Toronto Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas has been named the 2012 FIBA Europe Young Mens Player of the Year for the second straight year. Valanciunas eclipsed other nominations in the field which was voted on by selected journalists and fans, easily seeing off Croatias Dario Saric and Frances Leo Westermann, who finished second and third respectively. Opting to stay in Europe during the NBA lockout, Valanciunas made a seamless transition to becoming a regular starter in senior mens basketball, being named as Eurocup Rising Star; earning a spot in the Lithuanian League All-Star Game; whilst also being announced as a member of the All-Eurocup squad. He 21-year-old then capped his year off with a move to Toronto where he has been gaining regular minutes with the Raptors. Fake Rockies Jerseys . When New Zealand finally held on for an 8-7 win, France No. 8 Imanol Harinordoquy collapsed to the ground, having given every drop of energy he could muster, and lay prone as All Blacks danced around him in celebration. Few critics had given France any chance, but coach Marc Lievremonts team rallied from 8-0 down and came within one kick of taking the lead with 15 minutes remaining, only for flyhalf Francois Trinh-Ducs 49-meter effort to drift wide. Colorado Rockies Store .com) - The Los Angeles Kings peppered Ryan Miller with shot after shot. https://www.cheaprockiesjerseys.us/. "Hopefully well get all this out of the way," he said, "and everyone will be healthy the rest of the year." Zimmerman was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday and is expected to miss between four to six weeks. Rockies Jerseys China .com) - Its fair to call Mike McCarthy one of the best coaches in the NFL but its also more than objective to point out that the veteran mentor bookended the Green Bay Packers season with two, truly awful game plans in Seattle. Colorado Rockies Shirts .C. - Nick Merkley and Damon Severson each had a goal and two assists as the Kelowna Rockets downed the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds 6-3 on Saturday in Western Hockey League playoff action.We need more athletes like Benjamin Watson.Not for anything hes done on the field, though his NFL career has stretched to more than a decade.This is about what Watson did after he had took off the helmet and pads, putting words to his jumbled emotions in the wake of a grand jury deciding not to indict a police officer for the shooting death of African-American teenager Michael Brown.The result was a thoughtful, poignant essay he posted to his official Facebook page. It should be mandatory reading for anyone who cares about an issue that sparked riots in Ferguson, Missouri and protests around the country.Watson, who is black, was clearly touched like many others by the senseless death of another young person of colour.But the New Orleans Saints tight end was much more nuanced and balanced than most of us, including plenty of athletes who took to social media to lash out in anger.Watson appealed to those from both sides of the political divide. He reminded us that few issues are as simple as black and white, that almost everything is tinged with a bit of grey. He again demonstrated the hefty sway held by those who play our professional sports, if theyre willing to take as much time studying up on the issues of the day as they do their playbooks.Watson wrote of being angry at the racial injustices in this country, fearful that he could be singled out because of the colour of his skin, sad that an 18-year-old needlessly lost his life. He also wrote of being embarrassed by the looting in Ferguson and how some will use that to justify the treatment of African-Americans, sympathetic toward white police officer Darren Wilson if he was only doing his job, confused by those who would disobey an officers legitimate commands but equally perplexed by abuses of police power.As of Friday, nearly 757,000 readers had clicked the Like button on Watsons posting. More than 422,000 had shared the essay with their own Facebook friends.Millions, to be sure, have been exposed to Watsons words.Very surprised, since I dont have a huge footprint on social media, he told The Times-Picayune in New Orleans. I do a little from time to time like everybody does, but I dont have near the following as some people do. I think it just struck a chord and I think it just went from there. Everyone could just really relate.Charles Barkley famously declared — as part of a marketing campaign, of course — that he wasnt a role model. Rightly, he knew that parents and teachers and other mentors wiill always be on the front lines of steering young people toward the right path in their lives.dddddddddddd.But, over the years, there have been plenty of athletes who had something valuable to say, even if it came at great personal and financial cost. Muhammad Ali standing up for his religious convictions during the Vietnam War. Billie Jean King pushing for equality of the sexes. Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists on an Olympic podium, refusing to just quietly accept being second-class citizens in their own country.Now its Watson, putting at least a little salve on the nations wound.Maybe he was able to touch someone who had no doubt this was a proper use of deadly force by an officer who felt his life was threatened, who didnt feel a lick of sympathy toward Brown or his family.IM OFFENDED, Watson wrote, because of the insulting comments Ive seen that are not only insensitive but dismissive to the painful experiences of others.Maybe he was able to touch someone who felt angry enough to riot over an unarmed black teenager being gunned down in the middle of his own neighbourhood, who felt that violence was the only way to deal with another racially charged death.IM INTROSPECTIVE, Watson continued, because sometimes I want to take our side without looking at the facts in situations like these. Sometimes I feel like its us against them. Sometimes Im just as prejudiced as people I point fingers at. And thats not right. How can I look at white skin and make assumptions but not want assumptions made about me? Thats not right.Watson and the Saints were playing Monday night against Baltimore when the grand jurys decision not to bring charges was announced. He told the Times-Picayune that he discussed it with his wife after the game and decided to write down his thoughts rather than just give a knee-jerk reaction. In between spurts of writing, he took a nap, attended a teammates charity event and ran some errands.Finally, it was done.I think it shows that a lot of people have a lot of different feelings and dont quite know how to express them, Watson told the newspaper. Its important that you are able to see the other side of things, even if you dont agree with them.Be sure to read it, if you havent already.Youll be the better for it.___Online:https://www.facebook.com/BenjaminWatsonOfficial___Paul Newberry in a national writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry@ap.org or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 ' ' '