UCI agrees to strip Armstrong's titles

Updated Oct 22, 2012 11:15 PM ET

     

 

GENEVA (AP)

Seven lines of blanks. From 1999 to 2005. There will be no Tour de France winner in the record book for those years.

LATEST ON LANCE

Once the toast of the Champs-Elysees, Lance Armstrong was formally stripped of his seven Tour titles Monday and banned for life for doping.
As far as the Tour is concerned, his victories never happened. He was never on the top step of the podium. The winner's yellow jersey was never on his back.
The decision by the International Cycling Union marked an end to the saga that brought down the most decorated rider in Tour history and exposed widespread cheating in the sport.
''Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling, and he deserves to be forgotten in cycling,'' said Pat McQuaid, president of the governing body. ''Make no mistake, it's a catastrophe for him, and he has to face up to that.''
It's also devastating for Tour de France organizers, who have to carve seven gaping holes from the honor roll of the sport's biggest event and airbrush Armstrong's image from a sun-baked podium on the Champs-Elysees.
No more rides through Paris for the grim-faced cancer survivor bearing the American flag. No champagne. From the sport's perspective, it's all gone.
''We wish that there is no winner for this period,'' Tour director Christian Prudhomme said Monday in Paris. ''For us, very clearly, the titles should remain blank. Effectively, we wish for these years to remain without winners.''

VIDEO: LANCE SPEAKS

Lance Armstrong spoke at a Livestrong event Friday about his "difficult couple of weeks." Watch the video.

Armstrong's fiercely defended reputation as a clean athlete was shattered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency two weeks ago, when it detailed evidence of drug use and trafficking by his Tour-winning teams. USADA released its report to show why it ordered Armstrong banned from competition back in August. Monday's judgment by the UCI was just the necessary next legal step to formalize the loss of his titles and expel him from the sport.
It also likely will trigger painful financial hits for Armstrong as race organizers and former sponsors line up to reclaim what are now viewed as his ill-gotten rewards, though the cyclist maintains he never doped.
Prudhomme wants Armstrong to pay back prize money from his seven wins, which the French cycling federation tallied at (euro) 2.95 million ($3.85 million). Armstrong also once was awarded $7.5 million plus legal fees from Dallas-based SCA Promotions Inc., which tried to withhold paying a bonus for the rider's 2004 Tour victory after it alleged he doped to win.
The U.S. government could also get involved in a case brought by Floyd Landis, who was key to taking down his illustrious former teammate by turning whistleblower in 2010.
The losses pile up for a man who dedicated himself to victory, over other cyclists and the cancer that almost killed him in 1996.
Neither Armstrong nor his representatives had any comment about Monday's decision, but the rider was defiant in August when he chose not to fight USADA in one of the agency's arbitration hearings. He argued the process was rigged against him.
''I know who won those seven Tours, my teammates know who won those seven Tours, and everyone I competed against knows who won those seven Tours,'' Armstrong said then. ''The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins. Nobody can ever change that.''

LOOKING BACK

Lance Armstrong's career highlights may be tainted, but they're still worth remembering.

The condemnation by McQuaid, cycling's most senior official, confirmed Armstrong's pariah status, after the UCI had backed him at times in trying to seize control of the doping investigation from USADA.
McQuaid announced that the UCI accepted the sanctions imposed by USADA and would not appeal them to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. His board will meet Friday to discuss going after Armstrong's 2000 Olympic bronze medal and the possibility of setting up a ''Truth and Reconciliation'' commission to air the sport's remaining secrets.
''WADA is encouraged that the UCI feels it can use this case as a catalyst to thoroughly clean up its sport and remove any remaining vestiges of the doping programs that have clearly damaged cycling over the last decade,'' World Anti-Doping Agency President John Fahey said in a release.
The International Olympic Committee said it would study the UCI's response and wait to receive its full decision before possibly taking away Armstrong's medal from the Sydney Games time trial.
''It is good to see that all parties involved in this case are working together to tackle this issue,'' the IOC said.
McQuaid said he was ''sickened'' by some of the evidence detailed by USADA in its 200-page report and hundreds of pages of supporting testimony and documents.
USADA said Armstrong was at the center of ''the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen'' within his U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams.

CHEAT SHEET

These athletes flouted the rules. Who's in this hall of shame?

The American agency welcomed the decision by UCI.
''Today, the UCI made the right decision in the Lance Armstrong case,'' USADA CEO Travis Tygart said in a statement, which called on cycling to continue to fight doping. ''There are many more details of doping that are hidden, many more doping doctors, and corrupt team directors and the omerta has not yet been fully broken.''
The USADA report said Armstrong and his teams used steroids, the blood booster EPO and blood transfusions. The report included statements from 11 former teammates who testified against Armstrong, including that he pressured them to take banned drugs.
In all, 26 people including 15 riders testified to USADA that Armstrong and his teams used and trafficked banned substances and routinely used blood transfusions. Among the witnesses were loyal sidekick George Hincapie and admitted dopers Landis and Tyler Hamilton.
McQuaid singled out former teammate David Zabriskie, saying: ''The story he told of how he was coerced and to some extent forced into doping is just mind-boggling.''
Armstrong denies doping, saying he passed hundreds of drug tests, as many as 500. UCI conducted 218 tests and there were another 51 by USADA, although they are not the only drug-testing bodies.
''At the moment Lance Armstrong hasn't admitted to anything, yet all the evidence is there in this report that he doped,'' McQuaid said.

FALLS FROM GRACE

Some sports icons were on top of the world until they lost respect with these epic falls from grace.

While drug use allegations have followed the 41-year-old Armstrong throughout much of his career, the USADA report has badly damaged his reputation. Longtime sponsors Nike, Trek Bicycles and Anheuser-Busch dropped him last week, and Armstrong also stepped down as chairman of Livestrong, the cancer awareness charity he founded 15 years ago after surviving testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain.
After the UCI decision, another longtime Armstrong sponsor, Oakley sunglasses, cut ties with the rider.
Armstrong's astonishing return from life-threatening illness to the summit of cycling offered an inspirational story that transcended the sport. His downfall has ended ''one of the most sordid chapters in sports history,'' USADA said in its report.

ACC suspends three officials, one player

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Monday it has handed out one-game suspensions to three game officials and one player.
Crew chief David Epperley was suspended for a game for improperly administering the 10-second runoff rule at the end of the first half of the Florida State game against Miami. The entire crew was issued a letter of reprimand. North Carolina linebacker Shakeel Rashad has been suspended for the game against North Carolina State for a dead-ball hit on Duke's Conner Vernon on Saturday. Two officials working the game, head linesman Tyrone Davis and side judge Angie Bartis, were given one-game suspensions for failure to adhere to rules related to player safety. It was a strange play in which Vernon was lined up at a wide receiver position awaiting the snap, when Rashad, coming onto the field as a defensive replacement, ran into Conner from the side. Rashad later issued an apology.

Red Sox boss says no players asked for new skipper

BOSTON (AP) -- None of the Boston Red Sox players in a series of meetings with the team's top brass called for manager Bobby Valentine to be replaced, owner John Henry said Wednesday.

Henry issued a statement one day after Yahoo! Sports reported that several players met with him and team president Larry Lucchino in New York on July 27 to complain about Valentine's handling of the team. Chairman Tom Werner was also at the meeting.
Henry said he called the meeting, and it ''quickly went to the point - what do we need to do to turn things around?''
''No one in that meeting at any time took the position that Bobby should be or needed to be replaced,'' Henry wrote.
Henry said players took responsibility for the team's performance; the Red Sox were 57-60, 12 1/2 games out of first place in the AL East, heading into Wednesday night's game in Baltimore against the Orioles.
''They weren't blaming injuries or anyone but themselves,'' Henry wrote. ''At the same time they openly spoke about what could improve in addition to their play. They made substantive points. We addressed those points.''
Valentine also declined to point fingers.
''Personally, I think we're in it together,'' he said. ''I think we're going to get hot.''
Henry said he called a similar meeting ''about this time eight years ago,'' a reference to the 2004 season in which the Red Sox won the World Series for first time in 86 years. This time, the meeting was divided up into three parts, Henry said, ''separating groups so as to have frank discussions about what was wrong.''
Henry also complained in his statement about the details of the meeting going public.
''I understand that when the team isn't playing up to our standards that issues are going to be sensationalized,'' he wrote. ''But what is important for Red Sox fans to know is that ownership, players and all staff especially Bobby Valentine are determined to turn around what has thus far been an unacceptable, failed season. We are all on the same page in that regard and will not waver.''
Valentine also said he regretted that details had gone public, but he said that the controversy hasn't weighed on him.
''If we were 10 games over .500 and in first place, he wouldn't have to make any statements,'' the manager said.
Valentine was hired last offseason to replace Terry Francona, who was let go after the team went 7-20 in September to blow what had seemed like a certain playoff berth. Valentine said he wanted to change the culture of a clubhouse where players ate fried chicken and drank beer during games, rather than sitting in the dugout to support their teammates.
Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz defended the manager.
''He does his job,'' Buchholz said. ''When something goes wrong, somebody has to be blamed for it and it's usually us. ... He's doing a good job. It's a game, man, it doesn't always work.''
Valentine said he planned to be back in 2013.
''And '14 and '15,'' he said. ''That's what I'm hoping.''
---
AP Sports Writer David Ginsburg contributed to this story from Baltimore.

New Big East boss says league is 'united'

NEW YORK (AP) -- New Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco wants to create a conference that gives its members no reason to leave.

Aresco held his first news conference Wednesday since being hired by the Big East. He was joined at the New York Athletic Club by University of Cincinnati President Greg Williams, the head of the league's search committee.
The Big East was gutted during the last round of conference realignment, losing three longtime members (Syracuse, West Virginia and Pittsburgh) and a member-to-be (TCU). It has reconstructed itself as a national football conference that will span four time zones starting next season.
''I think you approach realignment with the idea that you strengthen your conference,'' said Aresco, who is leaving his job as an executive vice president with CBS Sports to take over the Big East in early September. ''You make it a place people want to be. You make it a place where people who have left would rather have been back there. You make sure that there is a consensus among the schools.''
Aresco said he believes the rebuilding league is stable.
''I would not have taken this job if I did not feel that this was a cohesive conference that was committed to each other,'' Aresco said. ''What I want to do is make sure I'm a good communicator. I think it's very, very important to make everyone feel welcome. To understand everyone's concerns. You have a disparate group of schools but they share a common goal. They want to make this work.''
The Big East also has an expansive basketball league that includes eight members that don't participate in the football conference, including Notre Dame.
Balancing the desires of the basketball schools with the football schools has always been tricky for the Big East and now it's bringing in schools such as Boise State and San Diego State for football only with no regional ties to the current members.
''I think we have a football conference that's going to be extremely successful. We already have the most successful basketball conference in the country,'' Aresco said. ''There already is stability and it's my job to guide them to an even brighter future.''
Aresco is a Connecticut native who grew up with the Big East Conference, which started as a northeast basketball league, expanded to football in the early 1990s and is now in the process of its second major makeover.
The Big East is also about to enter into negotiations for a new television contract, one that will likely decide whether the conference does have future.
Football drives the value of a conference and right now Big East football has been downgraded. The Big East has held a lucrative automatic bid to the Bowl Championship Series, but that system is being replaced by a playoff, starting in 2014.
The Big East will no longer draw postseason revenues equivalent to the Big Ten, Southeastern Conference, Big 12, Pac-12 and Atlantic Coast Conference, but it is still hoping to land a television deal worth upward of a billion dollars.
''I'm not daunted,'' Aresco said. ''We have to tell the story. We have to talk about the Big East's strengths. They're there and they're quite significant and substantial.
''I believe this conference has always had the ability to reinvent itself and become stronger. It's had to do that a few times and it's going to do it this time.''
Online: http://bigstory.ap.org/NFL-Pro32 and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL

Here comes the science! Els can rule the world again, says his sports scientist

The Open champion's in-house boffin says he'll go on to claim more Major titles now he has addressed his putting deficiencies

Ernie Els will claim more Majors now he can putt again, according to the sports scientist who helped him win The Open.
The Big Easy admitted he felt like an "absolute fool" on the greens earlier this season and TV commentator David Feherty joked he looked like he was "putting with a live rattlesnake".
But since hiring Dr Sherylle Calder - his fellow South African who has worked with the England and Springbok rugby teams - Els has refound his old touch.
And Calder said the 42-year-old is not finished with his fourth Major.
"He was absolutely terrible when we started working together in January," she said. "The way his hands moved, the way he hit the ball - the stroke wasn't fluid.
"We basically started from scratch. Every credit has to go to a guy who has reached the top of the game to do that.
"We're nowhere near where we want to be - we still have a way to go - so this is a big bonus. I'm delighted for him.
"There's always room for improvement and the aim is to win Majors as we get better at what we do."
Els, who last won a Major at the 2002 Open, explained: "Basically it is eye gym. You go to the gym for your body and you do your curls or your cardio or whatever to get your body in shape.
"And it is the same with your eyes. You get your eyes in shape. You can get a bit lazy.
"It's reaction stuff. There will be rugby balls, cricket balls and soccer balls coming up on screen. There's a little up and down arrow so as this happens, you have to react on screen.
"And then there's a number that appears for a split second and you've got to remember the number and type it in.
"Last year I thought I had no chance of winning again. Last year was a pretty big hole.
"But since the start of the year and especially the last month or two, I started seeing some better signs and stared believing in that.
"I had no confidence in my putting. So to win the Open after all that is quite satisfying."

SPORTS: Port Angeles 12U softball team still winning at regionals

HOQUIAM — The fantasy ended for one North Olympic Peninsula team and got a little more difficult for another in bracket play at the Northwest Babe Ruth Softball regional tournament Saturday.

But the North Olympic 12U team of Port Angeles continues to roll and is close to a regional championship.

Meanwhile, having won four straight in the preliminary 10U round-robin, Forks saw its hopes for a regional title shattered in two unimaginable games.

In a noon game, the little girls who could were leading Meridian, Idaho 4-3, only to see the Idaho girls plate two in the bottom of the sixth inning to win 5-4.

Tossed into the loser’s bracket at 4 p.m. against host Hoquiam, Forks led 2-1 with two out in the top of the sixth when Hoquiam scored three runs to win 4-2 and end Forks’ dream season.

On Sunday, Upper Rogue awaited the Meridian, Idaho and Hoquiam winner to determine the regional champion.

In 12U play, North Olympic continued to roll.

Opening with a 10-0 win over Upper Rogue on Saturday morning, Port Angeles then awaited host Hoquiam, a 6-5 winner over Ellensburg, in the night contest.

That one saw North Olympic lead 3-1, only to have Hoquiam score three runs and take a 4-3 lead into the fifth inning.

The Port Angeles girls scored two and shut the haborites down for a 5-4 win.

North Olympic now awaits to play the Hoquiam and Ellensburg survivor for the championship and a ticket to the 12U World Series in Florida.

In 16U competition, things got a bit harder for North Olympic.

The Port Angeles team opened with a 12-3 win over Upper Rogue, but then in the night cap committed just too many mistakes in falling to Hoquiam 6-3.

On Sunday, the North Olympic girls needed to beat Upper Rogue, and then defeat Hoquiam twice to retain their regional title.

Results weren’t available by press time.

Last modified: July 22. 2012 6:02PM

Sports in Brief: Castoneves wins Canadian Open

Helio Castroneves thrust himself into the IndyCar Series championship race Sunday in Edmonton, Alberta, by recording his second victory of the season. The Brazilian held off hard-charging Takuma Sato over the final 15 laps to pick up the win. It moved him one spot in the standings to second - he jumped over teammate Will Power - and he trails leader Ryan Hunter-Reay by 23 points with four races remaining.
Elliott Sadler held off a charge by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on a green-white-checker finish to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. Stenhouse appeared to have the stronger car and was chasing down Sadler in the closing laps of the race. But a late caution bunched up the field for NASCAR's version of overtime, and Sadler got a push from Justin Allgaier on the restart and pulled away. Stenhouse finished second, followed by Allgaier, Kenny Wallace, and Michael Annett.
Fernando Alonso led from the start to win the German Grand Prix in his Ferrari in Hockenheim, Germany, and extend his Formula One lead.
TENNIS: Andy Roddick beat Gilles Muller of Luxembourg, 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2, to win the Atlanta Open and earn his 32d ATP World Tour title. Roddick, 29, ranks third among active players in career titles behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He will play for the U.S. team when the Olympics begin next week at Wimbledon.
GOLF: In Madison, Miss., Scott Stallings shot a 4-under-par 68 in the final round of the True South Classic to beat Jason Bohn by 2 strokes. It was his first Tour victory of the year and the second of his career. He finished with a 24-under 264 - a tournament record at Annandale Golf Club.
Dan Quinn birdied three of his first seven holes to pull ahead and then stretched his lead on the back nine to beat former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien in the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nev. Quinn earned $125,000 from a total purse of $600,000. The former NHL star will caddie for Sunday's British Open winner, Ernie Els, this week in the Canadian Open.
NBA: The Chicago Bulls reportedly will sign former 76ers center Nazr Mohammed, according to the New York Post. The signing of Mohammed, who was with the Thunder last season, spells the end of Omer Asik's time in Chicago. The Turkish big man signed a three-year, $25 million offer sheet with the Rockets.
HORSE RACING: In Saratoga Springs, N.Y., favorite Bern Identity overtook Handsome Jack in the final sixteenth of a mile and moved on to a 11/4-length victory in the $200,000 Sanford Stakes for 2-year-olds. Ramon Dominguez joined Hall of Famer John Velazquez as the only riders in the 144-year history of Saratoga Race Course to win six races on a single card. On Saturday, Questing coasted to a 4¼-length victory in the $300,000 American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.
NFL: Detroit cornerback Aaron Berry was arrested in Pennsylvania for the second time this offseason. Berry was taken into custody early Saturday morning on three charges of simple assault, Harrisburg police said. Berry, who is from Harrisburg, was arrested in that area June 23 on suspicion of DUI, failure to stop and render aid from an accident, and other counts.

London 2012: Diver Tom Daley 'stronger' after family heartache

By Nick Hope BBC Olympic sports reporter

TOM DALEY ON THE BBC

• Monday 23 July at 22:35 BST on BBC One: Tom Daley - Diving for Britain

Double Commonwealth champion Tom Daley says he wants to win an Olympic medal for his family after a difficult year.

Tom's father Rob Daley passed away last May and the diver was criticised in early 2012 from within the GB camp over his media commitments.
"It's about time we got some good news in our family," Daley told BBC Sport.

Daley on his Dad

"My dad was always Olympic crazy, he absolutely loved it and it was his big thing when he came and watched me in Beijing - he was just so proud to say that his son was an Olympian. It's great to know that he's always been so supportive and I definitely think he's still looking after me now."

"It's definitely been a tough year, but it's helped me gain a lot of motivation and inspiration and made me stronger."

A 'Tom Daley - Diving for Britain' documentary will air on BBC One at 22:35 on Monday 23 July.
Daley made his Olympic debut four years ago, where at 14 he was the youngest member of the British team to compete in Beijing.
He finished seventh in the individual 10m platform event and eighth alongside Blake Aldridge in the synchro competition. A year later, he secured victory at the World Championships in Rome.
Rob Daley was believed to be in remission following the removal of a brain tumour in 2006, however a scan in 2010 revealed it had returned.
He was not well enough to travel to Delhi, but Tom still managed to win double Commonwealth gold.
"We kind of knew that it was inevitable, it was just a question of when. For us and for me it brought me closer to my dad throughout the whole thing. I think if he didn't have that brain tumour we wouldn't have been so close, it's great that we've had that really strong connection."
At the 2011 World Championships Daley finished fifth, eight weeks after his father lost his battle with his condition.
"There was loads of pressure because the media was asking, 'Is he going to perform well, is he not?'" Daley added.
"I wasn't prepared properly because I had just lost my dad and it was about going in there and giving it my best shot. I know he would have wanted me to have carried on."

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GB divers in LMFAO lip sync video tribute

In February of this year, GB diving performance director Alexei Evangulov decided against entering Daley into the 10m individual event and then compared him to Russian tennis-flop Anna Kournikova after the Plymouth-born diver finished seventh alongside Peter Waterfield in the synchro competition.
Daley, 18, insisted he had never missed a training session due to media commitments and that he pays little attention to what the media say about him.
"To be honest I don't watch anything, I don't look at the papers," Daley said.
"I look at some of the pictures and watch some of my dives back but apart from that I focus on training and competitions. I can't focus on what others are writing or saying - so I have to focus on myself."
Daley claimed overall victory in the World Series in April and followed that up with an impressive European Championship gold and new British record score in Eindhoven in May.
He secured qualification for London 2012 with victory at the GB Olympic trials in Sheffield and his first event, 10m synchro, will take place on Monday 30 July.
The teenager will then return for the 10m individual preliminaries on 10 August.
"London 2012 is the biggest thing in my life," Daley said.
"It's going to be an amazing experience and I'm going to really try and go in there and do the best six dives that I could ever do. For me it means everything."
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Tom Daley relives his Beijing Olympic experience and looks to London

David Cerny's sculpture does push-ups in London.

Reuters

1:06 a.m. CDT, July 23, 2012

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Els wins British Open after stunning Scott collapse
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England (Reuters) - South African Ernie
Els won the British Open by one stroke from Adam Scott on
Sunday after the Australian suffered an extraordinary late
collapse on an incident-packed final day. World number 13
Scott, chasing his first major championship, started the last
round with a four-shot lead and seemed to be cruising to
victory as he maintained that cushion with six holes to play.

Wiggins becomes Britain's first Tour de France winner

PARIS (Reuters) - Bradley Wiggins was greeted by thousands
of Union Jack-waving fans on the Champs Elysees when he claimed
the 99th edition of the Tour de France to become the first
British winner of the famous race on Sunday. Wiggins finished
safe in the bunch on the 20th and last stage, a 120-km ride
from Rambouillet, as he helped his Sky team mate and fellow
Briton Mark Cavendish to victory.

Alonso pulls away with German GP victory

HOCKENHEIM, Germany (Reuters) - Fernando Alonso led from
pole position to chequered flag to win the German Grand Prix
for Ferrari on Sunday while Germany's Formula One world
champion Sebastian Vettel was stripped of second place for an
overtaking infringement. The Spaniard's third win of the season
stretched his championship lead to 34 points and ensured he
will stay on top through the European summer break which starts
after next weekend's race in Hungary.

U.S. learn from narrow win over Argentina

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - It was the narrowest winning
margin yet for the U.S. basketball team in the run-up to
defending their Olympic title, but coach Mike Krzyzewski said
the 86-80 victory over Argentina provided a valuable lesson for
his squad. ``We learned a lot,'' he said, pointing to the way the
travelling rule is called by international referees, the proud
way Argentina battled back and the atmosphere of playing in
Barcelona, where the Dream Team roared to gold in 1992.

Penn State facing severe NCAA sanctions, removes Paterno
statue

STATE COLLEGE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Penn State
University braced for potentially crippling sanctions against
champion Sebastian Vettel was stripped of second place for an
overtaking infringement. The Spaniard's third win of the season
stretched his championship lead to 34 points and ensured he
will stay on top through the European summer break which starts
after next weekend's race in Hungary.

U.S. learn from narrow win over Argentina

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - It was the narrowest winning
margin yet for the U.S. basketball team in the run-up to
defending their Olympic title, but coach Mike Krzyzewski said
the 86-80 victory over Argentina provided a valuable lesson for
his squad. ``We learned a lot,'' he said, pointing to the way the
travelling rule is called by international referees, the proud
way Argentina battled back and the atmosphere of playing in
Barcelona, where the Dream Team roared to gold in 1992.

Penn State facing severe NCAA sanctions, removes Paterno
statue

STATE COLLEGE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Penn State
University braced for potentially crippling sanctions against
down its statue of coach Joe Paterno for his role in the
scandal. The National Collegiate Athletic Association said on
Sunday it would announce punitive measures against the school
on Monday, and could levy the so-called death penalty that
would eliminate an entire season or more for the
scandal-scarred football program.

Cycling: Bring on London, says fired up Cavendish

PARIS (Reuters) - Mark Cavendish went off the radar for two
weeks during the Tour de France, only for the Briton to
re-emerge with victories in the last two sprints of the race
right on cue for the London Olympics. After winning the second
stage, Cavendish was never in the mix when Andre Greipel
claimed three stage victories. But on Sunday, the German rider
was nowhere to be seen as the Manx Missile snatched his fourth
victory on the Champs Elysees.

Stallings seals second tour win in True South

2012-07-22T225608Z_1_BRE86L0MR_RTROPTC_0_US-GOLF-PGA.XML ()
Cibulkova eases past Bartoli in California final

CARLSBAD, California (Reuters) - Dominika Cibulkova claimed

her second career title when she romped to a routine 6-1 7-5
victory over top seed Marion Bartoli to win the Carlsbad Open
on Sunday. In an impressive display from behind the baseline,
the second seeded Slovakian was quicker around the court than
her French opponent, rallying from a 4-1 deficit in the second
set to record a morale-boosting victory ahead of the Olympics.

Dodgers sweep Mets with late power surge

2012-07-22T232621Z_1_BRE86L0NO_RTROPTC_0_US-BASEBALL-DODGERS.XM
L () -

Mind games of the victorious

NEW YORK (Reuters) - For decades after the first sports
psychology lab was established in 1920 in Germany, mental
coaches have been the water boys of sports science, viewed by
their colleagues as not quite good enough to make the
first-string team. That has changed. Virtually every top
professional team and elite athlete has a psychologist on speed
dial for help conquering the yips - when stress makes crucial
muscles jerk and ruins, say, an archery shot - marshal the
power of visualization, or just muster the confidence that can
mean the difference between medaling or just muddling through.

The morning briefing ... the lighter side of sports

David Cerny's sculpture does push-ups in London.

Photograph by: Reuters , Reuters

A Czech artist has remodelled a traditional London double-decker bus into a mechanical sculpture of an athlete doing push-ups to celebrate the Olympic Games, which open in the British capital on Friday.
David Cerny, whose past works have enraged European politicians and sought to poke fun at rival artists, has installed the bus outside the Czech Olympic House in Lon-don's Islington neighbourhood.
Cerny bought the 1957 bus from an owner in the Netherlands, attached two huge arms, an electrical engine and a lot of wiring and suspension tools to make it into a piece of art named "London Boosted."
The mechanisms inside make the six-tonne bus move up and down on bright red arms, raising the chassis into various angles, accompanied by recordings of a groaning voice and video projections in the windows.
"There is one common exercise for every sportsman in the world and that is push-ups," Cerny said.
"It is training for sport activities, but at the same time it is also punishment in armies and prisons. So the push-ups are a very universal physical activity. . . . It is in a way very ironic."
In 2009, Cerny revealed a huge puzzle-like object, called "Entropa" in an EU building in Brussels that pictured European countries in unflattering ways, making a dramatic start to the Czech Republic's EU presidency.
Bulgaria protested for being shown as a squat toilet, Germany was a Swastika-like web of highways, including moving cars, France was covered by an "On Strike" banner and Britain was missing altogether.
In the Czech Republic, he once painted pink a Soviet tank that was serving as a monument of the 1945 liberation of Prague.
His "Shark" was a statue of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein floating in formaldehyde.
It was meant to poke fun at British artist Damien Hirst's embalmed shark and was banned from exhibitions in Belgium and Poland.
Cerny once also put up large replicas of guns and posters in London back in the 1990s, calling on people to observe a "Day of Killing" to control population growth, as part of an art fair.
In that context, the London bus seems uncontroversial.
"We will see how long the athlete can work out for," Cerny said. "Let's hope he will exercise for the full three weeks. He will be the biggest sportsman there."

Sugar-laden sports drinks 'cancel out exercise gain'

Sports drinks can contain so many calories that consuming them often cancels out the benefit of exercising, say medics.

The vast majority should stick to drinking water instead, say Oxford University researchers who put hundreds of marketing claims about sports products to the test.

A 380ml bottle of Lucozade Energy contains 266 calories - virtually the same as that in a Mars bar (260 calories) - which would take about half an hour of jogging to burn off.

Dr Matthew Thompson, from the Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, said drinking such products “could completely counteract exercising more, playing football more, going to the gym more” in terms of weight loss.

Other products with artificial sweeteners do contain less: Lucozade Body Fuel (500ml), for instance, contains 135 calories.

Dr Thompson and colleagues investigated 431 marketing claims of performance enhancement, for 104 sports products including sports drinks, protein shakes and trainers.

Many firms provided no evidence for their claims although GlaxoSmithKline provided 174 for Lucozade.
However, writing in the British Medical Journal, the Oxford team said they could only find three studies in total that were high quality with a low risk of bias.
Sports drinks were often marketed on the claim that they improved endurance, but the team said even rigorous studies, showing this, were of limited relevance to most people because the tests were on elite athletes.
The matter is explored tonight (Thursday) in Panorama: The Truth About Sports Products, on BBC One.
A spokesman from the British Soft Drinks Association said: " Sports drinks carry nutritional information on the label, including the calorie content. By helping people participating in sport to perform better and to recover more quickly, sports drinks can encourage people to exercise more."
He added: "It is well established that one of the factors that can help sporting performance is drinking the right amount of the right kind of drink."

MLS W.O.R.K.S. Gives Back to the Chester Community

By MLS W.O.R.K.S


MLS W.O.R.K.S. Gives Back to the Chester Community
MLS Players and Executives to Leave a Lasting Impact on Behalf of the 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game
MLS W.O.R.K.S. is committed to increasing the accessibility of soccer, creating sustainable projects that leave a lasting legacy and supporting local youth programs that will encourage children to live a healthy and active lifestyle.
On July 24, Major League Soccer will join the Philadelphia Union, AT&T, Chester Upland School District and organizers from KaBOOM! to construct a new playground and small-sided field at Science and Discovery High School.  The AT&T Community Field and new playground will provide more than 500 children in the Chester community with a safe place to play, and will increase awareness and provide additional opportunities for local youth to play soccer.
Over 200 volunteers will help construct the playground while Philadelphia Union Academy coaches lead drills and small-sided games for approximately 100 local children as part of the AT&T Youth Clinic. MLS All-Stars and Philadelphia Union players will join the day's festivities, taking part in youth activities, the construction of the playground and the ribbon-cutting ceremony with MLS and Philadelphia Union executives and members of the Chester Upland School District.  Former MLS All-Star Alexi Lalas will also volunteer his time to participate in youth activities.
The day of service - a partnership between MLS W.O.R.K.S., the Philadelphia Union Foundation and AT&T - is part of the League's community service program, Unite. Volunteer. Serve., a collaborative effort to combine sport and service, promote good will and improve lives and communities at the grassroots level.
On Wednesday, July 25, MLS W.O.R.K.S. and the Philadelphia Union will team up with Starlight Children's Foundation for a hospital visit and placement of a Starlight Fun Center™ mobile entertainment unit at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa. Part of the MLS W.O.R.K.S. Soccer Kicks Cancer program, the visit will provide an opportunity for seriously ill children and their families to enjoy a unique experience and a renewed sense of strength and hope. Union players will visit with patients, play games and participate in other activities prior to the dedication ceremony. In addition to the Fun Center, MLS will also provide tickets to the 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game to Starlight families. The 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game, featuring the MLS All-Stars against Chelsea FC, will be played on Wednesday, July 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET at PPL Park in Chester, Pa.
During halftime of the 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game, MLS W.O.R.K.S. will announce the 2012 Community MVP Grand Prize winner. Fans across the League had the opportunity to nominate individuals who are committed to improving their communities. Nineteen winners were selected, representing each MLS market, and competed in a two-week online contest. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $10,000 donation to the charity of their choice and a trip to the 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game at PPL Park, which includes roundtrip airfare, two nights' accommodation, an award from Tiffany & Co. and official MLS merchandise as part of the prize package. Click here to view the final list of 2012 Community MVPs.
In addition, MLS W.O.R.K.S. and Continental Tire will recognize the winner of the "How Green Are Your Goals?" contest, created to engage MLS fans in environmentally friendly efforts leading up to Earth Day. Fans were encouraged to visit the Greener Goals website and share stories of how they incorporate green efforts into their everyday lives. Portland, the MLS market with the greenest MLS fans, has won a Solar 4R Schools Renewable School package valued at $50,000 for a deserving school in their city for Earth Day 2013. The prize includes a solar panel installation and a renewable energy education package for teachers. As the Grand Prize winner, Timbers' fan Jeffrey Briley won a trip to the 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game and a set of tires, courtesy of Continental Tire.

More than 200 Chihuahuas removed from Pa. home

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - More than 200 Chihuahuas have been removed from what officials are calling unsanitary conditions in a central Pennsylvania home.
The state Agriculture Department said late Thursday that dog wardens cooperating with state police executed a search warrant at the home in Benton, in Columbia County, after receiving numerous tips.
They say many of the dogs were sick and numerous dead dogs were found. State police are expected to file animal cruelty charges against the owners.
The dogs are being held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg and will be transferred to shelters Friday. They will then be treated by veterinarians and evaluated for adoption.
Mike Pechart oversees dog law enforcement activities at the Agriculture Department. He calls it "an unfortunate situation of animal hoarding."
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Growth, hiring slowed in parts of U.S., Beige Book finds

MARTIN CRUTSINGER

WASHINGTON — The Associated Press

Published Wednesday, Jul. 18 2012, 4:08 PM EDT
Last updated Wednesday, Jul. 18 2012, 4:09 PM EDT
The U.S. economy expanded modestly in June and early July, but growth and hiring slowed in several parts of the country. The key findings of the Federal Reserve survey echoed the gloomier outlook that Chairman Ben Bernanke offered to Congress this week.
Three of the Fed’s 12 banking districts – New York, Philadelphia and Cleveland – reported weaker growth, according to the Beige Book survey released Wednesday. A fourth, Richmond, said economic activity was mixed.

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The report was a shift from the Fed’s previous survey, which noted that growth had picked up or held steady in 11 districts from mid-April through May.
The Fed also said that hiring was “tepid” in most districts in June and early July, retail sales slowed in Boston, Cleveland and New York, and manufacturing weakened in most regions.
One positive note from the survey: All 12 districts reported gains in housing.
The Beige Book, which is anecdotal, helps form the basis of discussions by the Fed’s July 31-Aug. 1 meeting.
Mr. Bernanke told lawmakers this week that growth has weakened from the start of the year. He said the Fed is prepared to take further action if unemployment stays high, but didn’t specify what steps it might take or whether any action was imminent.
Investors are hoping the Fed will launch another round of bond purchases, known as quantitative easing. The bond purchases seek to lower long-term interest rates with the goal of encouraging more borrowing and spending.
Economists noted that Fed policy makers are likely to wait a little longer before taking that step.
“While the report is not a positive one, we believe that it is still not enough to push the Fed over the edge into more quantitative easing at its next meeting in two weeks,” said Michael Dolega, an economist at TD Bank.
Jennifer Lee, senior economist at BMO Nesbitt Burns, said the picture sketched by the survey was “glum” but not unexpected.
“The tone of the report was quite similar to Fed Chairman Bernanke’s testimony this week,” she said.
Mr. Bernanke noted that the economy, after growing at a 2.5 per cent annual rate in the second half of 2011, slowed to roughly 2 per cent from January through March. And it likely weakened further in the April-June period.
Job growth has slumped to an average of 75,000 a month in the April-June quarter from 226,000 a month from January through March. The unemployment rate was stuck in June at 8.2 per cent.
Consumers spent less at retail businesses in June for a third straight month, the government said earlier this week.
The Beige Book was compiled from information collected before July 9.
The survey found that nine regions reported slight gains in retail sales. Those largely reflected better auto sales. Auto dealers reported higher demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Tourism remained strong in the New York, Richmond, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Atlanta districts.
Manufacturing expanded slowly in most districts but several noted a slowdown in new orders. Philadelphia and Richmond said that both new orders and shipments had weakened.
The Institute for Supply Management reported that manufacturing shrank in June for the first time in nearly three years. Europe’s financial crisis and slower growth in emerging markets such as China and India have dampened demand for U.S. exports. That has sapped a key source of growth since the Great Recession ended three years ago.

Houston braces for Linsanity

CHRIS DUNCAN

HOUSTON — The Associated Press

Published Wednesday, Jul. 18 2012, 8:16 PM EDT
Last updated Wednesday, Jul. 18 2012, 8:21 PM EDT
Jeremy Lin loves New York. He wanted to stay.
Even so, it was more important to him to be on the court as a starting point guard, and he’s convinced the Houston Rockets will put him there.
“They made a very compelling pitch in terms of what I could bring to the team and for the city,” Lin said in a statement released through the team Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the Knicks decided not to match Houston’s bold three-year, $25 million offer sheet. “I am also impressed with (Houston owner Leslie) Alexander and the management’s commitment to improving the team.”

The Rockets put out the statement not long after SI.com reported that Lin had acknowledged in an interview, “Honestly, I preferred New York. But my main goal in free agency was to go to a team that had plans for me and wanted me. I wanted to have fun playing basketball.”
Fun is what the 23-year-old undrafted guard was all about last season.
Coming out of nowhere — well, Harvard, by way of Golden State and then Houston — Lin got to New York when the Knicks claimed him off waivers in December. He was briefly demoted to the developmental league, recalled, and got his chance to play when coach Mike D’Antoni put him in with the Knicks floundering at 8-15.
He scored 25 points in a 99-92 win over New Jersey Nets and “Linsanity” was born. Soon New York was in playoff contention and Lin was having drinks named after him.
Lin said Wednesday that he “loved this past year with the Knicks and truly appreciate the opportunity that New York gave me,” even though the team decided to let him go.
“The way the fans fully embraced me and our team was something I’ll always cherish forever,” he said. “It was an extraordinary and unforgettable time that was easily the best year of my life.”
And now it’s on to Houston, which made its move and got its man.
Why did the Rockets go for him? Because it made basketball sense and marketing sense.
The Rockets not only filled a position of need, but also snagged a player who may re-establish the franchise in Asia, where the team enjoyed massive popularity during Yao Ming’s career.
Lin is American-born, but of Chinese and Taiwanese descent, and his timing is perfect to capitalize on the NBA’s explosive growth in China. He’ll wear No. 7 for the Rockets, a change from the No. 17 he wore with the Knicks. The team began taking pre-orders for Lin jerseys online on Wednesday.
Yao was widely credited with breaking open the Chinese market for the NBA, but his retirement last summer hasn’t slowed the game’s growth or popularity.
Television ratings for live NBA games on CCTV5, the national network in China, were up 21 per cent in 2011-12 from the previous season, the league said. The NBA had about 16 million followers on social media when Yao retired, and that number spiked to 49 million last season, the league said.
Marc Ganis, president of Chicago-based SportsCorp, says the Rockets will be able to build on Lin’s marketability.
“There is still a lot of interest in the Rockets in China, even without Yao,” Ganis said. “This is clearly an effort to get a good player, but also capitalize on the in-roads that the team has already made with Chinese sponsors and the fans there.”
Reaction among fans closer to home was muted, although Lin was the talk of sports radio in Houston all day and exploded on social media. Since the acquisition became official late Tuesday night, the Rockets’ Twitter page has picked up 3,000 new followers and the Facebook page added 10,000 “likes.”
However, late Wednesday afternoon, the marquee at the Toyota Center mentioned only season-ticket packages for the Rockets, along with an Aerosmith concert and a WWE Smackdown.
On the basketball front, general manager Daryl Morey still has work to do.
The next major priority for Houston is finding a big man. Dwight Howard is still available, but that may be long shot. The Rockets expect to sign Bulls centre Omer Asik to a three-year, $25 million offer sheet that’s similar to Lin’s deal.
Beyond that, Morey must replenish a roster that’s been gutted over the past two weeks. The Rockets traded Chase Budinger and Samuel Dalembert as they collected draft picks for a package aimed at enticing Orlando to send them Howard, a six-time All-Star.
Houston ended up keeping all three first-round draft picks, selecting Connecticut guard Jeremy Lamb, Iowa State forward Royce White and Kentucky forward Terrence Jones, who all remain unsigned.
The Rockets lost unrestricted free agent Goran Dragic to Phoenix, began their pursuit of Lin and traded Kyle Lowry to Toronto. They withdrew their qualifying offer to guard Courtney Lee, completed a sign-and-trade that sent centre Marcus Camby to New York and used the amnesty clause to waive forward Luis Scola.
On Wednesday, the Rockets waived forward Jon Leuer and centre Jerome Jordan. Leuer came to Houston in the Dalembert trade with Milwaukee, and Jordan was acquired in the Camby deal.
Houston has only won one playoff series since 1997 and missed the post-season entirely the last three seasons. Whether Lin becomes a cornerstone to a championship-contending team is anyone’s guess — he’s only started 25 games in his young career.
But just adding Lin has made the Rockets more intriguing than they’ve been in a while. It’s up to Morey to turn them into a contender again.

Reds 1B Votto needs knee surgery, out 3-4 weeks

By JOE KAY, AP Sports Writer

CINCINNATI (AP) — Reds first baseman Joey Votto will have surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee, leaving the NL Central leaders without their best hitter for the next three to four weeks.
The 2010 National League MVP hurt the knee while sliding into third base June 29 in San Francisco, but has continued playing. Votto started for the NL in the All-Star game last Tuesday.
A medical exam Monday night detected the tear and Votto will have arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday.
General manager Walt Jocketty said Votto didn't have an MRI earlier because the first baseman didn't think he needed one.
"He didn't request it until then," Jocketty said. "He said it wasn't a problem until the last couple of days."
Votto decided to have the surgery. Jocketty said it's a simple procedure that takes only 20 to 30 minutes.
"It is in my best interest and in the best interest of the team to do it now so that I can be healthy during the last two months of the pennant race," Votto said in a statement.
Votto is batting .342 with 14 homers and 49 RBIs. He leads the NL in doubles, walks, on-base percentage and extra-base hits.
"We'll see what we can do internally, initially," Jocketty said. "But it's going to be difficult to replace Joey Votto."
He went hitless in his first two games back from the All-Star game then had a single and an RBI double during a 4-2 win over St. Louis on Sunday night that moved the Reds into sole possession of first place in the NL Central.
The Reds didn't immediately make a move to replace him on the roster.
Cincinnati has been in first place for 46 days because of its pitching and the NL's top defense. The Reds have used only five starters, a modern franchise record this deep into the season, and their bullpen is the best in the league.
The offense has struggled, ranking in the middle of the league, and the loss of Votto costs the team its most consistent hitter.
Votto was named MVP after the Reds' run to the NL Central title in 2010, but Cincinnati got swept by Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs.
He received a 10-year contract extension before the start of this season that added $225 million to his deal.
Now, the Reds will find out just how much he means to the franchise. They lost their first game without him, 5-3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
"He's an MVP, a Gold Glover. What more can you ask in a guy?" said Todd Frazier, who filled in at first base. "Injuries are huge in baseball. He's got that presence. Whenever he is out there, he can do damage."
Reds starter Bronson Arroyo saw Votto shortly before the game and got the bad news directly.
"He looked funny," said Arroyo, who lasted only three innings. "I said, 'Are you playing?' He said, 'No, I need surgery.' At this time of year, if we can keep pressure on the other teams in our division and stay in the race — if we can weather the storm — he could give us a lift when he comes back."
Instead of having a mainstay at first base and the No. 3 spot in the order, manager Dusty Baker will have to get creative. There's no obvious replacement on the roster or in the minors.
Baker's first inclination was to have Frazier, who is Scott Rolen's backup at third base, play more at first.
"That's a good possibility," Baker said. "He'll play some third, some first. (Miguel Cairo) will play some first. He's an outstanding first baseman. We'll mix and match depending on offensive and defensive matchups."
The challenge is to stay in contention until he gets back.
"We've got the guys who can do it," right fielder Jay Bruce said. "The pressure's on, but we've got to step up. I'm confident that we have those guys on the team.
"Look at the Dodgers. They lost Matt Kemp, but they weathered the storm. It's early enough that we can weather the storm."

Reds 1B Votto needs knee surgery, out 3-4 weeks

By JOE KAY (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Reds first baseman Joey Votto will have surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee, leaving the NL Central leaders without their best hitter for the next three to four weeks.

The 2010 National League MVP hurt the knee while sliding into third base on June 29 in San Francisco, but has continued playing. Votto started for the National League in the All-Star game last Tuesday.
A medical exam on Monday evening detected the tear. Votto will have arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday.
''It is in my best interest and in the best interest of the team to do it now so that I can be healthy during the last two months of the pennant race,'' Votto said in a statement.
Votto is batting .342 with 14 homers and 49 RBIs. He leads the National League in doubles, walks, on-base percentage and extra-base hits.
He went hitless in his first two games back from the All-Star game, then had a single and an RBI double during a 4-2 win over St. Louis on Sunday night that moved the Reds into sole possession of first place.
The Reds didn't immediately make a move to replace him on the roster.
Cincinnati has been in first place for 45 days because of its pitching and the NL's top defense. The Reds have used only five starters, a modern franchise record this deep into the season, and their bullpen is the best in the league.
The offense has struggled, ranking in the middle of the league. The loss of Votto costs the team its most consistent hitter.
Manager Dusty Baker gave Votto a day off on Monday because of his busy All-Star week, providing a little time to rest.
''His leg's a little sore, too, so it's two-fold,'' Baker said before Votto had the knee exam. ''Sometimes you don't like it (a day off), you don't want to do it, but you have to do it.''

Sports Briefs: Brewers’ Greinke to get extended rest

MILWAUKEE — After Zack Greinke’s three straight starts apparently left him feeling fatigued and out of his routine, the Milwaukee Brewers are skipping his scheduled start Wednesday and will sit him down until next week.
Greinke, a potential trade target for contending teams with the deadline approaching at the end of this month, was ejected in the first inning of a July 7 start in Houston. He pitched again the next day, then started Milwaukee’s first game after the All-Star break. He gave up 10 runs in eight-plus innings during those three starts.
The 2009 American League Cy Young Award winner has been the subject of trade speculation for weeks, and Roenicke acknowledged that he and general manager Doug Melvin did consider Greinke’s potential trade value before deciding to sit him down.
Red Sox’s Crawford returns to lineup
BOSTON — Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford made his season debut Monday night, starting in left against the Chicago White Sox after being sidelinedwith left wrist and elbow injuries.
The Red Sox activated Crawford off the 60-day disabled list before the game and designated utility player Brent Lillibridge for assignment.
Signed to a $142 million, seven-year contract before last season, Crawford, 30, had a disappointing 2011. He hit a career-worst .255 with 11 homers and 56 RBI, and finished with just 18 stolen bases after swiping 47 in 2010 and 60 the year before that.
• The Cincinnati Reds expect right-hander Johnny Cueto to start Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks despite a blister on the index finger of his pitching hand.Cueto developed the blister during his bullpen session last week and had to skip his scheduled start Sunday night. Homer Bailey filled in and threw eight innings in a 4-2 win over St. Louis
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Stackhouse signs one-year contract with Brooklyn
NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets signed veteran swingman Jerry Stackhouse to a one-year, $1.4 million deal on Monday. Stackhouse provided the terms after general manager Billy King announced the deal.
Stackhouse appeared in 30 games with the Hawks last season, averaging 3.6 points and 9.1 minutes.
The 17-year NBA veteran did not appear in any of Atlanta’s six playoff games.
Selected third overall by Philadelphia in 1995, the North Carolina product has career averages of 17.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 31.8 minutes.
• The Atlanta Hawks requested waivers on guard Jordan Farmar, one of five players acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in the deal for All-Star Joe Johnson. Farmar played in Israel during the NBA lockout last summer and has indicated he may return to Europe.

Chinese league digest

By Tang Zhe (China Daily)

Drogba to make his debut in CFA Cup

Cote d'Ivoire international Didier Drogba is expected to make his China debut in a CFA Cup game between Shanghai Shenhua and Changchun Yatai on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old striker headed to the northeast city of Changchun, Jilin province with the club on Monday. Drogba will play in the game, though the coaches have yet to decide if he will start.
Drogba arrived in Shanghai on Saturday morning. He said at a news conference that he came to China to win a title, not as a last step before he retires.
Shenhua boss Zhu Jun vowed at the beginning of the season to qualify for next year's AFC Champions League. The team is instead hovering around the drop zone, sitting in 12th in the Chinese Super League after defeating Beijing Guo'an 3-1 at home on Saturday. The club has its sights set on the CFA Cup, the winner of which will earn a berth in the Champions League.
Shenhua defeated Shenzhen Ruby in its first CFA Cup match on June 27. The two sides kept a clean sheet for 90 minutes, and Shenhua won 5-4 in a penalty shoot.
Changchun Yatai, currently sixth in the league, defeated Shenhua 2-0 at home in the CSL on June 16, though star striker Nicolas Anelka didn't play.
Changchun signed Brazilian-born Bulgarian international Marquinhos and Colombian international Edixon Perea on Friday. The two might debut with the club in the CFA Cup on Wednesday.
Aerbin slides down into the drop zone

Dalian Aerbin's investment isn't paying off.
The club, which has spent more than 200 million yuan ($31.4 million) in an attempt to be competitive in the first division after it won the second division last year, is sitting at 14th in the Chinese Super League after losing to Dalian Shide 3-2 in the city derby on Saturday. The club hasn't earned a win in four games and is only two points ahead of last-place Henan Jianye, which has played one less game.
Aerbin moved swiftly into the Chinese Super League, winning the third and second division championships in consecutive years. It has only won three matches this year, and has lost 28 balls in 17 games, the second-most of the 16 teams.
The good news is Aerbin's latest signing, Seydou Keita (pictured), will arrive on Wednesday and meet the fans during a CFA Cup match against Shenyang Shenbei that evening.
The 32-year-old can operate as both a central and defensive midfielder, and is expected to revitalize the team's performance in the midfield.
"Our players on defense are very young - for this match especially, it was a new combination," Li Ming, the club's general manager, said after the derby.
"This is a problem with the whole team. The pressure on the defense derived from our players' inability to press the opponents in the midfield. Therefore we need to improve the team as a whole to solve this problem."

(China Daily 07/17/2012 page24)

For the Worst Scandal, the Worst Punishment

Jessica Danielle is the creator of the Player Perspective sports blog.

July 16, 2012

One of the ugliest marks on the N.C.A.A. is its eagerness to deliver harsh punishments to student athletes while ignoring egregious offenses committed by the adults in charge. In fact, the adults who run the N.C.A.A. have made a habit of either ignoring their own rules, hiding behind civil and criminal cases as reasons not to hand down harsh penalties, or enforcing rules unevenly and only when convenient.

It’s too late for the N.C.A.A. to stop Jerry Sandusky and his enablers at Penn State University. But it’s not too late for it to set a new standard for how it enforces its rules and determines who gets to participate in collegiate sports.
Over the years, student athletes have been dismissed or suspended from programs for such dastardly deeds as accepting too much money for a summer job or selling their own jerseys. Schools have engaged in violations like providing perks or committing academic fraud. Penalties have varied.
In the 80s, the N.C.A.A. shut down Southern Methodist University’s football program for a year because the school helped pay under the table.
But Penn State’s abetting of a sexual predator case is more serious than any previous college offense and consequently deserves the harshest penalty in N.C.A.A. history.
Some argue that a suspension of the football program would be unfair because those who concealed the crimes are gone and the repercussions could eliminate Penn State football and harm other sports there.
But, unfortunately, any penalty the N.C.A.A. levies at any school harms folks who played no role in the violations. So that fact should not preclude the N.C.A.A. from handing out a penalty that fits — a suspension of at least 2 to 5 years.