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WINNIPEG - It appears the honeymoon is over between the Winnipeg Jets and their fans. Osi Umenyiora Jersey . Once rare game tickets at the MTS Centre are available, and those who attend have booed their 16-18-5 team for inconsistent play that has the club sitting at or near the bottom of their new, tough Central Division. Armchair general managers have also called for roster changes to the transplanted ex-Atlanta Thrashers team, while likeable head coach Claude Noel has had his job security questioned. And the fans arent the only ones voicing their frustration. Players are fed up with looking for the positives in each loss. "Its what you do out on the ice. You can blow smoke as much as you want in the media," right-winger Blake Wheeler told reporters after the Jets lost a sixth straight game at home on Dec. 14. "Weve been blowing smoke for three years – everyone, myself. Everyone thats stood in front of a microphone for the last three years, weve said the same (expletive)." The airing out of frustrations in Winnipeg is something new. When the Jets were resurrected in 2011, fans enthusiastically embraced the return of the NHL after a 15-year absence. Thirteen thousand season tickets with a minimum three-year commitment were snapped up, and unlucky fans paid $50 to join a wait list. The team was loudly cheered by 15,000 grateful admirers at home games, and were even given a standing ovation when the inaugural season ended with an overtime loss and no playoff berth. After last seasons NHL lockout ended, fans were just happy to head back to the rink and their adoration continued despite another campaign without post-season action. But in this third season, cracks are starting to show. When the home winless streak finally ended with a 5-2 victory over Florida on Dec. 20, there was relief, but no fist pumping as the team headed out on the road for what ended up being losses to Vancouver and Edmonton before its three-day Christmas holiday. Before boarding the plane for the road trip, Wheeler was asked if he senses the marriage with fans is hitting rocky times. "I think the expectations have risen every year," he said. "We took a step last year and we just missed the playoffs. I think a lot of us felt we were a playoff team. "And now, I think this is the best group weve had since weve been here so I think the expectations have risen pretty linearly since weve been here. "(The scrutiny) comes with the territory. Its a market that cares about the product on the ice and theyre very passionate. Theyre very enthusiastic when youre winning and very enthusiastic when youre losing, its just a different kind." Jets defenceman Zach Bogosian got a different view of fans when he recently missed 15 games with a groin injury. Did he feel the winds of change while sitting in the press box? "Its a touchy subject," Bogosian said. "Theyre usually pretty loud, but sometimes if the team is not playing as well as we should, some people get unhappy." Behind his mask, goalie Ondrej Pavelec hasnt noticed more unforgiving fans this season. "They cheer for us every time," he said. "Sometimes we play bad, we dont deserve it and theyre still there. I dont see any difference." He and Wheeler havent been sought out by fault-finding fans. "The people are all very respectful," Wheeler said. "When people see us out and about, theyre happy to see us out in the community. "The wins and losses are obviously very important, but at the same time were still people. Theres nobody that wants it more than we do in this locker-room. Its just a matter of going out there and doing it." Noel acknowledged fans have higher expectations this season. "I think weve had that sense for a while," he said. "After the first year, we had that sense that they would like more performance and the honeymoon is over. "We dont sit here and take our fan base for granted. They expect us to work, and they should, and perform." Prior to Winnipegs loss to the lowly Sabres in Buffalo earlier this month, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff revealed hes felt heat from critics. "If youre able to find a way to improve, then you try to act on it," he said. "But change doesnt always equate to improvement. "Change can certainly placate phone calls, emails on the different venues out there, but that doesnt necessarily mean thats the proper direction to go." Cheveldayoff, who extended Noels contract earlier this year through the 2014-15 season, was also asked if Noel is doing a good job. "Coaching in this league is a tough job," Cheveldayoff said. "Theres lots of second-guessing that goes on everywhere. "And thats the nature of it when youre in the public eye like this. Everyones got their own interpretation of whether someones doing a good job, not doing a good job. At the end of the day, I know that (all the coaches are) working hard and doing all they can." Matt Bryant Jersey .5 forward somersault dive may have fallen a little short on Sunday, but the two-time Olympic silver medallist says he feels encouraged by his performance at the Montreal Canada Cup. Joe Flacco Jersey . With the final four being arguably the four best – and most complete – teams from the regular season, picking a winner is not as easy as it sounds.QUEBEC CITY, Que. - Georges St-Pierre may be the king of MMA in Quebec but Patrick (The Predator) Cote is also UFC royalty in La Belle Province. The 34-year-old welterweight, in his 10th year in the UFC, will walk into the cage for the 15th time Wednesday night when he takes on Australian Kyle Noke in a battle of rival coaches from "The Ultimate Fighter Nations" reality TV show. Englands Michael Bisping, ranked No. 5 among middleweight contenders, faces No. 8 Tim Kennedy in the main event at the Colisee Pepsi. Cote, wearing a Quebec Nordiques cap, received rapturous applause at a public workout Sunday at a Quebec City mall. The five-foot-11 Cote — a native of Rimouski who now lives outside of Montreal — has remade himself into a welterweight, studying nutrition himself to ease the weight cut from 205-210 pounds to 170 pounds. Clearly comfortable in his own skin these days, he credits the people around him for easing his path. He used to work with just a trainer — now he has a team that includes a sports psychiatrist and nutritionist. "I dont do anything by myself now," he said. "I have a specialist in everything. Right now its easier for me to train. I just follow what they tell me to do." Cote (20-8 including 6-8 in the UFC) showed off his flexibility at the workout, bending a leg up like a figure skater. "I feel awesome," said Cote, who spent three weeks in Thailand during his training camp. "For this fight, I feel I have no worries. I have a free mind. Im not nervous at all. Im just going there to do my thing." For Tom Wright, managing director for UFC operations in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Cote showed his leadership skills during the six-week taping of the TV show. They already knew he was popular. "Pat was chosen because we also know he has a very strong following here ... And hes been our go-to person on broadcasts." While Cote has been in and out of the UFC as a fighter, he has been ever-present as the organizations French-language commentator. He also is an MMA and boxing analyst on the TVA network. "Not only is he comfortable at it, hes very good at it," said Wright. "He knows his stuff." A trailblazer in Canadian mixed martial arts, Cote has also proved to be a survivor. The former soldier — he served in Bosnia — started his UFC career in the deep end, bumped up a weight class and moved to the UFC 50 main event from the undercard on short notice after light-heavyweight star Tito Ortizs opponent dropped out. At the time, Cotes screensaver just happened to be a shot of Ortiz. Cote lost by decision but acquitted himself well, even wobbling Ortiz at one point — a photo of which replaced the screensaver shot of Ortiz for some time after. Cote lost his next three UFC fights, winning two more outside the organization before being shhunted into Season 4 of "The Ultimate Fighter," which featured fighters looking for a second chance. Devin Hester Jersey. The Canadian made into the final, only to lose a chance at a title shot when he was beaten by Travis Lutter. Cote went on to win his next five fights, including four in the UFC, to earn a championship bout against Anderson Silva. He took the Brazilian to the third round at UFC 90 in October 2008 before losing by TKO when he had to quit due to a knee injury. Two knee surgeries followed and Cote did not fight again until May 2010. Back-to-back losses and he was dumped from the UFC again. Cote won four straight outside the UFC to earn his ticket back. He lost a decision to Cung Le but has won his last two outings, dropping down to welterweight last time out in March 2013 to beat Bobby Voelker at UFC 158. Preparation for and taping of the TUF Nations show kept both Cote and Noke on the sidelines. Cote has not fought since Voelker while Noke, who also had to overcome shoulder surgery and a hand issue, has been idle since a November 2012 win over Charlie (The Spaniard) Brenneman. The Brenneman bout was the six-foot-two Nokes first at welterweight. Cote and Noke (20-6-1 including 4-2 in the UFC) were the picture of professionalism during the taping, with no drama between the two. "We understood the superstars of the show were the fighters," said Cote. "We both went into the show with the same mentality of it was more about the fighters than us," echoed Noke, who was a cast member on Season 11 of the show. Cote saw four of his fighters advance to the two finals, meaning that the first Canadian TUF winners will be crowned Wednesday. The Aussies didnt have it easy, however. They had to compete in hostile territory in Canada and had to hit the ground running with no time afforded to recover from jet lag. Noke, 34, is still in Cotes backyard but has no complaints. "A fights a fight, doesnt matter where it is," he said philosophically. Nokes resume famously includes a stint as a security officer for the late Steve Irwin, known as the "Crocodile Hunter." "That was a great experience for me," said the native of Australias Sunshine Coast who now fights out of Albuquerque, N.M. "Something I still look back on now and cant really believe I did. Steve was a great guy, he was a great inspiration to be around "I think he really helped me as well in my fighting. The passion that he showed for everything, he just brought that out around people ... He was a great person, a great motivator for me. Theres no doubt I wouldnt be where I am today if it wasnt for Steve." Away from the cage and the studio, Cote is involved in real estate investments and Kore Fit Living, a sports equipment and nutrition company. During the summer, he likes to spend time on the golf course and on his boat. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '