SAN FRANCISCO -- While chatter has swirled about Jim Harbaughs future with the 49ers in recent weeks, wide receiver Anquan Boldin has secured his status in San Francisco -- and even credited the coach for his decision to come back. Cheap Air Force 1 Australia . The franchise gave him a few million other reasons, too. The 49ers signed Boldin to a two-year, $12 million contract with $9 million guaranteed Monday, keeping quarterback Colin Kaepernicks top option from last season and one of Harbaughs favourites from hitting free agency. "Hes a guy I had a real good relationship with," Boldin said about Harbaugh on a conference call with reporters. "Me and him were able to talk about anything. And I just like his demeanour, the way he approaches the game. Hes a guy that wants to win. Im the exact same way. So I think we mesh pretty good." Boldin, who was set to become a free agent next week, led San Francisco with 85 catches for 1,179 yards to go with seven touchdowns last season. He was traded from John Harbaughs Ravens to the 49ers in the off-season for a sixth-round pick after helping Baltimore win the Super Bowl. While the salary cap strapped Ravens failed to make the playoffs, the 49ers finished 12-4 during the regular season -- in part because Boldin filled the void created by an off-season torn right Achilles tendon that sidelined Michael Crabtree for the first 11 games. Boldins performances earned him the Bill Walsh Award, given to the team MVP by the coaches. Boldins deal locked up one of San Franciscos top off-season priorities and briefly quieted the questions about Harbaughs future with the 49ers after reports surfaced in recent weeks about the team fielding trade offers for the coach from the Cleveland Browns, a possible rift with general manager Trent Baalke and even problems with players. Boldin said he doesnt pay much attention to NFL news in the off-season because hes focused on his family and charitable foundation and "at this time of year, people grab at whatever." But he admitted hed been following the Harbaugh saga. "When I did hear about it, I kind of laughed," Boldin said. "I dont think anybody in our locker room has an issue with coach Harbaugh. The way our locker room is built, we have an open-door policy. If anybody has a concern or wants to voice their opinion, theyre more than welcome to. "There have been times when we have voiced our concerns as players, and coach Harbaugh has listened to us and taken into consideration how we felt as players. So I dont think theres any rift between players and coaches, particularly coach Harbaugh." Boldins return to San Francisco was not all that surprising. Harbaugh said at last weeks NFL Scouting Combine that the franchise was determined to re-sign the wide receiver, and Boldin had repeatedly said he wanted to come back. The sides hashed out the deal before Boldin could become a free agent for the first time in his 11-year career. "We are pleased that Anquan has chosen to continue his career as a 49er," Baalke said in a statement. "He is a consummate professional whose love and respect for the game provide a tremendous example for all players. Anquan has been a very productive player throughout his career and we look forward to his future contributions to our team and community." Boldins transition to the 49ers seemed seamless. Boldin, now 33 years old, was at his best in his debut for San Francisco when he caught 13 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown in a 34-28 win over Green Bay. He then capped his season with his second-best game with nine catches for 149 yards and a score in a Week 17 win over Arizona that clinched the fifth seed for San Francisco. In three playoff games, Boldin had 16 catches for 227 yards and a touchdown. The 49ers lost in the NFC title game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Boldin, drafted by Arizona in the second round out of Florida State in 2003, played seven seasons for the Cardinals and three for the Ravens. The three-time Pro Bowler has 857 receptions for 11,344 yards and 65 touchdowns in his career, which he believes is far from finished. "Physically, I feel fine," he said. "I feel as if I can play five more years. So thats not a problem for me. I feel great. But well see how it goes." AP Sports Writer Janie McCauley contributed to this story. Asics Outlet Store . Howard hit a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night. Wholesale Air Max 270 . Louis Cardinals. He was 48. The commissioners office said Bell died in his home state of Ohio. Bell had not been feeling well over the weekend and had been scheduled to see doctors later Monday at the Cleveland Clinic.SOCHI, Russia – The Canadians had to hurl nearly 60 shots at the Latvian goal to scratch their way into a semifinal matchup with the Americans, but by the time it was over head coach Mike Babcock was convinced the experience would be beneficial, much as it was four years earlier. "Did I want to win 7-1? Absolutely,” said Babcock after a nervous 2-1 win in the quarter-finals against Latvia. “Do I think its better for my team that we won the way we did? For sure." It took every bit of mustard his team could find to finally get past the unlikely challengers from Latvia – a team they had never lost to in either the Olympics or World Championships – and avert disaster. Kristers Gudlevskis, an unheralded 21-year-old draft pick in executive director Steve Yzermans Tampa Bay Lightning organization, stopped 55 shots and held the Canadians to just a single goal for the first 53 minutes of regulation. Patience was tested and tested again and again with every chance, opportunity and flurry squashed by the apparent back-up Latvian netminder, starting with a Sidney Crosby breakaway in the opening moments and continuing right on through the rest of the night. "Obviously when youre talking about 10 minutes left in the third and you look up and youve got 50-some-odd shots you dont want it to be one of those nights," said Crosby after the win. "I think that you just try to trust that eventually those chances will go in, stick with it." Patrick Sharp became just the fourth Canadian forward to score, his first goal in the middle frame matched minutes later on a mildly shocking Lauris Darzins breakaway. From there the Gudlevkis show rolled on in ever-surprising fashion, some of the most gifted offensive talents on the planet stonewalled by a goaltender who was starting for the American Hockey Leagues Syracuse Crunch as recently as Feb. 5. There was the stop on Jeff Carter in alone in the second period, a blocker save on Rick Nash in the third, a jam attempt by Chris Kunitz just a few minutes later. For a forward contingent struggling to score these were familiar troubles building in a game that Canada had no business not winning. "If you look at tonight besides picking the puck up and throwing it in the net what could you tell someone to do in those situations," said Crosby, who still has yet to score in this tournament. "We had some great chances. Youre getting chances like that theres not a lot you would change. Its not like you were going in there adjusting and trying to figure something out. I think its just the ultimate test of your patience when youre getting chances like that and you need to find a way to score.&" Its ultimately that persistence and push through the wall of a hot goaltender that Babcock believes will benefit his team moving into a 2010 gold medal game re-match with the Americans on Friday. Cheap Asics Australia. Though they had only mild difficulties against Norway and Austria, the Canadians really only faced a stiff test from Finland in the final game of the preliminary round, a tilt they scratched out in overtime on the second of two goals from Drew Doughty. On this night it was another defenceman proving the hero. Shea Weber fired a cannon past Gudlevskis with less than seven minutes remaining in regulation, easing the nerves of a tense nation on the other side of the globe. "We just talked about the hockey gods," Babcock said. "You just keep doing things right, youre going to be rewarded. We had some chances. So we just thought if we kept doing it, wed get our chances, wed get a break, wed score a goal." Though they inched closer to it in the close win over Latvia, Canada has yet to truly resemble the powerhouse it was expected to be here in Sochi. But they have, true to Babcocks word, gotten better with each day gone by. They enter the semifinal, however, as an unlikely underdog, squaring off against an American squad thats stomped all of its competition here in Sochi. With the hottest player on the planet in Phil Kessel – who has nearly as many goals here in Russia (five) as the entire Canadian forward group (six) – and a battle-tested Jonathan Quick between the pipes, the U.S. has the look of a favourite in what should be an enticing rematch of the gold medal game in Vancouver. "Its what its all about," said Jonathan Toews of the matchup. "Canada-USA, I think has become a bigger rivalry than Canada-Russia. Theres a lot of animosity, lot of feelings like theres something to prove between both teams. Its for the chance to go play for a gold medal. It doesnt get any better than that." It took a few bumps and a similar crescendo for Canada to top the U.S. in Vancouver in 2010. There were familiar stumbles along the way – including a preliminary round loss to the U.S. – but ultimately, the Canadians got their game together as the tournament stretched on, dominating the Russians in the quarter-final before edging the Slovaks and Americans en route to gold. Babcock is mindful of that path when he looks at the winding road thus far in 2014. "The Olympic Games isnt supposed to be easy,” he said. “They dont just give the medals out. You earn the medals. Now wed like to put ourselves in a situation to compete for one and we have another day to prepare [on Thursday]." ' ' '