TEMPE, Ariz. -- A month from his 30th birthday, Antonio Cromartie is coming to the desert to face the challenges of the NFC West. The three-time Pro Bowl cornerback signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals on Thursday, saying he was lured by the teams aggressive pursuit of him and the fact that the team is developing into a contender. "I was looking for a team that was contending," Cromartie said at a late afternoon news conference, "and I found it. Like I said, they are moving in the right direction." Despite Cromarties pedigree, there was no avalanche of interest from other teams when the New York Jets released him on March 9. "I dont know. I really dont know," he said when asked why. "Maybe it was playing into my age, I dont know. Maybe it was playing into my hip. No one knew the outcome of my hip from last year or anything like that. I dont know, but Im happy where Im at." Cromartie was bothered by a hip flexor strain the first 12 weeks of last season but said it improved over the final month. " Right now, I feel like Im 100 per cent," he said. "Ive been running around, cutting and doing everything else. I havent had any problems with it." The Cardinals move is in line with a flurry of one-year deals general manager Steve Keim signed players to in his first months on the job last year. "Just like a lot of the other guys that weve signed in the past, I feel really good about the fact that a guy who has a chip on his shoulder, has huge upside, has all the physical tools and has played at a high level," Keim said, "and now were bringing him in on a one-year deal where hes ready to prove to the NFL and the world that hes still the same kind of guy." Cromartie called his release by the Jets and the relative disinterest from other teams "big-time motivation" for his coming season. "You dont get many phone calls, but its motivation to come out for one (year). You are part of a team that is right where it needs to be. It is a team that is committed to winning and also a team that is right on the edge, on the verge of being a Super Bowl championship team and thats what you look for. Im a veteran guy. Im going into my ninth year, and thats what you look for." Cromartie led the Jets last season with three interceptions. He also had eight passes defenced and one forced fumble. He was released by the Jets on March 9. For his career, Cromartie, the No. 19 overall pick by the San Diego Chargers in the 2006 draft, has 28 interceptions, 97 passes defenced, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He has had two interceptions in the playoffs. Cromartie start alongside Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson. Tyrann Matiheu played the nickel corner as well as safety as a rookie last year before going down with torn knee ligaments. Cromartie called that a formidable trio. "When you add all three of us into the secondary," Cromartie said, "it just speaks volumes of what this secondary can be because you have three guys on the back end that have the potential of making an interception and turning it into a touchdown. You have three playmakers on the back end. Thats what you are looking for. You are looking for guys to be a great tandem on the back and be game changers at the end of the day." Cromartie reportedly was interested in returning to the Jets but visited the Cardinals last week. He was named All-Pro after leading the NFL with a career-high 10 interceptions in 2007. He has scored five touchdowns, including a 109-yard interception return that is tied for the longest play in NFL history. Cromartie has missed one game the past four seasons. He is the third significant free agent signing for the Cardinals, joining left tackle Jared Veldheer and wide receiver-kick returner Ted Ginn Jr. Pavel Zacha Devils Jersey . The closer wasnt available. 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Ken Daneyko Jersey . - Kobe Bryant and LeBron James traded hugs, big shots and verbal jabs all night with warmth and humour.MINSK, Belarus -- Star forwards Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin scored eight minutes apart to lead Russia to a 5-2 victory over Finland in the final of the ice hockey world championship on Sunday for its second title in three years. With Russian President Vladimir Putin looking on, Ovechkin tied the game at 2-2 in the second period with a backhand and Malkin wristed a shot high into the roof of the net on a power play for the go-ahead goal. Danis Zaripov also scored a goal and added two assists. Viktor Tikhonov and Sergei Shirokov scored a goal each. Putin watched the game sitting next to Belarus authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in the stands, as the Russian team gained a measure of redemption following a painful loss to Finland in the quarterfinals of the Sochi Olympics just three months ago. It was Russias fifth gold since the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union. The worlds was the first major competition for new Russia coach Oleg Znarok, who has been tasked with reviving the team after the Sochi let-down. Znarok was suspended for the final, however, after making a cut-throat gesture toward a Sweden player in the semifinals. His team cruised through this tournament from the start, winning all its 10 ggames.dddddddddddd The Russians scored the most goals of any team (42) and concede the least (10). Russia took the lead through Shirokov midway through the first period on a power play, but Iiro Pekarinen levelled just three seconds before the interval. In the second, Olli Palola scored a power-play goal on a rebound to put the Finns ahead, before Ovechkin and Malkin lived up to their billing as the star attraction of the tournament. Zaripov added the fourth with a slap shot past Finland goaltender Pekka Rinne on a power play in the third before Tikhonov completed the victory on another power play. Tikhonov finished as the tournaments top scorer with eight goals. Znarok joined his celebrating players on the ice after the game. Earlier, Sweden beat the Czech Republic 3-0 to claim the bronze. Joakim Lindstrom scored early and Simon Hjalmarsson netted another one in the opening period for Sweden to take control. Mikael Backlund rounded off the win with a wrist shot past goaltender Alexander Salak in the third. "We came here to win the gold," Lindstrom said. "That was our goal. But the competition is very, very hard, and all in all it was a pretty good tournament for us." ' ' '