Jason Collins is the NBAs only openly gay athlete and he also happens to be an unemployed free agent. Coincidence? When Collins shared his sexuality with the world six months ago, he was hailed as a trailblazer and applauded for his courage. But Collins is a decade removed from anchoring the New Jersey Nets on back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals, and even the causal basketball fan knew he was on the downside of his career. Collins isnt Jackie Robinson, a young undeniable force poised to break down barriers, so when his name wasnt on an NBA roster on opening night, few were surprised. Collins sexuality wasnt what was holding him back from being in the league, but his talent. The 34 year-old centre had lost a step over the years and was always limited offensively, to the tune of 3.6 points per game for his career. But Collins strength is his ability to provide interior defence, rebound and supply relief minutes off the bench. His age also works in his favour as a veteran who acts accordingly, and as a solid locker room presence. However, those are costly positives at the NBA veterans minimum of $1.4 million, as teams are wary of entering the luxury tax. Collins absence in the league can be reasonably chalked up to one of the best blanket explanations in all of sports: "basketball decisions." According to Ric Bucher at Bleacher Report, several general managers said in October the apprehension of signing Collins didnt stem from concern about the locker room and his teammates, but the non-stop media hype that would come from it. "If it were just an initial blast and you knew it would settle down after that, it would be one thing," said one executive. "But you know this is something that he and his teammates are going to be asked about everywhere they go, all season long, and all it takes is one guy to say something a little off and it could really blow up. Hes still good enough to play in the league, but when you throw in the ongoing media frenzy, most teams are going to decide its just not worth it." Already this season, three starting centres (Tyson Chandler, JaVale McGee, Larry Sanders), have suffered injuries that will keep them off the court for 5-6 weeks or more. In the quest for back-up support, Collins was again overlooked. When Golden State Warriors reserve Jermaine ONeal went down with a knee injury last week, the Warriors braintrust, "entertained the idea of asking assistant coach Brian Scalabrine to come out of retirement to fill the void." Scalabrine would also be entitled to the veterans minimum and ironically came into the league with Collins as rookie teammates on the Nets. The Warriors subsequently called up rookie Dewayne Dedmon from their D-League affiliate. While the notion of going with a younger, cheaper player is just smart business, the idea that there is a not-worth-the-hassle notion amongst general managers when it comes to Collins shows that his sexuality is an issue. Jason Collins isnt as talented as Jackie Robinson; he is a serviceable NBA player on the fringe. But if opportunities exist and teams continue to look past him due to concerns over the media fallout of his sexuality, he is being discriminated against just the same as Robinson was in 1947. This isnt a basketball decision and no one, not even Collins wants to be in the league because hes gay; he just wants to play and feels he can contribute. This isnt a situation of players acting ignorant or insensitive, but shortsighted gatekeepers, of which one wouldve likely signed Collins this season, if they were unaware of his sexuality, and thats a bigger problem. . The incident occurred at 6:28 of the first period in Anaheims 6-3 home win over Dallas on Sunday. Garbutt left the penalty box and skated at Penner before leaving his skates to deliver a check. .Y. -- Florida Panthers captain Ed Jovanovski finally has something to show for all the pain he went through in overcoming a string of injuries that kept him sidelined for much of the past two years.
http://www.cheaplsujerseys.com/.Simon will work with head coach Gord Dineen and associate coach Derek King behind the bench of the Toronto Maple Leafs American Hockey League affiliate for the 2014-15 season. .Brooks, a three-year veteran, was slow to get up after suffering the injury during a 5-yard run by Arian Foster.Brooks limped off the field midway through the quarter and then slowly walked to the locker room a few minutes later. . 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.TORONTO - A field of 12 Canadian-bred three-year-olds will do battle today at Woodbine in the $500,000 Breeders Stakes, the third jewel of Canadas Triple Crown of Racing. The 124th edition of the Breeders, at one and one-half miles over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, can be seen live on TSN at 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt. The winner earns $300,000. All horses carry 126 pounds. There is no Triple Crown on the line this year, though. Filly Lexie Lou won the first leg, the famous Queens Plate on July 6, but did not contest the second leg, the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie on July 29, which was won by Coltimus Prime. It marks the 11th straight year without a Triple Crown champion in Canada. Wando was the last to achieve the impressive three-race sweep in 2003. However, there is one horse in this years Breeders who has competed in the first two legs and accredited himself well. That is Ivan Dalos homebred Amis Holiday, who finished a closing second in the Plate, one and one-half lengths behind Lexie Lou, then was third in the Prince of Wales, four and one-quarter lengths behind Coltimus Prime. Although hell making his turf debut, the son of Harlans Holiday-Victorious Ami sizzled five furlongs in a turf workout last Sunday for trainer Josie Carroll, clocked in a bullet 59 1/5 seconds, handily. Said Carroll, a two-time winner of the Queens Plate with Edenwold in 2006 and Inglorious in 2011, "We made a last minute decision to enter him. He worked extremely well on the turf. He really seemed to take to it and we thought he deserved to give it a try. He came out of those last two races really well or we were going to wait for the Ontario Derby (September 21)." Amis Holiday, the 2-1 morning line choice who won last years Grade 3 Grey Stakes, is the fields leading money winner with $448,392 and will once again be handled by jockey Luis Contreras, who won the 2011 Breeders aboard Pender Harbour. Carroll will also saddle another Dalos homebred, Keen Gizmo, a one-time winner in eight starts, who was most recently third in a one mile allowance while making his turf debut, with Omar Moreno named to ride. Stronach Stables impeccably bred Unikat, trained by Brian Lynch and ridden by David Moran, will also command plenty of support at the windows, listed as the 4-1 second choice. The son of Galileo-Dreamtheimpossible enters off an impressive three and three-quarter length score in a mile and one-quarter maiden turf contest on July 9. His only previous starts came on turf at Gulfstream Park in Florida during February and March. Stronach has won three Breeders (Blitzer, 1992; Basqueian, 1994; Royal Challenger, 2006), while Lynch has won twoo (Royal Challenger, 2006; Miami Deco, 2010).dddddddddddd. Miami Deco, the last maiden to win the Breeders, was also its highest-priced winner, paying $132.10 to win. Lynch will also saddle J.M. Stritzl Stables Squeeze the King, with Eurico Rosa da Silva up. The son of Niigon, who has been supplemented to the race for $12,500, recently broke his maiden on turf on July 12 after just missing in his career debut in June on Polytrack. Rosa da Silva won last years Breeders on favoured Up With the Birds. Trainer Mark Casse, a six-time Sovereign Award winner who finally celebrated his first Plate win this year with Lexie Lou, will send out Stoneway Farms East Side, as he seeks a second Breeders win following Marchfield in 2007. East Side, a son of turf champion English Channel, with Justin Stein up, is a one-time winner in four outings and was most recently sixth to Coltimus Prime in the Prince of Wales. Completing the field is two-time winner Niigon Express, who finished a credible fifth in the Queens Plate and will have three-time (Wando, 2003; Royal Challenger,2006; Marchfield, 2007) Breeders winner Patrick Husbands aboard; Sine Metu, also a two-time winner for trainer and co-owner Tom OKeefe; one-time winners Bangkok and Big Red Bugsy, another supplemental entry, and maidens Interpol, Milwaukee Flash and Smart Spree, who was most recently fourth in the Prince of Wales and is trained by Mark Frostad, a four-time winner of the Breeders (Charlies Dewan, 1995; Chief Bearhart, 1996; Portcullis, 2002; Irish Mission, 2012). In addition to Amis Holiday, three others - East Side, Milwaukee Flash and Niigon Express will be seeing grass for the first time. Last years Breeders winner, Up With the Birds, who is competing Saturday in the Arlington Million in Chicago, went on to earn Sovereign Awards as Canadas top three-year-old colt and Horse of the Year for 2013. FIELD FOR THE $500,000 BREEDERS STAKESSunday, August 17, Race 9, Post time 5:12 p.m.One mile and one-half, E.P. Taylor Turf Course Post / Horse / Jockey / Trainer / Morning line1 / Keen Gizmo / Omar Moreno / Josie Carroll / 12-12 / Niigon Express / Patrick Husbands / Paul Attard/ 6-13 / Sine Metu / Gerry Olguin / Tom OKeefe / 10-14 / Squeeze the King / Eurico Rosa da Silva / Brian Lynch / 10-15 / Big Red Bugsy / Emma-Jayne Wilson / Ian Black / 12-16 / East Side / Justin Stein / Mark Casse / 20-17 / Bangkok / Gary Boulanger / Phil Gracey / 15-18 / Amis Holiday / Luis Contreras / Josie Carroll / 2-19 / Smart Spree / Steve Bahen / Mark Frostad / 12-110 / Unikat / David Moran / Brian Lynch / 4-111 / Milwaukee Flash / Sheena Ryan / Mike Doyle / 30-112 / Interpol / Jesse Campbell / Sid Attard / 20-1 ' ' '
