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CHICAGO -- Carlos Rodon hopes to wrap up his second big league season no worse than his first as the Chicago White Sox open a season-ending series with the Minnesota Twins on Friday.If the 23-year-old left-hander earns his ninth victory in his 28th and final start of 2016, it would match the win total from his rookie season.It would also complete a successful late-summer rebound from the 2-8 record he owned on July 31 after giving up five runs on eight hits in a 6 1/3-inning outing during Chicagos 6-4 loss to the Twins.Entering Friday, Rodon is 8-10 with a 4.08 ERA. He went 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA in five August starts, and he is 3-2 with a 4.80 ERA over five starts in September. The White Sox (77-82) have won seven of his past 10 starts.In his most recent start, Rodon delayed the Cleveland Indians American League Central clincher with a superlative outing Sunday. He threw eight scoreless innings and struck out a career-best 11 in the White Soxs 3-0 victory. He gave up two hits and walked three.That was the best Ive seen him, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. Strike one was the biggest thing, and it was with authority. It was placed well. After that, it just seems like he got better as the game moved along. A couple of guys get on, he seems to turn it up in key situations in the middle of the game, late in the game. He just had it all.Rodon is 2-2 with a 3.71 ERA in six career games (five starts) against the Twins, including 2-1 with a 4.32 ERA in four starts against them this season.Minnesota (57-102) snapped a three-game losing streak Thursday with a 7-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals.The Twins, who come into the series with 10 losses in their last 12 games, will send out right-hander Tyler Duffey (9-11, 6.18 ERA) for the 26th and final start of his second big league season.Duffey beat the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits with no walks and four strikeouts over seven innings.I finally found a good rhythm to keep me composed, to keep from pulling off the ball, Duffey said after the game. I located a lot better today. Got behind a couple times, but defense bailed me out, had some good plays in the outfield and scored enough to win.He is 0-1 with a 4.63 ERA in two career starts against the White Sox. In his lone appearance against them this season, he took the loss on May 8 after allowing three runs in seven innings.Duffey spent most of the season in the Twins rotation before being sent down to Triple-A Rochester in late August. He rejoined Minnesota when rosters expanded earlier this month.The series continues Saturday afternoon as Minnesota left-hander Hector Santiago (12-10, 4.87) meets White Sox righty James Shields (6-18, 5.82 ERA).Shields has the second-most losses in the American League behind Tampa Bays Chris Archer, who beat the White Sox on Thursday go close his season at 9-19.Ventura said Thursday that ace left-hander Chris Sale (17-9, 3.21) would start the season finale Sunday against Twins lefty Jose Berrios (2-7, 8.61).The White Sox have outscored the Twins 88-71 through 16 matchups this year. The teams have split the past 10 games after Chicago won the first six.Dan Majerle Suns Jersey . 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Steve Nash Jersey . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases.ANN ARBOR, Mich. --?Michigan Wolverines?football coach Jim Harbaugh didnt mince words when asked Monday about the recent protest made by his?former quarterback,?Colin Kaepernick.I acknowledge his right to do that. I dont respect the motivation or the action, said Harbaugh, who coached Kaepernick with the San Francisco 49ers.Harbaugh looked to clarify his comments in a tweet later Monday.Kaepernick remained seated while the national anthem played prior to the 49ers preseason game Friday against the Green Bay Packers. After the game, he told reporters he sat because he didnt want to show pride in a country that oppresses people of color.To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way, Kaepernick told reporters. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.Harbaugh coached Kaepernick in San Francisco for four seasons before leaving for the Michigan job last year. Harbaugh benched Alex Smith in favor of Kaepernick in 2012, giving Kaepernick an opportunity to rise to a higher profile in the NFL.Harbaughs brother,?Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, said Monday that he respected Kaepernicks right to protest, even if he doesnt agree with how hes doing it.Voltaire so eloquently stated, I may not agree with what you say, but Ill defend it until death your right to say it, John Harbaugh said. Thats a principle that our country is founded on. I dont think you cannot deny someone the right to speak out or mock or make fun or belittle anybody elses opinion.John Harbaugh, however, said its a fine line between standing up for what you believe in and not becoming a distraction to the team. He tells his players that you have to make sure you believe what you say publicly because you have to own it.You respect our team, our organization and the other players, John Harbaugh said. You respect the mission that were on and what were trying to accomplish. None of us ever want us to detract or disrespect the efforts of all the other players on the football team. Thats the balance that all of us have to strike when we speak out about something like that.The Harbaughs were just a couple of the many voices to weigh in Monday on Kaepernicks protest. Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said he understood where Kaepernick was coming from.I think its an individual choice, Suh said before practice Monday. At the same time, I think a lot of [us] as leaders, especially with young kids, is to make a good, proper announcement if you feel the need to. I think thats what hes doing. I support him in that, and for me, I just have to move forward and go with the punches.Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy called the protest an educational opportunity, while Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell said he would not put a mandate on his players to stand during the anthem.Cleveland Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown said he did not necessarily agree with the method but that he stands in support of Kaepernicks readiness to keep fighting for what he believes in.I listened to him, and he makes all the sense in the world, Brown said in an interview on NFL Total Access. Hes within his rights and hes telling the truth as he sees it. I am with him 100 percent.New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees?voiced his displeasure with the protest and said he believes standing for the anthem is a way for players to give thanks to military members who have sacrificed so much for that flag throughout history.I wholeheartedly disagree, Brees told ESPNs Mike Triplett on Monday. Not that he wants to speak out about a very important issue. No, he can speak out about a very important issue. But theres plenty of other ways that you can do that in a peaceful manner that doesnt involve being disrespectful to the American flag.Brees said he felt compelled to speak out because he has always been a passionate ssupporter of the military and feels the American flag is the one thing thats sacred.ddddddddddddSitting down for that, that is a blatant disrespect of the freedoms that that gives you, Brees said. Like, its an oxymoron that youre sitting down, disrespecting that flag that has given you the freedom to speak out.Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump challenged Kaepernicks protest as a terrible thing.Maybe he should find a country that works better for him, Trump told The Dori Monson Show on 97.3 KIRO FM in Seattle. Let him try. It wont happen.Rick Monday, who prevented two protesters from setting a U.S. flag on fire in left-center field of Dodger Stadium while he was an outfielder for the?Chicago Cubs?in 1976, said he was shocked by Kaepernicks protest.The problem I have is whether hes actually giving attention to himself, or is it the issues? Monday, who spent six years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, told USA Today Sports.Its freedom of speech, Monday said, but the flag itself, I look at it from a positive standpoint. I look at it from the standpoint where I heard today from one of the moms who lost their son. Its like Barbaralee [Mondays wife] says, We drape the caskets of our fallen warriors with the flag, and its presented to the family with the words, from a grateful nation.So how grateful are we if we do not respect the very people that have given? They gave the ultimate, protecting the rights and freedoms the flag represents.American tennis player John Isner also weighed in on the debate when asked about Kaepernick after winning a first-round match at the US Open on Monday.I thought that was pathetic from him, Isner responded. The cause he was going for, fine by me -- but dont do it in that fashion. He could have found some other ways to present his voice there.Isner ended his answer -- and his news conference -- by declaring: Im a big Blaine Gabbert fan now, a reference to another 49ers quarterback.Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman said he respected Kaepernick for speaking out, even if he wasnt sure about the methods.There is some depth and some truth into what he was doing, Sherman said. I think he could have picked a better platform and a better way to do it, but every day they say athletes are so robotic and do everything by the book. And then when somebody takes a stand like that, he gets his head chopped off.Oakland Raiders fullback Marcel Reece thought Kaepernick was misunderstood and brought up the late Muhammad Ali as an example of why critics should not be too harsh on Kaepernicks message, even if they disagree with how he presented it.Muhammad Ali, who stood for so many things and was criticized for not wanting to go to [the Vietnam] war, turned into this legend and this civil rights activist and this immense figure, not only in black America but America, period, Reece told ESPN on Monday. [Kaepernick] is trying to use his platform to stand up for people who cant necessarily stand up for themselves.But, at the same time, I think personally you have to have a little balance in your take on everything.Pittsburgh Steelers?left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, who played at Army and served in Afghanistan before forging a job in the NFL, said he agrees that the U.S. is not perfect but insists it is the best country, and he is unsure how he would react if one of his teammates sat down for the anthem.I just know that I am very thankful to be an American. I will stand very proudly, and I will sing every single line in the national anthem every single time I hear it, Villanueva said. I will stop whatever I am doing, because I recognize that I have to be very thankful to be in this country.ESPN staff writers Jamison Hensley and Paul Gutierrez and The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '