better job of finding bodies." He was especially critica

BARCELONA, Spain -- FIFA president Sepp Blatter may have thought joking about Cristiano Ronaldo was all in good fun, but the Portugal forward and Real Madrid have certainly taken offence. Madrid asked Blatter on Tuesday to apologize for having mocked Ronaldo while praising Barcelona rival Lionel Messi at a recent event in England. Blatter had told an audience at Oxford University that Ronaldo "is like a commander on the field of play" before strutting around the stage to the laughs of the students in attendance. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said that club president Florentino Perez had sent a letter to Blatter asking him to "rectify what I consider a lack of respect for a serious and professional player." Blatter later responded by saying Ronaldo was an "exceptional" player. In a statement provided to the AP, FIFA said that Blatter had "confirmed in letters sent to Real Madrid CF as well as the Portuguese Football Association that Cristiano Ronaldo is an exceptional player - as he had already mentioned at the Oxford University event last Friday, and on many other occasions." While slighting Ronaldo during the public event, Blatter said he preferred Messi, the Argentina forward who has won FIFAs world player of the year award for the past four years. Ronaldo won the award in 2008, finishing second in voting behind Messi in 2009, 2011 and 2012. Ronaldo took Blatters stinging words, and mimicry, to heart, and apparently wasnt convinced by Blatters attempt at making amends. "This video shows clearly the respect and consideration that FIFA has for me, for my club and my country," Ronaldo wrote on his Facebook page late Tuesday. "Much is explained now. I wish Mr. Blatter health and a long life, with the certainty that he will continue to witness, as he deserves, the successes of his favourite teams and players." Earlier on Tuesday, FIFA included Ronaldo and Messi on its list of 23 finalists for this years world player of the year award. The list will be pared down to three players in early December. "Messi is a good boy, that every father and every mother would like to have at home," Blatter told the Oxford crowd. "Hes a kind man, a good boy. Thats what makes him so popular, and naturally hell always get a lot of votes because he plays well and scores goals." Then, while comparing Messi and Ronaldo, Blatter made a joke about Ronaldos hair. "They dont have the same attitude and that gives life to football. One has more expenses for the hairdresser than the other but that doesnt matter," Blatter said. Ancelotti defended Ronaldos character. "I completely agree with the president (Perez)," Ancelotti said. "I havent spoken to Ronaldo about this. I think he shows every day and in every match that he is a serious and professional player that respects everyone." Ronaldo also received support in Portugal. Portuguese football federation president Fernando Gomes said Ronaldo is "often misunderstood because hes forthright and honest," and that his frankness sometimes "gives rise to a negative image which isnt him." The spat is bound to strengthen the belief among some Madrid fans and sections of the Madrid-based sports media that FIFA has a bias for Barcelona and Messi. Former Madrid coach Jose Mourinho snubbed FIFAs awards gala for the past two years while he was at the Spanish club, as did Ronaldo in 2012. Mourinho accused Barcelona of receiving help from FIFA referees in ousting Madrid from the 2011 Champions League semifinals. Cheap Islanders Jerseys China . CHAUNCEY BILLUPS (Pistons): Yes they got Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings in the off-season and Andre Drummond is a beast (teams are kicking themselves for passing on him - he rebounds and block shots every game - thats two more discernable and significant skills than most guys in his draft class), but dont for a second discount the impact of having a savvy veteran like Billups on your team. Wholesale Islanders Jerseys . That was OK with him. He was just happy his team came away with two points. Letestu redirected Jack Johnsons shot from the point with 2:38 left, lifting the Blue Jackets past the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Monday night. http://www.cheapislandersjerseys.com/. With the Nets winning streak in jeopardy, Williams scored 23 points, 11 in the final six minutes, to lead Brooklyn to a 104-99 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . Parnell will be out much longer if it turns out he needs surgery. But first, he will try resting for two weeks before beginning a throwing program that could last up to a month, general manager Sandy Alderson said. Cheap Adidas Islanders Jerseys . -- Wichita State is all alone in the record book.MIAMI – The Toronto Raptors havent defeated the Miami Heat since January 27, 2010, less than five months before the Big Three joined forces in Miami. Thats 14 consecutive losses to the two-time defending champs, and most of them were over before they even began. Result notwithstanding, Sundays game had a very different feel to it. The Raptors believed they had a chance, they felt like they should win and to their credit, they nearly pulled it out. The mentality has changed and so too have the expectations, evident in the visitors locker room after the teams 102-97 loss at AmericanAirlines Arena. "I like the way our guys fought," coach Dwane Casey said after the loss, his teams first in six games. "But, again, you dont get a win or any medals or anything for losing." "I like what our guys are building. I know where we are. Ive said it, I havent wavered from it. I like the direction were going. Were building something [but when] youre playing against the best, youve got to do the little things and there cant be any slippage." Riding a five-game winning streak, which included an impressive victory over the conference-best Pacers, the Raptors never looked out of place against the second-place Heat. They led by as many as nine in the third, up five going into the fourth quarter and had a chance to tie when Kyle Lowry missed a step-back triple with four seconds remaining. The performance validated the legitimacy of their recent success and proved they can compete with the leagues best. That may be a revelation to those who are just tuning in but it comes as no surprise internally, as Lowry firmly pointed out. "We played the Pacers a couple games ago and played them tough, we played the top two teams tough, theres no moral victories at all," said the Raptors point guard, who had 14 points and nine assists in the loss. "We just know we can play with anybody, weve been saying that for a long time. We could play with anybody." "It says a lot," added DeMar DeRozan after scoring a game-high 26. "It says no matter who we play were going to go out there and play hard. People are going to have to worry about us when we come in their building or they come in our building. Were not no scrub team." DeRozan - who was spectacular in the first half, shooting 8-of-10 - made just two of his eight fourth-quarter attempts, forcing tough jumpers. As a team, the Raptors shot 29 per cent in the final frame and went an uncharacteristically terrible 12-of-21 from the line on the night.dddddddddddd LeBron James, who was guarded primarily by sophomore Terrence Ross, went off for 30 points on just 18 shots. They gave up 14 offensive boards - including three on one possession - to the worst offensive rebounding team in the league. A month ago Casey may have focused on the positives, the fact that his team hung in with the champs. Its a process, he would say. Now he expects more, a true indication of their evolution and how far theyve come since they dropped a pair of games to the Heat at home in November. "You shoot 57 per cent from the free throw line, youre not going to beat too many people, I dont care if its [the] Miami Heat or Miami-Dade High School," he said. "The 30th offensive rebounding team in the league and they get 14. Thats not acceptable for us. Our interior people have to do a better job of finding bodies." He was especially critical of 21-year-old Jonas Valanciunas, who held his own in the second half after getting off to a slow start against a smaller Heat lineup. "Second half he played much better [but] first half he didnt do anything," Casey said. "A lot of those offensive rebounds were coming over his back. Hes got to dominate, especially against a smaller centre to be effective, to stay in the game." Still, Valanciunas was on the floor down the stretch, along with Ross and the rest of the Raptors starters. Casey comfortably stood his ground, forcing Miami to match-up with him rather than the other way around. Finally, the Raptors are well on their way to developing and, most importantly, maintaining an identity. "Weve all noticed," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Torontos improvement before the game. Theres no such thing as a "moral victory" in the NBA. In fact, Casey and company couldnt bear to hear the term after the loss but if Sundays game was a litmus test, as Torontos coach suggested pre-game, than the Raptors came out in pretty good shape. "Were a different team than when we played them before," Casey said ahead of Sundays meeting. "But still, we have to have a healthy amount of respect for the Miami Heat." "Were not thinking that were at the level of the team [we played] tonight, were not there yet, but that is our goal. Were striving to be like the Heat." 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