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NEW YORK, N.Y. - Statement from Michael Garcia, Chairman of the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee:For the first two years after my July 2012 appointment as independent Chairman of the FIFA Ethics Committees Investigatory Chamber, I felt that the Ethics Committee was making real progress in advancing ethics enforcement at FIFA. In recent months, that changed.On September 5, 2014, I and Cornel Borbely, the Deputy Chair of the Investigatory Chamber, sent a Report on the Inquiry into the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup Bidding Process (the Report) to the FIFA Ethics Committees Adjudicatory Chamber. The Report identified serious and wide-ranging issues with the bidding and selection process. (Mr. Borbely also filed separate reports from his inquiries into the activities of the bid teams from Russia and the United States.)Soon after, the Chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber, Hans-Joachim Eckert, indicated publicly that only limited information from the Report would be made public. Concerned that insufficient transparency would not serve FIFAs interests, I issued a public statement calling on the FIFA Executive Committee to authorize the appropriate publication of the Report. The Executive Committee took no action on this subject during its September 2014 meetings - other than to refer me to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for allegedly violating the Code of Ethics through my public comments, namely, my public request that the Executive Committee authorize appropriate publication of the Report and the on-the-record statement Mr. Borbely and I released concerning watches given to certain football officials. The Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, Claudio Sulser, ultimately rejected the Executive Committees referral.On November 13, 2014, Mr. Eckert issued a 42-page Statement of the Chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee on the Report on the Inquiry into the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup Bidding Process prepared by the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee (the Eckert Decision). In a cover letter, Mr. Eckert described the statement as his findings, including certain descriptions of the contents of the Investigatory Chambers report.The issues raised by Mr. Eckerts selection and omission of material from the Report, and his additional comments, went far beyond the initial transparency concerns. As my public statement at the time explained, the Eckert Decision contained numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of facts and conclusions. Accordingly, I appealed.A brief I filed with the FIFA Appeal Committee on November 24, 2014, outlined the Eckert Decisions most serious failings. Among other points, the brief explained why, when viewed in the context of the Report it purported to summarize, no principled approach could justify the Eckert Decisions edits, omissions, and additions.Yesterdays decision by the Appeal Committee declined to address these points. Instead, the Appeal Committee rejected my appeal on procedural grounds, concluding that it is not necessary for the FIFA Appeals Committee to enter into considerations on the substance of the appeal. The Appeal Committee found that the Eckert Decision was merely a personal opinion on the Report and had no legally binding effect whatsoever. It reached this conclusion even though, under Article 36 of the Code of Ethics, only final decisions may be made public, as the Eckert Decision, which was published on FIFAs website, obviously was. The Appeal Committee also overlooked the Eckert Decisions self-described findings, including one stating that the evaluation of the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cups bidding process is closed for the FIFA Ethics Committee. FIFA President Blatter recently reaffirmed that finding during an interview published by FIFA, stating: Furthermore, there is no change to Judge Eckerts statement that the investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups is concluded.I disagree with the Appeal Committees decision.It now appears that, at least for the foreseeable future, the Eckert Decision will stand as the final word on the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process. While the Appeal Committees decision notes that further appeal may be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, I have concluded that such a course of action would not be practicable in this case. No independent governance committee, investigator, or arbitration panel can change the culture of an organization. And while the November 13, 2014, Eckert Decision made me lose confidence in the independence of the Adjudicatory Chamber, it is the lack of leadership on these issues within FIFA that leads me to conclude that my role in this process is at an end.Accordingly, effective today, December 17, 2014, I am resigning as independent Chairman of the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee. Authentic MLB Jerseys . The Raptors two leading scorers were never able to co-exist the way they hoped or the team had envisioned, but individually DeRozan was thriving, in the midst of a career season. Nike NFL Jerseys 2020 . Right-hander Ricky Nolasco and the Twins agreed to terms on a free-agent contract Wednesday, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. https://www.cheapmlbjerseysjustwholesale.com/. LOUIS -- The St. Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys . They find themselves trying to knock each other out in the Western Conference finals for the second straight year. The Blackhawks prevailed last year on their way to the Stanley Cup, and they have the early lead this time after taking the opener, 3-1. Nike Baseball Jerseys . Raonic, the No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., fired 11 aces and did not have a double-fault as he comfortably advanced to the third round at the Masters Series event.DENVER -- The Memphis Grizzlies had a bumpy ride into Denver early Monday. They had a hard landing Monday night and still managed to keep themselves in the thick of the post-season hunt. Zach Randolph had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Mike Conley added 19 points and the Grizzlies kept pace in the playoff race with a 94-92 win over the Denver Nuggets. The Grizzlies moved into a three-way tie with Dallas and Phoenix for seventh in the Western Conference. Memphis plays both teams once more -- at the Suns on April 14 and home against the Mavericks in the regular-season finale two days later. The rest of the schedule includes road games at Minnesota and San Antonio, and a home game with Miami, which is battling for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. "Weve got to keep playing," Randolph said. "Each game is an important game for us, so weve got to come out with a sense of urgency." Courtney Lee scored 19 points for Memphis, which stopped a two-game skid after an adventurous flight from Portland into Denver early Monday morning. The Grizzlies landing into Denver International Airport was rough thanks to high winds in the area. "Oh my gosh," Randolph said. "Oh man." The Grizzlies also handled the turbulence created by the Nuggets. Randolph said the Grizzlies have to be ready for teams with nothing on the line, especially with every game important in their playoff push. "A lot of teams is just free-styling, aint going post-season so they dont care so theyre playing freely," he said. "Were playing for something so weve got to come out from the beginning." The Nuggets nearly hurt Memphis playoff chances, coming from seven down in the fourth to make it a last-possession game. Denver rallied to get within 88-86 on Timofey Mozgovs free throw and the teams traded buckets before Conley banked in a 3-pointer to make it 93-88 with 36 seconds left. "Mike Conley hit a big shot," Memphis coach David Joerger said. "I thought we did a good job of executing in getting the shots we waanted down the stretch.dddddddddddd" After Randy Foye hit a layup for the Nuggets, Randolph missed a pair of free throws with 8.2 seconds remaining. Denver got the rebound, called a timeout and set up a play for the 7-foot-1 Mozgov at the 3-point line. He missed but then dunked the rebound to get the Nuggets within 93-92. "We know that I can make 3s," Mozgov said. "We tried. I just missed it. It wasnt good." The miss wasnt as costly as Mozgovs decision to dunk his rebound instead of pass it out to a teammate for another attempt to tie the game. "What surprised me is he didnt kick it back out when he got the dunk," Randolph said. Lee was fouled with 0.7 seconds left, hit the first free throw and deliberately missed the second to end the game. Nuggets coach Brian Shaw didnt think Lees missed free throw hit the rim and pleaded with the refs to look at the replay. The officials told him it wasnt a reviewable play. "In a situation where its a deadball and theres three referees and theres no live action going on, just looking at the free throw, I dont understand why that cant be seen," Shaw said. Mozgov tied a career high with 23 points to go with 10 rebounds and Kenneth Faried had 17 points for the Nuggets, who have dropped four in a row. The teams play again Friday in Memphis. The Grizzlies jumped out to 16-point lead in the second quarter on Lees 13 points. But the Nuggets rallied behind Mozgov, who had seven points in the final 3:01 on three dunks and a free throw to cut Memphis lead to 47-45 at the break. Randolph took over late in the third quarter to help Memphis build a 75-68 lead heading into the fourth. Randolph scored 11 of his 13 points in the period in the final 4:16 as the Grizzlies expanded a two-point lead to seven. NOTES: Nuggets F Wilson Chandler missed his fifth straight game with a left groin strain. ... The Grizzlies are 27-11 since Marc Gasol returned from a sprained MCL in his left knee on Jan. 14. ... The Nuggets had just 10 players available for the game. ' ' '