Kaepernick situation but just social activism in general

North America doesnt possess the best track record at the League of Legends World Championship. Although the region had an optimistic start in 2011s season 1 -- significantly, where no South Korean or Chinese teams competed -- since then its been a long list of close misses, unlucky bracket draws, and teams underperforming at the crucial stages of the campaign.This year, there will be no excuses if NA cant bring a team to the semifinals for the first time since that first Worlds. Team SoloMid, the reigning champion of the region, enters with the best form ever of any North American club coming into the granddaddy of all League competitions. The NA League of Legends Championship Series is also sending Cloud9 and Counter Logic Gaming, who was the first NA team to make a major Riot Games tournament final earlier this year in Shanghai, China at the Mid-Season Invitational.Back in 2015, these three teams had a bewildering combined record of 0-10 in the second week of the group stages. North America left Worlds with a chip the size of a boulder on its shoulder while the rest of the world scoffed. In 2016, NA has a chance to set things right.Heres a chronicle of the near-misses NA has experienced at Worlds.Season 1 (2011)Team SoloMid: 3rd Epik Gamer: 4th Counter Logic Gaming: 5thSure, these results look good on paper. Wow, three NA teams in the top five? What a powerhouse! But the real picture of this initial Worlds is a bare-bones tournament in the games infancy before the top Asian talent took hold in the game. And North America, with three out of the eight teams in the tournament, didnt even make the final.The only real takeaway from 2011 is proof of TSMs Yiliang Doublelift Pengs longevity throughout the years. Out of the 15 players for the North American teams at the inaugural World Championship, only Doublelift has stood the test of time to make it back this year. The only other player from the inaugural 15 still in the NA LCS is Dignitas Alex Xpecial Chu.Season 2 (2012)Team SoloMid: 5th-8th CLG Prime: 9th-10th Dignitas: 11th-12thThis Worlds was where North Americas reputation changed from being a respected contender who could mix it up with the best in the world to an afterthought on the international stage. North America only managed a single victory throughout the entire 12-team tournament.While NA has had lukewarm and even embarrassing turns at the World Championships -- 0-10 in 2015 wasnt pretty -- this was easily the worst performance for NA at the annual event. This was still a time where TSM was seen as a threat to make deep runs on the international stage, and the lackluster results from all three teams sent the region to the back of the line.Season 3 (2013)Cloud9: 5th-8th Team SoloMid: 11th-12th Team Vulcun: 11th-12th2013 was a slight upgrade over 2012. The big story from the newly-founded NA LCS was the all-American juggernaut rookie organization of Cloud9. The club ripped through the domestic league in the summer split after qualifying from the minor leagues, and the boys in blue and white seemed primed to bring some respect back to a region that fell on its face the previous Worlds.C9 was directly seeded into the quarterfinals where it met Europes Fnatic. Although the third game of the best-of-three series was a blowout for the Europeans, Cloud9 still performed admirably compared to NA performances from the previous year.For the other two NA teams, there isnt much to say. TSM was in the process of closing the door on an old era, and it would be founder and mid laner Andy Reginald Dinhs last games as starter before handing the future of the team to a wunderkind from Denmark by the name of S?ren Bjergsen Bjerg.Vulcun, the third wheel, put up a scrappy performance that outshined TSMs. Unfortunately, Vulcun never came close to making Worlds again and eventually disbanded.Season 4 (2014)Team SoloMid: 5th-8th Cloud9: 5th-8th place LMQ: 12th-13th placeLMQ, a team with five Chinese starters, held its own in the group stages although it did not advance; Team SoloMid and Cloud9 cleared the group stages with flying colors. In the bracket, the two remaining NA teams had the honor of facing the two best teams of the tournament, Samsung White and Samsung Blue, in the first round. While both fell to the South Korean twin teams, TSM exited the tournament as one of only two squads to take a win from the eventual champions Samsung White, and C9s explosive macro play against a team with more firepower is still remembered to this day.All in all, this was a pretty great tournament for North America.And that in itself shows how little North Americans have had to celebrate at the World Championship the past four years.Season 5 (2015)Cloud9: 9th-11th Counter Logic Gaming: 12th-13th Team SoloMid: 14th-16thThe first week of last years World Championship was the best of times for North America. C9 shocked the world by winning all three of its week one matches in a difficult group, CLG were in a good position in its group, and TSM even picked up a victory in the perceived Group of Death. The quick turret pushing strategies of the NA teams were working, and the other teams were slow to adjust to it.The second week of last years World Championship was the worst of times for North America. Opponents adapted to CLGs tactics. TSM was swallowed whole by Origen, KT Rolster, and a half-dead LGD Gaming. C9, who was 3-0 in week one, lost four matches in week two to send North America out of the tournament without reaching the bracket stage.It was the first time ever that North America wasnt represented in the bracket stage of a World Championship. The darkest moment in the history of NA as a region. Before the World Championship even came to an end in Germany, Bjergsen was the last remaining starter on his team and Doublelift had been ousted from CLG.As cliche as this is going to sound -- stop reading now if you hate corny overused lines -- theres a proverb that might be true for North America coming into the 2016 World Championship on home soil:Its always darkest before the dawn. Brian Taylor Jersey . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. Bobby Jackson Jersey .J. Ellis hit two-run homers and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 Saturday night. https://www.cheapkingsbasketball.com/ . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. Doug Christie Jersey . In the response filed Wednesday to the complaint by 30-year-old Alexander Bradley, attorneys say the former University of Florida player is invoking his Fifth Amendment right that protects people from incriminating themselves. Richaun Holmes Jersey . PAUL, Minn. OAKLAND, Calif. -- Steve Kerr fully expects NBA players to take up their own version of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernicks stand against racial oppression.Whether his own Golden State players show some kind of support or opt to protest during the national anthem once the season begins, he isnt sure. That will be a topic of discussion as a team this training camp for the Warriors, and the reigning NBA Coach of the Year already has had discussions with a few of his players individually about the issue and shared his personal thoughts.No matter what side of the spectrum youre on, I would hope every American is disgusted with what is going on around the country, what just happened in Tulsa ... with Terence Crutcher, said Kerr, who also has been outspoken on the issue of gun control given that his father, Malcolm, was murdered while he was the American University president in Beirut when Kerr was 18 and a freshman at the University of Arizona.It doesnt matter what side youre on the Kaepernick stuff, youd better be disgusted about the things that are happening.Kerr, whose Warriors won an NBA championship in his first season as coach then finished runner-up to LeBron James and Cleveland in June, will be challenged to blend his new team right away with Kevin Durant joining two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry and fellow All-Stars and Durants U.S. gold-medal winning Olympic teammates, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.And Kerr encourages his players to talk about social issues far beyond the basketball court -- and speak up for what they believe in when done carefully.Our guys have already been asked a lot about it. Its a tricky topic, not the Kaepernick situation but just social activism in general, Kerr said Wednesday. It has to come from the heart. Theres a lot of fans ouut there that say, `Stick to sports, were trying to get away from all this by watching your team play, and I understand that.ddddddddddddOn the other hand, these guys do have a voice. As long as the message is clear, Im all for people speaking out against injustice. Whatever form that takes, if its non-violent and it leads to conversation, then I think thats a good thing.Kerr has paid close attention to Kaepernick, who said Tuesday he has received death threats for his decision to kneel through the anthem. But Kaepernick also has made a point that he supports military members and is speaking out against police brutality and shootings of African-Americans.I would think that something similar will happen in the NBA, Kerr said. Nobody has to be right, nobody has to be wrong. I would hope that everybody sort of respects each others point of view. There are valid points of view on both sides. ... I understand people who are offended by his stance, maybe they have a military family member who is offended or maybe they lost somebody in a war and that flag or the anthem means a lot more to them than someone else. Then you flip it around and what about non-violent protests? Its America, this is what our countrys about, its non-violent protesting. Thats what it should be about.Like many others who have supported Kaepernick even if they might disagree with his methods, Kerr appreciates how the quarterback has opened up an important conversation in this country.We like to talk about stuff, basketball or not, and I think its probably one of the best things thats come out of the Kaepernick issue is that people are talking, Kerr said. Its a good thing. ' ' '