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Julie Foudy played on the U.S. womens national team for 17 years and won two Olympic gold medals during that time. Her first, in Atlanta in 1996, was especially meaningful, because it was also soccers debut as an Olympic sport.They said womens soccer would never get a World Cup -- or be in the Olympics. But in 1991, we got that World Cup. And in 1993, we found out wed get to be an Olympic sport. We were so pumped. My teammates and I had been fighting for it, so we were very excited get womens soccer in the Olympics -- and to have it in our home country.The crowd went absolutely berserk when the U.S. athletes walked in during the opening ceremony. We were the last country because we were the host nation. Youre waiting forever and waiting forever and then you finally get to go. We were rocking really cute red blazers and little white hats with red trim. (I still have the blazer.)I think Bruce Willis and Demi Moore were the first people we saw on the sideline and we high-fived. I was like, How cool is that? Theyre with their kids, high-fiving people. I dont think I realized how special it was to be in your own country at the time because it was our first Olympics.In the semifinal against Norway, we wanted to show the United States how cool our team was. The crowd was huge -- 64,000 fans -- and this was a period when we were still fighting to get recognition and support, so this was our chance to showcase this group.We had lost to Norway in the World Cup the year before and had to watch the Norwegians do this whole slow centipede victory march after they won, and that was still on our minds. How dare they do that? So we get a chance to get them again -- which we were ecstatic about -- and this time around we knew we werent going to fall to them.At halftime we were down a goal and I remember walking into the locker room and feeling like, Were fine. It was just a totally different atmosphere from the year before. This time, in the end, we got to finish them off.It can get super emotional when youre playing at home. The challenge was not being too pumped because you get so excited and so over-hyped. You dont want to be on this roller coaster of emotions, similar to a sugar high where you come crashing back down.The stadium was packed with more than 76,000 fans for the final against China and we had never really had that before, so you can imagine the excitement. It was always the challenge of appreciating the moment and soaking it in, which we were good at, but not letting that moment drain your energy. We actually talked about it a lot.We knew China was very good. The players were skillful, fit and well-trained, but we also knew this: We could be stronger than them mentally.I might have missed the dog pile. Shannon MacMillan scored the first goal -- and it was key to get in there and get a goal early to calm the nerves. After she scored, I just remember Mac sliding headfirst into the turf and all of us sliding in behind her. I think I ended up a little short of the celebration. Maybe I thought the grass was a little wetter than it was.When we won, we were up there on the podium, belting the national anthem at the top of our lungs. I remember thinking, does it get any better than this? Youre with your best buddies who youve worked so hard with, and to win the first-ever womens soccer gold in your home country, it was insane. It was surreal.We knew right away that people were mad. Only highlights of the final were aired on NBC -- not the whole game. Here you have a packed stadium with chanting Americans and I remember thinking, Wow, that tells you something. Theyre pretty set in how they cover sports and there will be a paradigm shift after this.At the 2000 Olympics, NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol pulled us all in and apologized for not covering us more in 96. He said, We missed out on that one and I take the blame.There was really a feeling that this could be a pivotal moment for women in sports in this country. All of these women in Atlanta -- some we knew, some we didnt -- we all had similar struggles in terms of acceptance and popularity and Title IX. Here we were collectively so successful, which isnt surprising given that many of us had been given the opportunity to play thanks to Title IX. After having to fight for so much, we thought maybe this was the breakthrough that was needed to get people watching and paying attention.On off days at the Olympics we had to be off our feet, so we would lie down and watch all the other sports on TV. We would watch and cheer the other women on all day. That was super fun. I was ecstatic for softball, for basketball, for the gymnasts, knowing that we all had worked so damn hard to get there.The 1996 Olympics also set the stage for the 99 World Cup to happen. At the time, FIFA did not want a big 99 World Cup. They wanted to keep it regional in smaller stadiums in the East. And U.S. Soccer said, No, we want to go big.That 1996 Olympic team somehow had the confidence to keep saying, We can do better. We can do more. We can do bigger. We should set the standard. Thats what I loved about that group.There was always a shared belief that this could be a tipping point for sport and women. And we helped tip it. Sterling Brown Jersey . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. Brian Winters Jersey . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please. https://www.cheapbucksonline.com/ . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game. Milwaukee Bucks Shirts . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. George Hill Jersey . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. The Dallas Mavericks have come to agreements to bring back point guard Deron Williams and restricted free agent forward Dwight Powell, according to sources.Williams is returning on a one-year deal worth $10 million, league sources told ESPNs Marc Stein. Thats twice what Williams made last season, when he signed with his hometown team after taking a buyout from Brooklyn.The Mavericks could match any deal for Powell, whom sources confirmed has agreed to re-sign with Dallas. In a deal first reported by The Vertical, Powell has re-upped for $37 million ?over four years.Powell will hold a player option for the fourth year of the deal, sources told The Vertical. He came to the Mavericks in the Rajon Rondo trade with Boston in December 2014.Williams, 32, has made the transition from All-Star to complementary player the past few seasons. His production dropped dramatically in his last two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, in large parrt due to injuries to both ankles that required major surgeries.dddddddddddd Those were factors that contributed to the Nets decision to pay $27 million to buy out the final two seasons of Williams five-year max contract.Williams produced similar numbers for the Dallas Mavericks last season (14.1 points and 5.8 assists per game) but was a much better value. He signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Mavs but exercised his right to opt out of the second season of the deal.Williams season in Dallas ended prematurely due to a sports hernia that required surgery. After he missed eight games late in the season, he returned but was able to play only 49 postseason minutes in three games before being shut down.Information from ESPN.coms Tim MacMahon and The Associated Press was used in this report. ' ' '