ORLANDO, Fla. Aaron Holiday Jersey . -- Tiger Woods was a large part of the conversation on the eve of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. And hes not even playing. Woods is missing Bay Hill for only the second time in his career when the tournament starts Thursday on a course that Palmer said is in the best shape ever. Woods has won eight times, including the last two years, but he called the 84-year-old host on Tuesday to say persistent back pain will keep him from playing. "He didnt tell me how bad his back is. I dont think he knows how bad his back is," Palmer said. "I think hes listening to the doctors. And he mentioned that theyre saying that he needs to give it a bit of a rest and see if he can work it out. He was very nice. And I, of course, have great sympathy for the fact that he tried like hell to come here and play. And I appreciate that and the fact that he called. "I think he wanted to play golf this week," Palmer said. "I think that he needs to take (time) -- whether its this week, next week or the following week -- to get ready for Augusta. Certainly, if I were in that position, Id be doing much the same." Most of the chatter was more about the future with Woods. Will he play at the Masters? Stuck on 14 majors for the last five years, can he match or surpass the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus? And what will be the larger obstacle -- his age (38), his health (legs and back) or the competition (long list)? "I dont think 38 years is the ultimate stopping point for his quest to do what Jack did," Palmer said. "I think it lessens the possibility of that happening. Its going to be tough. Its going to be tough to keep the concentration and the type of the game that is necessary to win majors." Nicklaus won four of his majors after turning 38. Ben Hogan, with battered legs from a car accident, won five majors after turning 38. Palmer, however, believes more than age is at stake for Woods. "These young guys are tough, and theyre strong," Palmer said. "And if they continue to play as well as theyve been playing, its going to be tough for anybody -- whether it be Nicklaus or Tiger or whomever it would be -- to continue to win major championships. And were talking about guys that are playing good and coming on." Palmer actually had a list of players he was talking about. Some of them were young, such as Chris Kirk and Harris English. Others had either won this season (Ryan Moore) or played well recently (Robert Garrigus). "I dont know how many you want me to name," Palmer said. "But really, the strength and the ability of these people is very pleasing to me." Graeme McDowell, a runner-up to Woods two years at Bay Hill, said he can understand what the No. 1 player is going through with injuries. He also believes that competition might be an even larger obstacle than his health for Woods to break Nicklaus record. "Hes a physical player who creates a lot of speed and a lot of power and his body is starting to struggle a little bit, no doubt about it," McDowell said. "But Im sure hell fix it. ... But we all talk about how good the fields are nowadays. Taking Tigers fitness and physicality out of it, winning major championships is getting harder and harder for everyone -- including the best player maybe thats ever lived in Tiger. "Hes got more than just his body to be fighting. Theres a lot of great players in the world now," McDowell said. "Its going to be harder for him to achieve Jacks record. But if anyone can do it, Im sure he can find a way because we all know how good he is." The field at Bay Hill is not as strong as usual, starting with the absence of Woods, the No. 1 player in the world and an eight-time winner of this event. Match Play champion Jason Day (No. 4 in the world) pulled out with recurring pain in his thumb, and Phil Mickelson (No. 5) is not playing this year. Not that it would change the dynamics of what already has been a peculiar season. With 18 tournaments in the books this season, Zach Johnson is the only player to win a PGA Tour event while ranked among the top 10 in the world. The Masters is three weeks away. Is it time for the stars to come out? "Hopefully, this one does," Masters champion Adam Scott said, pointing to himself with a laugh. "But as far as unexpected winners, it seems to me thats happening more and more in golf. There are more and more guys breaking through, putting in a lot of hard work and getting what they deserve. So I think weve seen a bit of a shift in the game over the last couple of years -- a lot less domination by top players." Mark Jackson Jersey . The Montreal Canadiens goaltender has won three of his four games since returning from a lower-body injury that kept him out from the end of the Olympic break until March 15. Al Jefferson Jersey .com) - Pittsburgh Steelers running back LeVeon Bell, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Elvis Dumervil and New England Patriots punter Ryan Allen were selected as the AFCs top players for Week 14 of the NFL season. http://www.cheappacersjerseys.com/ .com) - The collective hearts of Chicago Bulls fans sank on Friday night when Derrick Rose went down with a leg injury against the Cleveland Cavaliers.Madison, WI - Frank Kaminsky posted 25 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks and carried No. 6 Wisconsin to a 68-56 win over upset-minded Buffalo to conclude non-conference play. Sam Dekker added 13 points and Nigel Hayes scored nine -- all over the final 20 minutes -- for the Badgers (12-1), who overcame a sluggish first half to post their fifth straight win. Wisconsin hosts Penn State in their Big Ten opener on Wednesday. Only five Bulls found the scoring column, with four reaching double figures. Justin Moss led a balanced attack with 14 points and 12 rebounds as Buffalo (7-3) saw its three-game win streak come to an end. The Bulls owned a pair of six-point leads during the first half and went into halftime in front, 27-26. Kaminsky was the lone bright spot for Wisconsin over the first 20 minutes. He made five of the Badgers 10 field goals for 14 points. Dekker and Hayyes had no points on seven combined shots. Bojan Bogdanovic Jersey. Shannon Evans 3-ball early in the second half gave Buffalo a 34-32 lead. Hayes finally found the range with a jumper at the other end, then followed it up with a 3-pointer to force a timeout. Hayes hit again a minute later. Kaminsky and Dekker then scored in the paint on consecutive possessions, and Kaminsky converted a three-point play to cap a 14-0 run that put Wisconsin back in the drivers seat. Moss ended the flurry with a layup at 12:59, but Dekker hit three triples over the next five minutes. Buffalo got within 10 points on Will Regans 3 with 3:39 remaining, but Hayes hit a layup at the other end and the lead stayed in double figures for most of the rest of the way. Game Notes Wisconsin shot 12-for-13 from the foul line ... Buffalo fell to 0-14 against Top-25 teams since the 1997-98 season. Cheap Lions Jerseys Cheap Packers Jerseys Cheap Jets Jerseys Cheap Dolphins Jerseys Cheap Patriots Jerseys Cheap Jaguars Jerseys Cheap Titans Jerseys Cheap Chargers Jerseys Cheap Giants Jerseys Cheap Saints Jerseys Cheap Buccaneers Jerseys Cheap 49ers Jerseys Cheap Seahawks Jerseys Cheap Rams Jerseys Cheap Vikings Jerseys Cheap Colts Jerseys ' ' '