TORONTO -- Veteran sportscasters Steve Armitage and Mark Lee are the latest high-profile casualties of budget cuts at the CBC. Armitage, 70, lent his booming voice to CBC sports events for some 49 years -- handling play-by-play on 29 seasons of "Hockey Night in Canada," 27 Grey Cups and 15 Olympic Games. "I loved my job," he said. "I felt like I had been dodging the bullet. I really thought if the sports department was going to take a major hit, Id be high on their target list because of the years I had worked. "I was probably due to go. I didnt want to go because I liked my job, but when you gotta go, you gotta go." The majority of CBC sportscasters are hired on contract. Of four prominent sportscasters the network had on staff, Scott Russell is keeping his job. Armitage and Lee were let go, while Brenda Irving is moving to another department. The CBC lost NHL hockey rights last November to Rogers Media in a whopping $5.2-billion deal, leading to a dramatic loss of advertising revenue for a network already struggling with federal budget cuts. In April, CBC president Hubert Lacroix announced that 657 jobs would be slashed to meet a $130-million budget shortfall. Lacroix said at the time that 42 per cent of the sports department would be laid off, trimming 38 sports jobs from 90 current positions. He also announced in April that the broadcaster would no longer compete for professional sports rights and would cover fewer sports events, including amateur sports. Armitage and Lee learned they were being laid off in early May and recently wrapped up their final days at CBC. Both were given the opportunity to bump newer employees out of their positions but chose not to displace younger workers. Lee said hes struggling to adjust to his new life after spending 34 years with the public broadcaster. At 58, he is not ready to retire and hopes to find work in the industry. "Im still feeling a little bit lost. Its only been about 10 days since my last day there," he said. "It becomes a real big part of your life. You have a second family at work -- people you get to know really well and you travel with and spend large amounts of time on the road with at major events like the Olympics, Hockey Night in Canada, the CFL on CBC." The Gemini Award-winning sportscaster fondly recalled some of his proudest moments at CBC, including calling Usain Bolts world record-setting Olympic gold medal race at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and producing a documentary on Muhammad Ali. Lee said CBC simply cannot compete at this point with Rogers and Bell Media for professional sports rights due to federal budget cuts. He said CBC has been doing all it can to keep certain types of programming on the air, but it is becoming impossible. "I hope that Canadians take notice. I hope that Canadians really cherish their CBC and lobby the government to maybe fund it the way it should be funded. Its one of the poorest funded public broadcasters in the western world," he said. Jeffrey Orridge, executive director of sports properties and general manager of the Olympics at CBC, said it was "extraordinarily sad" to see Armitage and Lee go. "They are consummate professionals, veterans in the industry and theyre both iconic. Frankly, their talent and their personalities are irreplaceable," he said. However, he said that CBC was in "very challenging times" and significant cuts had to be made to the sports department. "I think this is part of an overall strategic decision to respond to the changing landscape in sports at CBC and really, in response to the overall picture at CBC/Radio-Canada. Resources have been significantly diminished and decisions have to be made," he said. Carmel Smyth, national president of the Canadian Media Guild, which represents most CBC workers, called it "appalling" the Conservative government has cut CBC so deeply. "Who will cover amateur sports and give our athletes the exposure they need?" she asked. "We are losing exceptional talent that takes decades to develop. Will kids today ever have a chance to become the next Steve Armitage or Mark Lee?" Armitage joined CBC in 1965 as a late-night sports reporter in Halifax -- "There was one criteria: you needed to know how to type," he said with a laugh -- and went on to win three Gemini Awards, the Foster Hewitt Award and was inducted into the B.C. Hall of Fame during his nearly 50-year career. In the past two weeks, hes been enjoying his countryside home near Halifax but misses sportscasting. He said he doesnt have "sour grapes" about being forced into retirement but made clear he disagrees with the direction CBC is taking on sports. "The CBC has decided to put its priorities and what little money it has left into other areas," he said, adding that remaining sports staff are "dedicated, hard-working and will do their level best to preserve whats left." "But what worries me is if you keep taking people away, you take away the experience and the depth that CBC Sports had, and the ability to mount major projects and continue to do the high level of work and keep up the standards that the CBC had for many years. That becomes more and more difficult because the people just arent there." Ndamukong Suh Jersey .I get texts: Do you know Drake? Have you met Drake? He sits there every night, he hears me cuss out the referees every night, Casey said, laughing. Ndamukong Suh Rams Jersey . The 10-year deal the league and players agreed to that ended the 2011 lockout gave either side the right to opt out after six years. With the league projecting financial growth, there has been speculation that players will take that option in three years, especially since a new national TV contract will be in place by then. The Canadiens captain, who underwent surgery on his injured biceps in the off-season, had been skating with the team in a non-contact capacity since last week. Brandin Cooks Rams Jersey . -- Peyton Manning is the only player in this Super Bowl who has won the big game. John Franklin-Myers Rams Jersey . - Kevin Labanc and Joseph Blandisi were a potent combination for the Barrie Colts on Friday night.(SportsNetwork.com) - It cant possibly go worse, can it? The much-anticipated starting debut of Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel was a bigger bomb than 47 Ronin, the Keanu Reeves fantasy action film regarded by Hollywood as the biggest Box Office bust in history. Johnny Football will get his second opportunity on Sunday against a 5-8-1 Carolina Panthers team still in the thick of the NFC South race. The harshest of Manziels critics didnt expect what happened last weekend when the lightning rod proved to be an abject mess in his first NFL start, completing 10-of-18 for 80 yards with two first-half interceptions as Clevelands playoff hopes nosedived in a similar trajectory to Manziels stock with a 30-0 setback to the AFC North-leading Cincinnati Bengals. There were flashes but they were brief, Browns coach Mike Pettine said in a laughably kind review of Manziels performance. Seemingly every Bengals defender got a chance to flash the former Heisman Trophy winners signature money-sign celebration to the FirstEnergy Stadium crowd, essentially mocking Manziel for his inability to get anything done offensively. Of course, he kind of brought that on himself, Bengals defensive end Wallace Gilberry quipped. The Browns made the switch from the limited Brian Hoyer to Manziel to provide a spark in an effort to keep their fading playoff hopes alive. However, that spark was never fanned. In his first 30 minutes, Manziel was 4-for-9 for 22 yards and a 12.0 passer rating and things never really turned around as Cleveland, which has lost three in a row, ran only 38 offensive plays (the fewest by any team in a game this season), totaled 107 yards of total offense and had six three-and-outs. I saw the field fine today, but when it came down to it, I just need to throw the ball and let it rip, and I didnt do a very good job of that, Manziel understated. About the only positive you could take from Manziels performance was the fact he didnt make any excuses. Nobody wants to win (in the locker room) more than I do, and its tough to come out there and lay an egg like that, Manziel said. Im not using the rookie excuse. I needed to play better. The Panthers, meanwhile, kept hope alive in Week 15 by topping lowly Tampa Bay, 19-17, to win for the first time in seven games despite being without star quarterback Cam Newton, who was injured in a car accident earlier in the week. Derek Anderson filled in for Newton and threw for 277 yards and a touchdown. Newton suffered two transverse process fractures in his lower back in a two- car accident on Dec. 9 near the teams stadium. Anderson, who also started for Newton in the Panthers Week 1 win at Tampa Bay, completed 25-of-40 passes. Everything was not as clean as we wouldve liked it. Anderson said. It wasnt perfect by any means ... overall Im very happy with the win. Greg Olsen matched a career-high with 10 receptions for 110 yards and Kelvin Benjamin added 104 yards on eight receptions for Carolina, which is percentage points behind the New Orleans Saints (6-8) for first place in the division with two games to play. After Cleveland the Panthers will finish their schedule at Atlanta, which is 5-9 and also in the mix in the NFC South. The Saints and Falcons play each other in New Orleans on Sunday, and the Saints will close the reggular season at Tampa Bay in Week 17.dddddddddddd The Panthers need to win their final two games and have the Saints lose once to repeat as division champions. Carolina leads its all-time series with the Browns by a 3-1 margin but the two teams havent met since Nov. 28, 2010 when Cleveland got its only win, a 24-23 triumph in the Buckeye State. The clubs havent met in the Queen City since 2006, a 20-12 Panthers win. WHAT TO WATCH FOR The Panthers are playing a wait-and-see game with Newton but signs point to him giving it a go on Sunday. Newton was able to practice by Wednesday and reports said he was moving well and looking relatively pain free, just eight days since his accident. He looked like he threw the ball well, but again, a lot depends on how he feels tomorrow, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. He went through all the team drills. He went through all the individual drills. He did all we had slated for him.This is a young man who is very strong-willed and very tough. The hope is that Newton continues to progress without any setbacks. Rivera hopes to make a final decision on his status by Friday. The biggest factor will be whether or not (team doctors) tell me he can protect himself, Rivera said. I dont want to put a guy out there if he cant protect himself. By that I mean being able to run out of the way, scramble out of the way to stay alive, keep the play alive, by being able to get out of the way. Whether its Newton or Anderson under center, expect them to keep feeding Olsen, who has 20 catches in his last two games and is tied for the NFL lead among tight ends with 81 receptions and ranks second with 960 yards. If I see him one-on-one with a guy that I know cant cover him, I have a lot of confidence in what (Olsens) going to do, Anderson said. Making things tougher for the Cleveland defense are injuries to cornerbacks Joe Haden (shoulder) and Justin Gilbert (concussion), who are both iffy for this contest. Manziel, meanwhile, called his first chance at solving an NFL defense very humbling and the Browns are hoping his struggles serve as a wake-up call when it comes to off-the-field preparation. I think its too small a sample size, Pettine said when asked to project Manziels future. When you look at how we played around him, I think its very unfair to judge what somebodys career is going to be like off of their first start. That type of game humbles all of us. Manziel, however, is trying to stay away from the negativity. Im not really listening to any outside noise or what anybody else has to say, he said. I know that I need to play better and if I dont, people are going to continue to say things like that. OVERALL ANALYSIS The Panthers get a big break here in a must win game with Manziel starting, which strikes many as a general manager forcing a first-round pick on a first- year coach with little cachet. Pettine understands Manziel is simply not ready to play an NFL game yet so the Browns ate behind the 8-ball for the final weeks. Whether Newton or Anderson starts, Carolina should do enough to stay in the NFC South race for at least one more week. Its a race, but we play Cleveland next. That will be the focus, Rivera said. Weve got to get things going in the right direction. Sports Network predicted outcome: Panthers 20, Browns 13 Cheap Ducks Jerseys Cheap Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Bruins Jerseys Cheap Sabres Jerseys Cheap Flames Jerseys Cheap Hurricanes Jerseys Cheap Blackhawks Jerseys Cheap Avalanche Jerseys Cheap Blue Jackets Jerseys Cheap Stars Jerseys Cheap Red Wings Jerseys Cheap Oilers Jerseys Cheap Florida Panthers Jerseys Cheap Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Cheap Wild Jerseys ' ' '