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RIO DE JANEIRO -- It was fast, it was furious and the ultra-fit players were colliding at full pace. Rugby sevens certainly grabbed attention in its debut at the Olympic Games.The New England Patriots watched some of the bruising encounters involving teammate Nate Ebner, sending messages of support. It made headlines in Japan. It virtually shut down an entire Pacific nation.Unlike golf, which was returning to the Summer Games after a long absence, the best rugby sevens players in the world tackled the Olympic challenge. True to form, they won gold.The Fijian men, the long-time entertainers and back-to-back world sevens series champions, were one of the best feel-good stories of the games, bringing their tiny country its first Olympic medal and prompting a national holiday. Britain and South Africa picked up the silver and bronze , with Japan finishing a way-beyond-expectations fourth.The world series champion Australian women beat New Zealand for gold, but only after scraping to a 12-12 tie against an under-rated U.S. team which eventually finished fifth. Canada beat Britain for the bronze, and the Brazil womens team -- assembled to represent the host nation -- did well enough to qualify for the world series.World Rugby said the reception had been outstanding in non-traditional rugby markets such as the United States, where USA Rugby had more than 10 million unique visits to their website during the tournament.Its been awesome. I wouldnt have done anything differently, said Ebner, who received special permission to play at the Olympics during the NFL offseason. No regrets, at all.Ebner scored a last-minute try against Fiji in the group stage that very nearly got the Americans into the playoffs, but for a missed conversion in a 24-19 loss.It has been exciting to play. I can only imagine people who havent seen it -- Its got to be exciting to watch, he said. The Pats were watching, he said, and were saying theyre proud. Theyre with us all the way.Ebner said the Olympic sevens tournaments had potentially brought the game to a vast new audience in places like America.With professional sports, the way they are in the United States, I would never put a ceiling on potential growth, he said. I hope people open their eyes and minds to something theyve never done before, whether they grew up playing it like I did, or its something they want to take a stab at later in their life.Hopefully everyone embraces it and takes a closer look at it. Thats really all I can ask.The secret to sevens success is in the timing, Fiji coach Ben Ryan said. The game is all over in about a quarter of an hour, leaving time for another 11 just like it. The ball almost never stops, and the action moves quickly across and up-and-down the field.The crowd for the tournament opening game was only about 1,000, but it grew with multiple matches across the day. Having six games in each three-hour session helps generate a festival atmosphere, and the players often mix with fans during their breaks.Ryan describes sevens as being like the snack variety of traditional 15-a-side rugby -- which was last played at the Olympics in 1924 -- making it perfect for a TV audience.His team attracted attention off the field, too, with other Olympians.When the boys come in together ... heads turn, he said. Its a different look in the village. Theres not many islanders in there, but (other athletes) have heard about the Fiji rugby sevens team.The whole hope is that rugby adds to the Olympic games, were not just an also-ran. I think its having an impact.The U.S. women produced two big performances, leading Australia 12-5 with a minute to play before the Aussies rallied, and taking New Zealand all the way in a 5-0 quarterfinal loss.U.S. captain Kelly Griffin said the Olympics highlighted how the game is growing. Players in the womens squads came from other sports including basketball, field hockey and track-and-field.I definitely think it adds something about girls and boys both have really powerful bodies and we can go out and be physical and use our bodies for sport, she said.World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said Japans upset win over powerhouse New Zealand on the opening day of the mens tournament was amazing, and noted the performances of the Brazilian teams.Anybodys that been here in a market that is not a traditional (rugby) market and look how the Brazil womens team qualified for the World Series and then you see the Brazilian men living on first and last tries when they played Fiji, he said. Weve had the opportunity and we thank the IOC for that.Hopefully weve showcased our sport on the world stage, and hopefully weve earned the right to be a permanent sport. Fake Yeezy Kaufen . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Yeezy Boost 350 Deutschland . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. http://www.yeezyschuhe.de/ . -- Hunter Smith scored the winner with just 12 seconds remaining in the third period as the Oshawa Generals edged the host Sarnia Sting 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Ultra Boost Schuhe Sale . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. Fake Yeezy Schuhe . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!Columbus Blue JacketsOverall: 63 Title track: 110 Ownership: 69 Coaching:?56 Players: 102 Fan relations: 52 Affordability: 53 Stadium experience: 8 Bang for the buck: 55 Change from last year: -44Just a year ago, even despite never having won a playoff series, the Blue Jackets were a top-20 franchise in these rankings. This time around, they took big steps backward in six of the eight categories. Columbus is now the second-lowest-ranked team in Ohio, but, as many an NFL team has proved, pretty much anyone can beat the Cleveland Browns.Whats goodDespite having the fourth-lowest average attendance per game in the NHL, Columbus rose in the stadium experience rankings all the way to the top 10. Attendees are big fans of Nationwide Arena (and its super-cheap concessions and $7 parking, lowest in the league). The Blue Jackets also made a coaching upgrade in 2015 by bringing in John Tortorella after an 0-7-0 start to the season (he ranks 56th now). The team finished the season at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, but Tortorellas teams have qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs eight times -- thats six more than Columbus has as a franchise.Whats badColumbus massive regression from wild-card team in 2014 to the worst in its grouup last year can no longer be attributed solely to injuries or youth and inexperience.dddddddddddd Fans clearly blame the roster to at least some degree, dropping the players ranking 56 spots, to 102nd. Soon, the Blue Jackets will start the rebuilding process all over again. Columbus will rely on draft picks (Pierre-Luc Dubois) and AHL call-ups (Zach Werenski) as some of its premier players this season. If those two cant produce and the offense regresses, itll be another bottom-feeding season for a team thats barely touched the postseason in its nearly 20-year history (see: title track, at 110th).Whats newAs the win total fell, so did the bang fans got for their buck from the Blue Jackets. The team still has one of the cheapest tickets in hockey, and it beats the average price of a game across the league by more than $20. Still, prices across many NHL franchises fell this past year, and Columbus slipped from the second-most-affordable game to fourth. The change was relative, but in a tough market already for ticket prices, it dropped the Blue Jackets 30 spots in affordability -- as if a tough-luck team needs to give fans more reasons to stay home.Next: Winnipeg Jets?| Full rankings ' ' '