e letter also has backing from anti-doping agencies in Germany, Ne

IRVING, Texas -- Sarah Thomas was never hit by the pressure of being the first woman to be a full-time NFL game official until after her first season on the job.It wasnt until this past offseason that Thomas pondered what really happened after accomplishing her goal, which was to work full-time at footballs highest level and not necessarily being a trailblazer in doing so.When I first started all this last year, I said I dont feel the pressure of it or anything like that, and I dont feel as if I did during the season, she said. But once I reflected back, I knew that there was a lot of pressure. ... When I reflected back on it, I thought if something major had happened with being a first, not that I recognize myself as that, but just being a first, that it could have gone one of two ways. So Im glad that it was a very smooth, under-the-radar, first year.Thomas is now preparing for her second season as a side judge. While still the only woman on the field in the NFL, she considers it a compliment that there is much less fanfare this time around.Dean Blandino, the NFLs vice president of officiating, agrees and said Thomas had the same bumps as any first-year official.It was obviously big news last year, but she handled everything so well, and she had such a poise and grace about herself, Blandino said this month at the NFLs annual officiating clinic. Its a challenge for any first-year official. For a first-year official to also be the first female official, there were a lot of other challenges that came with that and she handled everything really well, and had a good season.All nine first-time officials from last season are back this season, and there are three rookies among the 124 officials hired for 2016.When Pittsburghs LeVeon Bell scored on a wildcat run as time expired for a victory at San Diego to wrap up Week 5 last season, Thomas was the line judge who signaled the touchdown. Bell initially appeared to be stopped, but pushed forward and reached the ball across the goal line just before his knee hit the ground. A replay review confirmed the call was right.Imagine the uproar on social media and the general reaction had the NFLs first female official blown that call. Most fans never even realized she was there.We just want to be officials, we want to go unseen, Thomas said in general, and not about that particular play. Youve heard it for years and years and years, and it is the truth. If you dont notice the officials then weve done a great job, and thats what set out to do.NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said during the first NFL Womens Summit in San Francisco, which was part of Super Bowl 50, that Thomas in her first season did a fantastic job, and were very proud of her.Thomas, the mother of three boys, was part of the NFLs officiating development program in 2013 and 2014 and had worked at minicamps, training camps and exhibition games before getting hired full-time last year. She had officiated for Conference USA since 2007, with assignments including bowl game and two league championship games.I never set out to be the first, but when I did speak or I was encouraged with womens groups, its good to hear them ask questions how did you approach it, and for me to be able to say the National Football League had the utmost respect for me as they did any other official, she said.Last March, Thomas hometown of Pascagoula, Mississippi, renamed its recreational gym in honor of the former high school basketball and softball standout who was also given a key to the city.Blandino said there are more women in the development program.Were seeing more women officiating football in general, and I think were going to see them continue to develop, Blandino said. At some point, were going to see another female official in the NFL. ... 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A letter drafted by U.S. and Canadian anti-doping leaders urging Russias removal from the upcoming Olympics is circulating days before the public release of a report expected to detail a state-sponsored doping system that corrupted the countrys entire sports program.The letter, drafted last week and obtained by The Associated Press, is being prepared to possibly be sent to the International Olympic Committees president and executive board after the Monday release of a report by investigator Richard McLaren.The letter, which U.S. Anti-Doping Agency officials say would only be sent if the report details widespread, state-sponsored doping in Russia, calls for the IOC to act by July 26 to ensure that Russias Olympic Committee and sports federations will not be allowed in Rio de Janeiro, where the games are set to start on Aug. 5.The letter encourages exceptions for Russia-born athletes who can prove they were subject to strong anti-doping systems in other countries.A statement from Pat Hickey, the president of the European Olympic Committee, said the letter undermined the integrity and therefore the credibility of this important report.My concern is that there seems to have been an attempt to agree (on) an outcome before any evidence has been presented, Hickey said.USADA CEO Travis Tygart said the letter, which has backing from anti-doping agencies in at least six countries and athlete groups from around the world, was drafted with no intent for it to become public unless the McLaren report contains evidence of a major state-sponsored doping program.Of course, we want and hope for universal inclusion, but were not blind to the evidence already out there, Tygart said. And if were not preparing for all potential outcomes, then we are not fulfilling our promise to clean athletes.The McLaren report was sparked by a New York Times story accusing the Russian government of helping to manipulate tests at the Sochi Games to ensure cheaters wouldnt get caught.Preliminary findings from the report, released last month, found mandatory state-directed manipulation of laboratory analyytical results operating within the Moscow anti-doping lab from at least 2011 through the summer of 2013.dddddddddddd. Those findings also said Russias Ministry of Sport advised the laboratory which of its adverse findings it could report to WADA, and which it had to cover up.Based in part on that information, the letter to the IOC anticipates that the McLaren report will show the Russian government helped organize a systematic undermining of the drug testing of Russian athletes for many years in a successful effort to cheat to win.The AP also obtained a letter written by Beckie Scott, head of the athlete committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency, urging athletes to sign onto the U.S.-Canada letter. Scott informs athletes that, in addition to support from Tygart and Canadas anti-doping head, Paul Melia, the letter also has backing from anti-doping agencies in Germany, New Zealand, Japan, France, Denmark and Norway.Last week, IOC President Thomas Bach said it was important to strike the right balance between collective responsibility and individual justice in dealing with results from the McLaren report.It is obvious that you cannot sanction or punish a badminton player for infringement of rules or manipulation by an official or lab director in the Winter Games, Bach said.Already, tracks governing body, the IAAF, has suspended Russias track team from the Olympics after a separate investigation turned up evidence of a state-sponsored doping system used to benefit that team. The Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to rule July 21 on the eligibility of 68 Russian athletes who have appealed to compete in Rio.McLaren was given permission to look into all Russian sports, and the letter being drafted for the IOC is written in case the report shows many of them have been corrupted.We agree and believe a full suspension is the only available and appropriate result having regard to the findings and conclusions set out in the report, it said. ' ' '