Clan-Members » the very least, should have to address question

The long wait is finally over for Gavin Cooper after the veteran backrower earned a maiden Queensland State of Origin call-up.But it seems there are still plenty of anxious moments ahead for the lanky North Queensland forward.Cooper admitted to Kevin Walters he thought his ship had sailed in Origin after the Queensland coach told the 30-year-old he had finally earned a Maroons call.However, it remains to be seen when Cooper will arrive in the Maroons camp due to the imminent birth of his second child.Cooper - a veteran of 11 NRL seasons - was named as a replacement for injured bench forward Josh Papalii (knee, shoulder) for July 13s Origin III in Sydney.His words were I thought that ship had sailed, Walters said of his congratulatory phone call to Cooper.It goes to show about perseverance and sticking to your trade and doing a good job.In a landmark week for Cooper, he earned his Maroons stripes the same week his second child with wife Tenille was due.It is believed Cooper was a last minute call due to Papaliis late withdrawal and the Cowboys forward was not sighted when the Maroons squad assembled in Brisbane on Monday.Cooper may start on the bench but is expected to form a deadly left edge combination with his Cowboys teammate - Queensland playmaker Johnathan Thurston.He will join fellow Cowboys Thurston, Matt Scott and centre Justin ONeill in the Maroons squad.Its a blessing for Gavin Cooper to have those Cowboys players around him, Walters said.He can drive Johnathan Thurston to be an even better player for Queensland, if that is possible.Cooper - a veteran of 225 NRL games - will be out to make up for lost time after years spent either as a back-up or 18th man to the Maroons.Hes been a great player for the Cowboys over the distance and it will be great to see him get his opportunity on Wednesday week, Walters said.There are a lots of players amongst that Queensland team that are really, really happy to see Gavin finally get an opportunity.Hes been very close a number of times to being selected, even through (previous coach) Mals (Meninga) reign.I know that hed been in and around the team for a long time now and he finally gets his chance so it was a pretty easy decision from our point of view. 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Cheap Jerseys From China ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. We live in a divided nation. Sometimes it feels more like two separate Americas, somehow living side-by-side with different ideals, beliefs and hopes for the future. This may never have been more apparent than during the 2016 presidential election.For as long as I can remember, sports have always been a sanctuary to me -- a rare place in our complicated society where people from all walks of life can come together to cheer on one team. Sure, that may sound hokey, but its also beautiful and perhaps even necessary. Ive made friends and talked to people I never otherwise would have solely because of a shared athletic allegiance.Thanks to the genius of Bill Belichick and the talent of Tom Brady, the New England Patriots -- and their impressive four Super Bowl titles since 2002 -- have helped provide one such space. From sitting in the freezing cold at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, watching a hard-fought victory, to commiserating after a Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants at a dive bar in Boston, the Patriots have created a community for fans where the team is first and politics and other differences fall by the wayside.But now Im conflicted, and I feel as if my sports utopia has been tarnished. Like many Americans, I voted for Hillary Clinton to be our next president, and like most of those voters, Im disappointed and angered with the outcome of Tuesdays election. I dont need to explain why I supported Clinton over Donald Trump. You either agree with me or you dont, but I feel passionately about my decision.Im not alone in New England. Whether you love it or hate it, this part of the country has been a liberal stronghold for decades.On Monday, during one of his final campaign rallies, Trump excitedly announced to a crowd in Manchester, New Hampshire, that Brady and Belichick had offered their support to him. Trump went on to say that both men had given their permission for him to reveal this news to the public.Donald, I support you, youre my friend and I voted for you, Trump said Brady told him over the phone earlier in the day. He then went on to read a letter written by Belichick in which the coach lauded him for his competitive spirit.Youve proved to be the ultimate competitor and fighter, Trump said, reading the letter. Hopefully tomorrows election results will give the opportunity to make America great again.While Brady has since hedged his support and now claims his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, haas asked him to no longer speak about politics, Belichick admitted he wrote the letter but said it was not politically motivated?and instead cited his longtime friendship with Trump as the basis for his endorsement.ddddddddddddAfter briefly addressing Trump during their Wednesday morning news conferences, both Brady and Belichick used their remaining time to try to steer the conversation back to football. Belichick began answering more campaign questions with Seattle, in reference to the teams opponent on Sunday.While Im usually entertained by the Patriot Way and Belichicks terse answers to reporters, Im just not satisfied with this. Trump explicitly stated that both men gave him the OK to share their endorsements with the crowd in New Hampshire. While neither Brady nor Belichick outwardly denied that statement, they certainly didnt publicly endorse him either. But they cant have it both ways. They should be held accountable for their statements and, at the very least, should have to address questions about the topic.As an American first (and a Patriots fan somewhere else down the line), Im horrified with the results of this election. And Im pretty confident I wont be feeling much better by this weekend either. Im genuinely not sure if I can actively cheer for these two men, who clearly hold such different values than I do.I will be the first to admit that my stance is somewhat hypocritical. Im always thrilled when athletes use their voices to champion causes they -- and perhaps more importantly in this case, I?-- believe in. I was proud of LeBron James for supporting Clinton in the swing state of Ohio, and Ive been happy to see Colin Kaepernick, Megan Rapinoe and others attempt to raise awareness about the treatment of black people and police brutality.But my thinking is so far removed from Belichick and Brady -- who will be representing a New England they clearly dont epitomize politically when the Patriots play the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football -- that this for me is different. Justified or not.I know, I know. This is America and Brady and Belichick have every right to support -- publicly or privately -- whomever they want. But, just as they have that right, I have the same choice in whether or not I want to support them in a football game. And this Sunday night, I really dont think I can. ' ' '