TORONTO -- Toronto FC has claimed another body. The underachieving Major League Soccer club fired president and general manager Kevin Payne. The club has not made the move official but Payne told The Canadian Press that he was leaving. "I wish TFC and its supporters all the best," he said in a text. "Im confident the team is in a great position heading into next year and Im proud of that. "I understand the desire to move forward in a different direction and want nothing but the best for the club." Payne said he had no other role with the team but had agreed "to help with the transition." The former D.C. United executive arrived in late November with the task of turning around the worst team in Major League Soccer. But progress has been hard to find and the team, which has never made the playoffs, stands tied for 18th in the 19-team league with a 4-12-10 record. Ultimately Payne paid the price for yet more failure at a franchise that is losing fans as well as matches. It didnt help that he was hired before Tim Leiweke took over as president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the team. Payne, 60, may also have suffered for his penchant for talking. Like the manager he hired -- rookie coach Ryan Nelsen -- he complained this season about the team getting a raw deal from officials. That is not Leiwekes style. "I tend to believe that sitting here and revisiting those calls doesnt serve much of a purpose," the MLSE boss said in a July interview with The Canadian Press. "And so we probably have to as an organization spend less time bitching and more time just moving on and understanding that sometimes thats the way those calls are going to go." Both Payne and Nelsen also complained about the salary cap handcuffs they had inherited. And Payne liked to talk about his master-plan, detailing imminent player moves that proved to be not so imminent. Payne also raised some hackles at the club early on when he questioned the fitness level of some players in pre-season without naming names. "Lots of guys did a great job and came back in great shape," he said in January. "But there were more than one or two who were not even close to being fit. I have a hard time understanding that. Ryan feels the same way ... Theres just no excuse for it." Payne, while clearly dedicated to his task, seemed to come across as thinking he was the smartest man in the room. Then Leiweke arrived. He oversaw the Los Angeles Galaxy during his time in charge of AEG, helping bring David Beckham and Robbie Keane to the team. Leiweke spoke favourably of Payne -- "He knows where the bodies are buried and he knows what it takes to build a championship team" -- in a June 4 in-house interview aired on YouTube. And he said in July he would wait until the end of the season to assess the teams management, explaining he didnt think it was "fair or proper to get into an analysis" mid-season. Toronto was 2-10-8 at the time. It apparently took Leiweke two wins, two losses and two ties to change his mind. The club, which plays Saturday in Portland, has eight games remaining this season. Payne arrived with a flourish, wearing one of his four MLS championship rings to his Toronto FC introduction. The former D.C. United boss routinely wears one of his rings, but wasnt going to at the news conference in Toronto until wife Pam changed his mind. "I said to my wife this is weird. For the first time since 97 -- when I got the 96 ring -- Im not going to put on a championship ring," he related Nov. 28 after being unveiled in Toronto. "And she said I think you should put it on. I said Well, I dont want to be always talking about D.C. She said But you need to get people to aspire to win their own ring. Understand that thats the goal. So thats why Im wearing it." Payne was Toronto FCs first president. He became the soccer teams equivalent to the Leafs Brian Burke and the Raptors Bryan Colangelo, both of whom have since moved on. "We found the right guy," Tom Anselmi, MLSEs COO, said at the time. "I think its probably THE best signing that well make," added head coach Paul Mariner, who was soon to be dumped by Payne in favour of Nelsen. Nelsen is the teams eighth manager in seven seasons. Until his resignation as president and CEO just days before joining TFC, Payne had spent 17 years at D.C. United -- helping the franchise find its feet in time for the debut MLS season in 1996. Payne joined a Toronto franchise that has failed to make the playoffs since its inception in 2007, winning just 45 games over those six seasons. Toronto (5-21-8) posted franchise worsts in 2012 for wins (five), losses (21), points (23), goals against (62) and winless string (14). "I really love to build things," he said when asked about why he would take charge of such a floundering franchise. Payne has helped set the stage for whoever takes over. The team has shed the big contracts of the likes of Torsten Frings and Darren ODea and the 2014 salary cap situation will offer far more flexibility. There is also a base of good young talent at the club. But the franchise continues to disappoint. Justin Turner Dodgers Jersey . Tepesch, back from the minor leagues, earned his first major league victory in more than 10 months and the Rangers edged the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Wednesday. Babe Herman Womens Jersey . Before that, Rousey needed a total 23 minutes and 26 seconds to take care of her last eight opponents - and one of those fights lasted 10 minutes and 58 seconds. http://www.ladodgersprostore.us/Joe-Kelly-dodgers-jersey/ .com) - The Carolina Hurricanes placed defenseman John-Michael Liles on injured reserve Tuesday. Corey Seager Womens Jersey . -- Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh says he isnt going to change what he does on the field. Maury Wills Youth Jersey . MacIntyre stopped 49 shots and the Marlies defeated the Texas Stars 5-1 in Game 1 of the American Hockey Leagues Western Conference final. "I felt in control, so that was nice," MacIntyre said. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars arent putting pressure on Blake Bortles to win a starting job in training camp. The rookie quarterback was solid in his preseason debut Friday night, throwing for 117 yards and leading a second-half drive for a field goal in a 16-10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "There was some good stuff, some bad stuff, things that Ive got to overcome," Bortles said. "Its a process, its not going to happen overnight," he added. "The chemistry felt really good with the second unit, weve been working really well together during camp. I thought the offensive line did a really good job of protecting up front." The third overall pick in the draft completed 7 of 11 passes, including a 31-yarder down the middle of the field to Mike Brown to set up a 26-yard field goal that gave the Jaguars a 10-3 lead late in the third quarter. The Bucs were penalized for a late hit on the rookie from Central Florida, tacking on another 15 yards. Tampa Bay drove 85 yards to make it 10-10 on Mike Glennons 6-yard scoring pass to Tommy Streeter, but dropped its first game under coach Lovie Smith when a defence that had done a good job of keeping Jacksonvilles offence out of the end zone faltered in the fourth quarter. Denard Robinsons 23-yard TD run put the Jaguars ahead for good with under seven minutes remaining. Jacksonville also scored on Winston Guy Jr.s 68-yard interception return in the first quarter. Tampa Bays first-team offence sputtered while playing into the second quarter. In addition to throwing the interception that was returned for a TD, Josh McCown was sacked twice and lost a fumble. "The defence did a good job of keeping them out (of the end zone). But we say its defence versus defence," Smith said. "Their defence scored a touchdown, we didnt. Were playing hard, but were still not where we need to be on the defensive side either." Chad Henne started for the Jaguars and played four series before being replaced by Bortles, who has yet to take a snap with Jacksonvilles first-team offence in training camp. The rookie received a nice ovation from the announced crowd of 59,100 at EverBank Field before completing his first pass for 24 yards to Allen Hurns. Two plays later, he rolled out of the pocket to his left and showed he has a sense of when he needs to take a little off his throws with a nice flip to fullback Will Taufoou for a 12-yard gain.dddddddddddd "I thought he did a nice job, showed some good poise. We felt like we could protect him," Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley said. "Just the poise factor, we wanted to see that in him, and he did a nice job." So when might Bortles begin to get some practice time with the starters? "Our philosophy is to try and get these rookies in with the ones. Somewhere youre going to see it, we want them to feel the speed of the ones," Bradley said. "We do that with all our guys, Im sure well do that with Blake as well. Well see how things go as to when we get him in there. I just think hes progressing nice." Smith and first-year general manager Jason Licht spent in free agency to bring in four new starters for Tampa Bays defence and also rebuild an offensive line that did not protect McCown well Friday night. The 35-year-old quarterback, a career backup who began training camp as a projected starter for the first time in a decade, was hurried into a couple of bad throws and also took a hard hit at the end of a 9-yard scramble. Henne completed 4 of 7 for 30 yards. The Jaguars hurt themselves with a pair of bad snaps that sailed over the quarterbacks head in shotgun formation. The second one rolled 21 yards on fourth down, helping set up the 44-yard field goal for Tampa Bays first points of the game. McCown finished 2 of 4 for 20 yards with one interception. He rushed for 13 yards on the two plays Jacksonvilles pass rush forced him to run. Glennon, who started 13 games as a rookie a year ago when a 4-12 finish cost coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik their jobs, was 11 of 19 for 140 yards and no interceptions. "Were not ready yet. ... This first game, we kind of see where we are a little bit," Smith said. "Had some protection issues, didnt protect the quarterback well enough. Thats pretty much it." Notes: The Jaguars played without starting RB Toby Gerhart and WRs Cecil Shorts III and Allen Robinson. ... S Dashon Goldson and CB Alterraun Verner, one of Tampa Bays key off-season acquisitions, did not dress for the Bucs. ' ' '