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SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker apologized Monday for a newly surfaced photograph that shows him making the same gesture with anti-Semitic connotations that French soccer star Nicolas Anelka displayed while celebrating a goal this weekend, creating an uproar in their home country. The photograph shows Parker and a French comedian making a gesture known in France as a "quenelle," which critics describe as inverted Nazi salute. Parker said in a statement released through the Spurs that the photograph was taken three years ago. Parker, who was born in Belgium but raised in France, said he didnt know at the time that "it could be in any way offensive or harmful." He said he thought it was part of a comedy act and said he apologized for any misunderstanding or harm. "While this gesture has been part of French culture for many years, it was not until recently that I learned of the very negative concerns associated with it," Parker said. The photo surfaced on social media after Anelka made the same gesture celebrating a goal in an English Premier League game Saturday, causing an outcry in France. Anelkas club, West Bromich Albion, issued a statement Monday saying that Anelka has agreed not to perform the same gesture again. The English Football Association has also begun an investigation and could punish Anelka with a five-match ban. Anelka has defended his actions, saying he was merely expressing his support for French comedian Dieudonne Mbala Mbala, who performs the gesture on stage. Dieudonne claims the salute, which involves pointing one straightened arm downward while touching that arms shoulder with the opposite hand, is anti-establishment and not anti-Semitic. The photograph of Parker also shows him posing with Dieudonne. Parker did not speak with reporters after practice Monday. He said in his statement that he would never repeat the gesture again. "Hopefully this incident will serve to educate others that we need to be more aware that things that may seem innocuous can actually have a history of hate and hurt," Parker said. USWNT Jerseys 2020 . Ghoulam has put pen to paper on a four and a half year deal, tying him to Napoli until 2018. The 22-year-old Algeria international, who played for France at Under 21 level, has made 87 league appearances in four seasons at Saint-Etienne. USWNT Shirts .Cameron sustained his third concussion in three seasons last week on a hit by Oakland safety Brandion Ross, who was fined $22,050 by the NFL for the helmet-to-helmet blow. https://www.cheapuswnt.com/.Y. - Geno Smith still thinks of himself as the New York Jets starting quarterback. Stitched USWNT Jerseys . It certainly isnt a coincidence that Dwight Howard has scored at least 20 points in each game of the winning streak. USWNT Gear .The long-haired pivot, who joined the Alouettes midway through the CFL season and put up a 9-3 record as a starter, will be listed as the top quarterback in training camp next spring.With a full training camp under his belt, the Alouettes will see if he has what it takes to get them back to the Grey Cup game after a four-year absence. WINNIPEG -- Jeff Stoughton made a great shot to tie their game but it wasnt enough as Kevin Martin extended his winning streak at the Olympic Curling Trials to two games and put Stoughton in a must-win situation from now on. "Wasnt that something . . youre just never safe," Martin said of Stoughtons shot, minutes after the Edmonton skips single in the 10th made it 6-5. "We had to make it a tough double and of course he made an incredible double and made it a close game." Brad Jacobs and John Morris also stayed undefeated. Morris, Martins former third, is curling with B.C.s Jim Cotter and he beat Calgarys Kevin Koe 6-4 and Jacobs, out of Sault Ste Marie, Ont., downed Winnipegs Mike McEwan 7-5. Glenn Howard, out of Coldwater, also beat fellow Ontario skip John Epping of Toronto 9-5, which left both at 1-1. The crowd at the MTS Centre had lots to cheer about as Stoughton made a difficult double off one of Martins stones to score three in the ninth. He missed another, perhaps even more difficult, multiple takeout in the sixth that could have given him four but he had to settle for one. Stoughton knows he has no more room left to lose another game, with all agreeing a record of 5-2 is probably a must to make the playoffs. "I would think so. Its not where we wanted to be after two games," he said. "Weve played worse and won." He has already said this will be the last time he tries to win a spot on the Olympic team. "Theres five games left . . Were not out of this by any means." Martin agreed that losing more than two looks like elimination. "Five and two is safe, four and three I dont think ever has been." Jacobs was enjoying the moment as well. "Its a seven-game round robin so every win is huge. You feel great to be at 2-0. You wouldnt want to be 0-2," he said. On the womens side of the event, an underdog and a favourite remained the only undefeated teams after the morning draw. Former world champion Jennifer Jones needed an extra end to finish off Ontarios Sherry Middaugh. "It was a really hard fought battle and we gave up a really bad three in the seventh end but the girls hung in there and we found a way to win that game, which were going to need this week if were going to be successful," said Jones.dddddddddddd The four-time Scotties winner has tried twice before to win a coveted spot on Canadas Olympic team and both times failed to make the playoffs. The win left Jones tied at the top of the standings at the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings with Val Sweeting, who curls out of Edmonton, and whose best and only finish to date at a Scotties was 4-7 in 2010. "The record is a bonus," said Sweeting. "We thought we started that game better but we had a little bit of a shaky last half so maybe tonight well have a solid game start to finish." They knew they would need it, since they were set to meet Jones in the evening draw. After giving up a three in the seventh, Jones scored two in the 10th end to tie the game and forced Middaugh to make a tight hit that she flashed in the extra as her team fell to 1-1. "My guard in 10, thrown a bit better . . . maybe Jennifer would have had a harder deuce," said Middaugh. "I just overthrew and kind of popped out my one in the extra end." Sweeting defeated Saskatoons Stefanie Lawton 8-6. Lawton also lost Sundays opening draw and fell to 0-2. In other scores from the morning draw, Winnipegs Chelsea Carey also needed an extra end to hand Edmontons Heather Nedohin her second loss, beating her 8-5, and Ottawas Rachel Homan downed Renee Sonnenberg of Grande Prairie, Alta., 8-2, leaving both at 1-1. "We really needed a win this morning," said Homan, the reigning Canadian champ who finished third at the world championships. "I guess you could say a lot more pressure this morning than there was yesterday." The Manitoba Curling Association and the province also announced Monday that curling is joining the CFLs Winnipeg Blue Bombers and NHLs Jets with a specialty license plate of its own, and part of the proceeds will go to the associations Curling for Life Endowment Fund. ' ' '