(and lost every game there), Fitzgerald joked. Its not like

Nobody cared who Aron Baynes was until he put on the mask.That may not be entirely true, but, just like the villain from the Batman film, Bane, Baynes has certainly been getting noticed since donning his face mask in October. Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy on Monday called Baynes a starting center in the NBA, and he continued to praise the Australian pregame at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.Arons a really good player, Van Gundy said. I said this after the last game -- were gonna be in a difficult situation by the rules of tying to re-sign him next summer. The bottom line is, hes a starting-calibre NBA center who were very lucky to have as a backup.Baynes is making the most of his opportunities this season while playing a career-high 16.7 minutes per game, mainly backing up All-Star center Andre Drummond. He recorded a season-high 20 points and eight rebounds in the Pistons win over Oklahoma City in his first start of the season. If Aron were getting 30 minutes a night, I dont think hed average 20 [points] but hed be a very, very solid player offensively in this league -- and defensively, Van Gundy said. Hes just a very, very good basketball player.Against the Knicks, however, Baynes was largely ineffective, missing his only field goal attempt in 12 minutes on the floor.Baynes signed a three-year, $20 million deal with Detroit in the summer of 2015 that also included a player option after the second season for which the Pistons were heavily criticised at the time.We were criticised because we paid him too much money, and now hell make about triple next summer and we wont be able to re-sign him, Van Gundy said.The critics -- who always know -- killed us for overpaying him. Right now, we can trade him to 29 teams in about five seconds with what hes making. I dont think we made too bad a deal.Baynes player option after the second-year of his deal makes him an unrestricted free agent once the 2016-17 season concludes. The salary cap spiked from $70 million last season to $94.1 million for the 2016-17 campaign, and it is expected to pass $100 million for 2017-18 -- meaning the burly Australian could be in line for an even bigger payday. Dru Samia Vikings Jersey .Y. -- Sabres forward Drew Stafford has witnessed plenty of turmoil during his eight seasons in Buffalo. Chris Doleman Youth Jersey .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. http://www.authenticvikingspro.com/Garrett-bradbury-vikings-jersey/ . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan. Mike Hughes Jersey . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. Kirk Cousins Youth Jersey . Zvonareva, who won the tournament in 2009 and 10, couldnt handle her opponents big groundstrokes in only her third event back after 17 months out with a shoulder injury. Zvonareva made her comeback in January in Shenzhen and played in the Australian Open but lost her first matches at both tournaments. Breeders Cup Distaff winner Stopchargingmaria, an earner of more than $3 million, has been retired from racing according to her owner, Town and Country Racing of Georgetown, Ky.The 5-year-old mare by Tale of the Cat out of Exotic Bloom, by Montbrook, was trained her entire career by Todd Pletcher, and she won half of her 18 career starts while racing from ages 2 to 5, winning or placing in 13 stakes. Her biggest triumph came last October when she won the BC Distaff at Keeneland by a head over Stellar Wind. She won three of five starts last year, but the Eclipse Award for older female went to Beholder.Stopchargingmaria is not only one of the best fillies we have had in our barn, she has become part of the family, Pletcher said. We are sending her home sound and happy. After a Breeders Cup Championship, three Grade 1 wins, and over $3 million in earnings, she deserves a great retirement.Bred in Kentucky by Harvey Clarke and Brookdale Farm, Stopchargingmaria was sold for $47,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale, purchased by Woodford Thoroughbreds. That outfit then sold her for $200,000 at the Ocala Breeders Sale Co. March 2-yearr-olds in training sale, purchased by Mike Repoles Repole Stable.dddddddddddd.Campaigned by Repole at 2 and 3, Stopchargingmaria was a stakes winner each year, taking the Grade 2 Demoiselle at 2 and the Grade 1 Alabama and CCA Oaks at 3.Repole offered her for sale at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November mixed sale, but he bought her back for $3,150,000. After the sale, she was sold privately to Town and Country, of which Shannon Potter is president.For Town and Country, Stopchargingmaria won 3 of 7 starts and earned $1,520,000, including two Grade 3 triumphs in addition to the Breeders Cup. She made her last start on June 11 when finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park.No breeding plans were announced for the mare when she was retired.While we were hoping Stopchargingmaria would be able to defend her Breeders Cup title, she is giving us signs that she is ready to start the next phase of her life, said Town and Country Racing CEO Kiki Courtelis. We are thrilled to have her home sound. ' ' '