Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork. Orlando Pace Jersey .com) - No offense to Dallas Eakins, but his firing as head coach of the Oilers is the least interesting part of the recent turmoil in Edmonton. Thats because Eakins only had a brief role in a drama that was going on well before he arrived in Edmonton, and one that shows no signs of slowing down. Sadly, Oilers fans can only see this story heading in one direction. Its unclear if its comedy or tragedy, but whatever it is its unlikely to get rave reviews. Eakins lasted only 113 games behind the Oilers bench, but that was more of a chance the club gave Ralph Krueger, who served as coach for 48 games before getting the ax following the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. Even the late Pat Quinn only lasted 82 games before getting let go after the 2009-10 season. For the time being, the Oilers have gone back to the man who preceded Quinn behind the Edmonton bench, as general manager Craig MacTavish is taking over for Eakins on an interim basis. Before taking the GM job in April of 2013, MacTavish coached the Oilers for eight seasons from 2000-01 to 2008-09 and he was at the helm for Edmontons one shining moment in the 21st century. But its been a long time since MacT shocked the hockey world by taking an eighth-seeded Oilers club to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006, and Edmonton seems as far away as ever from even returning to the postseason. This time, MacTavish is only planning to coach for a brief period while Todd Nelson prepares to take over the reins. Nelson was promoted from his job as coach of Edmontons American Hockey League affiliate in Oklahoma City and will serve as an assistant under MacTavish before transitioning into the head job. But just like it isnt really about Eakins, this isnt about Nelson either. Whether hes behind the bench or not, the focus is centered around MacTavish, as is the ire of a disgruntled fan base. While facing the media Monday after announcing the coaching changes, MacTavish seemed to finally realize he needs to own every bit of this debacle. Earlier this month, the GM tried to evade some of the blame for the current state of Edmontons hockey team and it did not go over well. Ive been on the job for 18 months, MacTavish said on Dec. 5. I coached the team here for a long time, but I had nothing to do with management, so dont lop me in into a situation of power and influence in the management level of this organization. The GM apparently learned from his mistake because that type of rhetoric was nowhere to be found on Monday. In its place was an acceptance that everything that is wrong with the Oilers now is MacTavishs problem, whether that is technically true or not. There is blood all over my hands in this too as well, MacTavish said on Monday. Because I put the lineup together and the roster. Im not here to absolve myself of accountability for the situation that were in. With a 7-19-5 record through 31 games -- the worst mark in the NHL -- the Oilers are likely headed for another high draft pick and may once again be picking No. 1 overall when the 2015 draft rolls around. But when a team has had such little success at picking new talent, its hard to even get excited about the prospect of kids like Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel donning an Edmonton sweater. In the end, theres a fundamental lack of faith in MacTavish (or anybody else, for that matter) to turn things around in Edmonton and that is the saddest part of this saga. Although it may have comedic elements to those watching from the outside, to those who love the Oilers and remember the halcyon days of the 1980s and 90s it is tragic to see hope die a slow death the way it has in Edmonton. Of course, MacTavish and his colleagues in the Oilers front office still claim to have hope they can turn things around. At the very least, they at least sound like a franchise that has acknowledged it hit rock bottom. It may have taken too long to arrive at this stage, but perhaps real growth is now possible that its finally here. To think that this is just a coaching issue is naive, said MacTavish. Its rooted deeper than that and we have to get to the core of it. And we will. Kevin Toliver II Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Bobby Massie Jersey . In the Brewers six games this season, no starter has allowed more than three runs. "We see the guy in front of us do a great job and we want to do even better," Gallardo said after the Brewers beat the Red Sox 4-0 on Sunday, his second straight scoreless start. http://www.custombearsjersey.com/custom-ed-healey-jersey-large-706t.html . -- Oakland Athletics starting pitchers Jarrod Parker and A.LONDON -- Petra Kvitova beat fellow Czech left-hander Lucie Safarova 7-6 (6), 6-1 on Thursday to advance to the Wimbledon final and a chance to win her second title at the All England Club. Kvitova, the only player born in the 1990s to have won a major title -- here in 2011 -- improved her record to 25-5 on the Wimbledon grass and shes made at least the quarter-finals five years in a row. "I know how (it feels) when you hold the trophy so I really want to win my second title here and I will do everything I can," Kvitova said. She will play the winner of the later semifinal between French Open finalist and No. 3-seeded Simona Halep of Romania and Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., the 13th-seeded player and only woman to have advanced to all three Grand Slam semifinals this year. It was the first Grand Slam semifinal between two Czech women. It marked No. 6-seeded Kvitovas 15th consecutive win against a left-hander and she beat 23rd-seeded Safarova -- who was playing on Centre Court for the first time -- for the sixth match in a row. "I dont have words to describe my feeling right now," Kvitova said. "It was a tough match mentally, as well, because Lucie is a good friend of mine. We know each (other) very well off the court and on the court, as well." Safarova, the oldest of the four semifinalists at 27, was broken in the first game, the final two points of the game coming with two Kvitova forehand winners to an open corner. But Safarova, who had only four unforced errors in the first set and seven for the match, broke back in the fourth game, and the two stayed on serve until the tiebreaker. Mike Brown Jersey. With the score tied at 6-6 in the tiebreaker, Safarovas forehand error into the net gave Kvitova her second set point, and Kvitova converted it with a running cross-court winner, pumping her fist and yelling out. Kvitova broke Safarova, who beat five-time champion Venus Williams in the third round, in the second game of the second set on her third break-point chance, then consolidated it after two deuces in the next game to go up 3-0. She went ahead 4-1 after saving a break point in the fifth game, broke again in the sixth game and then held her serve at love in the final game. She set up match point with an ace and clinched it on a cross-court backhand in 1 hour, 20 minutes. Kvitova saved her best for last: up to 6-all in the tiebreaker, Safarova had won more total points, 40-39. From there, though, Kvitova won 31 of the last 48 points in the match. "I tried to be focused from the beginning of the second set when I won the tiebreak, and really I (broke) her when she was serving for the first time and I just kept it going," Kvitova said. Safarova was playing in her first major semifinal and had been 4-8 at Wimbledon in eight previous tournaments, never advancing beyond the third round. The men had the day off Thursday ahead of Fridays semifinals when seven-time champion Roger Federer plays Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., and top-seeded Novak Djokovic plays Bulgarias Grigor Dimitrov. The winners will play Sunday in the final. ' ' '