and Jazz. Internally, those triumphs have meant everything to this young, impressionable Raptors team. Whether theyre facing a late-game deficit, protecting a lead, or staring down one of the leagues elite teams, the Raptors believe they can win. "It does give you confidence to know you went out and beat [some] of the best teams in the league on their home floor," Dwane Casey said before his team rallied back to defeat the division-rival Knicks, 95-83 at Madison Square Garden on Friday. "That should help us know that hey, you can do it." Having played 36 minutes of lackluster, uninspired basketball against an undermanned club that was nearly as lethargic, the Raptors looked like a team that believed, that knew they could flip on the switch when it mattered most. Trailing by as many as 12 points in the third quarter, Toronto held the Knicks to 5-of-19 shooting in the fourth, outscoring the home team 29-12 in the final frame. Once again, the Raptors showed supreme confidence in the face of adversity on the road. They found a way to win, a notable step for a franchise that has historically found creative ways to lose. "You definitely feel good once youre winning games," said DeMar DeRozan, who led the Raptors with 25 points, including eight in the pivotal fourth quarter. "You gain all the confidence game-in and game-out, especially playing all these teams, knowing we could beat them." "We understand were never out of the game until that last second runs out of the clock. It definitely helps, because last year we were in a ton of late-game situations we couldnt pull out. Wed kind of fold, get frustrated, let a big shot frustrate us. Now we dont let any of that frustrate us." The difference is noticeable. A year ago, the Raptors were 3-36 when trailing after three quarters. Two months into the season, they already have four comeback victories. Most impressively, Toronto is the NBAs third-best fourth-quarter team in terms of point differential. Outscoring opponents by 59 points in the final period, the Raptors rank behind Indiana and Miami, the cream of the crop in the Eastern Conference. “I think weve got some good closers," Kyle Lowry said after a 15-point, 11-assist performance, his 19th straight game with six or more dimes. "I think weve got guys who dont care about the moment, they just want to win games." Confidence has been the most crucial factor in the continued development of franchise centrepiece Jonas Valanciunas, who had a coming out party on the NBAs biggest stage Friday. Facing Tyson Chandler, one of the leagues toughest match-ups at his position, the Raptors sophomore registered a career-high 18 boards too go along with 16 points.dddddddddddd Valanciunas was not fazed by the moment or his competition, he held his ground and played up to it as much or more than he has before. "JV just be all over the place," DeRozan said with a chuckle. "Sometimes weve just got to tell him to calm down. He just wants it that bad. Youve got to love having a guy like that on your team." Lowry has been as tough on the 21-year-old as anyone in the organization. Routinely reprimanding him after missed assignments or botched pick-and-rolls, even Lowry sees and applauds the growth of the Raptors prized second-year centre. "It just makes me proud because Im on him more than everybody but when he does well I congratulate him and I appreciate what he does," Lowry said of Valanciunas. "I just want to see him be the best player he can be." "Ill buy him dinner one day," the veteran point guard joked. For Valanciunas, it was a big night, whether he cares to admit it or not. The witty, albeit soft-spoken, seven footer refused to bite on questions regarding his individual performance after the game. "I was just playing my game, Im trying to help the team," he maintained. "Thats all I do every game." "Im not trying to show swagger or something. Im a simple guy and Im just trying to play hard." Like the sinking Atlantic Division itself, one of these teams was going to win this game and through three quarters, that seemed like a maddening thought. Both teams got off to a sluggish start, especially the Raptors, coming off a brief Christmas break earlier this week. Toronto shot 38 per cent from the field and committed 10 turnovers in the first half before tightening the screws in the third quarter and running away with the game in the fourth. "We were playing in mud in the first half," Casey said. "Our effort was there it was just one of those games where we couldnt get going and I think it was a little bit because of the break, coming back, trying to get things going. We turned it on in the second half and its good to be able to not play your best game and still come out with the win against a very powerful offensive team in New York." The Knicks are a sinking ship, desperately trying to stay afloat in the division for as long as injuries remain a viable excuse for their failures. Carmelo Anthony, the NBAs second-leading scorer, missed Fridays game with an ankle injury and will not travel to Toronto for the back end of a home-and-home set with the Raptors Saturday. In many ways, Fridays game was the epitome of what has become the leagues most ridiculed division. More often than not it was painful to watch. As the Knicks, last seasons division champions, were booed off their home court it became clear; these are two teams headed in opposite directions. One with more confidence than theyve had in some time, the other losing hope with each passing day. ' ' '