JERSEY CITY, N. Wholesale Vans Shoes Online .J. - Wes Welker swears he doesnt dwell on his costly drop in the Super Bowl two years ago that could have sealed New Englands win over the New York Giants and made up for losing to them four years earlier. "You know what? I dont even think about it," Welker said as he prepared for his third Super Bowl, his first with the Denver Broncos. "The past is the past, what happened, happened, and Im just looking forward to this one and going out there and playing my best game and doing what I can to help my team win." Welker said getting to the big game and coming up short two times is what drives him. "I think its the reason I get up in the morning in the off-season and even now," he said after helping the Broncos beat his old team for the AFC title, securing a showdown with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium. Welker tied a Super Bowl record with 11 receptions for 103 yards six years ago but the Patriots perfect season ended when Eli Manning threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left to give the Giants a 17-14 win. The teams met again four years later in Indianapolis and Welker caught seven passes for 60 yards and ran twice for 21 more, but it was the catch he didnt make that haunts Patriots fans to this day. The Patriots led 17-15 with four minutes left and were on the Giants 44 when Tom Brady found Welker wide open 23 yards downfield. The pass, however, was high and slightly behind Welker, who got both hands on the ball but couldnt make the catch. The Giants got the ball back and drove for the winning touchdown. "Sure, I mean it motivates you during the off-season. It motivates you when youre working out, it motivates you through the year," Welker said. "Just that feeling of losing that game, I mean its heartbreaking. It takes a few weeks just to get over it. It definitely sticks with you and motivates you for the future and definitely blessed to have this opportunity again." Welker joined Peyton Manning in Denver in the off-season after six seasons with Brady and was Denvers leading receiver until missing the final 3 1/2 games after sustaining his second concussion in a three-week span. He still ended up with 778 yards on 73 catches and a career-high 10 touchdowns. Wearing a bigger helmet to protect against further head injury, hes caught 10 passes for 76 yards and a TD in the playoffs. He had four catches for 38 yards against New England in the AFC Championship and his hard hit took out Patriots top cornerback Aqib Talib on a pick play at the line of scrimmage. The next day, Patriots coach Bill Belichick suggested Welker deliberately tried to hurt Talib and complained to the league about it. The NFL said no infraction had occurred. Welkers teammates said Belichick was just using Welker as a smoke screen and a scapegoat to hide deficiencies in his teams defence and the fact that Welkers replacement in New England, Danny Amendola, dropped the only pass thrown to him in the title game. Welker stayed above the fray, saying he was just happy to be back in the Super Bowl. "Im very blessed to have this opportunity again and thats all you really ask for," he said. "Its all you work for during the off-season is to get to this point and now you just want to finish it." Cheap Vans Shoes Shop . -- Arizona came out of its last meeting with California a bit discombobulated, hurting from its first loss and the loss of forward Brandon Ashley for the rest of the season. Vans Shoes Clearance . -- Chris Tillman paid no attention to the Baltimore bullpen as it started to stir in the ninth inning. http://www.vansoutletstore.com/ . Trailing by a goal after 20 minutes of play, Joe Pavelski responded with three goals and an assist as the Sharks snapped a two-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over the struggling Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.MINNEAPOLIS - All these years, Kobe Bryant has been chasing Michael Jordan.The bar doesnt get any higher than that. And after Bryant passed Jordan for third on the NBAs career scoring list in the Los Angeles Lakers 100-94 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, he offered a glimpse into the relentless mentality it takes to run down a legend.I think the competitive nature is something that frightens a lot of people when you peel back truly whats inside of a person to compete and be at that high level, Bryant said. It scares a lot of people that are just comfortable being average.Bryant has been compared to Jordan for a long time, in part because he dared to chase him. Where Bryant is every bit Jordans equal is in the tenacity that has kept him going through a torn Achilles tendon, bone-on-bone friction in his knees and now the painful rebuilding of a proud franchise.His competitiveness drives him in the off-season to work to be able to play at the level he plays, Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said. His competitiveness during the games to dominate offensively and defensively and then his competitiveness of wanting to win. Hell challenge teammates if need be and will do whatever it takes to try to get that edge.Its the only way Bryant knows. And he learned by studying the best.I think when you look at Michaels (Hall of Fame) speech, Bryant said, referring to a speech in which Jordan cited those who he perceived to have gotten in his way over the years. People really got a chance to see how he ticks and it scared a lot of people, right? But thats just the reality of it. You cant get to a supreme level without channeling the dark side a little bit.Bryants willingness to embrace the darkness has, in his own eyes, cast him as one of the leagues villains. It also likely ensures that his farewell tour, whenever that comes, will not be of the warm and fuzzy variety that New York Yankees star Derek Jeter enjoyed last season.Derek and I are different people, Bryant said. He hides it a lot better but I guarantee you our competitive spirit is exactly the same. He just hides it better or chooses to hide it. I dont choose to hide it.Then again, maybe he overestimates the animosity out there. Maybe thats another mind trick that he plays on himself to get him out of bed in the morning and to the gym for another workout.When No. 24 stepped to the free-throw line midway through the second quarter on Sunday night — with 5:24 remaining and 24 seconds on the shot clock, to be exact — needing both shots to move past Jordan, a Lakers-heavy crowd at Target Center stood and serenaded him. Discount Vans Shoes. Cell phone flashes flickered as the first and second shots swished through and the Timberwolves stopped the game, with owner Glen Taylor presenting Bryant the game ball to a thunderous ovation.Im used to being the villain, man, Bryant said with a sheepish smile. To have moments like that, when youre not expecting a hug and you get a hug, this feels pretty damn good.Once it was finally over, the weight lifted and Bryant found another gear against a young Timberwolves team that includes 19-year-olds Andrew Wiggins — the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft — and Zach LaVine, who wears No. 8 in honour of Bryant.He finished the night with 26 points, including a dagger of a 3-pointer over Wiggins outstretched hand with just over a minute to play that helped seal the win.I witnessed greatness tonight, a star-struck Wiggins said. A living legend passed Michael Jordan, who everyone thinks is the best player of all-time. Thats a big accomplishment. Im glad I was there to witness it.Wiggins was 1 when a wide-eyed Bryant entered the league in 1996, and that wasnt lost on him in the afterglow on Sunday night.It was a strange feeling, Bryant said. I remember being Andrew Wiggins. I remember playing against Michael my first year. To be here tonight and playing against him and seeing the baby face and the little footwork and little technique things that hes going to be much, much sharper at as time goes on. It was like looking at a reflection of myself 19 years ago. It was pretty cool.Now that Bryant has bumped Jordan from the scoring podium, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Karl Malone (36,928) are in front of him.Even if he remains in third place, which appears likely, it wont really matter. Vaulting over Jordan, whose Jumpman logo is as synonymous with the NBA as Jerry Wests silhouette, is its own reward.Maybe thats why the insatiable Bryant wore the unfamiliar smile of satisfaction on Sunday night. Hes been trying for almost two decades. And now he can finally say hes beaten Jordan at something.It has a certain finality to it, he said. When moments like this come around, youre really overjoyed by it. At the same time, you know the end is pretty near, which is fine, too. 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