-- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a t

RIO DE JANEIRO -- At the 2012 London Paralympics, athletes competed in venues full of spectators who cheered from the first event to the last. Lines for tickets extended out the doors.Everybody in the crowd was legitimately excited, said U.S. swimmer Brad Snyder, who won two gold medals in London. It wasnt production. It wasnt any magic.London set a new standard for Paralympic attendance and organization. Four years later, concerns over budget problems and slow ticket sales have plagued the Rio Games. The athletes who will march in Wednesday nights opening ceremony at historic Maracana Stadium said their performances wont be affected, and they hope the new, higher profile of the Paralympics wont be either.We want progress, Snyder said. We want to say that weve taken a step forward.Rio Paralympics organizers have seen an uptick in ticket sales in recent days, announcing Tuesday that 1.6 million tickets have been sold. Yet concerns about budget and lags in preparation linger. On Tuesday, workers still were paving parts of the plaza around the Olympic Tennis Centre in Rios Olympic Park.I dont want the movement to plateau or become stagnant, said U.S. wheelchair basketball player Desiree Miller, who also competed in London. I want it to catch fire after Rio so by the time Tokyo comes around theres not a person in the States or a person in the world that doesnt know who a Paralympian is.Organizers in London, in the country that gave birth to the Paralympics after World War II, sold a record 2.7 million tickets. Miller said that during the 2012 Games, people on the streets of London knew who she was and what sport she played.The spotlight followed her home to Wisconsin. Customers recognize her at the sporting goods store where she works.Theyll use the word Paralympian, Miller said. Just for the public to use that word is huge -- that people know the difference.NBC, which broadcast six hours of coverage from the London Paralympics, is planning more than 70 hours of coverage on NBC, NBCSN and the NBC Sports app.We see how much work were putting into it, but its nice for the rest of the world to see, Irish cyclist Peter Ryan said.Snyder said that if people tune in to the games and fans havent shown up to watch an event live, they might be more likely to change the channel.Londons ticket sales surpassed the 2008 Beijing Games by almost 1 million.When it was revealed in mid-August that only 300,000 tickets of the available 2.5 million for the Rio Games had been purchased, Greg Nugent, the brand, marketing and culture director for London 2012, launched an online crowdfunding campaign to raise money to send Brazilian children to the competition.As of Tuesday, $200,000 has been donated, according to a post on the campaign site. American wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden, Coldplay and Prince Harry have been among the donors.For (kids) to see, `Theyre in wheelchairs and they can do this. Or, they dont have a leg and they do this, then I guess I can, too, said Abby Dunkin, who is on the U.S. wheelchair basketball team in Rio. Its more than just playing our game. Its more about the movement and educating everyone outside.Canadian rower Andrew Todd said that while the Paralympics initially focused on participation, the event has shifted to have a stronger competitive spirit.The lay persons perspective of Paralympics is, `Oh its great that people swim. Thats neat, Snyder said. When you actually see it, you see how intense these athletes are. When you see how much a person with no legs can bench press or squat, it really is quite impressive.Weve known all along the power of the Paralympic movement, but London was the first time it got shown to the community in a really big way, not only from a production standpoint, from a spectator standpoint.---Emily Giambalvo is a journalism student at the University of Georgia. Penn State and Georgia are partnering with The Associated Press to supplement coverage of the 2016 Paralympics. JJ Arcega-Whiteside Womens Jersey . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger. Seth Joyner Womens Jersey . Emery skated the length of the ice and fought an unwilling Holtby during the third period of the Flyers 7-0 loss Friday night in Philadelphia. He was given 29 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. But Emery did not face even a disciplinary hearing with NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan because rules 46. https://www.eaglessportsgoods.com/Womens-Mike-Quick-Inverted-Jersey/ . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Brian Dawkins Youth Jersey . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. DeSean Jackson Youth Jersey . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand.With Halloween around the corner, Richard Sherman was instructed to carry out his press conference in disguise... The Seahawks legendary Legion of Boom defence may be preparing for the latest installment in the Harry Potter series if Shermans appearance at the press-match press call is anything to go by.At the request of his son, the cornerback donned a cape, glasses and even a wizards wand to tackle the questions from the media ahead of Seattles trip to New Orleans this weekend. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. Hit play on the video at the top of the page to see Sherman, or should that be PPotter in action.ddddddddddddnd donf forget you can see all the NFL action this weekend live on Sky Sports 3, including Washington Redskins against the Cincinnatti Bengals from Wembley Stadium. Cincinnati Bengals v Washington Redskins October 30, 2016, 1:00pm Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass Also See: NFL week seven highlights Who is Jay Ajayi ' ' '