at or near No. 23 , making next weeks game at Tennessee the second in eight years in wh

NEW YORK -- WNBA President Lisa Borders applauds the leagues players for taking a stance on social issues. She just wishes the activism was kept off the court.The New York, Phoenix and Indiana teams and players were fined this week for wearing black warmup shirts that addressed the recent shooting by and against police. WNBA rules state that uniforms may not be altered in any way.Borders spent the past two weeks talking with the union and its executive council, trying to come up with ways that both the league and its players could constructively address the Black Lives Matters movement. Nothing concrete was decided.We were making every effort to engage our players, she told The Associated Press by phone Friday night. We made an effort to support them and we were trying to get them to come to the table to have a conversation. The players have an open invitation with the league.Our players are important to us. We believe in them. We want them to be the people they are and were proud of them. We want to make sure they play well on the court and they are happy off the court.Right now, the players arent happy.On social media and in postgame interviews, players are showing their solidarity after the league fined the Liberty, Mercury and Fever players $500 each this week for wearing plain black warmup shirts that violated the leagues uniform policy. The normal fine for a uniform violation is $200. Each team also was fined $5,000.The Rev. Al Sharpton said Saturday his organization, the National Action Network, will pay the $500 fines. He called the penalty unacceptable.Washington Mystics players had shirts saying Black Lives Matters in the locker room after their game Friday night. Seattle Storm and Minnesota Lynx players tweeted out pictures of their teams wearing black shirts featuring a Martin Luther King Jr. quote before their game. They didnt wear those shirts on the court to avoid getting fined.Were sick and tired of waking up every morning and seeing something like this (shootings) happen, Mystics player Ivory Latta said after her team played its final game before the Olympic break. We need change and we have a platform to speak. Dont tell us we have a platform and then you penalize us for our platform for speaking and showing our actions. Thats not right.Borders, on the job for four months, disagreed with the notion that the league was suppressing its players voices.We want the players to know that we have supported them in the past, support them today and will continue to support them in the future, she said. Were not trying to stop them from expressing themselves.The league just doesnt want them to do it on the court if it violates the WNBA uniform rules. The shirts that the players were fined for wearing were the Adidas brand -- the official outfitter of the league.The Adidas black shirts are not regulation, Borders said. They are sponsor appropriate, but the Adidas plain black shirt would not be a regulation-issued shirt.The union felt it was unnecessary for the league to issue a memo this week reminding the players of the uniform policy. Because of that memo, the players and union werent surprised by the fine. They were just disappointed.This isnt about a shirt, but that was the starting point, Terri Jackson, the new operations director of the WNBA Players Association, told the AP. The players want to blog about (Black Lives Matter), tweet about it, do videos. They want to raise visibility and keep the conversation going. They dont want this to die out.Jackson said the unions legal team is looking into what it can do about the fines, which she called excessive. She said the union proposed letting the players have a limited time to express their opinions on the court.We talked about doing it pregame at the 10-minute mark or the 15-minute mark and theyd go back and put on their regulation warmup. Wear the regulation warmups for the national anthem and life goes on. That was declined by the league.While the league begins its monthlong break Saturday, its top players will be playing in Rio at the Olympics. U.S. coach Geno Auriemma said he was proud of their social activism.I respect Tina (Charles) and the players in the WNBA for their concern and their voices and the passion that they have and for their beliefs. I really do, he said, citing the former UConn player and Liberty star for wearing her warmup shirt inside-out before Thursdays game. Im really proud of some of my former players and the way theyve stepped forward and spoken their conscience and express their feelings.The league was still undecided on whether Charles would be fined.Auriemma said if players take actions at the Olympics it would be a difficult balancing act.As far as USA Basketball is concerned, you know, thats a very delicate subject, he said. Obviously each player has an opportunity to be who they want and say what they feel, but at the same time, you are representing the United States of America, and you are part of the Olympic team. ... Im sure itll come up, and well have to deal with it.He said the matter would largely fall to U.S. Olympic and basketball authorities.Both the league and the union hope for constructive conversations during the break. Borders said shell be in Rio for two weeks and will participate in the monthly conference call between the two groups on Aug. 1. She missed the call on July 11 when the shirts initially were discussed.I love this league and its players. Id never do anything to harm the league, franchises or players, Borders said. I want them to understand were here to support them. Weve hit a bump in a road. This too shall pass. Buccaneers T-shirts .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. Buccaneers Jerseys Hoodies . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. http://www.cheaptampabaybuccaneersjerseys.com/ . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. Buccaneers Jerseys Shop . It is a cliché dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around which teams are better than others. Buccaneers Jerseys Online .Y. -- Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Wednesday that J. GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- No. 23 Florida likely will be without quarterback Luke Del Rio against Southeastern Conference rival and 15th-ranked Tennessee next week.Del Rio injured his left knee in a 32-0 victory against North Texas on Saturday night, a huge setback for the Gators and their championship hopes.It doesnt look great, so well do whatever, said coach Jim McElwain, adding that former Purdue starter Austin Appleby would be the next guy up. Somebody else will play and well get some guys ready and move forward and get ready to go play next week.The injury overshadowed a dominant performance by Floridas defense, which allowed a school-record 53 yards on 50 plays. The previous mark was 59 yards allowed against Western Carolina in 2006.Defensive lineman Joshua Wheeler hit Del Rio low at the end of incomplete pass late in the third quarter, drawing a personal-foul penalty. Trainers and coach Jim McElwain rushed to the field as Del Rio ripped off his helmet. Del Rio eventually got up and walked to the locker room without any assistance.But that was hardly the end of it for Florida (3-0). McElwain, who initially believed Wheelers hit was dirty, started yelling at the North Texas (1-2) sideline and had to be restrained by officials and then his players.I obviously took that low hit on Luke awful personal, McElwain said. Im sure his guy was just scrambling trying to make a play, but I really care about these players. I care about them in more ways than just football players, and when you see something like that, its my responsibility when their parents arent here to be their parents.Both teams responded to McElwains tirade by stepping onto the field and moving toward the hash marks.I care about these kids, McElwain said. Theyre minee.dddddddddddd I see something like that, it aint right.On the next play, Florida guard Martez Ivey was ejected for grabbing linebacker Fred Scott by the facemask during a run. Ivey will not be suspended for the first half of next weeks game against the Volunteers.Del Rio completed 14 of 25 passes for 186 yards, with an interception.THE TAKEAWAYNORTH TEXAS: Coach Seth Littrell, a former offensive assistant at Arizona, Indiana and North Carolina, is trying to change the culture at North Texas. Playing the Gators tough early -- the score was 19-0 through three quarters -- was a good start and something to build on in Littrells first season.FLORIDA: The tune-up games are over. While handling UMass, Kentucky and North Texas, Floridas defense was dominant and its offense remains a work in progress -- especially without Del Rio. It remains to be seen how the Gators young and inexperienced offensive line will fare against the meat of the schedule.POLL IMPLICATIONSFlorida should remain at or near No. 23 , making next weeks game at Tennessee the second in eight years in which both rivals were ranked. They also were both ranked in 2012. The Gators, who have won 11 in a row in the series, and Volunteers were both unranked the previous two meetings.UP NEXTNORTH TEXAS: Opens Conference USA play at Rice (0-3). The Mean Green are 2-4 all-time against the Owls.FLORIDA: Plays the Volunteers (3-0) for the 27th consecutive year. Florida is 20-6 during that stretch, including 11 straight wins that mark the longest streak since the programs first played in 1916.---AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '