The gesture involves pointing one straightened
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2016 8:53 amThe San Antonio Spurs refusal to lose has finally landed them in top spot in the TSN. .ca NBA Power Rankings. Winners of 15 straight, with a healthy roster, the Spurs have overtaken the Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder for the number one ranking. Among teams gaining ground, the Chicago Bulls are up, from 11 to eight, and they have gone 16-6 in their past 22 games, going from a fringe playoff team to a team in line for homecourt advantage in the first round. The Phoenix Suns looked like they had coughed up their playoff spot, only to reel off seven wins in eight games to scramble back into the eighth seed in the West. With a healthy Eric Bledsoe, the Suns are up, from 14 to nine. An up-and-down few weeks, during which they have gone 5-5 in their past 10 games, knocks the Toronto Raptors from nine to 12, their lowest ranking in months. More injuries contributed to the Denver Nuggets falling, from 18 to 21. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. . He made the comment at a media availability Saturday prior to Game 2 of the Boston-Montreal playoff series when a Quebec reporter said there is sentiment in Quebec that the NHL looks more favourably on Seattle than Quebec City when it comes to future expansion. . He just doesnt know when. The Cardinals and his agent are in the early stages of negotiations, Peterson said, with no timetable on reaching an agreement. . Toronto FC has rejected multiple transfer bids to send the striker back to the England, meaning the 31-year-old Defoe will finish the MLS season in Toronto. LONDON -- Nicolas Anelka was banned for five games by the English Football Association on Thursday and immediately suspended by West Bromwich Albion for a racially aggravated goal celebration. The French striker performed the gesture, which is known in his homeland as a "quenelle" and has been described as an "inverted Nazi salute," during a Premier League match in December. Although an FA disciplinary panel backed Anelkas insistence that he was not being intentionally anti-Semitic, performing the gesture was still found to be racist and abusive. Anelka, who appeared at the hearing this week, received the minimum five-game ban for racism offences, was also fined 80,000 pounds ($133,000) and ordered to complete an education course. Anelka can appeal, and he must decide within seven days of receiving the panels written reasons. But West Brom responded to the verdict by suspending him while the central England club conducts an internal investigation and awaits the conclusion of the FA process. "The club acknowledges that the FA panel did not find that Nicolas Anelka is an anti-Semite or that he intended to express or promote anti-Semitism by his use of the quenelle," West Brom said in a statement. "However, the club cannot ignore the offence that his actions have caused, particularly to the Jewish community, nor the potential damage to the clubs reputation." The panel found Anelka guilty of two charges -- that the gesture "was abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper," and it was racially offensive. "The misconduct was an aggravated breach ... in that it included a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion or belief," the FA verdict said. Anelkas legal team said he was "pleased" to be cleared of anti-Semitism. "He is now waiting to receive the commissions full reasons for their decision before considering whether or not to appeal," the statement said. Aneelka performed the quenelle as he celebrated scoring in West Broms 3-3 draw with West Ham on Dec. . 28. The gesture involves pointing one straightened arm downward while touching the shoulder with the opposite hand. It was popularized by French comedian Dieudonne MBala MBala, who has been convicted multiple times for inciting racial hatred or anti-Semitism. The Community Security Trust, which protects British Jews, said Anelka has introduced an "ugly anti-Semitic gesture into British football." "We acknowledge Anelkas denial of anti-Semitic intent, but his action was clear and the FAs zero tolerance approach to racism meant there could be no other outcome," CST chief executive David Delew said. "This verdict sends a strong message to Jewish players and supporters at all levels of the game that the FA will act against anti-Semitic acts if they are reported." The European Jewish Congress expressed concern that Anelka was yet to express any regret over the case. "Even if the FA is not convinced that the players intent at the time was anti-Semitic, he surely knows now the origins of the quenelle and the hurt and pain it caused the Jewish community, yet we are still waiting for an apology," EJC President Dr Moshe Kantor said. "Anelkas silence speaks volumes." The organization hopes the FA will use the case to help clamp down on abuse against Jews. "Anti-Semitism remains the fastest growing hate in football, on the field and in the stadiums, and we hope that this episode will be used positively to once and for all stamp out hatred for Jews in football," Kantor said. Anelka avoided the heaviest racism ban imposed recently by the FA, eight games for Liverpool striker Luis Suarez in 2011 for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. Chelsea captain John Terry received a four-match ban the following year, before the minimum five-game racism ban was introduced in England. ' ' '