Several LGBT advocacy groups are urging the Big 12 not to admit BYU?as an expansion school, according to a letter obtained by ESPN.com.The news was first reported by FOX Sports.In the letter, dated Aug. 8, Athlete Ally, a non-profit organization that raises LGBT awareness in sports, sent a letter to Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby to express its concerns about the Big 12 candidacy of BYU, which is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.As organizations committed to ending homophobia, biphobia and transphobia both on and off the field of play, we are deeply troubled by this possibility, the letter reads. We feel it would be extremely problematic to include BYU in your conference expansion.Athlete Ally suggests adding BYU would be inconsistent with Big 12 membership values.BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe issued a statement Tuesday on Twitter, saying the school welcomes LGBT players, coaches and fans.Ashland Johnson, a spokesperson for Athlete Ally, told ESPN that the letter was also sent to 10 Big 12 university presidents, faculty reps and senior womens advisors.Johnson said the letter was prompted by the language in BYUs honor code and not a specific incident of discrimination.Currently, the Big 12 as a conference is overwhelmingly LGBT-inclusive, the letter reads. BYU, conversely, actively and openly discriminates against its LGBT students and staff. It provides no protections for LGBT students. In fact, through its policies, BYU is very clear about its intent to discriminate against openly LGBT students, with sanctions that can include suspension or dismissal for being openly LGBT or in a same-sex relationship.The Athlete Ally letter also states that LGBT coaches, players and fans who attend and/or compete at any Big 12 events hosted at BYU would be subject to discrimination since BYU remains exempt from Utahs LGBT nondiscrimination law. Moreover, any student-athlete who identifies as LGBT, and subsequently selects BYU due to its Big 12 membership, would be subjected to BYUs unabashed discrimination.Athlete Ally also accused BYU of not being compliant with Title IX, as an institution that openly discriminates against transgender students.The letter is co-signed by two dozen other like advocacy groups.Johnson said Athlete Ally had not heard back from Bowlsby as of Monday evening.In a statement to FOX Sports, BYU spokesperson Carri Jenkins said, BYU welcomes as full members of the university community all whose conduct meets university standards. We are very clear and open about our honor code, which all students understand and commit to when they apply for admission. Ones stated sexual orientation is not an issue. Dikembe Mutombo Jersey ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. John Williamson Jersey . 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Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. SAN DIEGO -- Padres starter Paul Clemens made his manager laugh Saturday night, then he made him angry.Clemens briefly wore the wrong uniform after getting overzealous with pine tar but still outpitched Jake Thompson in the Philadelphia right-handers major league debut, and San Diego beat the Phillies 9-7 on Saturday night.Clemens began the game with his usual No. 47 but was asked to switch his jersey by the umpires because it had pine tar on it.Before he went up, he put more pine tar on his bat than a lot of guys use in a year, Padres manager Andy Green said. He managed to get it all over his uniform.Clemens switched to No. 91 with Player in the nameplate. He later switched back to his No. 47 before exiting the game after 4 1/3 innings.The snafu got chuckles from teammates, including right-hander Jon Edwards, who taped over the name on his own jersey with Player #2 .That was good for a laugh, Green said.Greens mood soured when Clemens neglected to run out a bunt in the fourth inning. After recording an out in the fifth, Clemens was pulled.To me, throwing the bat and not running to first base on a bunt is not going to happen, Green said.Clemens said he was upset that Thompson went up and in on him on the pitch.I was thinking more about the pitcher and what he did rather than getting down the line quickly, Clemens said. I was more concerned with what transpired between me and the pitcher more so than the game.Green said he wont fine Clemens, but indicated that he had gotten under his skin for other minor things during the game.He made the right decision, Clemens said about Greens disciplinary move. I have the utmost respect for the skipper. I understood it completely.Thompson (0-1) gave up six runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. He was a key partt of last years trade of Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers.ddddddddddddChristian Bethancourt and Yangervis Solarte each had three RBIs.Buddy Baumann (1-0) relieved Clemens and pitched 1 2/3 innings with three strikeouts to earn the victory.Pinch hitter Jimmy Paredes hit a two-run homer to highlight a three-run ninth after San Diego went ahead 9-4 in the eighth.The Padres padded their cushion in the sixth on a two-run single by Solarte, forging ahead 8-3.Consecutive doubles in the fifth pushed the Padres in front 5-3, with Wil Myers hit driving in Travis Jankowski. Ryan Schimpf added a sacrifice fly for a 6-3 edge.Ryan Howards second extra-base hit, a booming double, brought in Maikel Franco after he opened the fourth with a single, slicing the Padres advantage to 4-2. Howard came around on Freddy Galvis groundout, making it 4-3.Howard smacked his 16th homer in the second inning, a one-out blast traveling 421 feet, to pull the Phillies to within 4-1. It was the sixth homer allowed by Clemens in three starts with the Padres.The Padres ambushed Thompson for four first-inning runs as they sent eight batters to the plate for a 4-0 lead.I wasnt nervous, I was kind of amped up, Thompson said. Especially in the first inning, I wasnt able to spin the ball for strikes or get fastballs down in the zone.Phillies manager Pete Mackanin saw a youngster trying to do too much.Thompson was overthrowing obviously, he said. He was pumped up, it was his major league debut. Its obvious he has good stuff, but he just lacked command.Jankowski, who scored four runs, extended his five-game hitting streak with three hits and he reached on a walk. ' ' '