Forum » Fitzgerald had not addressed the ruling from a regional

EVANSTON, Ill. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Authentic . -- When members of Northwesterns football team had the chance to sign union cards back in January, some players signed their names, others did not. Running back Venric Mark said Tuesday that he wondered if the ones who did realized the ramifications of the decision and where it would lead. "I dont know if people kind of knew what they were or if they thought it was going to turn out the way it did. But at the end of the day, now its time to get back to work. I mean, we have a job to do." Whether being a student athlete is a job is at the centre of a national debate over whether college athletes should unionize. The Wildcats resumed spring practice Tuesday for the first time after a decision from a regional labour official that cleared the way for the formation of a union, setting up Northwestern as ground zero for the effort to organize athletes. The school is appealing. Former Wildcats quarterback Kain Colter has been serving as the face of the movement. Former UCLA linebacker Ramogi Huma, the designated president of the would-be union, said last week that the scholarship players would vote within 30 days on whether to authorize the College Athletes Players Association to represent them. The pair will be in Washington on Wednesday to meet with members of Congress. For now, theres a long list of unanswered questions before the team, such as when exactly the vote would be held, whether scholarships would be counted as taxable income and how it would affect the training schedule in a "work week" for those who play on the team. Could there be a division between players who signed union cards and those who did not? And what about the teams relationship with coach Pat Fitzgerald? "It doesnt threaten anything," said Mark, who would not say whether or not he signed a union card. "Northwestern has treated us all well and we know that. And we know that it is a privilege to be here so at the end of the day were all going to support our former teammate, but we also know were here to get a degree and were also here to play football." If Fitzgerald felt he was in an awkward spot, he wasnt about to say so on Tuesday. "No. Any football questions?" he said. Fitzgerald had not addressed the ruling from a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board with the team as of Tuesday morning. He and athletic administrators had an afternoon meeting with the schools lawyers. "You know theres a lot of things that well discuss here (with the team), but from the standpoint of the way that weve operated here, Ive got full confidence in the way we run our program and the guys have been terrific and I think theyve shown the commitment to the program," Fitzgerald said. "So its no change for us." Unionization would be a huge change to the landscape. Colter believes athletes lack basic protections, such as the guarantee of medical coverage and the promise of a four-year scholarship at most institutions. Scholarships are often renewed on an annual basis, and athletes feel vulnerable as a result, particularly if theres a change in coaches or philosophy. Colter has also testified about abandoning the idea of entering a pre-med program because of the time demands Northwestern places on its football players. He has also stressed that he enjoyed his time there and has praised Fitzgerald. Defensive lineman Chance Carter said he signed a union card. But he doesnt know how the team would vote if they have to make a decision this month to form a union. "I dont know," Carter said. "Im not sure what everyones reaction is. ... A lot of us just got back in town (after spring break). Were trying to figure things out." Carter said he only read the first and last parts of an email message from Colter addressing the ruling. He did say that Colter would answer players questions and address their concerns face-to-face when he returns to campus. Carter wasnt sure exactly when that will happen. Cheap Soccer Jerseys . -- The road to the Masters got off to a bumpy start Sunday for Tiger Woods when he withdrew from the Honda Classic with what he said was a lower back injury. Replica Soccer Jerseys . Four years after winning gold on home ice in Vancouver, the Canadians will get a chance to make it two in a row Sunday against Sweden after beating the United States 1-0 in the Olympic semifinals Friday at Bolshoy Ice Dome. https://www.soccerjerseyschina.us/ . He could have transferred when academic sanctions barred the Huskies from the NCAA tournament his junior season.EDMOND, Okla. -- Colin Montgomerie declared Bernhard Langer the favourite heading into the U.S. Senior Open. After 18 holes, Montgomerie may well have seized that position himself with a 6-under 65 to lead at the end of Thursday at Oak Tree National. The Scotsman started on No. 10 and birdied Nos. 14, 15 and 16 on the way to a 33 on the back nine. He birdied six, seven and eight to finish strong in oppressive heat and humidity. "That was the key to the round, the three birdies in a row on the front nine, my back nine," Montgomerie said. "To birdie six, seven, eight was good. That got me to the position I am now." Marco Dawson was second after a 66, and Mark Brooks was third after shooting 68. Langer was one of five golfers tied for fourth with a 69. Dawson, in his first Senior Open, started on the back nine and shot 2 under, then was steady on the front nine before scoring birdies on seven, eight and nine. The 50-year-old said it was one of the two best rounds hes played in his six Champions Tour events. He was pleased with the performance, especially considering the courses challenging reputation. "It just seemed to happen, you know, birdie, birdie, birdie the last three holes, so I ended up 5 under," he said. "I could have shot 2 under and still would have been a good round." Brooks birdied the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th holes to go 4 under on his first five holes. He shot 3 under on the back nine and even on the front nine. "Ive been playing here since high school," he said. "Im comfortable here. My mother and father both are Oklahomans, so I got a lot of Oklahoma blood in me." Langer, who entered the Senior Open having already won three events this year, was in a five-way tie for fourth along with Vijay Singh, Kirk Triplett, Scott Dunlap and Gene Sauers. "They say you dont win a tournament on the first day," Langer said. "You can certainly lose it with a bad round, so, you know, Im somewhere in the top 10 or top 20 after ttoday, which is a good spot to be. Clearance Soccer Jerseys. Still have three rounds to go." Kenny Perry, last years Senior Open winner, shot a 75. Mother Nature was a factor for various reasons. Play was delayed for 77 minutes at the start due to the threat of lightning, and play was suspended because of darkness at 8:54 p.m. CDT, with three players still on the course. Wilting 90-plus degree heat with humidity hit in the afternoon. Darrell Kestner completed 14 holes Thursday before withdrawing and being treated for a heat-related issue. Peter Jacobsen, who withdrew from last years Senior Open in Omaha after nine holes because of dehydration, made it through the opening day in Edmond. He shot a 1-under 70, then held a sports drink as he answered questions. "I learned a really good lesson," he said. "My doctor told me, Dont ever get dehydrated because its very debilitating on your body. I walk around with water and Gatorade and lot of liquid, especially here when we know its going to be humid and hot." Heavy rains Wednesday softened the course, but the heat Thursday made it hard later in the day. Changing winds added another degree of difficulty to an already long, tough course. "It is kind of difficult to judge the wind out here," Montgomerie said. "Youre always going to get breeze out here in Oklahoma. Thats part of the test out here." Weather is expected to remain a factor through the rest of the tournament, with temperatures expected to soar. Montgomerie said it will amount to a physical examination. "Its going to be grueling over the next three days," he said. "Concentration levels will be difficult to maintain for everybody out there, not just myself. I look forward to the challenge of trying to compete against the rest of the field, the golf course, which is superb, and also the weather conditions, which are very foreign to myself and most competitors, to be honest. We dont usually play in 100 degrees. Its going to be interesting over the next three days." ' ' '