Premier League wages hit a record-breaking £2billion in 2014/15. But clubs in the top division have proved they can absorb the jump in pay costs after reporting a combined pre-tax profit for the second successive year - for the first time since 1999. The pre-tax figure of £120m is down 36 per cent on last years record profit of £190m.That takes account of clubs spending a record £870m on players in the summer 2015 transfer window.When not including transfers, Premier League clubs posted an aggregate operating profit of more than £500m, the second highest figure in the history of the competition.The perennial problem for Premier League clubs was to convert impressive revenue growth into profitability, said Dan Jones, partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte.We saw this problem solved with record-breaking results last year. The new challenge was to sustain this financial success, and the Premier League clubs have accomplished this in impressive style in the latest results.Of the 20 clubs in the Premier League, 17 recorded an operating profit in 2014/15.Premier League clubs now enjoy a significant revenue advantage over all but a handful of the biggest clubs from elsewhere in Europe, said Adam Bull, senior consultant in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte.This has earned them a huge and self-perpetuating advantage over continental peers in terms of attracting playing talent. The Premier League is particularly attractive to investors from around the globe. Also See: Premier League video Fixtures Table Live on Sky Cheap Balenciaga Shoes China .Y. - New Orleans forward Anthony Davis was chosen Friday to replace the injured Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star game that will be played in his home city. Air Max 270 Cheap Online . Belfort (24-10) needed just 77 seconds to down Henderson in the headlining bout of Saturdays "UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson" event at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil. The fight served as a rematch of the pairs 2006 meeting, which Henderson won by decision. http://www.brandshoescheaponline.com/wholesale-adidas-shoes-china.html .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in Rochester. Brand Shoes Cheap Online . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. Adidas Shoes Clearance Sale . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr., who missed the final 18 races of last season because of a concussion, has been medically cleared to return next year.Hendrick Motorsports announced Thursday that Earnhardt will take part in the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 26.Dr. Micky Collins, medical director of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program in Pittsburgh, in consultation with Charlotte neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty, cleared the 42-year-old driver Wednesday following a test session at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. Petty attended the session.Dale is one of the hardest-working patients Ive ever encountered, Collins said. Hes done everything weve asked, and we believe he is ready to compete at a professional level again and can withstand the normal forces of a race car driver. Dale has been very open with us, and weve had plenty of time for his treatment, so we feel very good about his long-term prospects and how this haas been managed by everyone involved.ddddddddddddEarnhardt completed 185 laps during a nearly five-hour session at Darlington under the guidance of his Hendrick Motorsports crew chief, Greg Ives. In addition to the on-track test, which was observed by NASCAR, the driver has logged more than 15 hours in a racing simulator during his recovery.I feel great, and Im excited to officially be back, Earnhardt said. I expected things to go really well (Wednesday), and thats exactly what happened. Actually getting in a race car was an important final step, and it gives me a ton of confidence going into 2017.Earnhardt said he would do more testing in January to help knock the rust off ahead of the season-opening race he has won twice.When its time to go to Daytona, Ill be ready, he said.---More AP auto racing: www.racing.ap.org ' ' '