its already causing quite a stir. "The Rahal

CANTON, Ohio -- The inclusion of former NFL safety and convicted rapist Darren Sharper on the Pro Footballs Hall of Fame nomination list shocked some people Friday and has started a national debate over who should be eligible for induction.Sharper, a five-time Pro Bowler, appeared on the list released Thursday because at least one Hall of Fame selector nominated Sharper. He also was nominated last year -- before he pleaded guilty in a case in which he was accused of drugging and raping up to 16 women in four states. Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced him to 18 years in prison.Hall of Fame spokesman Joe Horrigan explained there is no character clause in the bylaws, which are approved by the Hall of Fames board of directors. To be eligible for the nominating process, a player or coach must be retired for at least five years. Forty-eight voters nominate and select the players, coaches and contributors to appear on the ballot based solely on the contributions they have made to the sport, Horrigan said.To make the first of several cuts, a candidate must be nominated by at least one selector. Horrigan said he didnt know who nominated Sharper this year or last, and that everyone must abide by the rules that are approved by the Halls board of directors.We do have a committee that reviews the process every year, not just from that kind of question, but who can be elected, the number of selections we can have and how the system worked or if it could work better, Horrigan told The Associated Press on Friday. So I would anticipate this would always be part of the question. But I dont anticipate any groundswell (to change the rules) based on this one case.Sharper, who won a Super Bowl with New Orleans in 2010 and also played for Green Bay and Minnesota, is not likely to be elected. But its certainly not the first time the character question has been raised in regard to Hall of Fame selections.One of the most notable honorees is O.J. Simpson, who has been incarcerated in Nevada for the past eight years due to robbery and kidnapping following a 1995 acquittal on the infamous double-murder. Despite calls for his removal more than two decades ago, Simpson remains a member of pro footballs most prestigious club.And linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who has had a series of run-ins with the law -- mostly involving drugs or alcohol -- also remains in the Hall of Fame. He pleaded guilty to charges of sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute who was 16 years old. He was sentenced to six years of probation in 2011.We had to abide by our bylaws, and our bylaws do not have any provision for removal, Horrigan said, recalling the debate about Simpson. That was probably the highest-profile case that caused us to have discussions on the incident. But ultimately our board voted that it had to be determined on how he played the game.The public may not see it the same way. Fans and journalists expressed dismay with Twitter posts on Friday.This is not a character flaw, however. This is something even Sharper described at his sentencing as heinous, Sporting News columnist Mike DeCourcy wrote after the nominees were released Thursday. This is not someone who was mean to reporters or undermined his teammates or got in one too many bar fights. This is someone who has acknowledged he drugged women -- notice the plural there -- for the purpose of forcing himself on them while they were incapacitated. Womens NEIGHBORHOOD x Adidas Gazelle Green/Mint/White Uk . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. Womens Adidas Gazelle Green/Mint/White Uk . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. http://www.cheapadishoesuk.com/women-s-adidas-pure-boost-2-0-primeknit-pink-uk.html . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. Yeezys For Sale Uk . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. Mens Adidas Superstar 80s CNY White/Scarlet Uk . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. INDIANAPOLIS -- Bump Day at Indianapolis followed the script. No surprises, no drama and no drivers getting bumped. On a day devoid of tension and rumours, all nine drivers who made attempts on the second and final day of Indianapolis 500 qualifications made it into the 33-car field, led by two young Americans -- Josef Newgarden and Graham Rahal -- who easily had the two fastest cars on the track. "I dont want to sound too confident, but I knew we would be fine," Newgarden said after delivering the days best qualifying run at 225.731 mph. "I think we would have been OK yesterday if we would have had another shot at it." The lone twist might have come if Mexicos Michel Jourdain Jr. actually made a qualifying attempt to get in the race. But after failing to top 220 mph in practice, the discouraged Jourdain had his car towed back to Gasoline Alley. That left it up to Newgarden, the Tennessee native, and Rahal, the son of a former 500 winner, to captivate the fans. Newgardens chance came after he failed to get a second shot to make it in Saturday when he sitting in qualifying line as the gun sounded at 6 p.m. He had to wait another 18 hours and this time, he left no doubt that he belonged. His qualifying speed from Sunday would have been good enough for 21st, the outside of Row 7, if it happened a day earlier. Instead, hell start 25th, the inside of Row 9. Rahal struggled all week -- and not just because he was using a Honda engine. The nine drivers in the first three rows of the three-car, 11-row grid are all powered by Chevrolets. The top Honda qualifier was Canadian Alex Tagliani, the 2011 Indy pole-sitter. Hell start 11th, the middle of Row 4, after going 227.386. Rahal, who drives for his father, Bobby, couldnt quite get his car right. But when it mattered Sunday, Rahal easily made it in with an average speed of 225.007 to claim the No. 26 starting spot -- the middle of Row 9. "Ive certainly had better (weeks), Ive certainly had some that were more challenging," Rahal said after locking up his sixth straight Indy start. "But there have been some mysteries behind a lot of our speed problems. I think the first few days people thought we were being extremely slow, but really we were just being really conservative." They were the lucky ones. Conor Daly, Buddy Lazier and Katherine Legge spent most of the afternoon trying to figure out how to get more speed -- if they had to re-qualify their cars. Daly had a tough week. After flying back from two races in Spain, the airline lost his HANS device, and after Thursdays crash A.J. Foyts crew had to rebuild Dalys car. They were working overtime again Saturday night after Dalys first qualifying attempted was derailed by puffs of smoke coming out of the rear end of the No. 41 car. But the 21-year-old rookie from suburban Indy returned to the 2.5-mile oval Sunday and put his car on the inside of Row 11 with an average of 223.582. "I have to thank the crew for all theyve done," Daly said. "I think they had the car apart at least 15 times after the crash and the problemss we had (Saturday)," Daly said.dddddddddddd. "We got the engine back at about 8:30 last night and they worked late getting it back in." The first nine drivers all qualified on their first attempts, assuring race organizers of a full field. Nobody else even made an attempt. Jourdain Jr. tried everything. Nothing worked, making it the second straight bumpless Bump Day. His decision not to go out eased the tension for Legge, who was hired Saturday by Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and was sitting in line ready to re-qualify when Jourdains car was towed back to Gasoline Alley. The British driver will start on the outside of Row 11 after going 223.176. The days biggest scare came with about 30 minutes to go in practice when Team Penske driver Will Power tapped the wall with his right rear tire. The yellow flag came out briefly but Power was not injured. Fans still had plenty to root for. There was Newgarden, the hotshot 22-year-old who drives for Sarah Fisher, a local favourite; Rahal, the 24-year-old with the familiar last name; and Daly, the new kid on the block with deep ties to the speedway. They also wanted to see if Lazier, the 1996 race winner, would qualify for the first time since 2008. He didnt make it onto the track until late this week, struggled to find speed and got bumped Saturday. He came back Sunday and was the first driver to qualify, getting his fathers No. 91 car into the field with a run at 223.442. Hell start 32nd. The Laziers will be one of three father-son teams starting next weeks race -- joining the Rahals and Michael and Marco Andretti. Organizers believe that is a track record and its already causing quite a stir. "The Rahal name, its a nice perk around here," Graham Rahal said before adding fuel to his budding rivalry with the younger Andretti. "I certainly dont get the pressure that an Andretti does, by any means. How many father-son combos have won it? I think one, right? Andretti cant do that, so, that would be one more that wed get on them." Other notable facts about this years field include: --Scotlands Dario Franchitti and Brazils Helio Castroneves will try to become the first foreign-born four-time winners in Indy history. Three Americans -- A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears -- have won four times. This will be the first time since 1987 that two three-time winners will start the race. Castroneves qualified eighth. Franchitti will start 17th. --Britains Pippa Mann and Brazils Ana Beatriz, of Dale Coyne Racing, will be the first women teammates in Indy history. Mann will make her first start since being injured in the 2011 crash that killed Dan Wheldon and will start 30th. Beatriz will start 29th. Legge and Switzerlands Simona de Silvestro also qualified, giving the race four women starters. --Carlos Munoz, who qualified second Saturday, will be the first rookie to start on the front row since Juan Pablo Montoya in 2000. Both are from Colombia, and Munoz is leading the Firestone Indy Lights series in points. --Daly will be the youngest rookie to start the 500 since Rahal in 2008. ' ' '