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CHARLESTON, W. Jeurys Familia Jersey .Va. - New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith is eager to work with Michael Vick, even if it means a hotly contested competition for the starting job. "Awesome, man. Vicks my guy," Smith said during a fan signing event Saturday in West Virginia. "We needed to find a guy that was legitimately a guy that could come in and play. I think thats what we did. "Mission accomplished." Vick signed a one-year deal with the Jets on Friday, the same day New York released former starter Mark Sanchez. The Jets hope Vick, who spent the last five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, will be able to push Smith during training camp. Vick is "going to be a guy I can work with, have a really good working relationship with and also compete with," Smith said at the Charleston Civic Center. Smith was unfazed by Vicks comments Friday night on a conference call with New York-area reporters that he wouldnt necessarily be content standing on the sideline all season. "Thats every quarterback," Smith said. "I understand where Mikes coming from. No one wants to sit the bench. I dont know a player that does." Smith threw for 12 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in his rookie season while starting all 16 games after Sanchez injured his right shoulder in the preseason. He drew praise from coach Rex Ryan for a strong finish in which the Jets won three of their last four to finish 8-8, but Smith expects to have "an open competition" with Vick for the starting job — just like it will be for every position on the team. "Its just good to have a guy to compete with like Mike," Smith said. "Were going to compete. Were not going to say, Hey, youre the starter. And well leave it at that. We want to get better. "I love it. Its really making everyone work harder and keep you right on your toes because you dont have a moment to be satisfied or just say Ive arrived. Youve got to continue to work at it." Smith respects the opinion of Vick, who first reached out to him during Smiths senior season at West Virginia in 2012. Smith, a second-round pick, recalled that the NFL draft process and how to handle expectations were among the topics they discussed. "Some of the things I asked him was, How did you deal with being THE guy?" Smith said. "I was in that situation last year. As soon as I walked into the locker room, I was expected to produce. And as we all know in the league, its hard to do that. If youre not on a team thats already set up to win, youre going to have your struggles. "It was more about me just having an understanding of the position that Im in and just continuing to grow." Terry Leach Jersey . 28 with a Vancouver entry for the first time in 10 years and a novel new collective bargaining agreement. Calvin Schiraldi Jersey . Pinch-hitter Tommy Medica singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their first home game since Gwynn died of cancer Monday. https://www.cheapmetsjerseys.us/ .Y. -- Syracuses streak lives on -- barely.PITTSBURGH – Sergio Santos arrived at PNC Park on Saturday afternoon and met with manager John Gibbons, who delivered the news everyone was expecting he would. "Were moving Sergio out of that role," said Gibbons of the closers spot, less than 24 hours after Santos blew his second save of the road trip and third of the season. Until Casey Janssen returns, Gibbons will go with closer-by-committee. "It could be Loup," said Gibbons. "It could be Cecil. Over the next few days it could be any of those guys." The change is necessary and while fans arent about to take pity on a multi-million dollar athlete, Santos struggles are a reminder of the human element of sports. There he was on Friday night, having blown a two-run, ninth inning lead, hunched over at his locker, his head in his hands for what seemed like an eternity. Santos then stood up and addressed the media. Later, once the ballpark lights had dimmed and he was back in his hotel room, Santos sifted through the litany of text messages he gets after each appearance, good or bad. His wife had written him and so had his parents. One of Santos brothers, Gabe, chimed in. He got messages of support from aunts and uncles, too. Like the goal crease in hockey, the pitching mound can be a lonely island when things arent going well. Out on the road, its easy to get lost in your thoughts. "You go to the hotel and that night, the night of the game, its usually the hardest, you know what I mean, that whole night," said Santos. "I mean, you close your eyes and you cant help but think about it. You think about a million different scenarios, what you could have done different." The sun, as they say, always comes up the next day. "The second you wake up the very next day youre presented with, basically, a choice," said Santos. "You couldd either feel sorry for yourself and say poor me or you could use the next day as an opportunity to know that what happened last night is not who I am. Jacob deGrom Jersey. ." Santos turned to an old teammate and friend for advice. He often plays the online game Words with Friends with Darren Oliver and on Friday night, Santos sent Oliver a message. He wanted to talk. Oliver invited Santos to call on Saturday morning. "He said, Ive been through this a million times. I was in the game for so long. You go through stretches where theyre rough and theyre ugly," said Santos. "He says, its up to you to put a stop to it. They can go on for the whole season or you can nip it in the bud, get that confidence back and go out and pitch." Santos need only look at his numbers for a stark reminder of how bad things have been. Hes taken two losses, has blown three saves and has posted an ERA of 10.61 with a WHIP of 2.250. He insists he wont dwell. "For me, my edge has always been my confidence," said Santos. "Even in the midst of the biggest adversity, confidence, I think, is the one thing thats such a useful tool. So to even lose that, and dont get me wrong doubt creeps into your mind all the time, you get there, youre going, "Crap, is it going to happen all over again today? Whats going to happen? But its so important to just push those thoughts out of your mind." Santos is powerless over his role in the bullpen. He cant disagree with Gibbons decision and he wont. All he can do is wait until Gibbons calls his name again. "My whole thing is to help this team win in any way I can," said Santos. "Whether right now thats me throwing in the seventh, eighth, okay so be it because I know when Im going good I can help this team win. More importantly, for this team to win, Ive got to get right." ' ' '