Whether or not Minnesota plays in the Holiday Bowl on Dec.
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On Sale . 27 is the least important part of the standoff thats
developing between the football players and the administration over whether 10
players have been fairly suspended around a case of alleged rape.If the school
doesnt go to the bowl game, it stands to lose a big revenue opportunity and
leaves players with lingering questions about due process. If the administration
capitulates, it conveys in no uncertain terms that football is more important
than a sexual assault investigation.Truthfully, football always has been more
important.This particular case hinges on the idea of consent. According to
police records, a woman told officers she was drunk when she was sexually
assaulted in a players apartment by several men on Sept. 2, including some of
the suspended players. She said her sexual contact with two men may have been
consensual but that her contact with four of them was not. Other people were in
the room while this happened, but prosecutors declined to take the case forward,
citing lack of evidence.?The university started its own Title IX investigation
at the same time as the polices investigation, a source told ESPN. According to
a report by ESPNs Adam Rittenberg, the primary issue for the boycott was the
school suspending the players before a hearing based on the Title IX
investigation had been held. That hearing wouldnt have taken place until
January, after the bowl game.Football players and parent Antoine Winfield are
saying they arent sure why these players have been suspended in the middle of
the football season. And to be sure, those players do have rights in the
Minnesota investigation.Concern about those rights has resulted in one of the
rare instances in which athletes have banded together and refused to play
football because they believe in something more than wins and losses. The
boycott, involving all the players of the team, represents exactly what you want
to see in some ways -- a group bonded, calling each other brothers, loyal above
all to each other. Thats admirable. And yet, as more than one person has pointed
out on Twitter, it would be nice to see a team boycott to defend alleged victims
of sexual assault.Earlier this year, a player at Baylor insinuated that the team
would wear black in support of Art Briles, their former coach who reportedly
knew about sexual assaults allegedly perpetrated by players and didnt report
those incidents.Unity is a great trait in a football team. However, when it
comes to sexual assault, the togetherness creates an us-against-them mentality
that sends a clear message to those who might need to report a rape against a
member of a team: We will fight back. With numbers.Unlike Baylors players,
Minnesotas team may be putting into place a challenge to Title IX. A statement
made by wide receiver Drew Wolitarsky was full of legalese, such as saying the
school breeched fiduciary duty to the players by implementing the suspension.
Now, Wolitarsky or some other player on the team could be legally minded, but
its not news that opponents of Title IX have been looking for the test-case to
unhook the law from cases of rape and sexual assault at universities, which it
now protects. For the laws dissenters, Wolitarskys reference to an unjust Title
IX investigation may be a crumb to build on.Despite Wolitarskys conjecture,
theres a difference between the legal standard in a courtroom for conviction --
beyond a reasonable doubt -- and what is required for an institution to find a
student violated the rights of another person. For survivors of rape and
assault, the college setting can provide more support -- for example, making
sure the accused and accusers dont end up in the same classes or dorms while an
investigation is taking place. Thats something the legal system cant control.
There are also actions that can be grounds for expulsion that arent grounds for
criminal prosecution -- say, plagiarism of a term paper.Weve heard from the
players and a parent, but we havent heard the voice of the other party in this
case: the victim of the alleged crime. Without it, we can listen to players and
hope they are treated fairly and with justice. We can hope the school is
operating along the guidelines it has set to ensure the rights of the accused
and the accuser. But we cannot think we have the entire story.Whether its
college football, the NFL or beyond, if sports leagues are going to take sexual
assault seriously, there may be times it conflicts with the game. And thats
really OK. The most important lesson each of the parties in this case stands to
learn will come off the field -- about consent, their rights and others rights
and about choosing your causes carefully.
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From China . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at
Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style.
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Shoes . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying
to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on
Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and
the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it.
http://www.niketanjuncheap.com/ . -- Matt
Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights
extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3
on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Beale Street had
never hosted this kind of celebration before. Thats because the Memphis
Grizzlies?never had a high-priced free agent say yes. Chandler Parsons ended
that drought for the Grizzlies, agreeing to come to Memphis on a four-year
maximum deal worth more than $94 million.The franchise wanted its fans to share
in the joy of Parsons arrival, so they turned his introductory news conference
into a festival, lining up food trucks outside FedEx Forum and inviting the
public into the plaza to welcome Parsons.This is the guy weve been seeking for a
number of years, Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said as Parsons sat by
his side and smiled, sporting a skinny-fitting plum suit and dark blue loafers
with no socks. He fits the description for that perimeter star to a T that weve
been searching so aggressively for for so many years.?Why did Parsons choose
Memphis? What will be different from his injury-marred, disappointing,
two-season stint with the Dallas Mavericks? How will the part-time model fit
with the Grizzlies gritty culture? During a conversation with ESPN.com, Parsons
talked about his official introduction to Memphis -- while chowing down a burger
and fries.ESPN: Should it be Grit, Grind n Glamour now that youre with the
Grizzlies?Parsons: No, I dont think so. Grit n Grind is something that this core
group of guys with Marc [Gasol], Mike [Conley], Z-Bo [Zach Randolph] and Tony
[Allen]?have established here. Its something special. Its in their DNA, and its
in their culture and in this community. Maybe not by looking at me -- I kind of
have the pretty-boy tag -- but thats not me. I compete, I play hard, Im tough.
Thats kind of how I got my niche in the league, doing all the dirty things.
Playing under Kevin McHale, I was taught from my rookie year to take charges,
dive on the floor.As my career has progressed, Ive changed a little bit, but
thats who I am as well. I think you add a guy like me whos hungry and willing to
take the big shot and really be the versatile forward that this teams been
missing. I think my game really complements their game and vice versa. Grit n
Grind or not, I think were going to mesh very, very well together, and I think
those guys are a perfect group of players to play with me.ESPN: Theyve
established a very tough, physical identity. What do you think you can bring to
Memphis that the Grizzlies havent had?Parsons: I think I can just bring that
forward who can ... make big plays and score and, like I said, can take the big
shot and play off those other four guys. Im very unselfish. Im very versatile. I
think I can make those guys better, as well as they can make me better. I can
stretch the floor and shoot when we go big with the two big guys inside, and I
can get out and run and play the 4 when we go small. I think I just help them
with more of a versatile look.ESPN: You had max offers and meetings with the
Trail Blazers and Grizzlies in the first 24 hours of free agency. You committed
to Memphis on the spot after that meeting. Why Memphis over Portland?Parsons: It
was a very, very tough decision. I have nothing but respect for Portland and
what theyre doing, and I think they have a tremendous future. This really just
came down to a gut feeling of mine. I felt extremely comfortable with the
management and coach [David] Fizdale. We hit it off right away. We had a past
relationship with him being my coach in the Rookie-Sophomore game, and I
actually randomly saw him in Orlando with my parents and stopped and talked to
him for like 30 minutes when he was still with Miami.Just looking at his body of
work with what hes done with wings in the league and his vision for me, it just
felt right. It basically came down to me being comfortable and trusting the
coaching staff. They made unbelievable points about how my usage rate has been
down my entire career. The way hes going to use me in this offense, I think I
can really flourish and be the best player I can be.ESPN: You felt the same way
going to Dallas, and that role never really materialized like you envisioned.
Why do you think it didnt happen in Dallas and why will it be different in
Memphis?Parsons: I was only there two years. The first year was about getting my
feet wet. We had good scorers with Monta [Ellis] and Dirk [Nowitzki]?doing their
thing, and I kind of just tried to fill a role and do anything I can. Obviously,
I was sidelined with unfortunate injuries, which was completely out of my
control. But I never really had the opportunity, the keys to the offense. I
loved playing for coach [Rick] Carlisle. He was very, very good for me, and we
have a special relationship thatt will continue even though Im not playing
there, and learning from a guy like Dirk was great.
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Online. But this just seems like a new, fresh start for me. I have
a young head coach that is a huge fan of my game and is just simply looking at
numbers and seeing that my usage rate hasnt been up. If you look at guys whose
[production] compares to mine, comparing usage rate numbers, mines extremely
low. I think [Fizdale] is going to obviously bump that up, and with the
personnel thats on the roster right now for Memphis, its a perfect fit. Well be
able to play off each other very well. Coach Fizdales system, the way he coached
guys like LeBron [James]?and [Dwyane] Wade and Joe Johnson in Atlanta, thats how
I want to be coached. Thats how he sees me.ESPN: Are you disappointed that the
Mavericks -- and especially Mark Cuban, considering your relationship -- didnt
really make much of an effort to keep you?Parsons: It was more shocking. It is a
business and I understand that aspect of it. I think the fans of Dallas were
great, but they dont really understand the whole story of everything. If they
did, they wouldnt have negative feelings towards me. Everything I did in Dallas
was for the team and for the organization and for the city. Whether thats
recruiting DeAndre Jordan, putting my absolute heart into that, although it
didnt work, that was to make our franchise better and to help us win games.
Getting hurt two times, thats just bad luck. Its kind of sickening when you see
fans write something about your injuries or my knees, like thats in my control.I
obviously wish things went a little bit differently in Dallas and that I was
healthy and able to play in the playoffs, but like I said, everything Ive done
for them, whether it was coming off the bench or getting hurt or recruiting,
that was all for [the fans]. I have no bad feelings toward them. I obviously
thought I was going to be in Dallas a lot longer than I was, but its a business
and Mark has to make decisions. He makes mostly all of them, so this was on
him.ESPN: People look at you and see you as a Hollywood kind of guy, a guy who
enjoys the nightlife and being around celebrities and that sort of thing. What
made Memphis a fit?Parsons: This is a perfect example of how people can be
misunderstood and misjudged. This decision was clearly based on basketball and
fit and me being comfortable. I think its kind of strange when players get
knocked for having off-the-court marketing deals. I enjoy that kind of stuff,
but at the same time, I understand that I dont have any of that without
basketball. Me making this decision to come to Memphis should show everybody
that basketball is obviously my No. 1 priority. I think we have something
special here and were going to win here. All the other stuff comes after that.
Hollywood or pretty boy, whatever, I just made a decision to come to the grit n
grind city of Memphis for a reason. Thats to play basketball and win.ESPN: You
had a lot of conversations with Mike Conley during the free-agency process. You
were in the position to be recruited instead of doing the recruiting. What did
he tell you that might have helped sell you on Memphis?Parsons: First of all,
that he was coming back to Memphis, that that was a done deal. That was a big
point for me. I wanted him here, for me to know before going into the meeting
[with the Grizzlies]. He was just honest. He told me about the city, told me
about the culture, told me about how unbelievable the fans are here. Its just a
match. Hes one of those guys thats just such an unselfish, hard-nosed, tough
player that Ive always respected my whole career. Im just glad Ive got a chance
now to have him as the leader of this team.ESPN: Grizzlies fans are excited
because youre the biggest free agent who has picked Memphis. Theyve got the
hashtag #Chose901. Can you get other guys next summer and in the years down the
road to join you here?Parsons: This season is going to tell a lot. Obviously, we
have to compete and we have to win. Its got to be a good situation for free
agents to come here. Just because I have a reputation for being a recruiter
doesnt mean that guys are automatically going to come here, but if we win at a
high level, then I think it puts Memphis in that destination spot. Although guys
might like the bright lights and big cities, youre in the NBA to play basketball
and compete for championships. I think we have a really, really good core here.
We have an unbelievable coaching staff. Now we just have to put it all together.
' ' '