ated between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inc

NEW YORK -- Between the 15th and 16th picks in Thursday nights draft came a very special selection by the NBA. Commissioner Adam Silver announced at that point that the NBA would let Isaiah Austin fulfil the dream of every young player, making him a ceremonial pick. Just over a week ago, the sophomore centre from Baylor was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects the heart. It ended his playing career. The illness was discovered during a physical for the draft. "For Commissioner Silver to even invite me here was a tremendous blessing and it just shows how much class that man has," Austin said. "Its really been a tough week for me, and its been really rough. Ive just had a tremendous amount of support from everybody around the world, telling me theyre praying for me and everything. I cant thank everybody enough." The crowd at Barclays Center rose to its feet as Austin, sitting in the waiting area with most of the first-round picks, hugged family members and put on a generic NBA cap. He went up to the stage and posed with Silver, just as all the drafts picks do when they are called. During the season, the 7-foot-1 Austin revealed he had a prosthetic right eye after multiple operations couldnt repair a detached retina. Austin, expected to be a high pick when healthy, said he felt he has "a great story to share." He said Baylor coach Scott Drew has already offered him a coaching position with the Bears. "I have a whole life ahead of me," Austin said. "Im not going to sit here and Im not going to sulk about not being able to play basketball anymore, because I can still be involved with the game somehow or some way." Austin said there was plenty to enjoy on what would have been his draft day. "Just being around all the draftees and seeing my friends get drafted, it just brings joy in my heart because I know how hard we work to get to this point," Austin said. "Ive been through it. ... Just to see how people persevere through their own problems, because everybody has their own problems. Its touching and its heart-warming, really." Minutes after Austin made the walk across the stage, there were comments on social media. Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves tweeted: "Happy Isaiah Austin was able to hear his name called at the NBA draft. Very cool to see." The 1991 Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard tweeted: "Adam Silver hasnt been on the job 12 mos and is already doing a remarkable job! Very classy move. God bless Isaiah Austin." Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder tweeted: "Adam silver is such a classy man! Thats love right there. Im emotional for him. Damn I love that." Austin is already spreading his message of perseverance. "I want people to know they can push through anything, because Ive done it," he said. "I just want them to know they have the power within themselves to do it if they keep faith and a positive attitude." Custom Calgary Flames Jerseys . Murakami gracefully executed a double triple toe jump and a triple flip jump that put her at the top of a tightly contested race with 64.73 points, just ahead of Li Zijun of China on 62. Custom Hockey Jerseys China . -- Pinch-runner Rajai Daviss decision to steal third base just as Oakland catcher Derek Norris was throwing the ball back to the pitcher caught most everyone by surprise -- including several of his Detroit teammates. http://www.customjerseyshockey.com/ .ca has you covered for whos in, whos out and what to expect from all 30 teams. Wholesale Custom Hockey Jerseys . Jimmy Howard made 44 saves and Henrik Zetterberg scored two goals, leading the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. Custom Washington Capitals Jerseys . Raonic, the No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., fired 11 aces and did not have a double-fault as he comfortably advanced to the third round at the Masters Series event.RENTON, Wash. - The NFL is investigating whether the New England Patriots used underinflated footballs during their AFC championship game victory over the Indianapolis Colts. But what advantages does a deflated football hold for a team? Former NFL quarterback Hugh Millen, who played two seasons for the New England Patriots and now helps designs footballs for manufacturer Baden in Washington state, explains.ADVANTAGES OF DEFLATIONNFL rules mandate that a ball must be inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch. But a football deflated a couple of pounds below the range is softer, allowing for better grip, Millen said.If youre going to be challenged to handle the ball in either very cold conditions or wet conditions, then having the ability to grab the ball and squeeze it, youre going to have more of a chance to remain in contact with the ball, he said.Deflated balls could also mean faster balls thrown by quarterbacks. Because of the softer grip, the index finger remains on the football a tad longer, allowing for faster spirals during a throw, especially for quarterbacks who like to keep their fingers on the seams, Millen said.We know from having put a football in wind tunnels, the faster the ball rotates, the more it cuts through the air. It has less drag, therefore more velocity on the ball, he said, adding later, most quarterbaacks like to have less air than more air.ddddddddddddHOW COULD THE REFEREES MISS IT?Referees inspect game balls about two hours before the game, checking the air pressure among other standards. NFL guidelines are clear: a football cannot be tampered after the pre-game inspection.While veteran officials could probably feel a difference between a properly inflated ball and a deflated one, referees arent thinking about ball air pressure during the game since theyve already checked them, Millen said. Theyre busy trying to move the game along.If theyre not of a mindset to check the ball, theyre not engaging their senses, Millen said, adding that some may be wearing gloves.POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONSIn his years in the NFL, Millen said it was common for quarterbacks to ask for balls to be deflated, within the leagues acceptable range, if the footballs felt too hard for their preference. It takes just a couple of seconds to lose 2 pounds of air pressure after inserting a needle. A team equipment staffer could have been careless.Ive seen somebody say, Hey, stick a needle in there for a second just to get the air right, Millen said.Another possible reason: footballs can sometimes leak air. Millen said all football manufacturers produce balls that lose air pressure without tampering. But he adds that would be an easy possibility to test. 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