The?New York Knicks?open their season Tuesday night, and all eyes will be on point guard?Derrick Rose. Less than a week after a jury in a civil suit found him and his friends not liable for gang rape, fans and media can now look upon the unfamiliar sight of Rose in a Knicks?jersey?free of guilt.That seems to be the biggest takeaway from the publics reaction to the verdict: relief that we can all go back to talking about basketball -- that we can go back to worrying about Roses health instead of his legal status.And as a lifelong Knicks fan, that just doesnt sit well with me.The first thing that always happens when an athlete is cleared of these types of accusations is for people to take a verdict as a definite statement on guilt or innocence. To be clear: The jurys decision simply means that its members found Rose to be more credible than his accuser. As rape cases tend to go, the truth of what happened on the night in question is likely murkier.Legal experts doubt that criminal charges will be brought against Rose. But without assigning him guilt -- or proclaiming him completely innocent -- the sheer glee with which many reacted to the decision is rather disturbing. The burden of a long rape case -- in which we learned some unsavory things about the accused -- has been lifted from Rose and many fans, but it still rests on his accuser and some of the more conflicted among the Knicks faithful.We dont know for sure what exactly happened on the night in question. But heres what we do know: This case played out as a textbook example of athlete privilege in the court of public opinion. Everyone seemed to forget about the charges when Rose was traded to the Knicks from the Chicago Bulls. Knicks president Phil Jackson insists he was aware of the case, but last month, he refused to answer questions about just how much the team investigated Rose. He said that he was not concerned with the then-pending trial and stated with erroneous optimism that he didnt anticipate Rose would miss any preseason games.As details of the case trickled out, so too did the proven strategy of discrediting an accuser by dredging up her sexual history. Fans came out in full support of Rose. They didnt want to believe a star player could commit such acts, but they were all too willing to believe the exaggerated notion that women are automatically out to get famous men, and that going to a civil trial -- which carries a lower burden of proof than a criminal one -- signaled a desire for money, not justice. That somehow a seven-figure payout can lift the burden of a rape accusation.Heres another thing we know: Derrick Rose does not understand the concept of consent. That seems to be particularly relevant in a case in which the judge deemed consent to be the central issue. It should be noted that Roses?accuser said?she was unconscious at the time, which would settle the consent question. According to Roses toxicology expert, she had a blood alcohol content level of 0.2, which is 2 1/2 times the legal driving limit. A motion filed by the accuser in August states that she was asleep, evidenced by her repeated failure to respond to texts and calls from Rose and another defendant.As ThinkProgress Lindsay Gibbs reported in September, depositions also show that Rose didnt seem particularly concerned with consent on the night in question. When asked whether he and the two other defendants had discussed sex as the purpose for going to the accusers home, Rose said, No, but we men. You can assume.He went on to clarify: I said we men. You can assume. Like we leaving to go over to someones house at 1:00 [a.m.], theres nothing to talk about.And while Roses attorneys used transcripts of text messages in which the accuser invited Rose to her home that evening as evidence that she ultimately consented to sex, the plain fact is that any inkling of consent is wholly absent from their conversation that night.From the deposition:Q: All right. Is there ?--? within what you just reviewed in those text messages, is there anything within them that would lead you to believe that plaintiff wanted to have sex with you and the other two defendants on August 26th, 2013? ...Rose: No.?Furthermore, the accusers attorney read a portion of the deposition to reporters on a teleconference call in September in which Rose clearly states he does not understand consent:Q: Do you have an understanding as to the word consent? Rose: No but can you tell me? Q: I just wanted to know if you had any understanding. Rose: No.Its extremely telling that, despite heightened awareness on sexual violence in the past couple of years, especially in sports, a star athlete still has no idea what consent is -- nor does he seem particularly concerned with needing to know more. Like his fans, Rose just wants to get back to the basketball court.Roses case highlights the need to continue to have these conversations, to make sure men and women alike understand when it is and is not OK to have sex with someone. This isnt just to protect accusers: If athletes see themselves as such targets for gold-diggers and cleat chasers, you would think theyd want to learn more about consent in order to make sure they always have it.It also underscores the importance of continued educational programs for athletes at the high school, college and pro levels.?Detroit Lions?linebacker?DeAndre Levy, maybe the most socially aware athlete out there when it comes to gender issues, credits the NFLs often-mocked awareness program with helping him understand consent and assault. In an essay for the Players Tribune in April, Levy said he has learned so much after having been ignorant of such issues for so many of his formative years.My understanding is that most women have heard the talk about how to avoid becoming a victim, but growing up, I was never involved in a conversation about what consent is. I was never even flat-out told not to rape or sexually assault anyone, he wrote. An athletes sense of entitlement to a womans body is exacerbated because he has been idolized and put on a pedestal in a hyper-masculine culture. Not only am I a man, but I am also a strong and successful man. Why would someone say no? You should all want me.Unfortunately, its not just athletes who have absorbed this mentality -- its the fans, too, as weve seen in the reaction to Roses case. A womans sexuality seems to discredit her right to consent in the eyes of many, while an athletes status only raises his credibility, assigning him the automatic benefit of the doubt. But that collective sigh of relief breathed by Knicks fans after the jury cleared Rose wasnt just about the desire to get back to basketball. It was taken as an implicit affirmation that all these beliefs about athlete targets and women who lie must be true.Its fine to be excited about the NBAs return -- Im looking forward to this season myself. But if you celebrated the Rose decision, youre celebrating a system that you seem to think works in favor of accusers, which is contrary to all the evidence on reporting, prosecution and verdicts. Its also contrary to all the psycho-social implications of sympathy toward famous defendants versus Jane Doe plaintiffs. Thats how we get the utterly bizarre images of jurors posing with Rose and his attorneys after delivering their verdict. Though the trial played out in Los Angeles, they look just as excited as Knicks fans to move on. Cheap Yeezy Shoes Wholesale . -- 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. Yeezy Shoes Clearance . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. http://www.cheapyeezy.net/ . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. Yeezy Shoes From China . Listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 at 7pm et. The Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes. Cheap Yeezy Shoes For Sale . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th. Tim Cahill has brought success to Melbourne City at long last, scoring the only goal of the FFA Cup final against Sydney FC as the A-League upstarts claimed the first trophy in their seven-year history.Cahill headed home Ivan Franjics cross on 53 minutes to earn City the prize before hobbling off with a knee injury shortly after.Transformed by the millions provided by cashed-up owners City Football Group, the triumph showed the sleeping giants of Australian football have woken up.City were right up for the AAMI Park decider, played between the A-Leagues top two sides in front of a record FFA Cup crowd of 18,751 on Wednesday night.Coach John van t Schips ambitious attacking football came with a ruthless streak.Within minutes of an impeccably-observed silence to honour the victims of the Colombian plane crash that killed an entire Brazilian football team, the battle was on.Citys Luke Brattan brought the fight, scything down Michael Zullo in front of an outraged Sydney bench.Despite Milos Ninkovic shoving Fernando Brandan to the ground in a near 20-man melee, Brattan was the only man carded.The heat remained after the brawl, with 10 fouls in the opening 15 minutes.Sydney FC were getting into dangerous spaces but were unable to cut through.Graham Arnolds side ended the half with 18 balls into Citys penalty box, but only one shot - to the menacing Bobo.Bruno Fornaroli looked the man most likely to create something for City, and teed up Brandan only for the Argentinian to volley wide.After the break, the 36-year-old struck.Franjics perfect delivery provideed the platform, and Cahill rose in his indomitable style, freeing himself of marker Matt Jurman to head past Danny Vukovic.ddddddddddddHe didnt last much longer.Cahill appeared to hyperextend his left knee under the weight of Josh Brillantes tackle from behind, lasting just a few more minutes before requiring a substitution.I think Ill be alright, he said after the match, Ill patch myself up and try and go again on the weekend.My feelings are amazing.This was not just another game. This was everything.Van t Schip paid tribute to his super striker.Tim this evening was fighting, he was not even playing one of his best games but you know that he has moment that in him, he said.The moment he had to be there, he was there.If you win, you have to celebrate ... so well have a drink and well have a laugh.The Sky Blues - playing without key defender Alex Wilkinson (virus) - chased the game and had their moments.Bobos header required a goal-line clearance from Michael Jaksobsen, while Osama Maliks injury-time tumble with Alex Brosque might have brought a late free kick.It wasnt to be for Graham Arnolds side, which must wait at least six months longer to break their own seven-year trophy drought.Arnold suggested he knew his fate when Cahills header went in, saying that was an occasion where the headlines were written yesterday.It was an even contest and youve got to congratulate Melbourne City on winning their first trophy, he said. ' ' '