GREEN BAY, Wis. -- JC Tretter has his old job back.Two years after he lost his job as the Green Bay Packers starting center because of a preseason knee injury, he was anointed as the teams opening-day starter at the position.It means Corey Linsley lost the job in the same way he got it.Linsley, who stepped in as a rookie after Tretter went down in an Aug. 22, 2014, preseason game, remains on the physically unable to perform list because of a hamstring injury that kept him out the entire offseason as well.JC Tretter has had an excellent camp, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Monday. I think Ive answered that question repeatedly and JC, in my view, has earned the starting position at center. Availability is a big part of what you look for in your players.Its unfortunate what Corey is going through and continuing to battle to get back out there. But theres been a lot of time thats gone by since hes been out there. I think JC has done an excellent job.Clearly, McCarthy has placed value not only on Tretters performance but also in the reps hes taken all offseason with the other offensive line starters. Continuity has long been one of McCarthys goals for his offensive line. In 2014, when Linsley took over, the same five linemen started 17 of the 18 games (including playoffs).Last year, only left guard Josh Sitton started every game, and he made one of those starts out of position, at left tackle.Tretter has made four career starts -- all last season. Three of those came at center when Linsley had a late-season ankle injury. The other was at left tackle in the wild-card playoff game at Washington.The former fourth-round pick from Cornell did not play as a rookie because of an ankle injury he sustained in spring workouts. He then spent the first half of the 2014 season on the temporary injured reserve list. By the time he was activated, McCarthy felt so good about Linsleys performance that he decided not to go back to Tretter.Tretter admitted earlier this month that he wasnt sure if he was just holding a place until Linsley came back.I think everybody comes into camp competitions, whether its in a true open competition, to me that doesnt really matter because it doesnt change what Im going to do, Tretter said at the time.? Air Max China Free Shipping . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. Nike Air Max Free Shipping Worldwide .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. http://www.airmaxfreeshipping.com/ . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. Wholesale Air Max Cheap .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Air Max Wholesale Free Shipping . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. He was taken to a local hospital where the clot was revealed. The club announced the surgery following a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Since turning pro in 2009, Joe Smith Jr. has fought in relative anonymity.A union man and laborer by trade, Smith became a bit of an attraction on small club shows in New York and nearby Long Island, where he is from.Smith could punch a bit; he was fearless, and his local fans turned out to watch him. He had not lost since a fourth-round knockout in his seventh fight in 2010. But other than a 10-round decision victory in December 2015 against Will Rosinsky, who is not that big of a name either, Smiths resume was devoid of a recognizable opponent.But in June, Premier Boxing Champions came calling and made a deal with Star Boxing promoter Joe DeGuardia for Smith to face Polish light heavyweight contender Andrzej Fonfara on NBC in prime time in Fonfaras adopted hometown of Chicago.Fonfara, obviously, was the huge favorite. He had given light heavyweight world champion Adonis Stevenson a life-and-death fight in 2014 in a decision loss but was coming off two significant wins in a row. In April 2015, Fonfara beat up Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and made him quit after the ninth round. Then he outpointed former titleholder Nathan Cleverly in a tremendous slugfest six months later.Smith, 27, was supposed to be nothing more than a showcase/pit stop on Fonfaras way to another title shot. But Smith destroyed Fonfara, knocking him out in the first round in a huge upset.Suddenly, Smith had arrived, and a few months later he was the hand-picked opponent to face the great Bernard Hopkins, the 51-year-old legend who needed a dance partner for what he says will be his final fight.Philadelphias Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs) liked Smiths aggressiveness, the fact that he had a good record and that he was a young, hungry fighter -- but one the future Hall of Famer would be favored to defeat.And so they quickly made a deal -- a very easy one to do, both sides said -- and Hopkins will bow out -- win, lose or draw, he claims -- after their scheduled 12-round fight on Saturday (HBO, 10 p.m. ET/PT) at The Forum in Inglewood, California.Joe Smith, Jr., dares to be great. But this is something thats important to me, to end it my way and go up against not a cream puff, Hopkins said. I could have picked anybody to have went in there, and it would have been a joke, but Im not going to do that to my legacy. I have too much pride as a man, and thats why I chose the most dangerous opponent out there that really nobody wants to jump over and fight. I love the challenge, and Im taking the challenge head-on.The co-feature will pit 24-year-old featherweight up-and-comer Joseph JoJo Diaz (22-0, 13 KOs), a 2012 U.S. Olympian from South El Monte, California, against Horacio Violento Garcia (30-1-1, 22 KOs), 26, of Mexico, in a scheduled 10-rounder.In the opening bout, cruiserweight worrld titleholder Oleksandr Usyk (10-0, 9 KOs), 29, the 2012 Olympic heavyweight gold medalist for Ukraine, will make his first defense and his American debut against Thabiso The Rock Mchunu (17-2, 11 KOs), 28, of South Africa.ddddddddddddhe low-key Smith (22-1, 18 KOs), who born in 1989 -- the year after Hopkins turned professional -- is well aware that this fight represents the opportunity of a lifetime.If he wins, its even more career-making than the victory over Fonfara. If he loses, well, he lost to one of the best fighters of all time and will have raised his profile and have made a nice payday in the process. It really is a no-lose situation.Its a privilege to be on this card, Smith said. To take on a legend like Bernard is an opportunity I would have never expected. That said, come fight night, that wont matter because itll just be me and him in the ring. My team and I have been training to take on any of the styles Bernard may bring. Im excited for the night to come, and Im ready to put on a great show.DeGuardia, Smiths longtime promoter, has been nothing but respectful to Hopkins, but said he believes Smith can pull off another upset. He praised Smiths determination and his working-class spirit.I am proud to be associated with this fight. DeGuardia said. Joe Smith Jr. is symbolic of the American spirit. He gets up every morning working that sledgehammer, working with the union. Hes a proud member of the laborers union, Local 66, and hes going to bring over that hard work and dedication into the ring, and I think everybody is going to see a great night of boxing. After Joe Smith Jr. wins this fight, many doors will open, but he has to get through Bernard Hopkins first. Once he does that, every door in the world is his.I know were going to be seeing the final night for Bernard, and its going to be something really fitting, that a legend like Bernard is going to be taking on a young, hungry lion like Joe Smith, Jr. I think Bernard certainly deserves a lot of credit for taking on Joe Smith, and hes really going to be in for I think maybe a little bit of a surprise, the same way Fonfara was when Joe upset him and knocked him out this past June in the first round.Smith said that while he is grateful for the opportunity, he will not be in awe of Hopkins come fight night, nor will he get caught up in the hoopla surrounding his farewell.I just look at the person in front of me and just know that I need to do everything I can to beat that person, whether its a legend or a nobody, Smith said. Theyre there to hurt me and take everything I worked for. Thats how I look at every fight. It doesnt matter who he is. ' ' '