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So we’re now halfway through our trip and the third leg of the World Rugby HSBC Women’s Sevens Series in Atlanta is over and done with. Benardrick McKinney Jersey . Atlanta was a good tournament for us, we beat Australia who have been the best team in the world this year, Fiji, Columbia, Russia and Canada, losing only to New Zealand in the semi-finals. Sevens is a funny game, the way it is formatted means you can lose a number of games and ultimately still win the tournament.Like us, Australia only lost one game all tournament and went on to win the competition, whereas America also only lost one game all tournament but finished fifth to win the Plate. Essentially, if you can make it through your group, day two is like a whole other competition. This is why sevens is such an exciting and unpredictable game to watch, which is great for supporters and certainly keeps you on your toes as a player.We drew Russia in our quarter-final, the exact repeat of what happened this time last year in Atlanta. Thankfully the result wasnt the same. Losing in a quarter-final is probably one of the worst feelings playing sevens. You then spend the rest of the day, two more games, fighting for something that you dont really want (fifth place).Additionally, the quality of teams now means that the Plate is often as tough as the cup competition. Luckily that wasnt something we had to contemplate at this tournament. Nothing like playing cards while basking in the sunshine Six games in two days are tough and trying to switch off and relax in between games is essential but tricky. This tournament Bananagrams and card games were leading the charge in the down time.Bananagrams is a quick fire scrabble type word game which is highly addictive. It is certainly a good time filler. Depending on who you are playing it can be rather amusing as we dont necessarily boast a team full of gifted spellers.I shall leave those players nameless to spare their blushes but safe to say a couple of the girls have realised there is in fact a difference between slang and proper English.Were now in Victoria, Vancouver Island, one of the nicest places we are fortunate enough to visit during the series (IMO). It also plays host to the fattest seals you will ever see. Feeding some of the local residents in Victoria We are staying right near the harbour, so taking a gentle stroll down there in some down time is a nice relaxing way to get out of the hotel and some sea air. The resident seals are always there waiting, floating on the surface due to their slightly larger than normal body mass.Despite this, we bought some fish and fed them and as soon as a certain player (again nameless) had realised that they were seals and not indeed otters, we headed back to the hotel.This weekend will again be a tough test for us, having only a week to recover is challenging for all teams and so it will be a mental battle of will as much as a physical battle. We played some good stuff in Atlanta and have been working hard to rectify some things that werent so great. Langford will be another tough test, and as I said if we can make the second day in a good position its game on. Also See: SportsWomen Latest Show News Latest News SportsWomen Video Natrell Jamerson Jersey . Calgarys Bo Levi Mitchell and Montreals Troy Smith will be the starting quarterbacks in a CFL season-opener for the first time in their careers. Both want to reinforce their No. 1 status. You can watch the game live in the first half of a doubleheader on TSN and TSN GO at 3:00pm et/Noon pt. Demaryius Thomas Jersey . Not bad for a defenceman. The goal, that is. Although the shuffling dance steps werent bad, either. Barrie scored 55 seconds into overtime, Semyon Varlamov stopped 29 shots, and the Avalanche moved a step closer to their first playoff berth in four years with a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night. http://www.officialhoustontexansfootball.com/authentic-keke-coutee-jersey-womens . - Benched Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman said he has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and voluntarily entered the NFL substance abuse program more than a year ago after mistakenly taking a medication to treat the condition.BERLIN -- A former World Cup player from Germany came out as gay on Wednesday, rebuking the Russian anti-gay law that threatens to tarnish next months Sochi Olympics and challenging the longstanding stigma against homosexuality in football. With his announcement, Thomas Hitzlsperger became the biggest name in football to declare he is gay. He said he wants to help break down the prejudice against homosexuality that has long permeated the macho, testosterone-fueled culture of the worlds most popular sport. "I am expressing my sexuality because I want to promote the discussion of homosexuality among professional athletes," Hitzlsperger said in the German newspaper Die Zeit, a statement that was widely welcomed by his countrymen and former teammates. His disclosure came less than a month before the start of the Winter Games in Sochi, which have been the focus of a furious backlash in the West against a recently enacted Russian law banning gay "propaganda." The Olympics "are ahead of us, and I think we need some critical voices to counter the campaigns by various governments against homosexuality," Hitzlsperger said. Before retiring from the game four months ago, the 31-year-old former midfielder played in Englands Premier League and in Germany as well as Italy. He is the first German player to come out and the first from the Premier League. The fact that Hitzlsperger waited until his career was over to make the announcement reflected the persistent taboo in the game, where many players are reluctant to discuss homosexuality because they fear the reaction of teammates and fans. Hitzlsperger said he felt the time was right to broach a subject that was "simply ignored." "I get particularly annoyed by the fact that people who know the least are precisely the people to talk the loudest about this issue," he added, noting that the word "gay" is commonly used as a slur against footballers. At many football grounds, sexually themed chants are not uncommon. Fans in Britain sometimes chant songs that are viewed as religiously, sexually or racially offensive. In many European countries, especially in Russia and Eastern Europe, thousands of fans chant obscene songs, defying all attempts to stop them. Hitzlsperger said his own record shattered the idea that gays are "sissies." "I was a pretty tough guy with an extremely strong shot. Thats not something many can claim," he said. "My nickname is The Hammer. Its complete nonsense that gay men are unmanly." In England, outspoken Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton praised Hitzlsperger for his "courage" but lamented that he had to wait until now to make his announcement. "Sad times when people have to wait until they retire from their chosen profession before they feel other people will judge them solely on who the human being is," Barton said on Twitter. "Shame on all of us as a society." Hitzlsperger said he grew up in a small community in Catholic-dominated Bavaria, where homosexuality was treated as something unnatural or even criminal. He had a long-term relationship with a girlfriend and planned to marry her. "But then after eight yeears, the relationship ended without my partner knowing about my feelings for men. Ryan Griffin Jersey. That was six years ago," Hitzlsperger said. "Only in the last few years did it dawn on me that I would rather live with a man." Hitzlsperger represented Germany at the 2006 World Cup and 2008 European Championship. He played for Bayern Munichs youth teams before switching to English club Aston Villa in 2001. He later played for Stuttgart, Italian club Lazio, West Ham, Wolfsburg and then Everton in the Premier League. "Homosexuality is not a serious issue in England, Germany or Italy, not in the dressing room in any case," said Hitzlsperger, who made 52 appearances for Germanys national team from 2004 to 2010. "Thats why its not easy to find anyone in the football scene who will talk publicly about his sexual orientation. To this day, I dont know any footballer personally who has made this an issue. "I was never ashamed of how I am," said Hitzlsperger, adding that the behaviour of some of his teammates was sometimes hard to take. "Think about it. There are 20 young men sitting around a table drinking. You let most of it go, as long as the jokes are halfway funny and the rubbish about homosexuals is not hugely offensive." Last February, American player Robbie Rogers declared he was gay before announcing his retirement. He returned to action with the Los Angeles Galaxy after an overwhelmingly positive reaction to his declaration. Former English player Justin Fashanu, who played for Norwich and Nottingham Forest, was the first footballer to say openly that he was gay in 1990. He committed suicide eight years later at age 37. Swedish defender Anton Hysen came out in 2011. Athletes from other sports have also spoken about their sexuality. Last month, British Olympic diver Tom Daley said he was in a relationship with a man. Other high-profile gay athletes include former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas, English cricketer Steven Davies and former NBA players Jason Collins and John Amaechi. On Twitter, German forward Lukas Podolski welcomed his former international teammates announcement, calling it "brave and right" and "an important sign in our time." Another former international teammate, Arne Friedrich, tweeted, "Im proud of you. Good decision and at the right time in my opinion." Government spokesman Steffen Seibert praised Hitzlspergers announcement on behalf of Chancellor Angela Merkel. "We judge footballers by whether they conduct themselves well and with dignity on and off the pitch, and I believe both are true for Mr. Hitzlsperger," Seibert said. German football federation president Wolfgang Niersbach said Hitzlsperger "was always an example for whom I had the highest respect, and this respect is even greater now." Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff said players were unaware of Hitzlspergers sexuality until after his retirement, when the player informed both him and Germany coach Joachim Loew. Said Bierhoff: "Well give him every support so he can continue on his courageous path." Loew hoped Hitzlspergers "announcement helps us all to be more relaxed about this issue." China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Online Stitched Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Outlet College Jerseys For Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys For Sale Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '