Die Allianz T-D-P » He has to overcome a fair few things

NEW YORK -- Social activism is coming at a cost for WNBA players.The WNBA has fined the Indiana Fever, New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury and their players for wearing black warm up shirts in the wake of recent shootings by and against police officers.All three teams were fined $5,000 and each player was fined $500 as the shirts violated the leagues uniform policy. While the shirts were the Adidas brand -- the official outfitter of the league -- WNBA rules state that uniforms may not be altered in any way.Whats most upsetting is the way it was handled, Indiana Fever player rep Briann January said. You have a league that is 90 -- if not above 90 percent African American -- and you have an issue that is directly affecting them and the people they know and you have a league that isnt willing to side with them.Its not a race issue, not an anti-police issue, not a black or white issue. Its a right or wrong issue.WNBA President Lisa Borders said Wednesday night in statement to The Associated Press the fines were not about the players speaking out on a social issue.We are proud of WNBA players engagement and passionate advocacy for non-violent solutions to difficult social issues but expect them to comply with the leagues uniform guidelines, Borders said.Nonetheless, Indiana Fever All-Star Tamika Catchings, who is retiring at the end of the season and is the president of the players union, is also disappointed in the WNBAs actions.Instead of the league taking a stance with us, where they tell us they appreciate our expressing our concerns like they did for Orlando, were fighting against each other, she said.The league was quick to give every team shirts in support of the Orlando tragedy in June, which the players wore.We were OK with that, we wanted to support that, but also they cant pick and choose what initiatives to support and what not to support just because it doesnt push their agenda, Liberty guard Tanisha Wright said. This is important to us.Typical WNBA fines for technical fouls or such are about half the $500 amount the players were fined for wearing the black shirts. WNBA rookies like New Yorks Adut Bulgak make roughly $40,000, so the fine is about 1/80th of a first-year players salary.The Liberty have worn the plain black shirts four times, including Wednesday morning against Washington. They didnt wear them on Thursday in their matinee game against the Fever opting for their normal black shirts with the Liberty logo. Tina Charles did wear her warmup shirt inside out.After seeing the African American male shot three times after helping an autistic person out this morning in Florida, I knew I couldnt be silent, Charles said after Liberty lost to the Fever. Knowing the player I am representing this organization, if anybody was going to wear it, it had to be me. I have no problem wearing this shirt inside out for the rest of the season until we are able to have the WNBA support us.The players union said that they are in the process of preparing to file a grievance over the fines for the players.In a show of solidarity, the Liberty and Fever chose only to speak after the game about social awareness, politely declining any questions about Thursdays contest.Charles is looking forward to discussing future actions at the Olympics, where shell have a chance to talk with her teammates on the womens national team and NBA players on the U.S. mens team.Being able to see how they feel and what they want to do, coming collectively together, Charles said. Seeing the other 11 WNBA teams, how we basically just did a media blackout, if they are up for doing the same thing.NBA players previously have taken a stand in support of victims from police brutality without being fined. LeBron James and Derrick Rose wore I Cant Breathe shirts in honor of a Staten Island man who died after police placed him a chokehold in 2014. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement after the players wore those shirts supporting the players for their personal views but preferring they adhered to on-court attire rules.No NBA players wore the I Cant Breathe shirts after Silvers statements.I dont see why there would be a reason for those ladies to get fined, Knicks star Carmelo Anthony said at USA Basketball training camp in Las Vegas. Everybody has freedom of speech. This is a platform right now where everyone is affected and everyone shows their frustrations in different ways. And I dont even think it was frustration on their behalf.The WNBA fined players after they ignored a league memo earlier this week to the teams reminding them of the uniform policy. The memo was sent out after Minnesota, New York and Dallas players wore shirts in remembrance of two men who were shot by police and the five Dallas police officers who were killed in an attack on July 7.The Lynx only wore their shirts once and said they will shift their focus to addressing the issue in other ways. After wearing shirts with the hashtag Black Lives Matter and Dallas5 for one game, the Liberty reached what the players said was a compromise, wearing plain black shirts bearing only the Adidas logo. For now they are back to wearing their normal warm ups.The league will go on a monthlong Olympic hiatus beginning Saturday but January said players will continue to actively engage in the social discussion.I think theres a lot of people in our league who are very passionate about it. As a player rep we are going to continue having these conversations, she said. The timing of them releasing the statement and giving us the papers was very timely on their part.---Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg Air Force 1 Online . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. Air Force 1 Clearance . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. https://www.cheapairforce1outlet.com/ . Sulaiman, 44, was chosen unanimously Tuesday in a vote by the leadership, the World Boxing Council said. Sulaiman becomes the sixth president of the organization. Air Force 1 Wholesale . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Air Force 1 Fake . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. Something is not right in Australian cricket, according to former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who described his greatest rivals as being in turmoil, following their recent spate of losses. Graeme Smith said he felt a waning culture was among the reasons for Australias troubles, but also named the rotation policy, the pressure on Steven Smith and a strengthening South Africa as contributing factors.There is obviously a lack of confidence that has developed, maybe through these losses, and the way they collapsed and fell away in that Perth Test. To me, it showed that, maybe, there is a lack of confidence or self-belief in that set-up at the moment. It does show me that there is something thats not right there, Graeme Smith said on the day he and former Australia captain Bill Lawry were made honourees of the Bradman Foundation, at a gala dinner at the SCG.After a 3-0 defeat in the Test series in Sri Lanka, Australia rallied to win the ODIs and T20Is, but then took a young side to play in South Africa, where they were whitewashed 5-0 in the ODI series. Graeme Smith believed that was where the cracks started to show, and that they have only widened after the defeat in the first Test.I was quite surprised at some of the selections that came to South Africa in the one-day series, and that hurt them badly. They lost 5-0, Graeme Smith said. For me, [the Australian team] was obviously built on the skill factor, but it was always built on a hardness, a really strong respect and culture for that Australian environment. I wonder whether its this whole rotation policy, whether some of that has been lost: that culture, that respect within the environment has been lost with so many different players coming through the system.Given the increasingly busy international schedule, most teams - South Africa included - seek to rest players, but Australias decision to leave their first-choice attack at home for the South Africa ODIs was surprising. They may have to do more of the same in the near future, having packed as much cricket as possible into the home summer. Towards the end of the 2016-17 season, Australias T20 side will play against Sri Lanka 16 hours before the Test team plays against India in a fixture collision Graeme Smith thinks will only further contribute to culture dilution.I was surprised at this method of James Sutherland looking to play a Test and T20 at the same time. Its very un-Australian for me, Graeme Smith said. Playing for Australia was something that was always preached to be how proud people were. It just seems like that is in turmoil a littlee bit at the moment.ddddddddddddIn the middle of that mess is Steven Smith, a fairly new captain. Graeme Smith was once in a similar position, and understands what its like to be trying to find your place as a leader. I can resonate with being in that position as a new captain. You have a lot to figure out, and I think you only have to pick up a book or a newspaper to realise there was quite a polarised, abrasive culture within the Australian set-up before he took over, Graeme Smith said. He is probably rebuilding, trying to create his own leadership style - how he wants the team to play, what are the type of players he wants to select - hes probably trying to work that out. Results have gone against him in Sri Lanka, he lost the ODI series in South Africa, and now the first Test at home. He was probably banking on being really strong at home this summer to resurrect things. He has got to ask a lot of questions.One of them is whether David Warner, who led the side to limited-overs victories in Sri Lanka, is better suited to the job. There will be natural debate on who is the right person to lead - should it be the old style, brash David Warner approach, or Steve Smith. He has to overcome a fair few things, but, hopefully, hell be able to do that really quickly, Graeme Smith said.Another is how Steven Smiths South African counterpart, Faf du Plessis, who has only captained in three Tests, only one away from home, and had only a three-man attack to work with, in the words of Graeme, outdid him. Du Plessis, who is leading in AB de Villiers injury-forced absence, continues to make a strong case for being given the role full-time, and it appears he has the backing of Graeme Smith too.Faf has developed hugely of late, he has grown into the role. There was a real void in South African cricket in terms of leadership over the last period. The intellectual capacity around the team in terms of coaching and the selection - they had a three-captain type system and he has stepped in through injuries from AB, and Hash stepping aside, and he has slowly gained the respect and grown himself, Graeme Smith said. Tactically, he outdid Steve Smith on the weekend, the players respect him, he seems to get the best out of them and there is almost a bit of leadership traction and strength developing again in the South African team, which was Iacking through the three-captaincy system and the coaching set-up, and he is slowly bringing that back together. ' ' '