ROME -- A leading candidate for Italian football federation president is facing fierce criticism and calls to step aside following a racist comment. Vans Sk8-Hi Shoes For Sale . Amateur leagues president Carlo Tavecchio caused a stir on Friday when he discussed the presence of foreign players in Italy. "In England they select players based on professionalism, whereas we say that Opti Poba is here, he was eating bananas before and now hes starting for Lazio and thats OK," Tavecchio said, using a hypothetical name and situation. Tavecchio apologized and claimed he is not racist but the players and coaches associations both expressed outrage. The Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper also called for the 71-year-old Tavecchio to stand down in an editorial Sunday. The only other candidate in the Aug. 11 election is former AC Milan player and current federation vice-president Demetrio Albertini. Former FIGC president Giancarlo Abete resigned along with national team coach Cesare Prandelli immediately after Italys first-round elimination from the World Cup last month. The vote is considered pivotal for the future of Italian football, which is rife with problems such as falling attendance, crumbling stadiums, fan violence and racism -- plus early eliminations for the national team at the last two World Cups. The new presidents first job will be to name a replacement for Prandelli. Vans Sk8 Hi Clearance . "Weve given ourselves now a tougher task," said Carlyle after the Friday practice, the Toronto head coach notably chipper and upbeat throughout. "But the bottom line is we just have to win our share of games [and] not worry about what anybody else is doing. Vans Old Skool White . Browns advice worked. Irving scored 20 points, including seven in the fourth quarter, and Cleveland defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 88-82 Saturday night. Irving made his first shot of the night on a layup a little over three minutes into the game. http://www.vansshoesclearancesale.com/ . According to Dave Stubbs of The Montreal Gazette, preliminary talks have begun between Markov - an unrestricted free agent this summer - and general manager Marc Bergevin.After the Penguins defeat in Game 6, it was reported that the teams principle owner and former captain, Mario Lemieux, came down to the locker room to calm the 26-year-old captain down. During their talk, Lemieux was reported to have discussed with Crosby how a captains erratic behaviour can negatively impact the team.Lemieuex told Crosby... "You cant behave the way you did at the end of the game, it gives off a bad vibe to your teammates, it gives off a vibe that might be portraying you in a negative light, especially when youre struggling."Lemieux followed that up with a statement that Crosby has most likely understood since the first time he stepped foot onto an NHL rink. "..star players just have to fight through things like this"Super Mario has been Sidney Crosbys mentor ever since the Penguins selected him first overall in 2005, and he certainly can empathize with the Penguins current captain on what it feels like when emotions get the best of a player during a heated contest.Theres no better example of Lemieux letting his emotions get the better of him than during this bout between him and then referee, Kerry Fraser. The incident started when Lemieux received a high-sticking penalty, and while he sat in the box Fraser skated over and shared a few words that sent the Penguins captain into an uncontrollable rage. Lemieux shot outt of the penalty box towards Fraser before being restrained by teammates and promptly sent to the dressing rooms with a game-misconduct penalty. Vans Old Skool Cheap. The 1993-94 season was a trying one for Lemieux, just one year removed from announcing he had been diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma while also coming off of an off-season surgery to fix a herniated muscle in his back. The injury to his back caused Lemieux to miss fifty-eight games that season and his mounting frustration with his injuries began to show, especially in his incident with Fraser. There was another occurrence earlier in Lemieuxs career where he let his frustration boil over, one that would serve Crosby as a sobering reminder of what can happen when a star player picks a fight with the wrong guy. During a regular season game between the Capitals and Penguins, an irritated Lemieux engaged in a shoving match with Bob Gould that turned into a fist fight. The end result? A broken Jaw for Lemieux and a night spent at George Washington University Hospital.Crosby definitely already knows what it feels like to have a broken jaw, and were sure it wasnt too enjoyable. The last thing the Penguins need in Game 7 is their captain engaging in unnecessary fights. So, to Sid the Kid, it may be best to take Lemieuxs advice, as he certainly knows what happens when keeping it real goes wrong. ' ' '