in high school. Swearinger, who could fill in for Reed if he isnt ready for the opener, raved about all the veteran has taught him so far. "Just being a pro about e

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers apologized Friday for canceling the national anthem performance of a singer wearing a We Matter jersey.The 76ers backtracked from their original stance when they told R&B singer Sevyn Streeter she could not perform the anthem before Wednesday nights season opener because of the shirts slogan.We are sorry that this happened, the Sixers said in a Friday statement. After receiving feedback from our players, basketball operations staff and ownership group, we believe that the wrong decision was made, and Sevyn should have been welcomed to sing. We apologize to her, and in an effort to move the conversation forward, we have reached out to offer her an opportunity to return and perform at a game of her choice. We are waiting to hear back.A person familiar with the decision to invite Streeter back said she would be allowed to wear her We Matter jersey if she decided to sing. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the Sixers had not announced the detail publicly.Streeter could not immediately be reached for comment.Streeter said in an interview with The Associated Press late Wednesday she was told she would not sing just minutes before her performance.Id say two minutes before we were about to walk out ... the organization told me that I could not wear my shirt while singing the national anthem at their game, the R&B singer said by phone. I was never given any kind of dress code. I was never asked beforehand to show my wardrobe.The Sixers players met Thursday and were considering whether to respond to Streeters cancellation.Everybody expressed their emotions about it, forward Robert Covington said. We want to take steps about it. We just dont know exactly what steps we want to take. We talked about a lot of different things.The Sixers play at home Saturday against Atlanta. Tyler Naquin Jersey . They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display. Bradley Zimmer Indians Jersey . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.indianssale.com/indians-kenny-lofton-jersey/ . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Brad Hand Jersey . Ivanovic was leading 7-5, 1-0 when Hantuchova withdrew after falling 0-40 behind in the second game. The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead. Omar Vizquel Indians Jersey . -- Five former Kansas City Chiefs players who were on the team between 1987 and 1993 filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the team hid and even lied about the risks of head injuries during that time period when there was no collective bargaining agreement in place in the NFL.HOUSTON -- Safety Ed Reed isnt making any promises that hell be ready to go Sept. 9 against San Diego. Houstons biggest off-season acquisition spoke publicly Tuesday for the first time since he started training camp on the physically unable to perform list after surgery to repair a partly torn labrum on April 30. "I can tell you that it is close, but I cant say that it is the first game because I dont know," Reed said. Texans receiver Andre Johnson said last week that Reed told him he planned to play in Week 1. Reed joked a bit when asked about those comments on Tuesday, "I guess Ive got to do it," he said with a laugh. "This is his team." The 34-year-old Reed spent his entire 11-year career with the Ravens before joining the Texans in March. He said he still feels "tightness and soreness" constantly in his hip and that hell know more about when he can play once he progresses past those problems. "Once I get that out, I can kind of push it more," he said. "Im not to the point where I can run 100 per cent." However, he is doing a lot of work as part of his rehabilitation including, pulling a sled, backpedaling and working on starting and stopping. "Im opening the hip up and stuff like that, but at some point it kind of grabs," he said. "So Ive just got to get that scar tissue out and that edema out and everything. Once that that subsides, I can have a better timeline." With a career that many believe will culminate in the Hall of Fame, coach Gary Kubiak and the Texans arent worried about Reed sitting out the entire preseason. They know that hell be prepareed to step in and contribute as soon as hes healthy.dddddddddddd "Im impressed with where hes at," Kubiak said. "Were going to listen to him. Hes been through this before. Im not concerned about him being ready for a preseason game. Right now, were trying to get him ready for our season, so were going to listen to him." While hes unable to practice, Reed has assumed the role of an extra coach for Houstons secondary. Many of the players idolized Reed growing up and are eager to soak in everything he has to say. Rookie second-round pick D.J. Swearinger has watched video of Reed before each of his games since he was in high school. Swearinger, who could fill in for Reed if he isnt ready for the opener, raved about all the veteran has taught him so far. "Just being a pro about everything, on the field and off the field," Swearinger said. "Learning the full defence, it will help you a lot as safety because we are the quarterbacks on the defence. Off the field, you have to handle yourself as a pro no matter what -- all eyes on you." Reeds enjoyed providing tips his younger teammates and helping them improve. However, he feels a little strange about it because hes not able to be on the field to work with them. "You cant be out there with your teammates moving around, communicating and its a little tougher," he said. "Just talking in the meeting rooms and learning it just from a book standpoint and not physically doing it, its always tougher. But Im doing as much as I can to learn it mentally and watch the guys move around and communicate in meeting rooms. Its coming along well." ' ' '