BEREA, Ohio - Sarah Thomas starts the day at her second job by tucking her long blond hair inside her cap, so she doesnt get noticed. On a football field, thats impossible. Thomas doesnt consider herself a pioneer, just "one of the guys." But as one of two female officials in the NFLs officiating development program, Thomas has a chance to break barriers in a male-dominated profession. This week, Thomas, a former college basketball player, current college official and mother of three whose full-time job is as pharmaceutical sales representative, worked with a crew of officials during Browns mini-camp. Like the players, she worked on improving her skills and honing her craft. One day, she hopes to be on the field with the pros. But not because of her gender. "I am a female, but I dont look at myself as just a female," she said. "I look at myself as an official." Thomas began her officiating career in 1996, when an NFL scout spotted her working a high school game. From there, she joined Conference USA and was invited to join the NFLs developmental program, now in its second year. Thomas worked some training camps and preseason games last season. The next step is a regular-season game, and the earliest that can happen is 2015. Its not her call, so to speak, but Thomas believes shes ready. If this week was any indication, Thomas could be on her way. "Shes done a good job," Browns coach Mike Pettine said after practice Thursday. Pettine believes its time for the league to welcome female officials. "If shes efficient and good at what she does, I have no issues with it," Pettine said. "I think the best compliment somebody paid to her was when someone said, What did you think of the female official? And they said, Theres a female official out here? I thought she was on point." Browns cornerback Joe Haden joked that Thomas was a little whistle happy. "She was calling everything," Haden said, smiling. "I couldnt snap on her. I was chilling." Thomas said her goal is to blend in. She doesnt want to stand out because of her sex — or worse, because shes not competent. Shes dedicated to being a solid, fair and mostly unseen, which is why she pulls her hair up under her cap. Still, sometimes players do a double take when they see her on the field. "I think sometimes they go What is that?" she said. "Yes, I do tuck my hair and at first I really wasnt too sure why. But I get it. We dont want to be noticed and anything I can do to blend in — I like it when I leave the field and people go I told you that was a girl." Thomas has two boys and an 18-month-old girl. She said her sons are most interested in her nabbing some NFL attire or autographs, "I cant do that," she said. Her children have never thought about their mom being anything other than an official, so they dont really grasp that she could make history as the NFLs first female official. "They just know mom officiates and its nothing foreign to them or pioneering or anything," she said. "I do this." ___ AP NFL website www.pro32.ap.orgNets Jerseys 2019 . -- Mike Shanahan gave Robert Griffin III a rest, and may have turned up the pressure on himself, too. George Johnson Jersey . -- So much for concern that running back Marshawn Lynch would be absent from the Seattle Seahawks minicamp. https://www.cheapnetsonline.com/685g-devin-harris-jersey-nets.html . - John Elways philosophy is to address immediate needs in free agency, even though some of his own veterans may prove too pricey to keep around. Kevin Durant Jersey . However, Therrien added that Galchenyuks status for next Wednesdays game against the Detroit Red Wings is questionable. Galchenyuk has been out since Jan. 6 with a broken right hand. Stephon Marbury Jersey . Toronto (11-12) gave up leads in 10-8 and 11-4 losses to the Baltimore Orioles this week. It was never close Friday as the Boston Red Sox got to Mark Buehrle early en route to an 8-1 win. HARRISON, N.J. -- Omar Cummings helped the Houston Dynamo advance to the MLS Eastern Conference finals. Cummings scored in the 104th minute to help the Dynamo oust the New York Red Bulls with a 2-1 victory on Wednesday night. Cummings scored in the second minute of stoppage time on Sunday to give the Dynamo a 2-2 draw in the first leg. The Dynamo moved on with an aggregate score of 4-3. Houston will face Sporting Kansas City in the East finals, which start on Saturday. The Red Bulls led Sundays game 2-0 before Jamison Olave committed a foul that led to a red-card ejection and allowed Houston to rally for a 2-2 draw. "Its terrible, I guess you cant exorcise every game this year from this club," Red Bulls first-year coach Mike Petke said. "Hats off to Houston, theyre a playoff team and they proved it the last three years. We did it to ourselves these last two games. " On Wednesday night, Red Bulls defender Ibrahim Sekagyas errant pass led to the tying goal by Houston. "It was individual mistakes, and they happen," Petke said. Cummings came off the bench in both matches and Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear went to him in the 64th minute Wednesday. "I was trying to put some fresh legs closer to the goal and hope that something would come out of it and Omar has made me look good for two games in a row here," Kinnear said. Cummings got his foot on a ball that slipped past Red Bulls goalie Luis Robles at the near post. Houston, which won the 2006 and 2007 MLS Cups in its first two years in the league, reached the MLS Cup final in each of the past two seasons, losing in the final each time to the LL.ddddddddddddA. Galaxy. The Red Bulls took a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute on the first career playoff goal by Bradley Wright-Phillips. Lloyd Sam crossed the ball into the box and Dynamo goalie Tally Hall went down to grab it with two hands. But when he hit the ground, the ball squirted out of his grasp and Wright-Phillips was there to knock it into an open net from inside the 6-yard box. "I tried to pin it against the ground and it slipped out," Hall said. "Its a sinking feeling. Whether I made a mistake or not, I still have a job to do for the rest of the game. This team has a will to win like nothing Ive ever seen before. Thats why our jersey has two stars on it (2006 and 2007 MLS titles)." Hall made one of his best saves in the closing seconds of regulation when Thierry Henry hit a bicycle kick on goal, but the Houston goalie managed to block it with his leg. Houston took advantage of a Red Bulls mistake to tie it at 1-1 on a goal by Brad Davis. Sekagya attempted to clear the ball from the top of the penalty area by sending the ball across the middle. The rolling ball went right to the foot of Davis inside the box and he placed it past Robles. "The guy looked up and I knew he was going to try and play it across," Davis said. "Luckily he mishit it, I looked up and it was the goalie and me." The Red Bulls dominated Houston during the regular season, winning all three matches. But the Dynamo extended New Yorks playoff futility, making the Red Bulls winless in their past six playoff games. The Red Bulls had come into the playoffs with an eight-game unbeaten string of 6-0-2. ' ' '