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COSTA DO SAUIPE, Brazil - France was perhaps the biggest beneficiary when FIFA decided on its procedure for the World Cup draw Tuesday, as the team now has better odds of avoiding Brazil and Argentina. Cheap MLB Jerseys . As the lowest-ranked of nine unseeded European qualifiers, France was expected to go in the Africa-dominated draw pot — meaning it could not be placed in the same group as a top-seeded European team. But instead of following its format from the 2006 World Cup, FIFA decided that all nine European teams enter an open ballot which starts the draw ceremony on Friday. That team selected will effectively enter Pot 2 alongside the five African teams, plus Chile and Ecuador. France could yet face the top South Americans but now also has the unexpected chance of drawing seeded Switzerland or Belgium. FIFA President Sepp Blatter said the decision followed talks with confederation presidents, including UEFAs French president Michel Platini. However, he sidestepped a question asking him to explain a procedure that seemingly ignored FIFAs own precedent and favoured France. "Let us (hold the) draw and not let us speak of teams," Blatter said. FIFA traditionally tries to create pots based on geography, so that groups will include teams from up to four different continents and avoiding scenarios where three European teams get grouped together. For the 2006 tournament — the last time there were nine unseeded European teams — Serbia and Montenegro was the lowest-ranked team from the continent. That time, FIFA put it in a separate pot, and Serbia and Montenegro found itself in the toughest group: with Argentina, Netherlands and Ivory Coast. The eight top-ranked teams in Pot 1 also include Colombia, Uruguay, Germany and Spain. The five African teams in Pot 2 are Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria, while Pot 3 includes the teams from the Asian and CONCACAF regions — Australia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and the United States. In other decisions Tuesday, FIFAs World Cup organizing committee declined to switch early kickoff times in tropical cities despite concerns by the international players union over the heat and humidity. Blatter had suggested in Rome last month that seven 1 p.m. kickoff times in Fortaleza, Natal, Recife and Salvador could be re-evaluated. FIFPro, the international players union, had formally asked FIFA to consider moving the matches to later in the day. "We were perfectly aware of the weather conditions when this match schedule was organized," FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said of the October 2011 agreement. "It was done in a professional way." Valcke confirmed FIFAs budgeted commitment to increase World Cup prize money by around one-third, but the exact breakdown will be decided later this week. FIFA shared $348 million among the 32 national federations in 2010, including $30 million to Spain for winning and a minimum of $8 million to each team. FIFA has previously said the prize fund will be $454 million next year. Cheap MLB Jerseys China . During halftime, Love told The Associated Press he would receive treatment Saturday night and hoped to play Monday night against Houston. "I knew that my quad was bothering me pretty bad so I went out there and tried to move around a little bit and it just wasnt quite right," Love said. Cheap MLB Jerseys Free Shipping . Miamis 7-1 loss to Josh Beckett and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night was overshadowed by the announcement team president Michael Hill made in the Dodger Stadium press box during the third inning. Hill said Marlins doctor Lee Kaplan had recommended Tommy John surgery to repair a significant tear in Fernandezs right elbow.WASHINGTON -- Washington Redskins president Bruce Allen said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Saturday that the pro football teams nickname is "respectful" toward Native Americans. On Thursday, half the U.S. Senate urged National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell to change the Washington clubs name, saying it is a racist slur and it is time to replace it. The franchise responded by releasing Allens letter. "Our use of Redskins as the name of our football team for more than 80 years has always been respectful of and shown reverence toward the proud legacy and traditions of Native Americans," he wrote. The letter references research that "the term Redskins originated as a Native American expression of solidarity." It notes that the teams logo was designed by Native American leaders and cites surveys that Native Americans and Americans as a whole support the name. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has refused to change the name, citing tradition, but there has been growing pressure including statements in recent months from President Barack Obama, lawmakers of both parties and civil rights groups. Last month, Reid took to the Senate floor to say Snyder should "do what is morally right" and change the name. In a letter Thursday, 49 senators mentioned the National Basketball Associations quick action recently to ban Los Angeles Clippers oowner Donald Sterling for life after he was heard on an audio recording making offensive comments about blacks. Authentic Cheap MLB Jerseys. They said Goodell should formally push to rename the Redskins. "We urge you and the National Football League to send the same clear message as the NBA did: that racism and bigotry have no place in professional sports," read the letter, which did not use the word "Redskins." Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida wrote his own letter saying he doesnt believe that retaining the Redskin name "is appropriate in this day and age." In a written response Thursday, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said "the intent of the teams name has always been to present a strong, positive and respectful image." Reid and Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state led the letter-writing effort. All senators on the letter are Democrats. Cantwell spokesman Jared Leopold said Republicans were not asked to participate. The senators noted that tribal organizations representing more than two million Native Americans across the U.S. have said they want the Redskins name dropped. Despite federal laws protecting their identity, "Every Sunday during football season, the Washington, D.C., football team mocks their culture," they wrote. "The NFL can no longer ignore this and perpetuate the use of this name as anything but what it is: a racial slur." cheap jerseys from china ' ' '
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