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The NFLs idea of outreach to women was once described as shrink it and pink it. That is, taking the same stuff the league was already selling to men, scaling it to size and then splashing on a lot of pink dye.Thats not enough anymore.Fans will see pinked-out fields this weekend for the start of the NFLs version of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Keep in mind the league took in more than $9 billion last year from an audience in which women made up almost half (46 per cent, or 93 million total viewers).The NFLs fourth annual campaign, dubbed A Crucial Catch, is a good cause to be sure. Like any runway show a€” albeit one with violent collisionsa€” the participants will be accessorized head to toe. According to the leagues own inventory, that means pink cleats, wristbands, gloves, sideline caps, helmet decals, captains patches, chin straps, shoe laces, skull caps, sideline towels, eye shield decals, quarterback towels and mouth guards.(OK, maybe not mouth guards, since players who agreed to wear them to endorse Crest toothpaste were allowed to opt out after corporate parent Procter & Gamble pulled out of the campaign in response to the leagues colossal bungling of the Ray Rice affair.)Fans wont be shortchanged, either. In addition to being handed pink rally towels in some stadiums, theyll be treated to pink goal post padding, cheerleaders waving pink pompoms, special pink ribbon game balls and pink-ribboned caps for coaches, team personnel and officials.You might think all that pink would translate into a lot of money.Maybe, maybe not. Depends on who you ask.The NFL donates 100 per cent of the proceeds from the sale of pink merchandise and game-worn items through an auction on NFL.com. In 2009, the first year of the program, that meant a check to the American Cancer Society for $310,175; last year, it was for $1.86 million. Its not a direct comparison, but the societys campaign with the Walgreens chain a€” which offers customers a chance to add a donation when paying for their purchases a€” raises about $5 million annually.The NFL has kicked in about $6.7 million total so far, and theres no question their partnership with ACS has been increasingly effective at getting out the word. This year, in every NFL market, there will be free, on site-screenings and support staff to answer questions. The campaign has already provided 10,000 free screenings and educated another 72,000 women on its benefits. A survey last season found that 70 per cent of the women who watched games during October got the message as well, and the number has been steadily climbing. But as far as tangible benefits thats about it.Cancer society spokeswoman Tara Peters says theres no easy way to calculate the real value of putting that message in front of the audience that NFL games offer, which should be well north of 150 million viewers by the end of the month. There are sponsorship analysts who measure the impact of similar campaigns, and a few say there are better and perhaps more impactful opportunities out there.October also happens to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month, though youd be hard-pressed to find its symbolic purple ribbons amid the avalanche of pink. Its also an effort that could benefit greatly from the NFLs outsized reach, and in turn, restore some of the lustre to the leagues image.The fight against breast cancer is obviously a very well-supported cause. Just look at how many events coalesce around the pink ribbon, said Jim Andrews, senior vice-president for the sponsorship firm IEG. That makes the NFL just one of many corporations that are part of the effort. ... But domestic violence is a cause that needs help, both in terms of organization and financial backing.Given the recent issues the leagues been dealing with, in terms of enlightened self-interest, thats a cause the NFL could get behind and actually make a difference a€” imagine PSAs (public-service announcements) by some well-known players, a campaign to raise funds for local programs and shelters ... If the NFL is serious about broadening their appeal to women, its an opportunity well worth looking into.NFL commissioner Roger Goodell seems to be doing just that. Two weeks ago, he named three outside consultants to help shape league policies on domestic violence and sexual assault. Last weekend, he spent three hours at the headquarters of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, following up on the leagues multiyear, multimillion-dollar pledge of assistance.Be wary, though, any time the words NFL and enlightened self-interest appear in the same sentence. This is the same league, after all, thats plowed plenty of money into a program designed to convince mothers, despite mounting evidence to the contrary, that theres a way to tackle that makes football safer for their kids.___Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke@ap.org and follow him at Twitter.com/JimLitke. USA Soccer Pro Shop . Granada goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez saved Morenos first two headers from corner kicks taken by Sergio Garcia, but the defender beat him on his third try after Garcia found Moreno unmarked at the near post in the 78th minute. USA Soccer Gear .com) - Manchester City will face a steep test in the Champions League knockout stage as the English champions were drawn with Barcelona on Monday. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/ . Signs of a turnaround have emerged in this series at Minnesota. Brian Roberts had three doubles and a triple for the first four-extra-base-hit game of his 14-year career, and the Yankees used their bullpen to preserve a 6-5 win over the Twins on Friday. Custom USA Soccer Jerseys . Im very excited about the playoffs, particularly in the Western Conference with amazing match-ups, as well as the wonderful local story in the Toronto Raptors. It should be a blast. Here are my predictions, but based upon my lousy prognostications during the NCAA Tournament, you might be better off going the other way on some of mine - particularly with the Raptors, who I hope and pray are able to win an incredibly difficult match-up. USA Soccer Store . 1 Pete Sampras. Speaking ahead of an exhibition match against Andre Agassi in London on March 3, Sampras said on a conference call Wednesday that he is impressed by Federers longevity.Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - David Savard recorded the tie-breaking goal with 1:01 remaining to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center. Brandon Dubinsky potted his first two goals of the season earlier to help the Blue Jackets bounce back from Saturdays 6-3 loss aat Arizona.dddddddddddd Ryan Johansen scored as well in support of Curtis McElhinneys 27-save effort. Colorado, which began its three-game homestand with a pair of victories, received goals from Jarome Iginla, Gabriel Landeskog and Cody McLeod. Semyon Varlamov finished with 23 saves in the setback. ' ' '