ALLEN PARK, Mich. - Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley is fired up to prove what hes worth. Fairley told reporters Tuesday the team informed him this off-season that it was not picking up the 2015 option in his contract. "It motivates me," he said. Fairley recalled working out in Houston when Lions general manager Martin Mayhew called him about the decision on the $5.5 million option for the fifth year of his contract. "It kind of surprised me," Fairley recalled. Fairley said after calling his agent and having dinner with him, his mind was changed because he can get a new contract. "We kind of came to agreement that it was good for both sides," he said. Detroit drafted Fairley out of Auburn with the No. 13 overall pick in 2011 and he has struggled to sustain success in part because of his fluctuating weight. Fairley acknowledged playing too heavy last season while weighing as much as 320 pounds. "I didnt feel comfortable with myself, my body, and how I was getting tired," he recalled. "I just felt like if I got down to a lighter weight, I would be leaner, meaner and ready to go." Fairley said he has lost about 30 pounds, getting down to about 290 pounds. He started eating more baked chicken and grilled fish, cutting out his habit of eating fast food three days a week. "He looks good," defensive co-ordinator Teryl Austin said. "Hes lost a lot of weight. I think the key will be when he leaves here and then when he comes back in camp if hes still in that great shape with his weight down. Its going to be great for us." Fairley was limited during Wednesdays practice because he is still recovering from surgery to treat sleep apnea, but expects to be "full go," at next weeks mandatory minicamp. He had career highs with six sacks and two fumble recoveries in 2013 while playing next to Ndamukong Suh, who is also entering the last year of his contract. "Were just hoping that we get a big year out of (Fairley)," Austin said. "I think he wants to have a big year as well." Fairley was up for talking about a lot of topics and shied away from only one question, choosing his words carefully when a reporter asked him asked him about becoming a free agent after next season. "Well just have to wait and see," he said. NOTES: NASCAR driver Joey Logano attended practice to promote next weeks race at Michigan International Speedway. After the practice, he caught passes from and threw to the football to quarterback Matthew Stafford. Logano said drivers are like quarterbacks and a crew chief is like a coach, joking there would be only one place for his 6-foot-3, 175-pound body in football. "Id be on the bench," Logano said. ... The Lions will have a three-day mandatory minicamp next week before taking more than a month off before training camp begins. ___ Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ___ Follow Larry Lage on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/larrylage Off White Air Max 90 For Sale . Brooks replaces right-hander Yordano Ventura, who left his last outing with a sore elbow. Ventura is expected to miss one start. Brooks has made one relief appearance for the Royals this season, allowing six runs in two innings in a May 3 loss to Detroit. Cheap Air Max 90 White . The Cubs made the moves before Thursdays game against Arizona. They promoted left-hander Zac Rosscup and right-hander Neil Ramirez from Triple-A Iowa and optioned righty Blake Parker to their top minor league team. http://www.outletairmax90cheap.com/. New York (16-9-8) took over first place in the Eastern Conference and has the best record in the league with one game remaining. Houstons five-game unbeaten streak was snapped, and the Dynamo (13-11-9) are sixth in the East with one game remaining. Cheap Air Max 90 White China . The Rangers centre left early in Game 1 with an upper body injury after being checked by Canadiens defenceman Mike Weaver and has not played since. Brassard told reporters after practice that he was good to go. That brought a smile to the face of Rangers coach Alain Vigneault. Wholesale Air Max 90 Ultra Se . Head coach Corey Chamblin announced on Monday that Avon Cobourne had been hired as the defending Grey Cup champions new running backs coach.TORONTO -- In the world of professional sports, two months can feel like a lifetime. In a gritty 94-92 Chicago Bulls victory over the Raptors on Wednesday night, D.J. Augustin returned to Toronto to face the team that waived him in December and led the way. Augustin smiled when asked about the big night, but stressed the importance of getting another victory against an Eastern Conference opponent. "It feels good," Augustin said. "Not just with my past here, but because were fighting for the third spot with them so it feels good. It feels really good." Scoring 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter against his former team, Augustin got revenge on the team that sent him packing and the Bulls pulled out a huge win against the team that is directly above them in the Eastern Conference standings. "D.J. has been huge for us," Joakim Noah said of his point guard. "And I know this was a big game for him, too, being able to play in Toronto, the team that cut him, and play well like that and lead us to victory. That must be the best feeling in the world. Just prove your doubters wrong." Carlos Boozer led the Bulls with 20 points, Kirk Hinrich scored 19 points and Noah recorded a career-high 13 assists. DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with a game-high 32 points. Kyle Lowry added 16 points, but shot just 4-for-13 from the floor. With Toronto having played in Washington the night before, the Bulls came out strong and led by 10 at the end of the first quarter. Toronto was able to trim the deficit to seven at the half. Chicago went into the fourth ahead by eight. Things stayed heated throughout the game, particularly down the stretch of the fourth quarter as the teams traded scores until a Jimmy Butler defensive stop on a DeRozan jumper with 2.9 seconds remaining allowed the Bulls to walk off the court victorious. "DeRozan is a load and I thought Jimmy defended him on several plays as well as you can," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. " 1/8DeRozan 3/8 is a big-time player. Each year he has improved significantly to the point where he iss as good as it gets.dddddddddddd Theres constant pressure on you. Jimmy battled and thats what I like about Jimmys mindset. He is going to keep coming." While DeRozan was unsuccessful down the stretch, the Raptors had a hard time criticizing the effort they received from their All-Star. "Hes our go-to guy throughout the game," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said of DeRozan. "He gave us 32 points and hes going to grow into that role in closing games. Thats something he has to learn how to do. Its not a lack of trying; he made a strong move there, got into the paint, rose up and got a shot off. I dont know how you can fault it." It was Chicagos first game since the all-star break layoff, but they showed little rust, and plenty of intensity. "That was a playoff game," Casey said. "Thats something our players have to get used to. That type of intensity, that physicalityawe have to initiate that from the beginning of the game." Seven technical fouls were called in the grind it out game, and exactly the type of game that Chicago excels at. "We were going against a tough Eastern Conference team," DeRozan said. "Thats one of the toughest teams when it comes to physicality, beating you up, holding, grabbing through the whole game." DeRozan wasnt surprised that Augustin had a big game in his return to the city. "D.J. Can shoot the ball," DeRozan said. "Hes a smart point guard. Hes very crafty. Hes creative. He knocked down a couple of big shots for them." Chicago pulled ahead by as many as 15 points in the first half before the Raptors called a timeout midway through the second quarter. Coming out of the timeout, Toronto reeled off a 14-2 run before trailing 48-41 at the half. The Bulls refused to relinquish their lead and they led 70-62 after three quarters. Back-to-back three-pointers from Augustin to open the fourth put the Bulls up by 10. After Butlers stop on DeRozan, the Raptors fouled Butler and he made one of two free throws to put the Bulls ahead by two. A 43-foot heave from DeRozan at the buzzer missed the mark. ' ' '