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SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker apologized Monday for a newly surfaced photograph that shows him making the same gesture with anti-Semitic connotations that French soccer star Nicolas Anelka displayed while celebrating a goal this weekend, creating an uproar in their home country. The photograph shows Parker and a French comedian making a gesture known in France as a "quenelle," which critics describe as inverted Nazi salute. Parker said in a statement released through the Spurs that the photograph was taken three years ago. Parker, who was born in Belgium but raised in France, said he didnt know at the time that "it could be in any way offensive or harmful." He said he thought it was part of a comedy act and said he apologized for any misunderstanding or harm. "While this gesture has been part of French culture for many years, it was not until recently that I learned of the very negative concerns associated with it," Parker said. The photo surfaced on social media after Anelka made the same gesture celebrating a goal in an English Premier League game Saturday, causing an outcry in France. Anelkas club, West Bromich Albion, issued a statement Monday saying that Anelka has agreed not to perform the same gesture again. The English Football Association has also begun an investigation and could punish Anelka with a five-match ban. Anelka has defended his actions, saying he was merely expressing his support for French comedian Dieudonne Mbala Mbala, who performs the gesture on stage. Dieudonne claims the salute, which involves pointing one straightened arm downward while touching that arms shoulder with the opposite hand, is anti-establishment and not anti-Semitic. The photograph of Parker also shows him posing with Dieudonne. Parker did not speak with reporters after practice Monday. He said in his statement that he would never repeat the gesture again. "Hopefully this incident will serve to educate others that we need to be more aware that things that may seem innocuous can actually have a history of hate and hurt," Parker said. Fake Mets Jerseys . Chelsea took until the second half to trouble the leagues bottom team, but Schuerrle then ripped through the defence with ease at Craven Cottage to keep Jose Mourinhos side on track for the title. Cheap Mets Jerseys .7 million, one-year contract, a raise of $2.2 million. Wieters had asked for $8.75 million and the Orioles had offered $6. https://www.cheapmetsjerseys.us/. The 25-year-old native of Milford, Conn., has 18 points in 41 games this season. The five-foot-eight 166-pound centre also has 28 points (10-18) in 15 games with AHL Oklahoma City. New York Mets Pro Shop . MacArthur scored two goals, and the Senators outlasted Detroit in a testy third period to beat the Red Wings 4-2 on Saturday night. Custom New York Mets Jerseys .Y. -- Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney was mired in a shooting slump, and his woes coincided with a late-season swoon by the Orange.EDMONTON -- The Vancouver Canucks may have brought in goalie Ryan Miller in the off-season, but Eddie Lack isnt ready to hand over the starting goalie reins just yet. Lack had 21 saves and Alexander Edler had a goal and an assist as the Canucks came away with a 2-1 road win over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. Nick Bonino also scored for Vancouver, who improved to 4-2-0 in pre-season play. Teddy Purcells goal was the only one Lack has allowed in just over two full games worth of pre-season play, stopping 57 of 58 shots faced. However, the 26-year-old Swedish goalie was the first to admit that stats from before the regular season can be misleading. Its just the pre-season, so you cant read too much into it, said Lack. I think I let in five goals every game in the last pre-season. Im just trying to focus on what I can do here. Im just looking forward to the regular season now. Canucks coach Willie Desjardins said Thursdays game was more competitive than the ones that preceded it, offering a welcome test for his team with the regular season on the horizon. I thought there was bit more intensity out there, said Desjardins. I know we wanted to play with more intensity. I thought our battle level was a little higher, which was good to see. Purcell was the lone scorer for the Oilers, who dropped to 4-3-0 in exhibition action. It started off intense right off the bat, Purcell said. I learned pretty quick that this is a heated rivalry. Its good to show some emotion in pre-season, both teams are still trying to get the rust off and learn the systems and stuff, but it was good to see that emotion early. You can tell there is a strong dislike there. Edmonton took a 1-0 lead with 1:19 left in the first period. Jesse Joensuu followed up on a two-goal night against Arizona the night before by showing some solid hustle to fight off two defenders in a race to the puck along the boards. Joensuu fed it to Purcell, who scored his first goal as an Oiler since coming over in a trade with Tampa Bay this summer. Purcell beat Canucks goalie Eddie Lack with a backhand in tight. Lack was shaken up by a collision on the play, but was able to continue in net. I made a save and I kind of got stuck and he ran me over, Lack said. It wwas just black and all of a sudden the puck was in the net.dddddddddddd I think I was more scared than anything. I am fine now. Joensuu also looked strong in the pre-season last year when he had three goals and an assist in three games, but a back injury was at least partially to blame in a poor regular season where he had just five points in 42 games. To be honest, Im happy for every healthy day, that was my focus this summer, he said. I feel like Ive performed well and Ive enjoyed playing tones and playing more minutes than maybe what Ive played last season. Its been fun and Im happy. It was a feisty affair with several fights, punctuated by a brief stretch early in the second that saw Cal OReilly drag down Edmontons Nikita Nikitin, forcing him from the game with an ankle injury. Vancouvers Tim Sestito then took a run at Oilers goalie Viktor Fasth, earning the ire of rookie defenceman Darnell Nurse and later a fight with Kevin Westgarth. Vancouver tied the game 11 minutes into the second period with a short-handed goal as Edler made a long feed to Bonino and he beat Fasth with a quick shot. The Canucks went up 2-1 with five minutes left in the second while the teams were playing four men a side as Niklas Jensen fed a wide-open Edler in the slot and he blasted it into the Edmonton net. There was no scoring in a largely uneventful third period. The two teams will close out the pre-season with a rematch in Vancouver on Saturday night. Notes: Canucks forward Bo Horvat left the game in the first period with an upper body injury and did not return?? Vancouver and Edmonton met five times in the regular season last year, with the Canucks winning three of the five outings?? The Canucks iced a largely veteran lineup, however their top line remained at home as the Sedins and linemate Radim Vrbata did not play. Also unavailable due to injuries were Brad Richardson, Frank Corrado and Zach Kassian?? The Oilers re-assigned goalie Laurent Brossoit and defenceman David Musil to Oklahoma City earlier in the day, but still had 32 players in camp heading into Thursdays game?? Out with what are reported to be minor injuries for the Oilers at the moment are defencemen Andrew Ference and Jeff Petry and forward David Perron. ' ' '