TORONTO - Grant Fuhr partied like a rock star, or a Stanley Cup-winning NHL superstar during the prime of his career. Swell Bottles Near Me .His drug use led to a suspension and plenty of unwanted attention. Yet almost 30 years later the former Edmonton Oilers goaltender has no regrets and expressed that sentiment in his new book, Grant Fuhr: The Story of a Hockey Legend.Im 100 per cent comfortable with my life now, Fuhr told The Canadian Press on Thursday. Thats probably one of the best things about it is to have to sit back and go through it, you understand if youre comfortable with life or not.And Im OK with everything thats happened. Yeah, some of its bad, but at the same time it makes you a better person.The Spruce Grove, Alta., native wrote this book along with former Calgary neighbour Bruce Dowbiggin. Its structured as a series of 10 key games from the Hall of Famers career, with Dowbiggin essentially narrating and Fuhr dropping in his reflections now and then.Along with the on-ice success, which there was plenty of, the book touches on Fuhrs substance abuse and racial tensions that arose when he started playing in the United States. Dowbiggin didnt shy away from mentioning Fuhrs cocaine use, and thats fine with the 52-year-old who wants readers to realize life is about making mistakes and still being successful.You dont have to be perfect, Fuhr said. I would look great in a halo, but its never going to happen.The book unearthed a quote from Wayne Gretzky: To be able to play at the level he played at for all those years (while on drugs) is a surprise.Looking back on it, Fuhr doesnt believe drugs hurt his performance.The hardest part of goaltending is to stay focused, Fuhr said. So the fact that you get a mental break away from the game is almost refreshing.For me at that time, the most comfortable place to be was on the ice. Thats where I was happiest. It probably made me a little more focused than most.The summer of 1986 is one of the turning points in Fuhrs life. It followed Steve Smiths own goal against the Flames but of more importance to Fuhr, thats also when he lost his father, making for a terrible off-season.Hockey and life had changed, but at the same time I found a way to get away from it, Fuhr said. Probably not the right way, but at the same time it made life (bearable).I was never a good student but I learned everything through life. So had I did it a different way, could things have turned out a little different? Yeah they probably couldve. But at the same time I wouldnt have the same life experiences.Fuhr said there was nothing in the book that was difficult to re-live. Now, 23-plus years after his suspension, 21 years after being refused admission into a Buffalo-area country club because of his race and 11 years being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, he has a better grasp on life and his career accomplishments.While Fuhr doesnt see race as something people should be defined by, he also better understands the historical significance he had on the NHL.When youre playing you never really think of it, youre just playing and enjoying the game and you never really have to worry or think about it, whereas now I get a chance to look back at it, Fuhr said. You can see different kids at different times and such, and you realize that it has more prevalence now than it ever did.Fuhr also may have had an impact on the way the league and Players Association deal with drug use. In 1990, then-president John Ziegler suspended Fuhr for a full season for conduct dishonourable and against the welfare of the league.In the book, Fuhr writes, The biggest misconception about that period of time is that the substance problem was still ongoing — but by the time it finally hit the paper it had been two years over and long stopped, over and done.His suspension was eventually reduced, but nowadays the league handles similar situations with more of an eye toward helping players. Fuhr said that was the best part of his punishment in retrospect, that current players dont have to deal with the same heavy hand.Its like night and day now because the NHL now will help players, where when I got suspended it was about punishment, Fuhr said. It wasnt about rehabilitating players or helping them get better in life, it was about punishing them. I think the NHL has gone leaps and bounds in getting better at that where theyve got programs in place now and they actually will help players, and theyll help players before they get themselves in trouble.Fuhr got himself in and out of trouble and along the way managed to win 403 career regular-season games for the Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and Flames. He was in net for four Cups and has five championship rings because he was part of the 1989-90 Oilers team that Bill Ranford led to the title.As he signed books that filled the table in front of him, Fuhr wore his 1988 Cup ring on his right hand. He rotates them but has one on all the time.The only one that stays is the Hall of Fame ring and I actually wear it on a chain around my neck, Fuhr said. I think its the pinnacle of what you accomplish as a player, to get into the Hall of Fame.So its the one constant that I keep. Yeah you could wear all five, but that might be just a little gaudy. I always wear one.Those rings — and now the book — help remind Fuhr of what he has done in hockey but hadnt really thought about much.When you hit 50 you get to a certain point where you get to reflect on life a little bit, Fuhr said. Im gaining on the top of the hill, I dont think Im there yet because I plan on living to 100.The best part of it is I realize how comfortable I am in life, more than anything. Thats what the book gave me, the opportunity to figure out is that lifes pretty good. Actually I didnt think it was that bad before, but I know now its pretty good.---Follow @SWhyno on Twitter Swell Bottle Wholesale . Alvarez hit his first career home run, pitched six innings and hurt his right hamstring while running the bases in the Miami Marlins 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. Swell Wood Water Bottle .com) - Carmelo Anthony tallied 31 points to help the New York Knicks continue their improved play of late with a 100-92 victory over a short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder squad. http://www.swellbottlesales.com/ . The union filed a grievance late Thursday, one day after Goodell suspended four players who participated in bounties from 2009-11. The complaint says Goodell is prohibited from punishing players for any aspect of the case occurring before the new collective bargaining agreement was signed last August.PARIS - Bordeaux coach Willy Sagnol has apologized for making disparaging comments about African players in football, although he still maintains they were misinterpreted against a backlash of widespread criticism.Sagnol, capped 58 times by France and a member of the team which lost the 2006 World Cup final, gave a question and answer session Tuesday to readers of Sud Ouest regional newspaper when the subject of African players was raised.The advantage of what I would call the typical African player is that he isnt expensive when you sign him, (he is) a player who is ready for combat, but football isnt just about that, Sagnol said.Explaining himself, he continued: Football is also (about) technique, intelligence. You need a bit of everything. You need Nordics too, Nordics are good.Speaking Thursday at a pre-match news conference ahead of Saturdays game with Lens, Sagnol tried to explain his comments.If by my lack of clarity, or my imperfect semantics, I may have shocked, humiliated or hurt people then I am sorry, Sagnol said. The interpretation that these people may have made does not reflect my way of thinking in any way or my humanist convictions.However, he said the comments made sense in a sporting context.When I spoke about the African (player) who is cheaper and ready for combat, I simply meant to talk about the young African player arriving in Europe with all of his will to win and often to escape from a precarious situation, Sagnol continued as he read from pre-prepared notes. Then, since we were in a debate about football, the intelligence I spoke of was obviously related to tactical intelligence. The forming of young players in Africa, probably because of a lack of financial means, or (lack) of infrastructure, isnt always as complete as whats available in Europe.Sagnol distanced himself from accusations that his viewpoint was offensive.In no way did I mean to talk about an individuals intelligence in the proper sense of the term. Swell Bottles Deals. Regarding certain accusations of racism, Im 37 (and) Ive spent 32 of them in a football dressing room. Ive never had a problem with anyone, the former Bayern Munich player said.But Lens coach Antoine Kombouare, who was born in New Caledonia, is among those who felt offended by Sagnol.Lets make things clear: this is not a case of him being clumsy. Hes really messed up, Kombouare said. What he said is serious. Its unacceptable. Explaining that an African player is cheaper ... I felt humiliated and hurt.The International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (LICRA) strongly condemned Sagnol, as did former Marseille president Pape Diouf, who called for African players to boycott one round of French league games in protest.French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet, who formerly employed Sagnol as coach of Frances Under-21 side, defended him, while former teammate Lilian Thuram — an active anti-racism campaigner — was more measured.I played alongside Willy, hes somebody I respect. I know him very well, Thuram told Sud Ouest. I dont think you should put Willy Sagnol on trial, but you should put prejudice on trial. Each one of us harbours some prejudice, which is why people working in football, who have a certain exposure to the media, should be educated on this subject.Sagnols captain at Bordeaux is Senegal international Lamine Sane, who called Sagnols comments clumsy before defending him, as did club president Jean-Louis Triaud.He doesnt have any twisted ideas. He believes in all the black players in the team, Sane told French radio. We believe in him and we hope to go very far with him.Bordeaux forward Henri Saivet, who is black, told RMC radio that Sagnol apologized.We all now pertinently well that the coach is not a racist, Saivet said. Its true that, at first, we asked ourselves a few questions. But he explained how it happened. He apologized to the players. That was very important. ' ' '