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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Over the next few weeks, after long days of training camp on the practice fields of Missouri Western State University, Cairo Santos will return to his dorm room and hunker down in front of a TV.He will flip the channel to the Rio Olympics and get lost in the pageantry.You see, the only Brazilian playing in the NFL is as eager as anybody to see what kind of show his country puts on this August. The kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs knows better than most the many hurdles that have been overcome and the opportunity that Brazil has on the world stage.Unfortunately, Brazil has had that image of corruption for such a long time, Santos said in an interview with The Associated Press. But we are a country that has a lot of potential to be a great country, and were a country thats fighting to be on the right track.The run-up to the Rio Olympics has been dominated by negative news: organized doping by Russian athletes, fears over the Zika virus, polluted water, the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff, venue and housing issues, a noticeable uptick in crime across the seaside city.Many of these issues, Santos said, have been part of Brazilian life long before Rio was awarded the first Olympics in South America. Its just that now the worlds attention is on the city, a glossy facade portrayed by tour operators has been pulled back to reveal a less savory underbelly.Unemployment is a problem. So is homelessness, organized crime and other social issues.Security is the main concern, said Santos, who spent time this past offseason in Rio and Sao Paulo, where his family lives and some of the Olympic soccer matches will take place.I wouldnt suggest being by yourself, at night especially, he said. The Olympic villages, near Copacabana and stuff, theres Olympic sites everywhere. Thats where the action is. Just being around there is the best place, where the police will be -- where the crowd will be.Like most Brazilians, Santos grew up playing soccer. He didnt start playing football until he moved to Florida as a foreign exchange student and his high school needed a kicker, and then he played the Madden video game so he could learn the rules.He was so good at kicking oblong balls through uprights that he earned a scholarship to Tulane.After winning the Lou Groza Award as the nations best college kicker, Santos was signed by Kansas City. The 24-year-old went to training camp in 2014 and competed against Ryan Succop, the most accurate kicker in Chiefs history, before eventually winning the starting job.In his first two seasons, he has made 55 of 67 field-goal attempts and missed just two extra points.Santoss success has quickly endeared him to Kansas City fans, but it also has made him a hero in Brazil. Very few people follow the NFL, but those who manage to catch games on satellite TV generally root for the Chiefs because of their kicker.Santos was mobbed everywhere he went during his trip home this offseason: his elementary school in Brasilia, the local TV stations where he was interviewed, his first Cairo Camp in Sao Paulo.He even hobnobbed with Brazilian mixed martial arts star Jose Aldo.Most of his trips took him to the glitzy areas of Brazil, but Santos knows well what the living conditions are like in the many slums -- called favelas -- that dot the countryside.He wonders how much of the Olympics will touch the people struggling to make ends meet.Those images probably wont show up when he flips on the TV at night at training camp. Instead, he will see the best of Rio -- Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, the panoramic vistas.Asked what he is most interested in, Santos gave a predictable answer: Im always curious about the soccer team. Theyve never gotten gold. Hopefully redeem ourselves from the World Cup fiasco (where Brazil lost 7-1 to Germany in the semifinals, then lost the third-place match to the Netherlands).But Im also excited to see how theyll deal with having the entire worlds attention on us, Santos said, and how were going to organize such a beautiful event like that. Its a good opportunity for our country to grow and change our image.Bill Walton Jersey . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. Nassir Little Blazers Jersey . PAUL, Minn. https://www.blazerslockerroom.com/Nassir-Little-City-Edition-Jersey/ . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Damian Lillard Jersey .Y. -- Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Wednesday that J. Mario Hezonja Blazers Jersey .ca. Hey Kerry, big fan of yours, just finished reading your book. I think that we all saw the Canucks/Flames line brawl just after puck drop. It was obvious that something was about to happen, even to the referees because the fourth lines were on to start.Formula Ones new investor Liberty Media has reiterated its intention to expand the calendar beyond 21 races, with Las Vegas among the targets for a grand prix in the coming years.Liberty Media is due to complete its takeover of Formula One in early 2017 and is hoping to bring the sport to new audiences around the world. The calendar currently stands at a record 21 races, which already presents logistical headaches for the sport and is seen as the limit by many teams based on current staffing levels.However, much of Formula Ones revenues -- which are shared with the teams -- come from race sanctioning fees and Liberty Medias CEO Greg Maffei sees an expanding calendar as a potential area for growth.There is a general line of interest if you increase the number of races to a point, Maffei was as saying quoted by Reuters.dddddddddddd The FIA makes more money, the teams make more money, we make more money.Obviously there is a limit on how much you can do just getting the cars around the world, but I think we can expect to grow the amount of races to a mild degree.The United States is seen as a potential area for growth under Liberty Media ownership, with the American company making no secret of its desire to introduce more rounds on home turf. Las Vegas has long been rumoured as a potential venue for a street race and Maffei said the city is near the top of his wishlist.I particularly like the idea of a night race in Las Vegas, he said. But new entrants tend to pay more. ' ' '