Sports

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has announced that - days after he and U.S. Sen. Rosa DeLauro called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate the potential threats related to artificial turf - the agency has agreed to investigate.

Soccer players: Photo by Zach Stern (CC)    » read more »

April 18, 2008 -- OLYMPIA – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement on the National Basketball Association’s vote to relocate the Seattle Sonics:

“This is a sad day for basketball fans across Washington state. The Sonics have a proud, storied 41-year history in Seattle and, as a sports fan, I am very disappointed with today’s action by the National Basketball Association (NBA) owners to relocate the Sonics to Oklahoma City.

Seattle Sonics warmup: Photo by Fizzgig (CC)    » read more »

April 15, 2008 -- OLYMPIA – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, joined by state and local officials, today sent a letter to the National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern and NBA owners urging them to postpone this week’s vote on relocating the SuperSonics until legal and financial issues can be resolved.

Seattle SuperSonics, Key Arena: Photo by travelbug.nz (CC)    » read more »

April 14, 2008 -- THE PRESIDENT: Welcome to the Rose Garden. Of course, this is an old habit for a lot of the players standing behind me. After all, this is the fifth year in a row that the mighty Navy football team won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. And we're here to congratulate them on that amazing achievement. As a matter of fact, coming to the Rose Garden is as familiar a place as Bancroft Hall.

We welcome you here and we congratulate you. Coach, thanks for coming. Proud you're here. This team has had an historic season. For the third year in a row, had the most rushing yards in the nation, as well as the nation's highest graduation rate. You went to your fifth straight bowl game, and of course you accomplished your most important goal: You beat Army.    » read more »

Thursday, April 10, 2008, INDIANAPOLIS -- Nearly 82 percent of NCAA Division III member schools support or strongly support the current Division III structure instead of the creation of a new division or subdivision, results of the Division III Membership Survey show.

The response rate to the survey was 96 percent. All 442 active and provisional members of Division III were requested to submit a survey.

In light of the survey results, the Division III Working Group on Membership Issues and the Executive Committee Working Group on Membership have concluded their work to address the membership growth and diversity in Division III.    » read more »

11 April 2008 -- The Olympic torch has arrived in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, after a flight from San Francisco.

Argentine police whisked the flame away to a secret location on Thursday. The torch will reappear on Friday morning, when football legend Diego Maradona carries it at the opening of the relay through Buenos Aires.

Protesters during the Olympic torch relay in Paris: Photo by Greg Daly (CC)    » read more »

April 10, 2008 -- TRENTON – New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced the indictment today of the two top leaders and 22 others involved in a sports bookmaking ring that operated inside the Borgata Hotel Casino poker room and took in more than $60 million in bets in 20 months.

Borgata Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey: Photo by iirraa (CC)    » read more »

House Judiciary Committee to Hold Further Hearings; Examine Possible Legislative Remedy

(Washington, DC) - House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee Chairwoman Linda Sánchez (D-CA) today announced the release of a 144-page report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) recommending legislation to address the health problems faced by professional football players, and also released the responses to questions posed by the Committee to the NFL and NFLPA.

New York Giants football injury: Photo by John Corbett (CC)    » read more »

10 April 2008 -- Amid tight security, runners carried the Olympic torch through San Francisco Wednesday, as protesters called attention to the human rights record of this year's Olympic host, China. San Francisco officials changed the route of the torch run to avoid thousands of demonstrators.

Runners carrying the Olympic flame followed a truncated course that avoided protesters who criticized China's recent crackdown in Tibet, and others who decried China's support of the governments of Sudan and Burma, countries accused of human rights abuses. Yet other demonstrators, some of them members of San Francisco's large Chinese American community, waved Chinese flags in support of China. Many in both groups left without seeing the torch.    » read more »

10 April 2008 -- The president of the International Olympics Committee says the Beijing Games will recover from a "crisis" involving anti-China protests that have marred the international torch relay. Jacques Rogge made the vow Thursday at the opening session of IOC's executive board meeting in the Chinese capital.

San Francisco protesters against the Beijing Summer Olympic Games: Photo by Scott Eaton (CC)

Rogge says the IOC was "saddened" by demonstrations that disrupted the carrying of the torch in London and Paris.    » read more »

Special 3 ½ hour program will take viewers live to eight spring games on April 19

CHICAGO, April 8, 2008 – Football-starved fans will have a unique opportunity to get a first glimpse of future Big Ten stars at 1 PM ET Saturday, April 19, during the 3½ hour BIG TEN TONIGHT: SPRING FOOTBALL SHOWCASE presented by Jimmy John's. Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith will host the program from Chicago with live look-ins from that afternoon's eight spring games in the Big Ten.    » read more »

San Antonio, April 8, 2008 (By David Byrd) -- The University of Kansas has defeated Memphis, 75-68, to take the American men's big-college basketball title. As VOA's David Byrd reports from San Antonio, the game came down to some crucial shots in the waning minutes.

The game was evenly-matched and fast paced for most of Monday night. The lead changed hands nine times and the contest was tied eight times. The biggest lead was Memphis by nine in the second half, but Kansas was able to cut the lead to just two points with less than a minute to play.

Memphis freshman Derrick Rose made one of two free throws, to give the Tigers a 63-60 lead. But Kansas guard Mario Chalmers was able to hit a three-point shot with less than two seconds left, to send the game into overtime.    » read more »

08 April 2008 -- Officials for the 2012 London Olympics have announced the costs and confirmed the builders for the Olympic Stadium and aquatic center.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) said Tuesday the 80,000 - seat Olympic Stadium will cost about $976 million and will be built by a consortium including HOK Sport, Buro Happold and Robert Alpine.

The price includes the cost of converting the stadium to a 25,000 seat multiple-use venue after the Olympics.

Meanwhile, the Aquatics Center and land bridge that will be a main gateway into the Olympic Park will cost some $476 million. The venue, which will be built by Balfour Beatty, will seat 2,500 people when it is reconfigured after the Games.

(Some information for this report was provided by AP)

Source: VOANews.com

Monday, April 7, 2008 -- NCAA Response: "Jeff Goodman’s April 7, 2008 post on FoxSports.com erroneously reported that NCAA President Myles Brand and NBA Commissioner David Stern would make a joint announcement regarding NBA age limits. The NCAA has no role whatsoever regarding the NBA age policy or its collective bargaining process. The joint announcement was on the establishment of a new youth basketball initiative. Click here to read the news release about the announcement."

Source: NCAA

Monday, April 7, 2008, SAN ANTONIO -- The NCAA and the NBA have joined forces to launch a wide-ranging initiative aimed at enhancing youth basketball programs in the United States, it was announced today by NCAA President Dr. Myles Brand and NBA Commissioner David Stern during a press conference from the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio, TX.

The yet unnamed initiative is designed to reach and benefit everyone who participates in youth basketball programs, including the more than 23 million American boys and girls who play basketball, their parents and those who teach, officiate and administer youth basketball programs at every level. The initiative will create a platform for teaching youth the value of education and the important lessons of fair play.    » read more »