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Twenty-eight Russian athletes had their Olympic doping bans overturned Thursday Scott Laughton Jersey , throwing the International Olympic Committee’s policy on the country into turmoil.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling was set to reinstate seven Russian medals from the 2014 Sochi Olympics, including gold in men’s skeleton and men’s 50-kilometer cross-country skiing.

”This does not mean that these 28 athletes are declared innocent, but in their case, due to insufficient evidence, the appeals are upheld, the sanctions annulled and their individual results achieved in Sochi are reinstated,” CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb said in Pyeongchang.

The IOC said it had taken note of the CAS decision ”with satisfaction on the one hand and disappointment on the other,” adding the decision ”may have a serious impact on the future fight against doping.”

The 28 who had their bans lifted could now seek late entry into the Pyeongchang Olympics, but the IOC said ”not being sanctioned does not automatically confer the privilege of an invitation.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the ruling ”can’t fail to please us, and it confirms our position that the overwhelming majority of our athletes are clean athletes.”

GYMNASTICS SEXUAL ASSAULT

CHARLOTTE, Mich. (AP) – The young athletes who confronted Larry Nassar about molesting them at an elite Michigan gymnastics club saved some of their harshest words for a person who was not in the courtroom: an Olympic coach who for years sent teenage girls to see the now-disgraced doctor.

John Geddert operated the Twistars club, where Nassar offered treatments on Monday nights. His victims complained that the coach created an ultra-competitive atmosphere, was indifferent to injuries and rarely offered gymnasts any choice to see a different doctor.

”Coaching by fear, intimidation and shame and explicit favoritism was the norm,” recalled Annie Labrie. She said it was ”no surprise” that Nassar was able to continue his practices as long as he did. ”We were conditioned for years to obey at all costs.”

Nassar was in court for his third and final sentencing hearing, this time for the abuse that happened at Twistars. The nearly 30 victims who gave statements included women familiar with the club’s environment. One also alleged that Geddert was aware in the late 1990s that Nassar had performed an ”inappropriate procedure” on her when she was 16.

PRO FOOTBALL

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) – Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been cleared from the concussion protocol and will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Gronkowski participated fully in practice on Thursday. Defensive lineman Deatrich Wise also practiced after being cleared from the concussion protocol. Malcolm Butler (illness) and Brandon King (knee) also participated in the workout.

Gronk said he is ”ready to roll” and has no limitations. He had been sidelined since taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from Jacksonville’s Barry Church in the first half of New England’s AFC championship game win.

The All-Pro tight end missed last year’s Super Bowl win over Atlanta after undergoing back surgery.

Gronkowski said he believes that the team doctors were just using the bye week to be as cautious with the injury as possible.

BASEBALL

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Major League Baseball has offered to ditch its proposal for a pitch clock this year and also would go without one in 2019 if the average time of a nine-inning game drops to at least 2 hours Womens Sean Couturier Jersey , 55 minutes this season.

Speaking after a quarterly owners meeting ended Thursday, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said owners authorized him to implement management’s proposal from last offseason, which calls for a 20-second pitch clock this year, if an agreement cannot be reached with the players’ association. Management has proposed a deal that would phase in new rules over the next three seasons

Manfred thought he was close to a deal during the offseason but union head Tony Clark told him players rejected the proposal and said ”he didn’t think he was in a position to make any agreement on the topic.”

MLB listened to player’s public comments and at a Jan. 23 meeting attended by Manfred, deputy commissioner Dan Halem and Clark, MLB proposed no clock this year as part of a three-year plan, Manfred said. There would be a pitch clock in 2019 if the average time of a nine-inning game is higher than 2:55 this year, Manfred said. A person familiar with the plan told The Associated Press the proposal called for an 18-second timer and only with no runners on base, and ball-strike penalties would not start until May 1. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because those details were not announced.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

DALLAS (AP) – Former TCU wide receiver Kolby Listenbee (LIH’-sehn-bee) is suing the university and football coach Gary Patterson, alleging Horned Frogs coaches harassed him into playing with an injured groin, compromising his future in football.

In a statement issued Thursday, Listenbee’s attorneys said TCU coaches pressured him to return prematurely in his senior year of 2015 from an injury to his pelvic cartilage. The lawsuit says the injury should have been rested and rehabilitated for at least six months.

The lawsuit alleges trainers routinely gave him injections to make his pain tolerable. He blames that for damage to his pelvic cartilage that compromised his NFL prospects. He has since signed with three teams but hasn’t played a down.

In a st Peyton Manning takes a family to Universal Parks & Resorts. Chris Pratt works out to get in shape to tout Michelob Ultra. Bill Hader takes a break on set to snack on some Pringles.

This year’s Super Bowl advertisers are minding their manners. They’re trying hard to steer clear of everything from politics to the (hash)MeToo movement with lightly humorous ads that don’t offend.

The goal is to capture the attention of the 111 million-plus viewers expected to tune in Sunday when the Philadelphia Eagles take on the New England Patriots. Thirty-second slots are going for more than $5 million for airtime alone.

Last year, ads that tackled political issues fell flat, like an 84 Lumber ad about immigration. And some thought the recent Grammy Awards’ low ratings were because the show contained too many political moments, such as Hillary Clinton reading from the Trump biography ”Fire and Fury.”

People are in the mood for ”political-free entertainment,” said Kim Whitler, a marketing professor at the University of Virginia.

Several ads will be taking a light-humor approach with mostly male celebrities. PepsiCo brands Doritos Blaze and Mountain Dew Ice are showcased in two 30-second linked spots showing Morgan Freeman and Peter Dinklage in a lip-sync rap battle.

In a Pringles ad Shayne Gostisbehere Jersey , Bill Hader has a snack on set and introduces a made-up practice dubbed ”flavor stacking,” in which he mixes and matches different Pringles varieties. M&Ms enlisted Danny DeVito to embody what happens when a red M&M becomes a person after wishing on a lucky penny.

Keanu Reeves surfs on his motorcycle through the desert in an ad for Squarespace. Chris Elliott lives in a bio dome to tout avocados from Mexico, while ”Stranger Things” star David Harbour shows up in Tide’s commercial.

”They’re light hearted and good natured,” Whitler said. ”That’s on target with the mood of the country.”

”We’re exposed to so much constant negativity,” said Andy Goeler, a marketing executive at Bud Light. ”Delivering something just light hearted and fun is the root at what beer is all about.” The brand’s two spots showcase a mythical kingdom a la ”Game of Thrones” centered on Bud Light and the catchphrase ”Dilly Dilly.”

Amazon’s 90-second fourth-quarter ad stars a bevy of celebrities who sub for the voice of Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant: singer Cardi B, actress Rebel Wilson, star chef Gordon Ramsey and even actor Anthony Hopkins putting a Hannibal Lector spin on things. Leading up to the halftime show, Pepsi’s ad references past celebrities who have appeared in Pepsi Super Bowl ads: Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Cindy Crawford and others.

Nonetheless, two Super Bowl ads are bucking the trend and sidling up to political issues, however obliquely.

Coca-Cola’s anthemic 60-second ad features varieties of Coke, from Coke Zero to the stevia-flavored Coke Life, quaffed by women, men and a person who uses the ”they” pronoun.

”There’s a Coke for he, and she and her and me and them http://www.officialislanders.com/authentic-adidas-adam-pelech-jersey ,” a voiceover states.

Coca-Cola executives say the ad highlights the diversity the company has always used in its advertising, adding that they consulted African-American and LGBTQ groups among its own employees. A biracial couple and a person in a wheelchair also appear in the spot.

”We want to celebrate all the people that make up the world,” Coca-Cola executive Brynn Bardacke said. ”We don’t want to exclude anyone.”

On the other hand, WeatherTech, which makes car mats and other interior car products, has a staunchly pro-American approach in its ad, which shows the construction of a factory that opened late last year.

”At WeatherTech, we built our factory right here in America,” the ad’s text reads. ”Isn’t that the way it is supposed to be?”

It’s the fifth year WeatherTech has advertised in the Super Bowl touting its all-American operations. Founder and CEO David MacNeil said his ad doesn’t have typical Super Bowl accoutrements – ”no ponies, no puppies, no pretty girls” – but said it’s straight to the point about its message.

”Isn’t it just logical to build your own factory in your own country so your own fellow citizens can have jobs?” he said. He said he doesn’t believe the ad might be divisive. ”It wouldn’t occur to me that I could offend anyone by supporting my own country,” he said.

While the majority of advertisers release their ads ahead of time to try to drum up publicity, there are some holdouts. Fiat Chrysler usually appears during the game without advance warning. Other advertisers that have remained mum about their plans so far include E-Trade and Monster Products.

”It may be that advertisers with risky ads are waiting for the game, hoping to protect the surprise and break through the clutter,” said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University.