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The NFLs idea of outreach to women was once described as shrink it and pink it. That is, taking the same stuff the league was already selling to men, scaling it to size and then splashing on a lot of pink dye.Thats not enough anymore.Fans will see pinked-out fields this weekend for the start of the NFLs version of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Keep in mind the league took in more than $9 billion last year from an audience in which women made up almost half (46 per cent, or 93 million total viewers).The NFLs fourth annual campaign, dubbed A Crucial Catch, is a good cause to be sure. Like any runway show a€” albeit one with violent collisionsa€” the participants will be accessorized head to toe. According to the leagues own inventory, that means pink cleats, wristbands, gloves, sideline caps, helmet decals, captains patches, chin straps, shoe laces, skull caps, sideline towels, eye shield decals, quarterback towels and mouth guards.(OK, maybe not mouth guards, since players who agreed to wear them to endorse Crest toothpaste were allowed to opt out after corporate parent Procter & Gamble pulled out of the campaign in response to the leagues colossal bungling of the Ray Rice affair.)Fans wont be shortchanged, either. In addition to being handed pink rally towels in some stadiums, theyll be treated to pink goal post padding, cheerleaders waving pink pompoms, special pink ribbon game balls and pink-ribboned caps for coaches, team personnel and officials.You might think all that pink would translate into a lot of money.Maybe, maybe not. Depends on who you ask.The NFL donates 100 per cent of the proceeds from the sale of pink merchandise and game-worn items through an auction on NFL.com. In 2009, the first year of the program, that meant a check to the American Cancer Society for $310,175; last year, it was for $1.86 million. Its not a direct comparison, but the societys campaign with the Walgreens chain a€” which offers customers a chance to add a donation when paying for their purchases a€” raises about $5 million annually.The NFL has kicked in about $6.7 million total so far, and theres no question their partnership with ACS has been increasingly effective at getting out the word. This year, in every NFL market, there will be free, on site-screenings and support staff to answer questions. The campaign has already provided 10,000 free screenings and educated another 72,000 women on its benefits. A survey last season found that 70 per cent of the women who watched games during October got the message as well, and the number has been steadily climbing. But as far as tangible benefits thats about it.Cancer society spokeswoman Tara Peters says theres no easy way to calculate the real value of putting that message in front of the audience that NFL games offer, which should be well north of 150 million viewers by the end of the month. There are sponsorship analysts who measure the impact of similar campaigns, and a few say there are better and perhaps more impactful opportunities out there.October also happens to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month, though youd be hard-pressed to find its symbolic purple ribbons amid the avalanche of pink. Its also an effort that could benefit greatly from the NFLs outsized reach, and in turn, restore some of the lustre to the leagues image.The fight against breast cancer is obviously a very well-supported cause. Just look at how many events coalesce around the pink ribbon, said Jim Andrews, senior vice-president for the sponsorship firm IEG. That makes the NFL just one of many corporations that are part of the effort. ... But domestic violence is a cause that needs help, both in terms of organization and financial backing.Given the recent issues the leagues been dealing with, in terms of enlightened self-interest, thats a cause the NFL could get behind and actually make a difference a€” imagine PSAs (public-service announcements) by some well-known players, a campaign to raise funds for local programs and shelters ... If the NFL is serious about broadening their appeal to women, its an opportunity well worth looking into.NFL commissioner Roger Goodell seems to be doing just that. Two weeks ago, he named three outside consultants to help shape league policies on domestic violence and sexual assault. Last weekend, he spent three hours at the headquarters of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, following up on the leagues multiyear, multimillion-dollar pledge of assistance.Be wary, though, any time the words NFL and enlightened self-interest appear in the same sentence. This is the same league, after all, thats plowed plenty of money into a program designed to convince mothers, despite mounting evidence to the contrary, that theres a way to tackle that makes football safer for their kids.___Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke@ap.org and follow him at Twitter.com/JimLitke. Cheap Chicago Cubs Jerseys . 1. Lions WR Calvin Johnson (6 REC, 101 YDS, 1 TD, 10 targets) leads receivers with 1,299 yards and 12 touchdowns, though his 118.1 receiving yards per game ranks second behind Clevelands Josh Gordon. 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San Francisco is still in good shape to clinch a wild-card berth, although it dropped into a tie with Pittsburgh in the race for the top spot.YORKTON, Sask. - Winnipegs Mike McEwen pulled away with a triple in the fifth end for an 8-3 win over Saskatoons Steve Laycock on Wednesday night in Draw 5 of the Canadian Open.McEwen is now in the A qualifier match, with a win putting his rink in to the Canadian Open playoffs.Also in Draw 5, Edmontons Brendan Bottcher had triples in the first and fourth ends to crush Torontos John Epping 7-1. Calgarys Kevin Koe stole one in the extra end to claim a 5-4 win over fellow Calgarian John Morris.In the B bracket, Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., defeated Scotlands David Murdoch 5-3. Swedens Niklas Edin led his rink to a 7-6 win over Charlottetowns Adam Casey.Earlier in the day, Edmontons Val Sweeting scored two in the extra end to beat Silvanaa Tirinzoni 6-4 in Draw 4.ddddddddddddSweeting also held off Allison Flaxey of Listowel, Ont., 7-6 in the days morning draw. She is now one win away from qualifying for the playoffs at the triple knockout tournament.Flaxey, meanwhile, has dropped to the C bracket.Also in the fourth draw, Winnipegs Kristy McDonald reached the A-side finals with a 7-2 win over Scotlands Eve Muirhead in six ends.On the B side of the womens division, Edmontons Chelsea Carey scored two in the final end for a 7-6 victory over Flaxey.Switzerlands Binia Feltscher scored four in the seventh for an 8-4 win over Reginas Chantelle Eberle.In mens A bracket action, Brad Gushue of St. Johns, N.L., earned a 7-5 victory over Jim Cotter, from Kelowna/Vernon, B.C. ' ' '