Truly the first time I left Delaware was when I w

LAS VEGAS -- The irony of UFC 200 is not lost on Conor McGregor.McGregor was originally supposed to headline UFC 200 against Nate Diaz, but he was pulled from the event when he refused to attend a news conference in April. The UFC replaced that main event with a light heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.On Wednesday, the UFC was forced to scrap that fight after Jones was flagged with a potential anti-doping violation. As a result, a heavyweight bout between Brock Lesnar and Mark Hunt, which was added to the UFCs landmark card last month, will be the headliner.I could sit up here and say, Well, well, well, McGregor said during a news conference Thursday. I am a successful human being, and successful human beings do not celebrate in the adversity or misfortune of others.So, I wish Jones well. I wish everyone backstage well. I know theyre running around like headless chickens, trying to get everything together.McGregor was then asked whether the thought had crossed his mind to step up and fight at UFC 200 on two days notice.His response: Im here and in shape. All they gotta do is ask.Jones, 28, is facing a potential two-year suspension if hes unable to successfully appeal a failed drug test from June 16.McGregor, meanwhile, will fight Diaz in a welterweight bout at UFC 202 on Aug. 20 in Las Vegas. The current featherweight champion, McGregor (19-3) suffered the first loss of his UFC career to Diaz, who took the March fight on less than two weeks notice.All I missed was a press conference, McGregor said. If you look at the facts, the main event [Jones and Cormier] and co-main event [Lesnar vs. Hunt] werent even at that press conference.But it is what it is. Aug. 20 is my date. UFC 202, the real UFC 200. And I will have my redemption.Diaz (19-10) was also in attendance for Thursdays news conference but remained relatively quiet.Diaz lost the first round of the first fight with McGregor before rallying to a submission in the second. When asked what would be different with a full training camp this time, Diaz responded: Should be better.McGregor has said that he didnt properly prepare for the move up in weight and that was the main reason he lost. He has made additions to his training camp to prepare specifically for Diaz.Usually, I dont prepare for a specific opponent, McGregor said. The reasons for that are clear to everybody -- everybody I face pulls out. They all pull out.This time, Im preparing for a tall, lanky, ugly, Mexican southpaw. And thats it. Pirates Jerseys China . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. 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But soon it became clear to her that she wasnt walking away from anything, but rather walking toward her family.Delle Donnes older sister Lizzie has autism and cerebral palsy. Shes been blind and deaf since birth, so the only way for her loved ones to communicate with her is via touch and smell. Being at UConn meant losing all connection to Lizzie, and an 18-year-old Delle Donne just wasnt ready for that loss. She enrolled closer to home, at the University of Delaware, and eventually found the balance of family and basketball she needed.A new short film produced by Gatorade, For The Wind, explores the relationship between the Chicago Sky star and her sister, revealing the joy Lizzie feels when touched by the wind and how special it is for Delle Donne to play in Chicago. Gatorade also constructed a temporary wind-powered art installation outside of the Skys stadium, Allstate Arena. Over 1,500 wind spinners of different colors present different images from various perspectives, including a portrait of Delle Donne visible from one vantage point.The reigning WNBA MVP joined my podcast this week to speak about the project and the serendipitous nature of being drafted by the Sky.Its pretty crazy how fate works in ways like that, she said. The wind meaning so much to the two of us and then being a part of the Windy City and playing for Chicago, it all just came to fruition.dddddddddddd Its pretty amazing that it happened that way.Now 27 and in her fourth WNBA season, Delle Donne is able to play hundreds of miles away from home in part because she can still feel Lizzie every day.Truly the first time I left Delaware was when I was drafted here in Chicago, she said. It does have that homey feel, that family feel still. And then obviously when that wind blows and kicks up, its gonna always remind me of Liz.Delle Donne also thinks of Lizzie when shes faced with challenges like injuries and illness. Shes experienced incredible highs in her short time in the league -- being named WNBA Rookie of the Year in her first season and WNBA MVP in her third -- but also some lows, including an extended absence in her second season because of a flare up of Lyme disease, and now a thumb injury for which she underwent surgery last week and is at serious risk of missing the playoffs.Thank goodness for Liz, because theres been ups and downs in my career, said Delle Donne. Once again Im able to put it in perspective and look at her life, look at the challenges shes overcome and, you know, a banged up thumb is nothing compared to what shes had to deal with.As of Monday, Delle Donne is tied with Tina Charles atop the WNBA leaderboard with 21.5 points per game. Shes also tops in free throw percentage and in the top 5 in the league in three-point percentage and blocks. Her absence makes things much more difficult for the Sky, still seeking their first WNBA title. ' ' '