g to the sex on their birth certificates.Rylan said she is fully supportive of Brownes decision to announce his gender identity and hopes he can play a role in educating others.I think what Harrison has done for so

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans are heading into their bye week with a fresh reminder of just how demanding -- and brutal -- the NFL can be.After climbing to 6-6 and a half-game back of first in the AFC South, Tennessee released starting cornerback Perrish Cox Monday before the Titans left for a week off.Theres no hidden messages, coach Mike Mularkey said of the decision to release Cox. This is the way the NFL is. If you dont perform at the level that we ask, then were going to find somebody that does. Theres never a hidden message.Mularkey said a week ago that he was thinking of not starting Cox, a six-year veteran who signed a three-year deal with Tennessee in March 2015. Coaches decided against what Mularkey said would have been a drastic move and instead started Cox for the ninth time in 12 games this season in a 27-21 win at Chicago .Cox led the Titans with three interceptions and had started 22 of 24 games with Tennessee since signing. But his struggles helped Tennessee rank 25th in the NFL against the pass.Tight end Delanie Walker, who also played with Cox in San Francisco, said he was a little shocked to see the cornerback released at this point.This is a business, and we do have a good GM and I think he makes the right decisions, Walker said.Mularkey said they did not see the consistency they needed from Cox. They gave rookie LeShaun Sims 36 plays at Chicago and planned to promote Kalan Reed, known as Mr. Irrelevant as the final NFL draft pick out of Southern Mississippi, from the practice squad to take Coxs spot on the roster.Tennessee hosts Denver on Dec. 11, and Mularkey said they will rotate at cornerback, including veterans Valentino Blake and Brice McCain along with Sims and Reed.We need some better play at the corner position, Mularkey said.Even though practice couldnt hurt with the changes, Mularkey said his team needs a break after working 17 straight weeks including the preseason. The Titans will return in a week to practice before finishing with three of four games against teams with winning records.Mularkey said the Titans should have everyone available against Denver. Cornerback Jason McCourty bruised a knee in the win at Chicago, while defensive lineman Jurrell Casey sprained a foot. Running back DeMarco Murray may get the first two days of practice off next week to give his sore toe on his right foot some extra rest.The Titans would lose a divisional tiebreaker to both Houston and Indianapolis right now, having been swept by the Colts and just 1/3 in the AFC South. But their focus is in winning out hosting the Texans (6-5) on Jan. 1 in the regular season finale. A team whose last playoff berth was in 2008 heads into December still talking playoffs rather than draft status.Mularkey said this is a big opportunity for Sims and Reed.Were still right in the thick of things, Mularkey said. The more they can play, though, its going to benefit us somewhere down the road with them playing in important football games.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker Gary Harris Nuggets Jersey . LOUIS -- St. Gary Harris Jersey . Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six. Kuemper made five saves in the first, nine in the second, and nine in the third. The rookies best save came with 2:17 left in the third period when he denied former Wild forward Matt Cullen from just outside of the crease on the right side. http://www.nuggetsprostore.com/kids-dikembe-mutombo-nuggets-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. Jarred Vanderbilt Nuggets Jersey . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. Nikola Jokic Jersey . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The National Womens Hockey Leagues first transgender player scored a goal in his debut and finally got an opportunity to hear his name announced over the PA system how he always felt it should.And Harrison Browne got to hear it again after the final buzzer, when the Buffalo forward was named the games second star in the Beauts 4-1 loss to the Boston Pride on Friday night.It was unreal, Browne said. Ive never felt something like that before.Thats because up until the season-opening game on Friday, the 23-year-old went by the name of Hailey Browne. That changed when he went public in announcing, in a story first published by ESPN, he prefers to be known as Harrison and identifies himself as a male.I was just excited, said Browne, noting he had previously revealed his gender identity but had not changed his name. Ive been out for a long time. Im not scared about it. Its nothing new to me.Browne initially planned on making the medical transition to being a man after completing his college career at Maine. Browne put that on hold in the spring of 2015, when he got an opportunity to play for the Beauts in the four-team NWHLs inaugural season.The only real hiccup on Friday occurred after the game, when Browne was cut off by a Beauts spokeswoman while beginning to answer a question regarding North Carolinas law restricting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.Were not going to answer that, the spokeswoman said. Its about Brownie tonight.Asked if he had any issues over whether the NWHL was allowing him to express himself, Browne said: No. I feel good.At that point, the official announced the session was over after 2? minutes.NWHL Commissioner Dani Rylan said she couldnt comment because she was unaware of Brownes news conference being cutt short.ddddddddddddRylan said she is not familiar with North Carolinas transgender law and added that Browne -- who is from Canada -- might not be, either.This year, the NBA relocated its All-Star game and the NCAA relocated numerous tournaments out of North Carolina because of the law excluding gender identity and sexual orientation from local and statewide antidiscrimination protections. It also requires transgender people to use restrooms at schools and government buildings corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates.Rylan said she is fully supportive of Brownes decision to announce his gender identity and hopes he can play a role in educating others.I think what Harrison has done for so many will make it more acceptable and allow others to feel comfortable, she said.Rylan said she is currently working on a policy to address transgender players, because the league currently doesnt have a rule. She said the policy would cover both transgender men and women.The best part for Rylan, she said, was seeing Browne score on a short-handed breakaway.It felt like the stars were aligning for Harrison, Rylan said, noting how the crowd erupted in cheers. I dont know if it wouldve been as easy for him five years ago.Beauts coach and former NHL player Ric Seiling, said nothing has changed in his approach toward Harrison, noting that he has always referred to the player as Brownie.This is Harrisons decision, and I support whatever they decide, Seiling said. The team has had no reaction. Its still the same person that walks into that dressing room every day. Its still the same person that puts on his skates the same way. Theres no difference. ' ' '