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Getting called out by former NFL star receiver Chad Johnson was a welcome break from the monotony of training camp for Tyron Brackenridge. Johnson, now with the Montreal Alouettes, took aim at the Saskatchewan Roughriders safety Tuesday on Twitter. Brackenridge was still chuckling about it Wednesday. "Was it entertaining?" Brackenridge asked with a laugh during a telephone interview. "I had fun with it. "When youre dealing with the pressure of training camp, these two-a-days and meetings, its good to have a little laugh here and there. He felt like I was the one he wanted to call out, I just entertained his antics." It began innocently enough on Twitter when a fan asked Johnson, a popular social media figure with 3.6 million followers, which team was he most looking forward to facing this season. "#41 from the Rough Riders," Johnson tweeted, referencing Brackenridge. After Brackenridge said, "Cant wait!" Johnson turned up the heat, tweeting: "I will run through you or around you, whichever you prefer." Brackenridge responded: "your cfl career will be short messing with me! You better ask your teammates or better yet find out for yourself." Johnson countered: "They speak highly of you but youll be dealt with." Added Brackenridge, "they speak highly of me for a reason. Its a thin line between tough & stupid. If your not looking for #41 youll regret it.." The colourful Johnson, in his first CFL season following a two-year hiatus from football, certainly didnt select a shrinking violet. The six-foot, 190-pound Brackenridge was a league all-star last year and voted the CFLs hardest hitter by his peers. Johnson referenced that when a fan asked who Brackenridge was. "The person wholl force me to keep my head on a swivel August 16," Johnson tweeted. Johnson ended the lively banter asking his supporters to follow Brackenridge. "I need at least 2 million of you to follow the homie @Tbrack41 please," Johnson tweeted. Brackenridge, 29, who has over 7,000 Twitter followers, said Johnsons comments were unsolicited although the two have a history. Theyve faced each other in the NFL and worked out together during the off-season with the same trainer. "We dont really know each other personally, like buddy buddy," Brackenridge said. "But at the end of the day, things like this make it fun to play the game and look forward to . . . its all fun and games." That is until June 29, when Saskatchewan opens its season hosting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a Grey Cup rematch. Brackenridge hasnt circled Aug. 16 on his calendar — when Montreal visits Regina — because as defending champions the Riders are expecting the best from every opponent this season. "Yes, we have a target on our back but we must defend the title week in and week out and just continue to be consistent and play like pros," he said. "Thats what keeps me on my toes . . . knowing I must continue to elevate my game." However, Brackenridge appreciates the recognition he received from Johnson. "It feels good to know you have respect around the league but you have to continue to earn that every week," he said. "Each year is a new year, you constantly have to get better otherwise somebody will come in and try to take your job or expose you." As for facing Johnson, Brackenridge will worry about that in August. The two teams will meet again in October in Montreal. "I approach every game the same . . . like its a championship game," Brackenridge said. "Im a competitor and I want to win each game, I want to win every play. "When we play them, Ill have the same mentality as I do when we play Hamilton in Week 1." Johnsons tweets did prompt one Riders fan to offer on Twitter a $100 donation to charity if Brackenridge legally hits Johnson hard enough to separate him from the football. The Riders team that will defend the Grey Cup title will differ vastly from the one that won it. Among those departing are running back Kory Sheets (Oakland, NFL), receivers Weston Dressler (Kansas City, NFL) and Geroy Simon (retired), linebackers Rey Williams (retired) and Craig Butler (Hamilton, free agent) and defensive tackle Keith Shologan (Ottawa expansion draft). "Unfortunately, its the nature of the game," Brackenridge said. "Each year youre going to have new personnel, youve just got to make it work. "Training camp is about building the chemistry to goes on throughout the season." Brackenridge was a key contributor last year with 48 tackles, a league-high five forced fumbles and three interceptions. He was a league all-star and voted the Riders top defensive player. Brackenridge spent time in the NFL with Kansas City (07-08), the New York Jets (09) and Jacksonville (09-10). Entering his fourth CFL campaign, Brackenridge says hes very comfortable with the nuances of Canadian football. "Ive learned a lot in this league," he said. "I was a little raw when I first came in but now the game is normal again . . . Id say Im pretty comfortable right now." And that includes life off the field as Brackenridge was married this off-season. "Everything is complete," he said. "They (wife, Christine, and three-year-old daughter Brooklyn) make it fun for me every day. "Im very blessed and thankful and enjoy this game with a smile on my face." Hes also thankful to be playing in Saskatchewan, home to the CFLs most passionate fans. Last November, a loud, predominantly green gathering of 44,710 watched the Riders defeat Hamilton 45-23 for just their fourth CFL title and first at Mosaic Stadium. "Ill tell you what, they make it extremely fun to play this game," Brackenridge said of Rider Nation. "They make it easier for guys like me who are away from home and our families. "Everything we do is dedicated to them as well as our families. It (13 Grey Cup) is very special to people born and raised in this province . . . that moment will live on forever." TreDavious White Bills Jersey . -- Adrian Peterson remained in a walking boot to treat a high ankle sprain on his left leg on Wednesday, and coach Leslie Frazier said he will not play on Sunday against Atlanta if he cant hit the practice field in the next two days. Jordan Poyer Jersey .com) - The Miami Heat stopped a four-game losing streak last time out and thats the same length slide their opponents Wednesday night, the Denver Nuggets, will try to halt when the two teams meet at the Pepsi Center. http://www.authenticbillsfanaticfootball.com/authentic-dawson-knox-bills-jersey/ . He never mentioned anything about his hitting. The 33-year-old right-hander had success with both Sunday, pitching six solid innings and helping the offence-starved Mets with an RBI single as New York salvaged a doubleheader split with a 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Andre Roberts Womens Jersey . Ive said it before, Ive worked with top pros and I could have made my own program. Jim Kelly Youth Jersey . -- Canadas Nicole Vandermade won the Four Winds Invitational on Sunday for her first Symetra Tour title, closing with a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke victory.CLEVELAND -- The Dallas Mavericks spent most of Monday afternoon playing as if they had a point to prove. They spent the final minutes barely hanging on for a narrow victory. The Mavericks squandered nearly all of a 24-point lead before finally subduing the Cleveland Cavaliers for a 102-97 win. What appeared to be an easy day turned into a white-knuckler for Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, whose team bounced back from its worst performance of the season in a home loss to Portland on Saturday. "We did a good job of holding them off at the end," Carlisle said. "We got it done. Thats the bottom line." Monta Ellis scored 22 points, Shawn Marion added 18 and the Mavericks had six players in double figures, but the game was in doubt until the final seconds. Trailing 100-97 with 2.8 seconds remaining, the Cavaliers were called for a five-second violation when Jarrett Jack failed to get the ball inbounds. Ellis put the game away with two free throws with 1.1 seconds left. Carlisle called Saturdays loss, in which the Mavericks trailed by 38 points early in the fourth quarter, "beyond embarrassing." And while Mondays game had too much drama, Carlisle was happy to get out of town with a win. "Its the NBA," he said "Its supposed to get hairy." "This was a big bounce-back win from an embarrassing loss the other day," Ellis said. "Well be a great team if we continue to play like that with our back against the wall when we face adversity." Kyrie Irving led Cleveland with 26 points. Luol Deng, acquired from Chicago on Jan. 7, scored 20 points in his first home game with the Cavaliers while Anderson Varejao had 18 points with 21 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki scored 17 points and DeJuan Blair added 13 for the Mavericks. Dallas built a 59-35 lead late in the second quarter and maintained a double-figure lead for most of the second half before the Cavaliers rallied. Cleveland cut the lead into single figures early in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers got the lead to 91-89 on Dengs 3-pointer, but Irving missed a jumper and a 3-point attempt on the same possession when Cleveland had a chance to tie or take the lead. A basket and two free throws by Ellis followed by Marions steal and score pushed the lead to 97-90 with 1:35 to play. Cleveland cut the lead to 98-95, but two free throws by Jose Calderon with 11.1 seconds remaining pushed the lead to five. Varejaos basket with 5.7 left made it 100-97. Ellis missed two free throws with 2.8 sseconds left and gave Cleveland one last chance.dddddddddddd The Cavaliers called timeout, but Carlisle put 6-foot-10 centre Brandan Wright on Jack, who couldnt get off the pass on a play that was designed to get Irving the ball. Cavaliers coach Mike Brown thought Irving was open in the far corner on the other side of the floor. "I dont know if weve ever been that wide open before at the end of games on a situation like that," he said. "Jack just couldnt see him." "It was going to be a tough pass," Irving said. "It was a crucial turnover. Whether I was open or not doesnt matter. We have to move on and get ready for our next game." The Cavaliers went 3-2 on a road trip to the west coast but struggled in the first game of five straight at home. Cleveland led briefly in the first quarter, but Dallas used a 9-0 run late in the first quarter to break a 21-all tie. Dallas shot 55 per cent from the field in the first half. Marion and Blair both made all five of their shots in the first half. Marion scored 14 points while Blair had 11. Marion made his first shot of the third quarter before finally missing a 3-point attempt from the corner. He scored three points and made only one of six shots against Portland. Blair missed his first shot attempt in the third quarter and was hit with a technical later in the period after being called for a foul while trying to grab a rebound. Irving scored 18 points in the second half. Deng, a two-time All-Star, will face the Bulls for the first time since the trade on Wednesday. Cleveland is 3-3 with Deng in the lineup. The Mavericks bench outscored Cleveland 33-8. Dion Waiters, who averages 14.8 points, was scoreless in 17 minutes for Cleveland. Mavericks centre Samuel Dalembert left the game early in the third quarter with a strained left shoulder. He was taken to the locker room and didnt return. NOTES: Cavaliers F Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft, didnt play for the fourth straight game. ... Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona watched the game seated next to Mavericks owner Mark Cuban behind Dallas bench. ... The Mavericks are 11-4 against Eastern Conference teams this season. Seven of their 11 games before the All-Star break are against the East, including the next three versus Toronto, Brooklyn and Detroit. ... G Devin Harris was scoreless in his second game of the season for Dallas. He made his season debut Saturday after missing the first 41 games because of surgery on his left foot. ' ' '