ix International Raceway "a lot more confid

Olympic figure skating champion Brian Boitano came out on Thursday, two days after he was named to the U. Custom Green Bay Packers Jerseys .S. delegation for Sochi along with openly gay athletes Billie Jean King and Caitlin Cahow. The 1988 gold medallist had always kept his personal life private, saying in a statement that "being gay is just one part of who I am." But President Barack Obamas decision to include openly gay athletes in the delegation for the opening and closing ceremonies -- and not send high-ranking officials -- was widely seen as a message to Russia about its treatment of gays and lesbians. "First and foremost I am an American athlete and I am proud to live in a country that encourages diversity, openness and tolerance," Boitano said in his statement. "As an athlete, I hope we can remain focused on the Olympic spirit which celebrates achievement in sport by peoples of all nations." Russia has come under fierce criticism for passing national laws banning "gay propaganda," and some suggested the United States should boycott the Sochi Olympics in protest. Obama rejected that idea earlier this year, saying a stronger statement could be made by "gay and lesbian athletes bringing home the gold or silver or bronze." But his choices for the U.S. delegation left little doubt about Obamas disapproval of the new Russian law. For the first time since 2000, the U.S. will not send a president, former president, first lady or vice-president to the Olympics. This years group is led by former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and others in the delegation include U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, deputy Secretary of State William Burns and presidential adviser Rob Nabors. Of the five athletes in the delegation, three -- Boitano, King and Cahow -- are openly gay. Boitano and King will attend the opening ceremony. Cahow, a two-time medallist in womens hockey, will attend the closing ceremony with Olympic speed skating champions Bonnie Blair and Eric Heiden. "I have been fortunate to represent the United States of America in three different Olympics, and now I am honoured to be part of the presidential delegation to the Olympics in Sochi," Boitano, who is in Europe, said in his statement. "It has been my experience from competing around the world and in Russia that Olympic athletes can come together in friendship, peace and mutual respect regardless of their individual countrys practices." Earlier this month, IOC President Thomas Bach said Russia would set up public protest zones in Sochi for "people who want to express their opinion or want to demonstrate for or against something." Meanwhile, the IOC approved a letter going out to athletes reminding them to refrain from protests or political gestures during the Sochi Games -- reiterating Rule 50 of the Olympic charter, which forbids demonstrations on Olympic grounds. Bach previously said hed received assurances from Russian President Vladimir Putin that gays will not be discriminated against in Sochi. But the Russian law has raised questions about what could happen to athletes who wear pins or badges or carry flags supporting gay rights. Green Bay Packers Jerseys .That sight softened the blow of what ended up as a 4-3 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.Knowing their teammate was fine after a scary headfirst fall in the opening minute of the game helped calm the Maple Leafs. Paul Hornung Jersey . On Thursday, a judge said Varlamov could be released if he posted $5,000 bond and be allowed to travel with the team but he was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend, among other restrictions. http://www.shoptheofficialpackers.com/Elite-Reggie-White-Packers-Jersey/ . Braves reliever David Carpenter was also fined for throwing at Rockies outfielder Corey Dickerson in the same game, which featured several ejections, including Colorado manager Walt Weiss. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Tony Stewart does not consider the Daytona 500 a disaster, despite the engine problems that spoiled his return to racing from a broken right leg. The three-time NASCAR champion wound up 35th in the season-opening race, but he logged enough laps during Speedweeks that he feels good going into the upcoming stretch of seven consecutive races. Stewart missed the final 15 races last year after breaking his leg in two places during a sprint car crash in Iowa. His first time back in a race car was Feb. 14, the day before he competed -- and was crashed out of -- the exhibition Sprint Unlimited. He also raced in the Budweiser Duel before the 500, giving him 672 miles of racing in three events. Stewart goes to Sundays race at Phoenix International Raceway "a lot more confident than I was before we got to Daytona." "I think having all the races that we ran, and actually getting in a crash, while not a great thing, allowed me to sort of test my leg and it felt good," Stewart said in a Stewart-Haas Racing team release. "There have been some little things that have felt a little different, but for the most part, its felt like an old pair of tennis shoes that youre just comfortable with. I think the whole time in Daytona exceeded my expectations of what I hoped it would be like." But the 500 itself was a letdown for SHR. Stewart had the engine issue and Danica Patrick was involved in a crash and finished 40th. It left only Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, the two newcomers to the organization, in contention for a solid finish and both had difficulties at the endd. Bart Starr Jersey. Busch wound up 21st and Harvick was involved in the final accident of the race and finished a team-best 13th. Stewart said Sundays race at Phoenix will be a better indicator of where the team is than Daytona, one of only four restrictor-plate races on the schedule. "Daytona and Talladega have always just been two different forms of racing," Stewart said, referring to the necessary teamwork and drafting. "What happens at Phoenix and the races after that has to be done on your own. You cant help each other at Phoenix. You just have to go race." He likes his chances at Phoenix, where he has one win, eight top-fives and 12 top-10s in 23 career starts. Hes completed all but 14 of 7,257 laps on the 1-mile oval. But PIR is also the place that pushed Stewart into becoming a full-time race car driver in 1993. Still working eight-hour days at $5-an-hour at a machine shop in Columbus, Ind., Stewart headed West to run USAC Silver Crown season-opening Copper World Classic. He qualified second to Davey Hamilton, then led 31 of 50 laps before finishing second to Mike Bliss. Stewart earned $3,500 that day -- a payout that convinced him running the Silver Crown, Sprint and Midget races across the nation that year sounded a lot better than returning to the machine shop. He never looked back, learning how to adapt in every kind of car he drove out of "fear that Im going to have to get a real job if Im not successful. "To think that it all kind of started at Phoenix, I guess you could say its the place where my career came full-circle," he said. 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