Rubau Medio Ambiente

Terrell Owens has been trying for years to get an NFL team to give him another chance, even posting this week that he can still run a 4.43-second 40-yard dash. But NFL teams have shown no interest.

The CFL, however, might be a different story.

On game days, Wilkins earned a flat rate of about $200. We had to show up hair- and makeup-ready . . . five to six hours before game time, she said. There were performances outside the stadium before the game, as well as some at halftime and, of course, throughout the game. Afterward, they would often meet with squad coaches. You’re looking at a 12-hour day, she said.

While filming the CMT show, the cheerleaders were paid by the Cowboys organization for practice hours as usual, but the clock stops as soon as we stop dancing, said Wilkins. She added that the ladies had to wait around and film one-on-one interviews while judges deliberated — unpaid. I’ve been there as late as 3 a.m., she said. (The network had no comment.)

There are women who quit their day jobs just for training camp because it is so strenuous and so draining, she said.

She not only made the cut, she was named to the elite 16-person show group.

Show group is coveted because that’s the group that gets to go on the USO tours, and also any performances that are outside of the game-day setting, Wilkins explained. Despite the prestige, cheerleaders were not always paid for the time spent prepping for those appearances.

Wilkins made her rent by working part-time as a technician at a cryotherapy spa — which, combined with her new DCC schedule, left her little time to see friends or date.

[Being on the squad] is expected to take priority over your job and your personal life, said Wilkins, who is currently single.

Practice officially starts at 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. But you better be there by 6 or 6:30 at the latest, in the locker room practicing before practice. Sometimes we might have a Monday off if the game fell on the Sunday, she said.

You might have expected 2013 No. 7 overall pick Jonathan Cooper to land here, because if you’re going to swing and miss that early in the draft, at least do it on a player at a premium position. If you’re going to take a guard in the top 10, you’d better be damn sure he’ll pan out. And Cooper did not, starting just 11 games for the Cardinals over a two-year span.

What the Yankees need: Pitching. Specifically, they need starting pitching. Luis Severino is the unquestioned ace and maybe a top-five starter in baseball. Behind him? A million question marks. Injuries to Masahiro Tanaka (two strained hamstrings) and Jordan Montgomery (Tommy John surgery) have underscored the need for the team to at least add depth, if not just a high-quality arm.

What the Yankees have: Steinbrenner said money won’t be the issue, which is interesting, considering Steinbrenner’s stated goal to stay beneath the league’s $197 million luxury tax threshold. Refresher: The Yankees are getting hit with the harshest penalty the league doles out for spending over the threshold — 50 cents on every buck over the mark — because they have exceeded it for so many years in a row. By getting under $197 million this season, they would incur a significantly lower penalty if they were to spend over it next season. Back of the napkin math puts the Yankees’ current payroll at about $185 million. That would seem like a lot of wiggle room.

What the Yankees don’t want to give up: High-level prospects.

The 2014 first-round pick took over as a starter during his rookie year and has become a stalwart on the left side of Tennessee’s offensive line. He earned trips to the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons,

Current deal: The Titans picked up the fifth-year option on Lewan’s rookie contract, so he’s due to make $9.341 million in 2018.

What he’s looking for: The New York Giants set the market in March when they signed Nate Solder to a four-year, $62 million deal. Solder is three years older than Lewan and has never made the Pro Bowl, so there’s no reason Lewan shouldn’t get more than $15.5 million per year and become the new highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL.

If you’re a Browns player assuming the equipment staff will compliantly paste the team’s traditional black-and-white stripe on your helmet this summer — think again, pal.

This offseason, the roster is toiling away with plain orange headgear — no stripe to be seen — after coach Hue Jackson had the team’s equipment staff strip all helmets clean.

Durant, who tilted this rivalry toward the West Coast when he signed with the Warriors as a free agent before last season, was brilliant from the start. He helped offset a rough night for Curry, who made a finals-record nine 3-pointers in Game 2, but was just 1 of 10 from behind the arc and didn’t score his second field goal until there were under three minutes left.

Curry’s scoop shot put the Warriors up 98-97 and defensive specialist Andre Iguodala, who didn’t play in Games 1 or 2 because of a knee injury, came up with a steal under the basket. Curry finally buried a 3 and after James matched him with a long shot, Iguodala drove the lane for a thundering dunk.

I think we’re in a good place because there’s guys who’ve been here before, defensive lineman Akiem Hicks said. You don’t really have to preach anything; we’ve already established our culture and what we want from ourselves, and everybody’s pushing toward that same goal.

Continuity breeds culture, with leaders emerging across the defense. Trevathan and Hicks are each entering their respective third years in Fangio’s scheme, while other leaders are popping up across the defense. The leadership from this unit won’t be like the Bears had under Lovie Smith a decade ago, when Brian Urlacher was the unquestioned leader of that bunch.

There will be a smattering of leaders on this defense, which is fitting – right now, there isn’t a true star of this bunch, but that doesn’t mean A) one can’t emerge and B) it’ll necessarily put a ceiling on how good this group can be. A common theme from talking to defensive players is that, because they don’t have to focus on installing larger concepts and plays – which is what the offense is doing – they’ve been able to focus on some of the smaller details during these non-padded OTA and minicamp practices. And it’s fixing some of those minor things that are why players on this defense believe they can indeed go from good to great this fall.