The Original Game » ings in June but since returning in early Augu

Chicago Sky star and reigning WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne is ready to make her mark on the court for the U. Adidas NMD Human Race Sale .S. in her first Olympics. Shes already added to the social conversation by discussing her sexuality for the first time publicly in a?Vogue?article that came out just a few days before the Rio Games opening ceremony.It was just one of those articles where they came into my home, spent a couple days with me, and [fiance] Amanda [Clifton] is a huge part of my life, Delle Donne said. So to leave her out wouldnt have made any sense. Its not a coming-out article or anything. Ive been with her for a very long time now, and people who are close to me know that, and thats that.The story -- which includes news of the couples June engagement -- is as important as it is meaningful. Education, awareness and efforts to create inclusive environments for LGBT athletes have all increased in recent years, but true equality is still a goal, not a reality.Former NBA player John Amaechi came out in 2007, a few years after he retired. He?became the first professional basketball player to openly identify himself?as gay, and his announcement was met with a mix of reactions, from celebration and acceptance to death threats and cries of, Why is this news??In the years since, reactions to athletes discussing their sexual orientation dont appear to have evolved. Amaechi said Monday on my Thats What She Said podcast that those who try?to shout down coverage of gay athletes do so to quiet the movement toward equality, not because they truly believe a high-profile player coming out is no longer newsworthy.Its not a naive response, Amaechi said. Its a calculated response. ... Its the kind of thing people say when they want you to shut up about it. But they dont want you to shut up about it because they actually believe equality has been met. They want you to shut up about it because they know it hasnt. And they dont want you to further this, because theyre uncomfortable about it.Amaechi and I also discussed the reaction to stories in which women speak openly about their sexuality versus stories in which men do the same. A greater acceptance of LGBT female athletes seems to be in no small part due to the fact that its easier to fulfill a stereotype than it is to shatter an expectation.I think misogyny is at the root of homophobia. Amaechi said. What men often hate, without saying the words -- they often lack the nuance to say it -- but what they hate about gay men is the idea that a gay man is a man whos trying to be more like a woman. Or is?more like a woman, by virtue of their sexuality ... who cedes their masculinity to be a gay person. And they resent that deeply.Its not easier [for women to come out], Amaechi said. Its just that stupid people find it more acceptable.Delle Donne is one of?a record number of out LGBT athletes competing in Rio, and already at the Games weve seen signs of progress and regression when it comes to acceptance.?USA Today Sports reported that the crowd inside Maracana Stadium cheered when two men were shown kissing on a kiss cam before the opening ceremony and that the trans community was well represented in the parade of athletes. But just the day before, members of the U.S. womens soccer team were subjected to homophobic slurs shouted by fans during their opening match with New Zealand.Groups such as You Can Play?continue to push for inclusivity and safe sporting environments, athletes like Delle Donne inspire people looking for role models and leagues establish punishments for homophobic slurs and actions. But homophobia remains deeply rooted in many locker rooms and across the sports landscape. Its crucial that the media continues to cover these issues and for LGBT athletes and their allies to keep having nuanced conversations and keep pushing educational efforts.If we didnt cover it, we would regress, Amaechi said. We would go back in time. People would not be exposed to gay people and say: Oh, you know, my hair hasnt gone on fire and my son hasnt turned gay. Nothing bad has happened.When we choose not to act, when we choose to ignore ignorance, it flourishes. When we choose not to refute hate, it burns. Adidas NMD R1 Wholesale . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at . Adidas NMD Womens Pink . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. http://www.cheapnmdonline.com/wholesale-...-xr1-china.html . Their 38th instalment is arguably their biggest fight card to date, including three-title fights and a main event which was selected by the fans. The promotion boasts 14-straight years of business and is operated by MFC president Mark Pavelich, who is often overlooked in this country for the foundation hes established for MMA in Canada. MILWAUKEE -- There are a lot of reasons the Chicago Cubs are making a laughing stock of the National League Playoff race, but their bench corps might be the teams most overlooked component.Monday, it was a pair of reserves -- Chris Coghlan and Miguel Montero -- who led the way, combining for four hits, three RBI and a pair of runs as Chicago rallied late for a 7-1 victory at Milwaukee.Were so deep, said Coghlan, who went 2-for-2 and drove in three after entering the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. (Manager) Joe (Maddon) picks his spots, gives guys breathers and the guys on the bench can be playing every day for different teams.Coghlan was dealt to Oakland in February but returned though a June trade and is hitting .231 in 65 at-bats. Montero began the season as Chicagos starting catcher but lost that job in August after prospect Wilson Contreras was summoned from Triple-A.I give them a lot of credit, because it would be easy to turn the dimmer switch down a bit, and they have not, Maddon said. Theyve gone the other way.Chicago will try to take another step toward locking down a postseason berth Tuesday when Jason Hammel takes the mound against the Brewers at Miller Park.Hammel snapped a two-game losing streak with his last outing, giving up just a run on three hits with three walks and six strikeouts over six innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates.He was really good, Maddon said. His stuff was very good.Hammel has thrived against the Brewers. In 14 career starrts, hes 10-1 against them with a 2. Adidas NMD R2 Cheap. 50 ERA , and is 1-1 this season after tossing seven scoreless innings on Aug. 16 at Wrigley Field.Milwaukee, which had won four in a row before dropping the series opener, looks to get back to its winning ways behind right-hander Wily Peralta.Peralta had the worst ERA (6.68) among qualifiers when he was demoted to Triple-A Colorado Springs in June but since returning in early August, he has a 3.00 ERA over his last five starts and is starting to look much more like the pitcher Milwaukee had in mind when Peralta was named the teams opening day starter.Peralta took the no-decision his last time out but pitched well, holding the St. Louis Cardinals to just a run on three hits with 10 strikeouts over a season-best seven innings in a 2-1 loss at Miller Park.That was his best start of the year, for sure, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. The slider and the fastball were both equally good. The fastball was down and heavy, the slider was certainly swing-and-miss tonight. He pitched very, very well. Hes really strung together a bunch of good starts since hes been back. Hes pitched well since hes been back, hes pitched very well.The Cubs, though, have been a bit of a nemesis for him. Peraltas faced Chicago 11 times over his career, going 3-7 with a 4.09 ERA. He has yet to face the Cubs this season. ' ' '