PRETORIA, South Africa - Oscar Pistorius is a "paradox" whose past triumphs as a sprinter crossing the finish line with raised arms contrasted sharply with the daily, severe limitations that he endured because of his disability, a physician testified Thursday at the runners murder trial. Wayne Derman, a professor of sport and exercise medicine at the University of Cape Town, said in court that the contrast likely contributed to stress and anxiety for Pistorius, who fatally shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a closed toilet door in his home. He testified for the defence, which wants to show that the athlete had a deep sense of vulnerability and it was a factor in what he has described as a mistaken shooting. "Youve got a paradox of an individual who is supremely able, and youve got an individual who is significantly disabled," said Derman, who has worked with South African Olympic and Paralympic teams and has treated Pistorius over half a dozen years. He noted that Pistorius anxieties included concern about flying. "He has a specific fear of being trapped somewhere without being able to move very rapidly," Derman said. Referring to Pistorius decision to confront a perceived threat on the night he killed Steenkamp, Derman said "fleeing was not an option" because the runner has no lower legs. Pistorius, 27, says he killed Steenkamp on Feb. 14, 2013 by mistake, thinking there was a dangerous intruder in his home. He shot her while on his stumps. The prosecution says he intentionally killed the 29-year-old model after the couple had a Valentines Day argument. Pistorius, who is free on bail, faces 25 years to life in prison if found guilty of premeditated murder, but he could also be sentenced to a shorter prison term if convicted of murder without premeditation or negligent killing. Additionally, he faces separate gun-related charges. During cross-examination, prosecutor Gerrie Nel said Derman, the physician, was giving "character evidence" rather than "expert evidence" and questioned whether the witness was capable of giving testimony that would work against Pistorius defence. "The truth would come before my patient," Derman said. Nel countered: "You cannot give evidence against your patient, sir." Miles Mikolas Jersey .com) - The Chicago White Sox have officially announced that the club has agreed to terms with utilityman Emilio Bonifacio on a one-year, $4 million contract that includes a team option for the 2016 season. Austin Gomber Cardinals Jersey . Which is to say, the top of this years draft class is not as dynamic or exciting as the 2013 class of Nate MacKinnon, Sasha Barkov, Jonathan Drouin and Seth Jones and its not as strikingly promising as the highly-anticipated 2015 slate of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin. https://www.cheapcardinalsonline.com/874...-cardinals.html. They never thought it would take some blood, too. Kevin Love grabbed his 4,000th career rebound as part of a 19-point, 13-board effort to lead the Timberwolves over the Utah Jazz 112-97 on Tuesday night. Red Schoendienst Jersey . The Canadian skicross racer appeared to have the bronze medal locked up in the mens final at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, only to wipe out while trying to make a pass in the biggest moment of his career. Matt Wieters Cardinals Jersey . -- The Chicago Bears agreed Tuesday to a one-year contract with defensive lineman Israel Idonije and are bringing him back for a second stint.Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Elite defensive talent is hard to come by in the NHL. Every summer at the draft, there are usually only a handful of guys who figure to have the size, skill set and mental acumen to be a legitimate No. 1 defenseman. There is the rare exception, of course. Since talent evaluators are only human, they sometimes take a big swing and a miss when sizing up certain players. Calgarys Mark Giordano is one of those guys, and at the age of 31, the Flames captain is finally getting the recognition he deserves. With over a quarter of the regular season in the books, Giordano has established himself as the top candidate for the Norris Trophy. And if the Flames are able to keep up their surprisingly great start to the season, Giordano even has a real chance at winning the Hart Trophy. Already considered one of the best undrafted players of his generation, if Giordano wins the Norris as the leagues top defenseman he could join Martin St. Louis as one of the best undrafted guys of all time. If he wins the Hart -- the leagues MVP award -- then we may someday be talking about Mark Giordano, Hockey Hall of Famer. To say the least, Giordanos road to NHL stardom has been anything but usual. A little over a decade ago, he was draft eligible in the summer of 2003 and every single NHL team took a pass. Nine rounds came and went and nobody believed Giordano was worthy of a pick. A total of 292 names were called but Giordanos was not among them. Luckily, the Flames saw enough in Giordano to sign him as an undrafted free agent in 2004 following his final junior season with Owen Sound of the Ontario Hockey League. Calgarys general manager at the time -- Darryl Sutter -- gets recognition for inking him to an AHL contract, but Giordanos work ethic is what makes the signing look like the coup it is seen as today. Although Giordano was named to the OHLs All-Rookie team in 2002-03, his lack of size for a defenseman (6-feet, 203 pounds) made him an undesirable draft prospect. Instead of being discouraged, however, Giordano simply worked harder than everybody else until he proved he belonged in the NHL. He couldve taken his foot off the pedal then, but thats just not the way Giordano is wired. Calgary centerman Matt Stajan knew Giordano from their days playing against each other in the OHL. When Giordano recently was named the NHLs Fiirst Star for November, Stajan told the Calgary Sun all about his captains legendary work ethic.dddddddddddd He kind of always flew under the radar, and I never really understood why, Stajan recounted. Once he got his shot and then coming to be his teammate and watching the way he works, he just wants more. Hes never satisfied. With his hard work, hes always trying to reach that next level. When your best player is the hardest-working player Ive ever been associated with on any team, it says a lot about him as our captain. Although he proved himself as an integral part of Calgarys blue line several seasons ago, the Toronto native has been unfairly overlooked for most of his NHL career. But, as Giordano approaches his 500th NHL game, the spotlight on him has never been brighter. For the last few years, proponents of advanced statistics have counted Giordano among the best NHL defensemen but it took an increase in offensive production to get everybody on the same page. Last season, Giordano set career bests in both goals (14) and points (47) despite injuries limiting him to only 64 games. His offensive game has reached new heights in 2014-15, as Giordano is on pace for a point-per-game season with six goals and 21 assists in 27 games. Along with defensive partner TJ Brodie, a modest fourth-round pick by Calgary in 2008, Giordano is a big reason the supposedly rebuilding Flames would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. The club boasts a stable of young offensive prospects, including Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, but Calgarys surprising 17-8-2 start to 2014-15 has more to do with its top defensive pairing. The best part for the Flames is Brodie ($2.125 million) and Giordano ($4.02 million) combine for a 2014-15 cap hit of $6.145 million. Thats clearly a bargain for a Calgary team that is currently more than $18 million under the salary cap. While the Flames famously traded away defensemen with better pedigrees in recent years, such as Jay Bouwmeester and Dion Phaneuf, its a safe bet Calgary wont be doing the same with Giordano. However, with one more season left on his contract, the captain will be due a big raise before Calgary allows him to hit the free agent market in the summer of 2016. Given how far he has come already, the Flames may want to think extension now before Giordanos value rises even higher. ' ' '