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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- After some serious debate about moving to a nine-game conference football schedule, ACC athletic directors voted Wednesday to maintain the status quo.The ACC will continue to play eight league games with a requirement for a ninth game against a Power 5 nonconference opponent, the league announced Wednesday. The decision will cost each school about $500,000 in television revenue, industry sources told ESPNs Brett McMurphy.With a new TV deal in place with ESPN and the launch of a new ACC Network in the works for 2019, the league expanded its conference schedule for basketball (from 18 to 20 games, starting in 2019), but a move toward more intraconference football games was hotly contested by several schools with annual rivalry games outside the league.The new ESPN deal gave the schools three options: increase the league schedule to nine games with one nonconference Power 5 opponent; play eight league games with two nonconference Power 5 opponents; or stay at eight league games with one nonconference Power 5 opponent. ACC schools would have received the full amount of the deal between ESPN and the ACC by choosing either of the first two options. But the schools instead chose to remain status quo despite the reduced revenue.Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich staunchly supported the status quo on conference scheduling. While the league will miss out on network incentives, he said it wasnt a major issue.Those were big numbers, but when you break it down after shares and dividing the dollars within the league, it was not anything that moved the needle, he said.Florida State, Georgia Tech and Louisville also strongly opposed an expanded league schedule because it would limit flexibility to schedule other out-of-conference games beyond their annual rivalry contests against the SEC.ACC commissioner John Swofford said maintaining the status quo on scheduling was majority rule, and If you look at our football right now, its as strong or stronger than its ever been. ... Its working, and hopefully that can continue.Other schools favored expanding conference play in order to see cross-divisional opponents more often and to simplify nonconference scheduling. The Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 all play nine conference games, while the ACCs regional rival, the SEC, has stayed at eight.NC State athletic director Debbie Yow said she voted for the 9+1 schedule.I like playing conference teams. Now we play Duke twice in 12 years, she said. Theres a problem with that.ESPN spokesperson Josh Krulewitz declined comment Wednesday. Khalil Mack Bears Jersey .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. William Perry Womens Jersey . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. https://www.bearssportsgoods.com/Womens-Roquan-Smith-Inverted-Jersey/ . 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. David Montgomery Youth Jersey . Just not the game. Kyle Palmieri scored two straight goals in the third period to rally the Anaheim Ducks past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Tuesday night. Khalil Mack Youth Jersey . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night. We live in a divided nation. Sometimes it feels more like two separate Americas, somehow living side-by-side with different ideals, beliefs and hopes for the future. This may never have been more apparent than during the 2016 presidential election.For as long as I can remember, sports have always been a sanctuary to me -- a rare place in our complicated society where people from all walks of life can come together to cheer on one team. Sure, that may sound hokey, but its also beautiful and perhaps even necessary. Ive made friends and talked to people I never otherwise would have solely because of a shared athletic allegiance.Thanks to the genius of Bill Belichick and the talent of Tom Brady, the New England Patriots -- and their impressive four Super Bowl titles since 2002 -- have helped provide one such space. From sitting in the freezing cold at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, watching a hard-fought victory, to commiserating after a Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants at a dive bar in Boston, the Patriots have created a community for fans where the team is first and politics and other differences fall by the wayside.But now Im conflicted, and I feel as if my sports utopia has been tarnished. Like many Americans, I voted for Hillary Clinton to be our next president, and like most of those voters, Im disappointed and angered with the outcome of Tuesdays election. I dont need to explain why I supported Clinton over Donald Trump. You either agree with me or you dont, but I feel passionately about my decision.Im not alone in New England. Whether you love it or hate it, this part of the country has been a liberal stronghold for decades.On Monday, during one of his final campaign rallies, Trump excitedly announced to a crowd in Manchester, New Hampshire, that Brady and Belichick had offered their support to him. Trump went on to say that both men had given their permission for him to reveal this news to the public.Donald, I support you, youre my friend and I voted for you, Trump said Brady told him over the phone earlier in the day. He then went on to read a letter written by Belichick in which the coach lauded him for his competitive spirit.Youve proved to be the ultimate competitor and fighter, Trump said, reading the letter. Hopefully tomorrows election results will give the opportunity to make America great again.While Brady has since hedged his support and now claims his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, haas asked him to no longer speak about politics, Belichick admitted he wrote the letter but said it was not politically motivated?and instead cited his longtime friendship with Trump as the basis for his endorsement.ddddddddddddAfter briefly addressing Trump during their Wednesday morning news conferences, both Brady and Belichick used their remaining time to try to steer the conversation back to football. Belichick began answering more campaign questions with Seattle, in reference to the teams opponent on Sunday.While Im usually entertained by the Patriot Way and Belichicks terse answers to reporters, Im just not satisfied with this. Trump explicitly stated that both men gave him the OK to share their endorsements with the crowd in New Hampshire. While neither Brady nor Belichick outwardly denied that statement, they certainly didnt publicly endorse him either. But they cant have it both ways. They should be held accountable for their statements and, at the very least, should have to address questions about the topic.As an American first (and a Patriots fan somewhere else down the line), Im horrified with the results of this election. And Im pretty confident I wont be feeling much better by this weekend either. Im genuinely not sure if I can actively cheer for these two men, who clearly hold such different values than I do.I will be the first to admit that my stance is somewhat hypocritical. Im always thrilled when athletes use their voices to champion causes they -- and perhaps more importantly in this case, I?-- believe in. I was proud of LeBron James for supporting Clinton in the swing state of Ohio, and Ive been happy to see Colin Kaepernick, Megan Rapinoe and others attempt to raise awareness about the treatment of black people and police brutality.But my thinking is so far removed from Belichick and Brady -- who will be representing a New England they clearly dont epitomize politically when the Patriots play the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football -- that this for me is different. Justified or not.I know, I know. This is America and Brady and Belichick have every right to support -- publicly or privately -- whomever they want. But, just as they have that right, I have the same choice in whether or not I want to support them in a football game. And this Sunday night, I really dont think I can. ' ' '