by, another fan said, "I hate Tiger, too!" On an

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona said Tuesday morning that video showing him extending a middle finger to a camera during Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night against the Toronto Blue Jays was a nervous habit and not intentional.God, I was so embarrassed when I heard that or when somebody asked me that after the game, Francona said on ESPNs Mike & Mike. I think I have a nervous habit of kind of picking my face a little bit.I would never do that [intentionally], he said, before quipping, My goodness, I mean maybe in the clubhouse, but not out there.During the TBS telecast on Monday night, a camera captured Francona in the dugout in the first inning. Francona looked at the camera as it zoomed in. He held up his right hand, middle finger extended, and brushed it under his right eye.No, shoot, I was so embarrassed when somebody told me that, Francona said. Thats just a quirk of fate.After Monday nights?4-2 victory, the Indians hold a 3-0 series lead over the Blue Jays. Cleveland is within one win of its first pennant since 1997. St.Louis Blues Shirts . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory. St.Louis Blues Store . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. https://www.cheapblues.com/ . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. Blues Jerseys China . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. Stitched Blues Jerseys . Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey last Sunday. The fine is the fourth this season for Goldson. He was fined $30,000 for a hit on the New York Jets Jeff Cumberland in Week 1. ARDMORE, Pa. -- There was at least one wiseguy waiting on more than a few of the holes. Despite that, Sergio Garcias charm offensive was mostly well received by the galleries during the opening round of the U.S. Open. Some three weeks ago, in the midst of a hissing match with Tiger Woods, the Spaniard made a racially tinged remark about inviting his rival over for dinner and serving fried chicken. Widely criticized at the time, Garcia has apologized to Woods both privately and publicly. Yet there were some lingering questions about how hed be received at Merion Golf Club this week by a sometimes-tough Philadelphia sports crowd. "There were a couple here and there, but there was -- I felt the people were very nice for the whole day. I think that almost all of them were behind me," Garcia said afterward, "and that was nice to see." The same unfortunately, couldnt be said for Garcias golf game. He shot a 3-over-par 73 Thursday, and that after recovering from a double-bogey, quadruple-bogey stumble at Nos. 14 and 15, where Garcia hooked both of his tee shots out of bounds. "The U.S. Open doesnt give you much room," he said, then conceded the margin for error at 14 and 15 wasnt his problem. "The out of bounds is close, but if you hit a bad shot, even if its far away, youre going to find it. ... I guess I was just making my week a little bit tougher," he added. "But I tried to battle as much as I could coming in." Garcia teed off alongside Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink amid cheers and a few scattered boos on the 11th hole at 7:44 a.m., and was cruising until the 14th. No sooner had his tee shot flown the coup at that hole than heavy rains came down and caused a 3 1/2-hour delay. Garcia described his return this way: "Hit another 3-wood, 7-iron to about 16 feet and managed to two-putt for par. "Sorry," he added quickly, to some laughter. "Par with the second ball." The delay may have ggiven the occasional hecklers around the course a chance to down a few beers and screw up their courage.dddddddddddd As Garcia reached the first green, where he had an 8-footer for birdie, a fan holding a beer yelled, "Hey, head case! Lets see you blow it 10 feet by." Instead, Garcia drained the putt for birdie, then made eagle at the par-5 second hole with a big drive, another 3-wood to 16 feet and made that putt as well. That left him at 4-over. "But then I hit a couple of bad shots," Garcia said. "So I dont know. It was a pretty flat round for most of the day." Not for everyone, though. As Garcia started down the No. 5 fairway, a fan lining the ropes yelled, "I ate the bones!" -- the punch line from a new round of commercials for KFC, the fast-food chain formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken. Yet just another 100 yards, as Garcia passed by, another fan said, "I hate Tiger, too!" On and on it went at nearly all of the closing holes. Many fans cheered and a few expressed loud support for Garcia, only to have someone yell something like "Winner, winner, chicken dinner!" as one did standing on a patio of a pricey home alongside the sixth fairway. The wear and tear of a long day finally seemed to show on Garcia on the par-3 ninth, his next-to-last hole. When his tee shot there fluttered off to the right and into a greenside bunker, his shoulders slumped and he walked across the tee box dragging his club behind him like a broom. Yet he hit a terrific wedge into No. 10 that bounced twice and slammed on the brakes just two feet from the hole for birdie. If only his efforts to make up with Woods had gone that smoothly. Garcia walked over to where his rival was practicing on the range Monday and offered his hand. The two shook, and briefly exchanged a few words. Garcia also left a note in Woods locker. Asked if there was a response, he said simply, "No. I havent really seen him." ' ' '