I feel like theyre doing me a favour

For the past year, FIFA and Canadas soccer association has battled withering criticism that the worlds best womens soccer players are being discriminated against because next years Womens World Cup will be played on artificial turf instead of grass, which is used for the mens premier tournament. Yeezy 350 V2 Black Non-Reflective Pas Cher . Now, the company that makes the turf for the Womens World Cup has landed a crucial ally: one of Canadas top soccer players, whos being accused of putting her own self interest ahead of the safety of other players. FieldTurf has signed Canadian star player Kaylyn Kyle to a three-year, $15,000 endorsement contract, TSN has learned. Kyle, 25, will help market FieldTurfs artificial turf product, which is a synthetic lawn with "dirt" thats made of recycled tires and running shoes. Officials plan to use FieldTurf fields at four of the six stadiums that are schedule to host Womens World Cup games. Stadiums in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Moncton use FieldTurf. Montreal and Vancouver use other artificial turf systems. The midfielder, who plays for the Houston Dash in the National Womens Soccer League, will be featured in coming weeks in a commercial promoting FieldTurf. A company executive said FieldTurf is negotiating with several National Football League players. The commercial may show Kyle playing football on the turf, with a football player playing soccer, highlighting FieldTurfs versatility. "Kaylyn is one of the up-and-comers on Team Canada," Darren Gill, vice president of marketing with FieldTurf told TSN. "With the exposure shes gotten, and her popularity in world soccer, shes a good fit for us. And shes passionate for our brand and what we do. This is not a big dollar category for her or for us, so for her to want to put her name on this, obviously there could be some exposure because of the issue. "She wanted to believe in the product she backs," Gill added. "A lot of the discussions were about whether she likes it. Its not a cash grab for her." When reached by TSN, Kyle said she wouldnt comment publicly on her endorsement agreement until it was formally announced by FieldTurf. Kyles endorsement deal comes as a group of more than 40 national-team players from at least 12 countries - none of the players are Canadian - are demanding that FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association drop plans to use artificial turf at next years World Cup, which runs from June 6 to July 5. Instead, the players want to have grass installed, arguing that playing on artificial turf during the world cup is tantamount to gender discrimination since no mens world cup final tournament has ever been staged on artificial turf. Canadian soccer officials say they have no plans to introduce grass. They argue their initial proposal to FIFA included plans for play on artificial turf. Richard Scott, a Canadian Soccer Association spokesman, said some mens teams in the MLS, as well as teams in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Europe, play on artificial turf. "This is not Montreal Expos turf from the 1970s," Scott said. "This is the highest quality turf that is FIFA approved." Scott said other prestigious tournaments have been played on artificial turf with no problems, including the Under-20 Womens World Cup that was played in Canada last year. Brant Feldman, Kyles agent, said the New York Giants play on FieldTurf and, "if an NFL player can do it why cant a female soccer player do it?" "I dont know if its gender discrimination," said Feldman. "Maybe is it sport discrimination? It seems like a lame argument to me." Though its been a lifesaver for groundskeepers in stadiums in northern climates where grass is hard to maintain, artificial turf has long been a controversial issue for players. In 2010, the NFLs Injury and Safety Panel found that the rate of anterior cruciate ligament injuries was 88 per cent higher in games played on artificial turf than on grass, The New York Times reported. FieldTurf countered with the release of its own sponsored study showing that college football players had a lower injury rate when playing on its artificial surface. Today, every Canadian Football League team plays on turf, roughly half of the NFLs teams play their home games on turf, including five who play on FieldTurf, and four Major League Soccer teams play on artificial turf. "FIFA has tried to educate players but I think this issue is less about turf and more about gender equality," Gill said. "The women have several other issues and we just happen to be the stick that women are currently carrying. The fields that are playable meet FIFAs highest level of certification. But obviously they are not for everyone and not everyone likes playing on artificial turf. That is the struggle here, but playing on natural grass next year in Canada is not an option." Hampton Dellinger, a U.S. lawyer working with players opposed to playing on FieldTurf at the Womens World Cup, dismissed Kyles endorsement. "The fact that FieldTurf is paying a player to say something positive about artificial turf doesnt undermine the condemnation from players around the world," Dellinger told TSN. "Its important for players and the public to understand that some Canadian players have a price. They are willing to put competitors at risk and have their sport take a step back in exchange for payment. Thats a decision that theyll have to live with." Dellinger forwarded TSN a photo Kyle posted on Twitter on June 9, 2013, that showed both of Kyles legs raw. "I love turf!!!" she wrote. Kyles Houston team played in Seattle on the day the photo was posted, Dellinger wrote in an email. "It appears that the stadium has a FieldTurf surface," he wrote. Seattles National Womens Soccer League team played its first season in Seattle at Starfire Stadium, which has a FieldTurf field, according to the website of the Seattle Sounders, an MLS team. Dellinger said other Canadian players including Christine Sinclair and Sophie Schmidt have been quoted saying they prefer to play on grass. Dellinger wants FIFA to either install permanent grass fields at the six stadiums to be used for the Womens World Cup, or take other measures, such as using a temporary grass field. Such fields, where interlocking trays of grass are placed on top of artificial turf, are being used more often in recent years. "What you say on Twitter a year and a half ago, you dont realize it could come back and haunt you," Feldman said. Feldman, Kyles agent, said Kyle likely didnt realize the posted photo would surface more than a year later, and that its unclear whether she injured herself during a game on the FieldTurf field or on another practice field. Yeezy 350 v2 Static Pas Cher . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. Yeezy Boost 350 a Vendre . The former central defender calmly nodded it down and quietly went about celebrating a win with his staff. For a man who has had a lot on his shoulders this season, it was an appropriate moment. http://www.pascheryeezy350v2.fr/fausse-yeezy-350-v2-cream-white.html .ca. Hi Kerry, Love reading your column and loved watching your analysis on the TSN broadcasts!And were now in Round 2! Bruins! Canadiens! We know all about the great games of the past from the players, the broadcasters and the writers.TORONTO - Part of DeMar DeRozans summer improvement project involved writing out the ABCs for his daughter Diar a€” with his left hand.It was a chance to both spend some quality time with his 16-month-old, and to strengthen his weaker hand. All summer long, the Toronto Raptors all-star used his left hand to do things like eat, tie his shoes and carry his bags, all in an effort to become a more versatile player.When I was kid, I would be frustrated, I would always ask my dad why I couldnt do certain things with my left hand that I can do with my right. Just a curious kid. Ever since I was young I always tried to get as comfortable doing stuff with my left hand, DeRozan said Tuesday. So just reverting back to that, to when I was a kid, getting more comfortable. In a game, we naturally want to finish with our right hand, because thats our dominant hand, but just being comfortable doing it with our left hand, if you happen to need it.The 25-year-old wrote out the alphabet virtually every day during the summer, he said. It looked like my daughters writing, he said, prompting laughter from the couple dozen journalists at training camp.On whose writing is more legible: Were neck and neck right now.More laughter.DeRozan cracking jokes in front of the cameras says plenty about the once-shy Raptors guard who has evolved into a strong and vocal leader in his five seasons in Toronto. Before the Raptors took the Air Canada Centre for their opening day of camp Tuesday, coach Dwane Casey gave DeRozan the floor.DeRozan told his teammates Hey, lets have a good practice, this is where we start creating defensive habits, it starts now, not next week or after the first game, it starts today, Casey recounted. So that was huge too.I knew it was going to happen, I just didnt know when, because he was such a quiet kid, Casey said of DeRozans evolution. DeMar is a young man, hes a father, a proud father, family man, and a lot of that just goes right into maturity. We all want to rush it, especially in sports, but it something that just takes time.DeRozan took two big steps toward being a more mature player last season, said Casey a€” first, when Rudy Gay was traded to Sacramento last December, and then when he was named an all-star.I just thought last year after the trade, he just took off after that. He made huge strides and said Hey look, Im putting this team on my back, and were going with it.It kind of shifted over. . . Rudy was the guy so-to-speak and it just shifted over back to DeMar and to Kyle (Lowry) and I thought that gave him a voice in the locker-room.DeRozan is ccoming off a breakout season, leading the Raptors to their first post-season appearance in six years and then helping the United States to gold at the FIBA World Cup. Yeezy 350 v2 Lundmark Pas Cher. For all he has accomplished, he still feels disrespected in some circles. Sports Illustrated put DeRozan 61st in the league in their pre-season rankings, lowest out of all the returning all-star players. He took to Twitter and wrote Real disrespectful! #ProveEm Those slights might as well be motivational slogans for DeRozan. Thats fine with me. I like having a chip on my shoulder. It just gives me another reason to work hard whatever it may be, it gives me another reason. I feel like theyre doing me a favour, honestly, he said.I dont let anything go over my head at all, Ill use every negative thing, not just about myself but my team, as motivation. You need to. Im never going to get comfortable with the accomplishments Ive made.DeRozans left-handed project was just latest in his neverending quest to improve.His experience with the American team at the World Cup was another chance to learn. It took him out of his comfort zone, he said, which he relished.Raptors GM Masai Ujiri met with DeRozan upon his return.I asked him what he had learned from his experience there, and to show you how hes matured as a person, he said he respects players that come off of the bench more just because thata€?s what he did there, said Ujiri. He treats them great anyway. But he said he has more respect and hed treat them with more respect because of what they have to do night in, night out when they are called upon. I thought that was great maturity on his part.Casey echoed Ujiris thoughts.I think thats going to be very important for him, to have empathy for his teammates. . . he already does. Hes one of the best teammates that guys could have, as a leader and as a star. Theres not a selfish bone in his body as far as not respecting guys at the end of the bench.The Raptors travelled to Vancouver on Tuesday and will continue camp in Burnaby, B.C., on Wednesday. Theyll host the Sacramento Kings on Sunday in their pre-season opener in Vancouver.NOTES: The Raptors had Brent Gleeson, a Navy Seal, speak to the Raptors on Monday night. He talked about his experience of being a navy seal and how teamwork has to be part of, in his business, living, Casey said. In our situation, its not as dire, not as serious, but a lot of things that he said, we can connect with as a team, togetherness, talking about trust, talking about communication, talking about togetherness. All those points hit home. ' ' '