Clan-Members » Thunder guard Victor Oladipo told Complex on Thursday

BOSTON -- Sean The Cannon Gannons claim to fame was a bloody, bare-knuckle fight he had with another mixed martial arts fighter. His day job as a Boston police officer hasnt been quite as action-packed.For the past decade, Gannon has been restricted to desk duty because police officials say his cognitive abilities have been affected by concussions he received during his fighting career. The city says public safety could be jeopardized if Gannon is allowed to work as an armed street cop.Gannon, however, insists he can fully perform all the tasks of his job as a police officer and has been cleared for duty by numerous doctors. Next week, the Massachusetts top court will be asked to decide whether his lawsuit against the city can proceed to trial. Oral arguments are scheduled for Dec. 8.Gannon began his career as a Boston police officer in 1996. In his spare time, he practiced martial arts -- including judo, aikido and jiujitsu -- and in 2002 he began to compete as an amateur mixed martial arts fighter.Gannon gained notoriety on social media in 2004 when he beat well-known fighter Kevin Kimbo Slice Ferguson in an unsanctioned fight. A 10-minute video of the brawl was widely distributed online.Gannons lawyers say he received two concussions during his career, both in 2004, and stopped fighting in 2005.In 2006, Gannon was placed on desk duty after he didnt report to work one day and the police department learned that he had a concussive syndrome from his fighting, as well as a diagnosis of sleep apnea.Gannon sued the city in 2012.A Superior Court judge found that the city had articulated a legitimate nondiscriminatory reason for assigning Gannon to desk duty, specifically its concern that his loss of cognitive function and memory impairs his ability to perform essential tasks of his job, including responding in an emergency and using the needed judgment in high-pressure situations.Gannon is appealing the judges ruling dismissing his disability discrimination claims and is asking the Supreme Judicial Court to allow a jury to decide his case.The citys lawyers say neuropsychological tests showed Gannon, now 46, had slow responses and memory issues, and was prone to errors. They argue that he cannot perform the job of an armed police officer.It is beyond dispute that a police officer must be able to respond properly on a split second basis to real or perceived threats, attorney Nicole Taub argued in a legal brief.But Gannons lawyers say their own experts used real world police scenario testing and found that he could fully perform the duties of his job.Here, the City has never tested Gannon in any shoot/dont shoot scenarios or simulated exercises that would gauge his ability to think quickly, react under pressure, and adapt to changing conditions. By contrast, whenever Gannon has undergone such testing on his own initiative, he has performed well, his lawyers argued in their brief.Gannon declined to comment. Attorney Adelaide Pagano told The Associated Press that Gannon has shown he is more than capable of performing the essential functions of the job of a police officer safely. She called the departments decision to keep him on desk duty obstinate and disgraceful.In a recent interview with MixedMartialArts.com, Gannon said he believes the department has retained a battery of medical experts to try to show he cant do his job, but he has numerous experts who say he can.If one doctor says youll never run again, and another doctor says you will, and then you run in five touchdowns in the pre-season, and another three in real games, its safe to say the doctor that said you would never run again is wrong, he said. Air Jordan Nz . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. Cheap Air Jordan Nz . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. http://www.airjordannz.com/ . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. Air Jordan Nz Online . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. Cheap Jordans For Sale . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. SAN FRANCISCO -- Stephen Curry said he is disappointed to see sporting events pulled from his home state of North Carolina over a law that limits the legal protection of LGBT people. And the two-time NBA MVP for the Golden State Warriors hopes lawmakers make changes to the so-called bathroom bill before more major events follow the NBAs All-Star Game and the NCAA mens basketball tournament out the door.Curry, who grew up in Charlotte and played college basketball at nearby Davidson, said Thursday he has mixed feelings about sporting events leaving the state. The NBA has pulled next years All-Star Game out of Charlotte, and the NCAA this week began the process of relocating seven championships from North Carolina, including the opening weekend of the mens basketball tournament.The ACC followed suit and said its conference championship football game will not be played in Charlotte.I think its unfortunate for our city and our state to be under the microscope with [House Bill 2] and how its unfolded, Curry said in an interview with The Associated Press. Im all for equal and fair rights and treatment for everybody. Until it gets addressed, until some changes are made, this could be a recurring theme in North Carolina. I dont want that happen.The law, signed by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory earlier this year, requires transgender people to use restrooms at schools and government buildings corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates. It also excludes gender identity and sexual orientation from local and statewide anti-discrimination protections and was passed to counteract Charlottes approval of an anti-discrimination ordinance for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people at hotels, restaurants and retailers.Apple, Google and Facebook have all come out against the law while entertainers including Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam have canceled concerts in the state in response.North Carolina has hosted more mens basketball tournament games (251) than any other state over the past 65 years. Long before Curry led the Golden State Warriors to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances and a championship in 2015, he burst onto the basketball scene as a sharpshooter at Davidson in the 2009 NCAA tournament.The All-Star Game has been moved, the NCAA tournament, things that would bring so much joy and support to the city, mainsttay events.dddddddddddd. But I think its a conversation that will continue until changes are made. I dont have any answers as to how that will happen, but hopefully it happens sooner rather than later, Curry said.Curry also said he respects?San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernicks decision to sit and then kneel during the national anthem in response to social injustice, but he doesnt plan to make that kind of a stand himself when the NBA season begins.Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo told Complex on Thursday that he was sure some NBA players would take similar action. Curry said it was important for Kaepernick to start the conversation on some very important issues, but he wont be joining him in that particular demonstration.Thats not how I would have done it, Curry said. To put myself in my own shoes, come our first game when the national anthem is played, I have pride in our country. We cant figure out how to make the necessary changes when it comes to certain policies, even in the criminal justice system, without conversation. I probably wont do any kneeling or protesting in that form.But, Colin did it in that way because that was his way, the best way, of starting the conversation. Youve got to respect that, but everybody has to do it a different way.Curry spoke during a commercial shoot and said he is still getting used to the idea that his views on such issues are considered important. He is entering his eighth season in the league but struggled with injuries and played on a bad Warriors team early in his career. It has only been over the past two years that Curry has rocketed into superstardom and assumed the platform that comes with it.Its still kind of a new process, Curry said. Other than being under a huge microscope, I dont see it as a negative at all and I am not too sensitive to not think I can say a certain thing, or have a certain belief, and meet some resistance. Or even face certain repercussions.But it is different, because four, five years ago, what I said, nobody cared. Its kind of weird just because I hit a bunch of shots, Ive got a platform, and Ive got to be able to use it and take it all in stride.The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '