Reiseberichte » carrying a shutout into the eighth. I was able to spot

SALT LAKE CITY -- Some of Utahs most influential Mormons, including Mitt Romney, Gov. Gary Herbert and the president of the Utah Jazz, lobbied to get the private, Mormon church-owned Brigham Young University an invitation to join the lucrative Big 12 athletic conference.Jazz President Steve Starks said BYU was asked not to directly lobby other universities, so he instead worked to drum up support for the Provo school and enlisted help from the governors office.Starks, a Mormon, didnt attend BYU but said hes always been a fan and the universitys entrance into the conference would have been good for Utah and Utah sports.Big 12 university presidents and chancellors authorized Commissioner Bob Bowlsby to begin evaluating potential expansion candidates in July, and BYU was among several schools that made it clear theyd like to become members of the Power Five conference.But the Big 12 Conference announced Monday that it has decided against expansion from its current 10 schools.To make a case for BYU, Starks said there were several of us that I think have pulled out our Rolodexes and made phone calls. He declined to name names beyond Romney and Herbert, but said there were many others.Romney, the most prominent Mormon in the country, called Oklahoma State billionaire booster T. Boone Pickens to make a pitch for his alma mater, Pickens told reporters in September.Messages left with a representative for Romney were not returned, but Starks said he didnt ask Romney to get in involved in the effort because the 2012 presidential candidate already was making calls.Starks called the Utah governors office to see if Herbert, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, would reach out to his counterparts in states with Big 12 power schools to urge their support for BYU.In August, Herbert called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to urge support for BYU and days later made a similar pitch to Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin while they attended a Republican Governors Association meeting in Colorado, said Herberts Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox.While Utah officials said a spot for BYU in the Big 12 would have brought prestige to the school and showcased the state to football fans elsewhere, it was also personal for Herbert. He attended BYU, as did his children, and his son-in-law, former Canadian football player Ben Cahoon, is the schools receivers coach.Herbert, a Republican, was not the only elected official to wade into the issue -- governors in Texas and Ohio issued tweets or wrote letters on behalf of schools in their states. In Texas, the lieutenant governor, Republican Dan Patrick, issued a formal statement urging the conference to not only take Houston but also the private Southern Methodist University.Entrance into the Big 12 would have entitled BYU to a piece of the Big 12s shared revenue. Conference members split a record $304 million in net revenue, about $30.4 million per school for the 2015-16 school year.BYU athletics broke away from the Mountain West Conference in 2011 as the university looked for better opportunities. The football program became an independent after not making the cut when the Pac-12 expanded from 10 to 12 teams. Most of the other sports joined the West Coast Conference.Independence has allowed the football team to play more high-profile games without a mandatory conference schedule against mid-major teams. The opportunity to reach the College Football Playoff from a non-Power 5 conference is slim.University of Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has said his schools entrance into the Pac-12 Conference in 2011 was the most significant thing to happen to its football program. From a pure monetary standpoint, Utah has seen its athletic department revenues jump from $26.165 million in 2009-10 to $59.271 million in 2014-15. The national TV revenue grew from $1.222 million to $18.084 million.For BYU, joining the Big 12 would have also opened recruiting doors that can be closed otherwise. The highest caliber athletes in the country typically lean toward playing in a Power 5 conference, which besides the Big 12 and Pac-12 include the SEC, Big Ten, and ACC.The expansion talk came as federal education officials investigate how the school handles sexual assault reports. The scrutiny followed complaints from students and alumni about BYUs practice of opening honor code investigations of students who report sexual abuse.The strict honor code bans premarital sex and alcohol consumption, among other things. Gay rights groups also pushed back against the schools inclusion, arguing it has discriminatory policies.Rachel Sanders, executive director of left-leaning watchdog group Alliance for a Better Utah, said elected officials shouldnt have tried to influence a sports issue, especially one involving a private school.Sanders said officials that pushed for BYU were sending a message that any problems with BYUs honor code and LGBT policies are acceptable.Cox said the Utah governors conversations were brief and didnt dive into the schools religious practices or honor code. The governor instead highlighted the schools strong ticket sales, academics and support from state leaders.---Associated Press writers Paul Weber in Austin and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report. Adidas NMD Goedkoop . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Adidas NMD XR1 Dames .S District Court against Major League Baseball, the Office of the Commissioner and his own union, the MLBPA. http://www.nmdbelgie.com/kopen-adidas-zx-flux-sale.html . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. Adidas NMD R1 Heren . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Adidas Zx Flux Goedkoop . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Texas needed extra innings to stave off its first three-game skid since late May on Friday night, but it got the job done.The American League-leading Rangers (52-29) look to start a new winning streak as they face the Twins in the second contest of a three-game set Saturday afternoon in Minnesota.Meanwhile, the Twins (25-54) are no strangers to losing streaks. They have strung together skids of three or more games 12 times this season, and earned another after Fridays 3-2 loss in the series opener.Ian Desmond led off the 10th inning with a 418-foot homer, giving the Rangers a win in extras after Texas Martin Perez and Minnesotas Ervin Santana each turned in stellar starts before giving up two runs apiece in the seventh.Jurickson Profars two-run single broke the scoreless tie in the Twins seventh, but Trevor Plouffe socked a two-run blast in the bottom of the frame to pull even again.Brian Dozier singled to set the table for Plouffe, extending his career-best hitting streak to 13 games.Theres nothing wrong with a little adversity, especially at this point in the season, said Desmond, who has 15 homers this season and finished a triple shy of the cycle. We see what were made of. We had some good bounce-back performances today.After a classic pitchers duel in the opener, both teams turn to a pair of youngsters Saturday as Rangers right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-0, 9.00 ERA) opposes Twins righty Tyler Duffey (3-6, 5.59 ERA).Duffey carries momentum into his first career start against the Rangers.The 25-year-old enjoyed one of his best outinngs Sunday against the New York Yankees, giving up a solo homer and two hits but nothing more while striking out eight in an eight-inning victory.ddddddddddddThrowing the ball over the plate does wonders, Duffey said after pitching 5 2/3 perfect innings and carrying a shutout into the eighth. I was able to spot my fastball well and everything worked off of that.It was his first win in six starts, snapping a three-decision losing streak, and marked the first time in eight starts since May 15 that Duffey allowed fewer than four runs.Duffey had been touched for six runs in each of his past three starts, going 0-2 while pitching to a 11.37 ERA.Gonzalez makes his second big league start of the year after being recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Monday to face the Yankees. He allowed five runs on 10 hits and two walks in a five-inning no-decision.The 24-year-old was 3-6 with a 5.04 ERA in 14 starts with Round Rock before assuming Colby Lewis spot in the starting rotation.Plouffe took Gonzalez deep for a solo homer in Texas 6-5 win over Minnesota last August 13. Gonzalez lasted 5 2/3 innings, surrendering five runs on five hits and a career-high-tying five walks with four strikeouts.Eduardo Escobar (1-for-2) also recorded a hit against Gonzalez.The Rangers and Twins meet five more times this season after Saturdays showdown, with a July 7-10 four-game series in Arlington taking both teams into the All-Star break. ' ' '