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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The NCAA agreed Friday to restore 112 football wins it had stripped from Penn State and Joe Paterno in the Jerry Sandusky child-molestation scandal and to reinstate the venerated late coach as the winningest in major college football history.The agreement, swiftly approved by the boards of the NCAA and the university after intermittent talks heated up this week, lifts the last of the sanctions imposed in 2012 and wipes away the black marks that had tainted one of the nations most celebrated college athletics programs.After more than two years of criticism that the NCAA had overstepped its authority, officials with college sports governing body did not back down. Instead, they said they were focused on ending litigation that had held up distribution of the universitys $60 million fine to fund child abuse-prevention programs.Before the deal, the NCAA had agreed last year to eliminate some of the sanctions, including reinstating Penn States full complement of scholarships and letting the team participate in post-season play.Fridays agreement threw out the rest of the sanctions, including eliminating a five-year probation period and scholarship and transfer rules, and restoring the wins that had been wiped out. It also bowed to Pennsylvania officials desire to see the $60 million fine spent in Pennsylvania, not spread to abuse-prevention programs around the nation.The pact emerged just days after a federal judge declined to rule on the constitutionality of the sanctions and weeks before a Pennsylvania court was to hold a trial on the legality of the penalties.Hopefully, today well begin to make right the damage that has been done, said Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, who had sued the NCAA with state Treasurer Rob McCord. Today is a victory for due process, which was unafforded in this case. Today is a victory for the people of Pennsylvania. Today is a victory for Penn State nation. The NCAA has surrendered.The unprecedented scope of the sanctions had drawn intense criticism from Penn State alumni and fans who defended Paterno as innocent in the scandal and called the schools athletics program a national model. They accused the NCAA of rushing to judgment to assert its dominance, ultimately punishing people who had nothing to do with Sandusky.The family of Paterno, who died as the scandal was unfolding, hailed the agreement, while lawyers for Sanduskys victims worried that the NCAAs retreat sent the wrong message. In State College, home to Penn States sprawling main campus nicknamed Happy Valley, the news was welcome.Hundreds of students celebrated Friday night with a subdued rally outside the universitys administration building, followed by a march to the nearby Beaver Canyon apartment area. As many as 500 people joined the march.Someone projected a huge photo of Paterno onto the side of an apartment building. Others chanted, We are Penn State!In the agreement, Penn State acknowledged that the NCAA had acted in good faith in the Sandusky matter, and university President Eric Barron said he believed the agency had a legitimate concern about institutional control.NCAA officials said Friday that their motivation in the deal was to start funding abuse-prevention programs with the fine.The victors are those of us who were advocating for the children, said Harris Pastides, an NCAA board member and president of the University of South Carolina.They did not back off their right to take such action.The board felt they had to quickly and decisively put forward a set of sanctions. I hope we never have to do this again, said Kirk Schulz, an NCAA board member and Kansas States president.The penalties sprung from the scandal that erupted when Sandusky, a retired assistant coach, was accused of sexually abusing boys, some of them on campus.Penn States then-President, Rodney Erickson, agreed to the sanctions in 2012, in the weeks after Sandusky was convicted. Just days earlier, former FBI Director Louis Freeh released a scathing report commissioned by Penn States trustees, and the school removed an iconic bronze statue of Paterno from the schools Beaver Stadium.Freehs report accused Paterno and other top Penn State officials of burying child sex-abuse allegations against Sandusky to avoid bad publicity. The report portrayed the Hall of Fame coach as more deeply involved in the scandal than previously thought.The alleged coverup by Paterno, then-university President Graham Spanier and two other Penn State administrators allowed Sandusky to prey on other boys for years, it said.Paterno was never charged with a crime, although Spanier and the two other former administrators continue to fight charges in court.Paternos family called Fridays announcement a great victory for everyone who has fought for the truth in the Sandusky tragedy.This case should always have been about the pursuit of the truth, not the unjust vilification of the culture of a great institution and the scapegoating of coaches, players and administrators who were never given a chance to defend themselves, they said.Michael Boni, a lawyer for one of the victims who testified at Sanduskys trial, said he supported the restoration of Penn States scholarships and bowl eligibility last fall, but does not believe Paternos victories should be reinstated because they were tarnished by Sandusky.He also said he sensed a shift in Penn States attitude after the criminal case against Sandusky wrapped up and it concluded civil settlements with victims.There was a movement away from what I thought was a genuine mea culpa on the part of Penn State, having accepted the NCAA sanctions, and one toward, Why did we cave so easily? That was disappointing, Boni said.The sanctions eliminated all wins from 1998, when police investigated a mothers complaint that Sandusky had showered with her son, through 2011, Paternos final season as head coach after six decades with the team and the year Sandusky was charged.The restored wins include 111 under Paterno and the final victory of 2011, after trustees fired Paterno in the wake of the charges against Sandusky and the team was coached by Tom Bradley. That returns Paternos record to 409-136-3. He died of lung cancer at 85 shortly after the season ended.Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts and is now serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence.___Levy reported from Harrisburg. Associated Press writers Michael Rubinkam in northeastern Pennsylvania, Jim Carlson in State College and Ralph D. Russo in Oxon Hill, Maryland, contributed to this report. Authentic Sony Michel Jersey . Portland won Game 4 Sunday night at the Moda Center and are now up 3-1. 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In 57 games this season he had one goal and six assists with 34 penalty minutes in Edmonton. Authentic Shaq Mason Jersey . With just under five seconds remaining - the Raptors having clawed back from a 19-point deficit and pulled within one - DeRozan took the handoff from Chuck Hayes.With the Los Angeles Kings on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup with a 3-0 series lead over the New York Rangers, the debate has begun as to whom should win the Conn Smythe Trophy for this years playoffs. Unlike in 2012 when the Kings last won the Cup, there is no obvious choice for the most valuable player in the playoffs. That year, goaltender Jonathan Quick posted a 16-4 record with a .946 save percentage, 1.41 goals-against-average and three shutouts en route to winning the award. Quick is again a candidate to win this year, however he may not be the favourite. In 24 playoff games, Quick has a 15-9 record, a .910 save percentage and 2.69 goals against average. He also has two shutouts in the playoffs, including one against the Rangers in Game 3. The Kings have used a high-scoring offence to get within a game of winning the Stanley Cup this season. Their 84 goals in the playoffs are 24 more than the next-best Rangers. Leading the way on offence is Anze Kopitar, who leads in scoring with 26 points in 24 playoff games. Kopitars 21 assists in this years run sits second in Kings history, behind only Wayne Gretzkys 25 helpers in 1993. However, Kopitar has just five goals, while nine of his assists have come on Marion Gaborik goals. Gaborik, acquired by the Kings on trade deadline day from the Columbus Blue Jackets, leads the playoffs in goals with 13. His finest game of the playoffs ccame in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks, when he scored with seven seconds left in regulation to tie the game and scored again in overtime to take the series opener.dddddddddddd "Mr. Game 7," Justin Williams, also has an overtime winner on his playoff resume this year. Williams scored to lift the Kings over the Rangers in Game 1 -- one of eight goals hes scored in the playoffs. An emotional leader for the team, Williams is tied for second in playoff scoring with 24 points and leads the team with a plus-14 rating. He also has six points through three Stanley Cup Final games. Tied with Williams at 24 points is forward Jeff Carter, who played a similar role to Gaborik in 2012 after being acquired mid-season from the Blue Jackets. Carter has 10 goals in these playoffs, including a team-high four on the power play. However, hurting Carters campaign is his plus-five rating. If any defenceman is to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for the Kings, it would likely be Drew Doughty, who leads the Kings blue line with 17 points and has been their top defenceman throughout the playoffs, averaging over 28 minutes of ice-time per game. With multiple options available, the Conn Smythe Trophy debate may come down to the Kings final victory. Until then, who do you believe will be named the most valuable player should the Kings defeat the Rangers? As always, its Your! Call. ' ' '