the games salary rankings. They have flexibility to make a big strategic add if the competitive situation dictates it, but there will never be much margin for error.Its pretty simple. If the Pittsburg

Rangers can secure the Scottish Championship title and their place back in the top flight on Saturday if they defeat Raith Rovers and Hibernian fail to win at St Mirren.The Light Blues go into the weekend 14 points clear of second-placed Falkirk, who have played a game more and cannot catch Mark Warburtons side if they secure all three points at Starks Park.Hibs are back in third and have two games in hand on Gers but they lag 20 points behind the league leaders with a significantly inferior goals-difference. Rangers were last in the Scottish Premiership in the 2011/12 season before the liquidation of Rangers Football Club PLC saw them demoted to the bottom tier of the Scottish league system under a new corporate identity.Since then, back-to-back promotions ensured their rise through the divisions, although they found life harder in the Scottish Championship, finishing third behind Hearts and Hibs last season. Mark Warburton has urged his Rangers players to make history and gain promotion That was enough to see them secure a place in the end-of-season play-offs but after defeating Queen of the South and Hibernian, they lost 6-1 on aggregate to Motherwell in the promotion/relegation play-off .Warburtons charges hit the ground running this campaign, however, winning their first 11 league games on the bounce, scoring 34 goals in the process. Mark Warburton dismissed Neil Lennons claims that his side arent ready to face Celtic. That run was finally ended by Hibs, who claimed a 2-1 victory at Easter Road on November 1, but Gers have lost just two more Scottish Championship matches since to leave them on the brink of promotion.Also See:Rangers videoRangers fixturesRangers statsSky Bet ClubPatrick Willis Jersey . Team physician Dr. Steve Traina performed the surgery Friday. Robinson was injured in a spill underneath the Nuggets basket during the first quarter of Wednesday nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Y. A. Tittle Jersey . 10 VCU 85-67 on Thursday night at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Seminoles (4-0) have scored at least 80 points in each of their games. http://www.custom49ersjersey.com/custom-nick-bosa-jersey-large-78d.html . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames. Russ Francis Jersey . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. Brent Jones Jersey . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball.It has been a frustrating 2016 season for the Pittsburgh Pirates and their fan base. With recently nonexistent expectations raised by a couple brief postseason appearances, the Pirates unexpectedly find themselves below .500 after being swept by the Cubs and Brewers. How did the Pirates get here, and what might their short-term future hold?The Pirates have been one of the games feel-good stories in recent seasons. It wasnt long ago that they finally broke their seemingly interminable streak of sub-.500 seasons and turned things around to the point that their current losing streak is more than a bit off-putting, though they remain in the race for the second wild-card spot that seemingly no team wants to win.One of the factors that held the Bucs back during their generation of futility was a relatively low team payroll, and their standing in that regard has changed only modestly. Their Opening Day payroll checked in at just below $100 million ($99.945 million, to be exact), 19th in the majors. Their year-end ranking likely will fall a couple notches, thanks to the money-saving trades of Francisco Liriano and Mark Melancon.In 2012-15, the Pirates ranked 29th, 25th, 27th and 24th in team payroll, respectively. Over that span, the Rays and Astros weree the only other teams to rank 24th or lower each season, and only two other clubs, the Indians and As, ranked below 20th in each of those four seasons.ddddddddddddThe Pirates have a superb and still relatively new ballpark, and their attendance has trended up in recent seasons, but the fact is they will never be near the top of the games salary rankings. They have flexibility to make a big strategic add if the competitive situation dictates it, but there will never be much margin for error.Its pretty simple. If the Pittsburgh Pirates wish to be perennial contenders, they have two primary tasks.1) They must grow their own superstars. This is because they simply are not able to compete for players at the top, or even upper-middle region, of the free-agent market.2) They must outsmart other clubs in an environment in which everyone is getting smarter. They must be creative, anticipate trends and zig when others are zagging.Before we look at how the Pirates currently grade out in those two areas, lets take a step back and assess how the Pirates have arrived at the intersection of Contention Street and Mediocrity Avenue. ' ' '