TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter admitted Monday that he was disappointed wide receiver Mike Evans chose to sit during the national anthem before Sundays game to protest Donald Trumps election as president of the United States.Yeah, Im disappointed for that, Koetter said. I also respect Mikes freedom of speech and freedom of expression.Koetter said he was adopting the same stance he took when asked in August how he would react if one of his players protested in similar fashion to Colin Kaepernick. He even read the same statement when he addressed the media Monday.Believe it or not, we have practiced how to line up for the national anthem. Weve worked on it. I dont know if our organization has the right to tell a guy that he needs to do that, Koetter said in his statement. I would be disappointed if any of our players didnt stand up for the national anthem, personally. I look at that as a salute to the people who have paved the way for us, but at the same time, this is a free country, and I think freedom of speech is something that we all believe in and freedom of expression. Thats an individuals choice. Thats a fine line there. I would personally be disappointed, but I think it would be hard to enforce that rule.He also said he supported the statement the Buccaneers put out Sunday night.The Buccaneers are deeply committed to the military and honoring the great men and women that have dedicated their lives and have made great sacrifices to insure all the tremendous freedoms we have in this great country, the statement said. We encourage all members of our organization to respectfully honor our flag during the playing of the national anthem. We also recognize every individuals constitutional right to freedom of speech, which is crucial to the American principles we cherish.Koetter was not aware that Evans was planning to protest before the game.I didnt know about this until after the game, Koetter said. It didnt come up in front of me in the locker room. By the time I was aware of this, most of the players were showered and mostly gone, and players are off today.He has not yet spoken to any of the players about it. After the game, Evans and Koetter exchanged text messages, and they plan to talk more Wednesday. He isnt sure if other players will join Evans protest in the future. Evans said he would continue to protest as long as Trump is the President-elect. Koetter said hell do his best to minimize any distractions caused by it.I hope it doesnt affect our team, Koetter said. Thats something Ill take whatever measures I think are necessary to try to minimize what effect it has on our team. Im really not sure. This is uncharted water for me. Im not sure about any of that.A number of fans have voiced their displeasure on social media and have even threatened to boycott the team, particularly because of the timing of the protest. The day featured a military flyover, a performance of the national anthem by the 82nd Airborne and a halftime enlistment ceremony featuring 180 recruits. Tampa is home to MacDill Airforce Base and more than 12,000 active-duty service members.Evans emphasized Sunday that his protest was not about the military but was purely about Trump.I dont want to disrespect the veterans or anything, Evans said. The men and women that served this country -- Im forever indebted to them. But the things that have been going on in America lately, Im not going to stand for that. Fake Air Max 90 Black . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. 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They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. "Given the way the meeting transpired," Ray Halbritter, an Oneida representative and leader of the "Change the Mascot Campaign," said Wednesday, "it became somewhat evident they were defending the continued use of the name. DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers werent about to make a change for the sake of change.Brad Ausmus will return next year for a fourth season as Detroits manager after the team announced Wednesday it was exercising the 2017 option on his contract. The Tigers were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday, but a 12-game improvement from 2015 was enough for Ausmus to keep his job.I think the team is prepped to compete and improve going forward, and I think Brad had a big part in that, general manager Al Avila said.Ausmus is 250-234 in Detroit and the Tigers have finished first, last and second in the AL Central during his tenure. He took over after the 2013 season, when Jim Leyland stepped down. After leading Detroit to its fourth straight division championship in his first year, Ausmus has presided over a decline that may have been in some ways inevitable as the Tigers have battled age, injuries and the departure of some key stars.Detroit made a run at a wild card this year, going 86-75, and Avila said missing the playoffs wasnt necessarily a reason to switch managers.Its not as simple as, `Hey, you didnt get in, you ought to whack a guy and move forward, he said.With Ausmus coming back, the Tigers could begin next season with plenty of continuity. If they pick up options on closer Francisco Rodriguez and outfielder Cameron Maybin, they wont have any major free agents who might leave this offseason. The core of Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez was able to stay fairly healthy this season, and Verlander re-established himself as one of the American Leagues top starters.Ausmus is looking forward to the opportunity to keep managing a team with a chance to win, and theres never been a hint of discord between him and Avvila, who just finished his first full season as GM.dddddddddddd Although Detroit fell short of its goals this season, the manager and front office appear to be largely on the same page.Im excited about it, Ausmus said. Al and I work very well together. We get along great, which from what I hear isnt always the case.There was speculation toward the end of the 2015 season about whether Ausmus would be back, but the team kept him for 2016. His position seemed particularly tenuous this past May, when the Tigers lost 11 of 12, but they fought back and were only a half-game out of a postseason spot before dropping their final two games at Atlanta last weekend.Detroit stayed in it thanks to the performance of Verlander and rookie Michael Fulmer, who boosted a rotation that was hurt by Jordan Zimmermanns injury problems and Anibal Sanchezs continued decline. Justin Upton struggled for most of his first year with the Tigers but went on a late-season hitting tear that nearly lifted the team into the postseason.Ian Kinsler had a fine season at second base, and Cabrera produced his usual outstanding line with a .316 batting average, 38 home runs and 108 RBI.Detroit has a clubhouse full of veterans, many of whom have accumulated their share of individual accolades and experienced plenty of team success. Avila gives Ausmus some of the credit for the fact that the Tigers were able to stay in contention all the way until the end this season.A manager obviously manages people, manages situations, Avila said. In this case, I think he manages the clubhouse very well.---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister ' ' '