SPORTS - Vikings owner asks gov to back new stadium (AP)

SPORTS - Vikings owner asks gov to back new stadium (AP)

AP – Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Zack Greinke throws during the first inning of a baseball game against …

– 14 mins ago

DENVER – In a wild game that included a couple of ejections, blown leads and comebacks by both teams, Rickie Weeks' provided the final blow.

Weeks hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers came back after squandering a seventh-inning lead and beat Colorado 8-7 Saturday night in a game that began with a 49-minute weather delay and included the ejections of Rockies manager Jim Tracy and catcher Chris Iannetta.

"I thought I hit it pretty good, but you never know," said Weeks, who connected for his 18th homer of the season. "But it did get across the fence. It is always exciting to get game-winning home run."

With two outs in the ninth and the score tied at 6-6, Huston Street (0-3) walked Prince Fielder. Weeks followed with a drive that just cleared center fielder Dexter Fowler's attempt for a leaping catch at the wall.

"It just wasn't my best pitch," Street said. "I was trying to throw a slider down and I threw a slider that was belt high. Sometimes, they foul it back. He didn't foul it back."

Francisco Rodriguez (3-2), making his Brewers debut after being acquired Tuesday from the New York Mets, pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

"I was waiting to come in, and once I got in, I wanted to keep the score tied and let our guys score some runs," Rodriguez said. "We needed this one. We had dropped the first two games of the series. It was huge to come back and win it."

John Axford allowed an RBI single by Todd Helton before retiring Troy Tulowitzki for the final out to earn his 24th save in 26 chances.

Milwaukee was trailing 3-2 when Josh Wilson and Jonathan Lucroy each singled off Jhoulys Chacin to start the seventh. Craig Counsell, pinch-hitting for starting pitcher Zack Greinke, advanced the runners with a sacrifice.

After Chacin hit Corey Hart with a pitch to load the bases, Matt Reynolds came on in relief to face Nyjer Morgan, who greeted him with a surprise bunt single down the first-base line that scored Wilson. Charging from first, Helton tried to field the ball and toss it from his glove all in one motion but it sailed over Iannetta's head for an error and Lucroy crossed the plate with tying run.

Mark Kotsay, a defensive replacement after left fielder Ryan Braun was lifted in the sixth because of tightness in his left hamstring and calf, drove a fly ball to center. Hart, who hit a two-run homer earlier, tagged up and went for the plate, where Iannetta caught the throw on a bounce. He wheeled to put the tag on Hart's upper leg as the Brewers' runner slid in a very close play at the plate.

After home plate umpire Cory Blaser signaled Hart safe to give Milwaukee a 5-3 lead, Iannetta bounced up, slammed his mask down and heatedly argued the call nose-to-nose with Blaser. Iannetta was tossed as Tracy ran from the dugout to get between the two. Tracy then got in Blaser's face and he was also ejected.

Tracy said afterward that he thought Hart was "clearly out" and Blaser missed the call. Iannetta, ejected for the first time in his big league career, said he obviously thought he had gotten Hart out but added he over-reacted out of frustration.

"I shouldn't have done what I did," Iannetta said. "No one is perfect. Even the best players in the game make mistakes sometimes, and you can't fault a guy for making a mistake, if it truly was a mistake. But I reacted in a manner that wasn't right, so it's on me."

Colorado came back and regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh on Helton's two-run double and Tulowitzki's run-scoring single. Milwaukee evened the score again in the eighth on an RBI groundout by pinchhitter George Kottaras.

Trying to get the Brewers going offensively, manager Ron Roenicke shook up the batting order and Hart, moved up to the leadoff spot from fifth, responded with his 12th homer, a two-run shot in the fifth that pulled Milwaukee to 3-2.

All three of the Rockies' runs off Greinke in the second inning were unearned. Ian Stewart hit a two-out triple and Dexter Fowler swung and missed at a pitch in the dirt for a third strike. Lucroy couldn't hold the ball and struggled briefly to track it down before he was able to corral it. However, his throw to first was off the mark for an error, allowing Fowler to reach and Stewart to score.

Iannetta and Chacin followed with successive RBI singles.

Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez returned to the lineup after missing eight of nine games since bruising his right wrist when he crashed into the center-field wall while making a catch against Kansas City on July 3.

NOTES: Prior to the game, manager Ron Roenicke swapped Hart and Weeks in the lineup. Josh Wilson also started at shortstop ahead of Yuniesky Betancourt. ... Twenty of Hart's 29 RBIs this season have come on home runs. ... Iannetta is 6 for12 with a double, 3 RBIs and four runs scored in his last four starts at Coors Field.

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SPORTS - Wagner extends lead, Romo 2nd at Tahoe celeb golf (AP)

SPORTS - Wagner extends lead, Romo 2nd at Tahoe celeb golf (AP)

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SPORTS - AP Sources: Lawsuit, NFLPA's status unresolved (AP)

SPORTS - AP Sources: Lawsuit, NFLPA's status unresolved (AP)

AP – Jeffrey Kessler, a lawyer for the NFL Players Association, arrives for negotiations with the NFL, Saturday, …

By HOWARD FENDRICH and BARRY WILNER, AP Pro Football Writers Howard Fendrich And Barry Wilner, Ap Pro Football Writers – Sat Jul 16, 10:49 pm ET

Re-establishing the union and figuring out exactly what it will take to for nine NFL players including Tom Brady to settle their antitrust suit against the league are among key issues blocking a deal to end the lockout, people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Even after owners and players made significant progress this week, potential sticking points remain, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are supposed to remain confidential.

The unresolved matters also include how the TV networks case, in which the players accused the owners of setting up "lockout insurance," will be settled.

Among the parts mostly squared away:

• how the more than $9 billion in annual league revenues will be divided;

• a rookie salary system;

• free agency rules.

The NFL's first work stoppage since 1987 began in March, when owners locked out players after negotiations broke down and the old collective bargaining agreement expired. The NFL Players Association announced it was dissolving itself and would no longer be a union that could bargain for all players under labor law, instead saying it was now a trade association. That allowed players to take their chances against the NFL in federal court under antitrust law, and star quarterbacks Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees were among those who did.

There is a possibility that the sides will be able to put together a tentative agreement in principle in time to keep the preseason completely intact. The exhibition opener is scheduled to be the Hall of Fame game between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears on Aug. 7, and as of Saturday, no preseason games had been canceled.

The league's owners have a special meeting set for Thursday in Atlanta, where they potentially could ratify a new deal — if one is reached by then. Any agreement also must be voted on by groups of players, including the plaintiffs in the antitrust suit and the NFLPA's 32 team representatives.

Members of the legal and financial teams for the two groups met in New York on Saturday, while NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith spoke with each other. The larger negotiating teams that gathered for more than 30 hours of intensive face-to-face talks spread across Wednesday through Friday — including owners and current or former players — did not meet Saturday.

The court-appointed mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, has been on vacation but previously ordered both sides to meet with him Tuesday, when the framework for a deal could be concluded.

"The parties will be in touch with Judge Boylan to give him a report on developments in advance of next Tuesday's session and will consult with him on how to make the best use of the time before our league meeting on Thursday," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an email.

Among the parts of the deal that people familiar with the negotiations told the AP are largely in place:

• The players' portion of the league's full annual revenues will be on a sliding scale with a floor of 46.5 percent and a ceiling of 48.5 percent. There no longer will be the old formula, under which owners got a cut off the top for various operating expenses before revenues were divided.

The new percentages represent a decrease for players, because they were winding up with a higher percentage under the old contract, which is among the main reasons spurring owners to opt out of that deal. According to NFLPA figures, the players got 52.7 percent of all league revenues in 2006, 51.8 percent in 2007, 51 percent in 2008, and 50.6 percent in 2009. There was no salary cap in 2010. As far back as 2000, meanwhile, the players' take was 56.5 percent of all revenue.

The players are still hoping, though, to get a commitment from owners that each team will spend a minimum amount of the cap.

• Most players will be able to become unrestricted free agents after four years in the league, and the owners' hope for being able to get a right of first refusal on three players per team in 2011 was dropped.

• First-round draft picks will sign four-year deals, with a club option for the fifth year. The new rookie salary system will help curtail first-year players' soaring salaries, with much of that money going to veterans.

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SPORTS - Records: Tressel had history of compliance issues (AP)

SPORTS - Records: Tressel had history of compliance issues (AP)

AP – Urijah Faber, left, trades punches with Dominick Cruz during the first round of their UFC bantamweight …

– Sat Jul 2, 11:57 pm ET

LAS VEGAS – Dominick Cruz retained the bantamweight title and avenged his only career loss, unanimously outpointing Urijah Faber in a five-round bout in UFC 132 on Saturday night.

Cruz, the aggressor throughout who utilized his awkward style to land a number of leg kicks and solid strikes. had winning scores of 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47 from the judges.

In the co-main event at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Chris Leben rebounded from a loss in his last fight to stop Wanderlei Silva in 27 seconds.

On the undercard, former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz won for the first time in nearly five years with a first-round submission victory over Ryan Bader.

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SPORTS - Cavendish relieved to be back on the flat (Reuters)

SPORTS - Cavendish relieved to be back on the flat (Reuters)

AP – NASCAR driver Kyle Busch celebrates his victory in the NASCAR Nationwide New England 200 on Saturday, …

By DAN GELSTON, AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Jul 16, 8:06 pm ET

LOUDON, N.H. – Kyle Busch grabbed a souvenir for the victory lap he'd perfected 99 times before: A white "100" flag that rippled out the window of the No. 18 Toyota, one special number and a giant slice of NASCAR history.

Whether purists like it or not, Busch joined an elite list in auto racing history, becoming the third NASCAR driver to win 100 races.

Busch's victory Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway also tied him with Mark Martin for first place in career Nationwide Series victories with 49. Busch has 22 wins in Sprint Cup and 29 in the Trucks Series.

"It will stick out for a long time because it is No. 100," Busch said. "But I'm not going to say it's the biggest one. This is certainly a special day."

It might not even be his biggest win this weekend if Busch can win the Sprint Cup race Sunday.

It might be hard to remember if Busch reaches his eventual goal of winning 200 races.

Only "The King" has hit that whopping number.

Richard Petty is NASCAR's career leader with 200 wins and David Pearson is second with 106. Petty won all of his races at the Cup level. Pearson won 105 races in Cup and one in Nationwide. Busch has 100 wins spread over NASCAR's top three national series.

"You set your goals high and get out there and try and do it," Busch said. "It's down the road, but hopefully one day we get to 200."

Busch, the 2009 Nationwide champion, won for the sixth time this season.

Asked how many of his 99 victories he remembered, Busch said this week he only thinks about the next one.

It's here.

Busch, only 26 years old, took a victory ride around the track holding the "100" flag out the window.

One of the most polarizing drivers in the sport, even the milestone cause a stir, with old-school fans feeling Busch's total shouldn't be lumped with Petty and Pearson.

Petty's son, and former driver, Kyle, posted on Twitter he felt it was an unfair comparison.

Busch understood those feelings. But 100 wins is 100 wins.

"Certainly, mine's a little bit different," Busch said. "But it feels good."

He has 22 wins in 240 career Cup starts; 49 for 217 in Nationwide; 29 for 93 in Trucks.

Martin, who has 96 career NASCAR wins, was one of the first to shake Busch's hand and offer congratulations.

Martin races only a few times in Nationwide each year, but did win a race in Las Vegas this year. Martin recalled the first time he saw Busch turn some practice laps, and feeling like the teen had been racing "forever."

"He was a natural from the first time he slipped into one of those big stock cars," Martin said. "It's been amazing to watch. It's hard for me to get my arms around where is he at his age."

Kevin Harvick was second and Kasey Kahne third. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Aric Almirola rounded out the top five. Carl Edwards completed barely 60 laps into the race with a bad engine. He finished the race in ESPN's broadcast booth.

Busch led the final 33 laps and blew past the field on restarts to win on a green-white checkered finish.

One of the drivers left behind was Harvick.

Harvick has been embroiled in a feud with Busch and the pair was placed on probation earlier this year for a pit road dust-up at Darlington. Late in the race, Harvick said over the radio that NASCAR president Mike Helton told him "not to touch" Busch. Harvick was unhappy with NASCAR's decision.

"I was told a few weeks ago if we touched the 18 car, we'd be parked," Harvick said. "It would have been a lot easier to win if you didn't have handcuffs put on you."

Busch said he had no problems with Harvick.

"I raced him as clean as he raced me," Busch said. "If he got a warning, I'm sorry he got a warning. I did not get a warning. I raced hard, I raced clean and I am where I am."

Busch's first win came only 12 days after his 19th birthday in the 2004 Nationwide race at Richmond International Raceway. He's won at 25 different tracks and had NASCAR's first three-race weekend sweep last year at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch has won Nationwide races in eight straight seasons, including a record 13 times in 2010.

With sunglasses parked on his cap, and a smile, Busch listened in the news conference as a list of his accomplishments was rattled off.

"I think we get it," he said.

The list will only grow.

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SPORTS - NKoreans: Musk deer meds cause failed WCup tests (AP)

SPORTS - NKoreans: Musk deer meds cause failed WCup tests (AP)

AP – FIFA President Joseph Blatter reacts during a news conference for the Women’s Soccer World Cup in …

• Play Video World Cup Video:U.S. Women's Winning Ways Inspiring New Generation of Players WGAL Lancaster
• Play Video World Cup Video:Soccer Stars Abby Wambach and Lauren Cheney From U.S. Women's Team Speak to 'GMA' ABC News
• Play Video World Cup Video:USA beats France in women's World Cup semi-finals 13 News, WVEC Hampton Roads

By RAF CASERT, AP Sports Writer Raf Casert, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Jul 16, 5:32 pm ET

FRANKFURT, Germany – North Korea officials blamed traditional musk deer gland medicine used after a lightening strike for five positive tests for steroids at the Women's World Cup, the biggest soccer doping scandal at a major tournament in 17 years.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Saturday after two players were caught during the tournament this month, the world soccer governing body took the unprecedented step of testing the rest of the North Korean squad and found three more positive results.

"This is a shock," Blatter said at a news conference. "We are confronted with a very, very bad case of doping and it hurts."

A North Korean delegation told Blatter and the head of FIFA's medical committee on Saturday that the steroids were accidentally taken with traditional Chinese medicines based on the deer glands.

"The North Korean officials said they didn't use it to improve performance. They said they had a serious lightning accident with several players injured and they gave it as therapy," said Michel D'Hooghe, chief of FIFA's medical committee. "It is not systemic, because not all of the players took it. We would have found it with the others too."

The case will be taken up by FIFA's disciplinary committee. Players face a ban of up to two years.

In late June, Colombia's reserve goalkeeper Yineth Varon was provisionally suspended for failing an out-of-competition test before the World Cup. The Colombian Football Federation said she had hormonal treatment that led to a failed drug test, the first doping case in the history of the women's World Cup.

FIFA annually spends some $30 million on 35,000 doping tests. Despite the cases at the women's World Cup, "doping really is a marginal, fringe phenomenon in football," Blatter said.

The last doping case at a major event came at the men's 1994 World Cup in the United States, when Diego Maradona was kicked out after testing positive a cocktail of banned substances.

FIFA has already met with a North Korean delegation and heard arguments that the steroids were accidentally taken to treat players after a lightning strike on June 8 during a training camp in North Korea.

Defenders Song Jong Sun and Jong Pok Sim tested positive for steroids after North Korea's first two group games and were suspended for the last match. The team was eliminated in the first round after losses to the United States and Sweden and a draw with Colombia.

Blatter said the North Korean federation "wrote to us and they presented their excuses. They said that a lightning strike was responsible for this."

The names of the three other players would only be made public at a later stage, FIFA said.

FIFA investigators who discovered evidence of doping in the North Korean samples were in uncharted territory. Experts from the World Anti-Doping Agency were called in to confirm the breach of doping rules.

It was very complex," FIFA's chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak said, especially because the kind of steroids had "never before appeared and never before been determined."

The experts concluded there were "positive findings of an unknown origin," Dvorak said.

After the first two cases were discovered, doping officials went unannounced to North Korea's last match. They declared the two players provisionally suspended, and 15 minutes before the end of play, said all players would be tested.

"They were surprised but they cooperated," Dvorak said. The testing took until 3 AM and a few hours later, the whole delegation was on its way back to North Korea.

Dvorak said the team's medical officer "gave us sample that she described as classical or traditional medicine that is often used in North Korea."

After extensive testing until late Friday, "we can really say with far-reaching confidence that these steroids were the result of this so-callled Chinese traditional medicine," Dvorak said.

He added the musk gland extract "it is not part of the world of doping. It is really the first case in which this has been discovered."

The gland in question comes from musk deer living in a large swathe of Asia from Siberia to North Korea. The hairy gland is usually cut open to extract a liquid that is used for medical purposes.

"There is a whole industry linked to that to produce these medical products," D'Hooghe said.

Doping officials have been concerned about such naturally occurring substances in recent years. During the run-up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, FIFA's concerns focused on African plants that could give players an unfair advantage by providing energy or helping to heal muscle injuries.

North Korean coach Kim Kwang Min said after their first match against the U.S. that "more than five" players were sent to the hospital. Goalkeeper Hong Myong Hui, four defenders and some of the midfielders were the players most affected, Kim said.

"The physicians actually said the players were not capable of playing in the tournament," Kim said through an interpreter.

Dvorak said the information was still sketchy.

"We saw some pictures with ambulances and saw that some players were taken from the pitch, but that is all we have," he said.

FIFA also got information from North Korea about the initial hospital treatment of the players and "this very first report did not include the traditional Chinese medicine," Dvorak said.

The World Cup ends Sunday with the final between the United States and Japan.

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SPORTS - Weeks' homer the difference in Brewers' wild win (AP)

SPORTS - Weeks' homer the difference in Brewers' wild win (AP)

AP – FILE - This Dec. 30, 2010, file photo shows Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel speaking at a …

By RUSTY MILLER, AP College Football Writer Rusty Miller, Ap College Football Writer – Fri Jul 15, 2:18 pm ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel was told by the school that he did a poor job of self-reporting NCAA violations years before he failed to tell his bosses that players were selling championship rings and other Buckeyes memorabilia, a cover-up that cost him his job.

In an evaluation of Tressel's job performance from 2005-06, then-athletic director Andy Geiger rated Tressel "unacceptable" in terms of self-reporting rules violations in a timely manner. The coach also was warned in a separate letter that he and his staff needed to do a better job of monitoring the cars the Buckeyes were driving — an issue that would arise again this spring.

The documents were part of a mountain of public records released Friday by Ohio State dealing with Tressel and the ongoing scandal that has sullied one of the nation's elite football programs.

Tressel received a letter of reprimand from then-athletic director Andy Geiger for giving a recruit a Buckeyes jersey — a clear NCAA violation — before he had even coached his first game.

In spite of a sparkling 106-22 record and winning the 2002 national championship, Tressel was forced to step down on May 30 after it became clear that he had knowingly played ineligible players during the 2010 season. Investigators discovered he found out in April 2010 that players were receiving cash and discounted tattoos from the owner of a local tattoo parlor in exchange for OSU football memorabilia, but he did not report them to his superiors or NCAA compliance officers — and didn't even acknowledge he had known of the problem until confronted in January.

Ohio State, which has vacated the 2010 season including its share of the Big Ten championship, and has issued itself a two-year probation, is now facing an Aug. 12 meeting before the NCAA's committee on infractions.

Tressel received a letter of reprimand from Geiger for giving a recruit a Buckeyes jersey, clearly breaking an NCAA bylaw, before he had even coached his first game. Geiger put the letter in Tressel's personnel file on June 15, 2001 — he was hired earlier that year on Jan. 17.

In his '05-'06 evaluation, Tressel was graded "excellent" in 10 of 12 areas. Yet the NCAA-Ohio State evaluation form also rated Tressel unacceptable in self-reporting violations and in "timely and accurate completion of phone and unofficial visit logs." Ohio State says that current AD Gene Smith met with Tressel for oral evaluations of his performance and that no written records exist.

In Ohio State's response to the NCAA's allegations against Tressel and the program last week, Tressel said, "I take full responsibility for my mistakes that have led to the ongoing NCAA inquiry and to scrutiny and criticism of the football program."

This spring, the NCAA also investigated the cars driven by Ohio State players. That subject was broached in a letter by Geiger dated Sept. 9, 2003, that cautioned Tressel he and his staff needed to do a better job of monitoring the players' cars.

"In the course of the investigation, there were questions surrounding, among others, (redacted name's) automobiles and cell phone use," Geiger wrote to Tressel. "I am writing to make it clear that the University expects you and your staff to pay attention to automobiles driven by the football student-athletes and report to the Athletic Compliance Office any unusual circumstances with respect to such automobiles."

In the last year, the NCAA and Ohio State delved into the cars owned by and loaned to star quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

Ohio's Bureau of Motor Vehicles looked into 25 sales involving Buckeyes players and determined that the dealers received fair-market value for the cars. The bureau did not address whether the deals met NCAA standards prohibiting benefits not available to the general student population.

Pryor announced shortly after Tressel was forced out that he would forgo his final year of eligibility to make himself available for an NFL supplemental draft.

The heavily redacted material released Friday by Ohio State also included:

• Reprimands in Tressel's file for permitting an outside person to coach kickers before a full team practice and allowing the mother of a recruit on an official visit to make a call for $7.93 that was billed to the university. In addition, his file contained at least two "letters of caution and education" charging that Tressel gave complimentary tickets to a home game to a recruit's parents and allowed an unidentified student-athlete to "practice with the team during fall camp for 19 days despite (his) not having completed his NCAA Drug Testing Consent Form."

In his letter, Geiger wrote to Tressel: "It is our goal to avoid all violations. ... It is your responsibility to adhere to the NCAA rules and make sure you and your coaching staff understand the importance of strict compliance with all NCAA rules."

• A police report detailing the investigation into the theft of at least 10 pairs of Ohio State football cleats from the team's locker room inside Ohio Stadium last November. Ohio State police interviewed the three players who said they had cleats stolen — Pryor, wide receiver DeVier Posey and leading rusher Dan Herron. A campus police officer later posed as a buyer on eBay and bought a pair of cleats signed by Pryor. But a team equipment manager said that pair was an older model and was not one of those stolen. No charges were filed in the case.

• That men's basketball coach Thad Matta had five cautionary letters put in his personnel file during the early part of his seven-year tenure, but was later praised for his relationship with the school's NCAA compliance department.

Tressel's attorney has said that the ex-coach intends to join Ohio State officials, including Smith and interim head coach Luke Fickell, for the August meeting before the committee on infractions. The school and Tressel recently agreed not to sue each other, and Tressel has been able to formally change his departure from a resignation to a retirement from Ohio State.

Ohio State has suspended six players (five after Pryor's departure, including both Posey and Herron) for the first five games of the 2011 season and has vacated its 12 wins from last season, including its victory over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. In addition, it also self-imposed a two-year NCAA probation. The NCAA can choose to accept those penalties or can add to them.

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SPORTS - IOC chief says corruption the next big fight (AP)

SPORTS - IOC chief says corruption the next big fight (AP)

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SPORTS - Kyle Busch wins 100th career NASCAR race (AP)

SPORTS - Kyle Busch wins 100th career NASCAR race (AP)

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SPORTS - Rematch possible for Williams/Lara after scoring review (Reuters)

SPORTS - Rematch possible for Williams/Lara after scoring review (Reuters)

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SPORTS - Cruz outpoints Faber in UFC 132 (AP)

SPORTS - Cruz outpoints Faber in UFC 132 (AP)

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SPORTS - Russia's Kleybanova diagnosed with cancer (AFP)

SPORTS - Russia's Kleybanova diagnosed with cancer (AFP)

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SPORTS - Blackhawks star Kane has fractured wrist (AP)

SPORTS - Blackhawks star Kane has fractured wrist (AP)

AP – International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge waves prior to a press conference in Tokyo …

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By JIM ARMSTRONG, AP Sports Writer Jim Armstrong, Ap Sports Writer – Thu Jul 14, 4:10 am ET

TOKYO – International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge believes match-fixing and gambling represent the next big fight facing sports organizations and governments.

"We have made doping a top priority, now there is a new danger coming up that almost all countries have been affected by and that is corruption, match-fixing and illegal gambling," Rogge said Thursday.

Rogge cited the recent match-fixing problems in South Korean football and Japanese sumo as just two examples.

South Korean prosecutors have indicted more than 70 soccer players, gambling brokers and others for alleged involvement in a burgeoning match-fixing scandal, while Turkey is in the midst of a major match-fixing investigation.

In Japan, 25 sumo wrestlers and coaches were expelled from the sport after it was learned they were involved in throwing matches.

"This is the new fight we have to confront," Rogge said. "Today you can't open up a newspaper without finding examples of this so we have to fight against it and this has to be waged by sports movements together with traditional and state authorities."

Rogge was in Tokyo to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Japanese Olympic Committee.

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SPORTS - Clarke avoids the weather, takes the lead (AP)

SPORTS - Clarke avoids the weather, takes the lead (AP)

AP – Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke walks up to the 10th green during the third day of the British Open …

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson, Ap Golf Writer – Sat Jul 16, 5:14 pm ET

SANDWICH, England – About the only predictable part of this British Open is the weather.

The biggest surprise is the list of contenders for the claret jug.

The weather was wild again Saturday, shifting from a raging wind to a gentle sea breeze, from a driving rain to brilliant sunshine, and leaving most of the field wet, tired and feeling as though they got the short end of the draw. That's not unusual.

More peculiar was seeing Darren Clarke atop the leaderboard after a 1-under 69, his first time in contention at any major in 10 years. Right behind was Dustin Johnson, who was 4 over through the opening 13 holes of this championship and somehow wound up in the final group.

Thomas Bjorn, who threw away the British Open eight years ago at Royal St. George's, was the first alternate at the start of the week and now is only three shots behind. There's also a 22-year-old who plays without fear and makes it look fun — only it's not U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy, but Rickie Fowler — "Little Rickie" as they call him in these parts.

Could anyone have predicted these storylines at the start of the week?

"No," Johnson replied. "I was playing pretty well, but you never know, especially coming into a British Open."

At least Sunday might be a little easier to sort out.

Clarke escaped the worst of the raging weather Saturday, leaving him far less traffic on his unlikely road to a claret jug.

He was dressed in full rain gear when he walked to the first tee for a third round that had been crowded with contenders. When he walked off the 18th green in short sleeves, he had a one-shot lead and was blinking in the bright sunshine over Royal St. George's.

There were 44 players within five shots of the lead going into the third round.

Now there are 12.

"If somebody had given me 69 before I was going out to play, I would have bitten their hand off for it," Clarke said. "Saying that, we did get very fortunate with the draw. Sometimes to win any tournament, the draw can make a big difference. But in The Open Championship, it makes a huge difference. We got very lucky."

He also was very good.

Clarke missed only two greens in regulation, and was one of only three players who managed to break par. It was his third round in the 60s, and it put him at 5-under 205 and into the final group of the British Open for the first time since 1997 at Royal Troon.

Fewer contenders doesn't make it any easier.

Johnson, the powerful 27-year-old American, managed to make six birdies on his way to a 68 that puts him in the final group for the third time in the last six majors. The other two aren't exactly glorious memories — an 82 to lose a three-shot lead at the U.S. Open last year, a two-shot penalty on the last hole of the PGA Championship when he didn't realize he was in a bunker.

"I'm going to be pretty comfortable out there tomorrow because I know what to expect, I know how to approach it, and I know what I do in those situations," Johnson said. "So hopefully, I can go out tomorrow and play some solid golf like I've been doing the last few days."

Fowler was soaked, zipped up in a cream-colored rainsuit for two-thirds of his round, yet it never seemed to bother him. He hung around par during the worst of the conditions — a remarkable feat — and when the rain went away, he took off to higher ground. Fowler made three birdies over the last six holes for a 68 and was two shots behind, along with Thomas Bjorn (71).

Fowler played with McIlroy, whose hopes ended with a tee shot that went out-of-bounds on the 14th. He shot 74 and was nine shots behind.

Lucas Glover, a U.S. Open champion who played in the final group Saturday, made 10 straight pars early in his round only to lose his way, but not his hopes over the final hour. Glover missed two birdie putts inside 6 feet on the back nine, and made two bogeys. He shot 73, but still was within four shots. He was tied with Miguel Angel Jimenez, who didn't make a birdie in his round of 72.

Also still in the mix is Phil Mickelson, who has only contended once in the British Open. He rallied when the sun began to break through the clouds and salvaged a 71, leaving him five shots back in a group that included Anthony Kim (68), PGA champion Martin Kaymer (73) and Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III, who tied for fourth at Royal St. George's in 2003 and had a 72 to stay in range.

But it starts with Clarke, a 42-year-old from Northern Ireland who has been watching the youngsters from Ulster celebrate golf's biggest events, from Graeme McDowell at Pebble Beach last summer to McIlroy at Congressional last month.

Is it his turn at this stage in his career?

"Did I ever doubt I would get myself back in this position? No," Clarke said. "Did I know it was going to happen? No. Did I hope it was going to happen? Yes. But did I ever doubt? No."

Once he finished his own Q & A, Clarke headed to the home of agent Chubby Chandler to "stuff his face" and try not to have too much to drink.

A big day awaits Sunday, perhaps the biggest of his career.

And the forecast isn't very friendly.

Typical of the weather in this part of the world, anything goes. There's supposed to be a mixture of sunshine and passing showers that could be heavy but won't stick around for long. The constant is the wind, which again is likely to gust upward of 30 mph at times. A one-shot lead is nothing on Royal St. George's in calm conditions, and anyone at par or better figures to be in the mix.

No other major championship depends so largely on the weather, and that was never more clear on Saturday.

Those who played early, such as five-time Open champion Tom Watson, caught the worst of the nasty stuff — gusts so strong they flipped umbrellas inside-out, a light rain that soon turned into a driving rain, and scores that soared through the gray sky.

Of the first 41 players who teed off, no one could even match par. Trevor Immelman had one of the better rounds at 72, and his strong effort left him nine shots behind. "It was like going 18 holes with the heavyweight champion of the world," he said.

Watson, the 61-year-old magician on the links, must have been smiling inside when he saw how bad it was. He worked his way around the front nine in wind so strong he twice had to hit driver for his second shot, yet he didn't make a bogey and was drawing a huge crowd looking for a repeat of Turnberry two years ago, when he nearly won.

He, too, had a 72 and most likely is too far behind.

"We got lucky," Mickelson said. "I think the guys that played late got really lucky, myself included, that it went away right around the turn for me. And we went from really fighting for pars on every hole to thinking about birdies on some."

Until Fowler broke through with his 68, the 41 players before him had an average score of 76.36. The next 29 players after him, who played most of the round without the rain, had an average score of 72.96.

"The way I was playing, I would have loved to have seen the weather stay the same throughout the day," Fowler said. "But that's the beauty of the playing in The Open Championship. It's not always the same all day. It can change any minute."

It wasn't just the weather. Clarke and Johnson stood out against the others, keeping their mistakes to a minimum. Clarke might have done even better if he could have made some more putts. After a 15-foot birdie on the opening hole, he had good looks at birdie on the next six holes without making any of them. But he never lost the lead, either.

Now he has to keep it together for one more round. It's only a one-shot lead, but it's not a bad place to be.

"Nineteen times I've failed to try and lift the claret jug, and tomorrow I have an opportunity," Clarke said. "But at the moment, it's just an opportunity because the weather is going to be very windy again tomorrow, and there's a long way to go still in this championship."

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SPORTS - Deron Williams says he signs with Besiktas (AP)

SPORTS - Deron Williams says he signs with Besiktas (AP)

AFP/File – Alisa Kleybanova of Russia returns a forehand to Olga Govortsova of Belarus during their Estoril Open …

– Fri Jul 15, 3:29 pm ET

PARIS (AFP) – Russian tennis player Alisa Kleybanova, who celebrated her 22nd birthday on Friday, has been diagnosed with cancer.

Kleybanova, the world number 28, is suffering from Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

"It's my birthday today and I want to thank all of you for the wonderful messages. I haven't written anything for a long time about why I haven't been on tour, so that's why I'm writing this today," she said in a statement.

"It's not an easy time for me right now. I've been a bit unlucky with my health. I have Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a form of cancer.

"I've been having treatment in Italy and it has been going well, but it takes lots of patience and I've had to be really strong to get through this. The good news is after I do treatment for a few more months, if I feel well, there's a chance I'll be able to play tennis again.

"I really miss playing - I miss seeing fans and friends around the world, I miss hitting the ball, I miss everything. Tennis has been my life for the last 15 years."

The Moscow-based player reached a career high of 20 after the Dubai tournament in February, but illness forced her to pull out of the French Open and Wimbledon.

Kleybanova has collected two WTA titles -- at Kuala Lumpur in 2010 and in Seoul in 2008 with her best Grand Slam performances coming at Wimbledon in 2008 and the Australian Open in 2009, where she reached the fourth round on both occasions.

The Fed Cup team member is undergoing treatment in the Italian city of Perugia.

"There are a few reasons I'm undergoing treatment in Italy. First, I have a training base and many close friends here, so it's like home," she said.

"Second, they have a really great hospital here that specializes in this problem; I've been going there since the problem started, so the doctors know me well. It's the best place for me to be - the surroundings help me stay strong.

"This is the toughest time in my life, and I hope it always stays the toughest time in my life. I'm sure I'll be able to overcome this - it's just a matter of patience and time. When this is over, everything will be even better than before.

"I won't be on tour for a little while, but I will see you all again soon."

The WTA praised Kleybanova's courage.

"The thoughts of the WTA and the entire tennis family are with Alisa and her family at this difficult time," said a WTA statement.

"Alisa is a very strong and optimistic person and we wish her a speedy and full recovery."

Fellow players also sent their best wishes to the Russian.

"Just learnt Alisa Kleybanova, my partner in junior Wimbledon that we won together, has been diagnosed with cancer...praying for her to recover," tweeted India's Sania Mirza, who won the junior doubles with the Russian at Wimbledon in 2003.

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SPORTS - Ronaldo scores as Real thrash Galaxy (AFP)

SPORTS - Ronaldo scores as Real thrash Galaxy (AFP)

AFP/File – Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured) netted a deft second-half goal as Real Madrid dominated David Beckham's …

– 25 mins ago

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo netted a deft second-half goal as Real Madrid dominated David Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy Saturday in a 4-1 friendly victory.

Jose Callejon and Joselu scored in the first-half and Frenchman Karim Benzema converted a header after the interval as the Spanish giants emphatically shook of the rust in their first pre-season match.

Ronaldo, who set La Liga's scoring record with 40 goals last season, came on at half-time.

Eight minutes later he gained control of the ball outside the area and used some fancy footwork to elude three defenders and fire a crisp left-footed shot inside the near post.

It was just the kind of display the crowd of 56,211 had come to see at Los Angeles' Memorial Coliseum, which hosted the match rather than Galaxy's smaller Home Depot Center ground in the suburb of Carson.

Beckham wore the captain's armband for the Galaxy against his former team but failed to make an impact before departing in the 61st minute.

Adam Cristman scored the Galaxy's only goal with a header in the 67th minute.

Madrid opened the scoring in the 31st, when Kaka found new signing Callejon unmarked on the right side of the area and Callejon belted a shot past Josh Saunders.

Nine minutes later reserve striker Joselu gained control of a poor clearance by Beckham and slipped it past Saunders? right post to double the score.

At half-time, Los Angeles coach Bruce Arena took off both Landon Donovan and Juan Pablo Angel while Jose Mourinho brought on Ronaldo, Benzema and Xabi Alonso.

Ronaldo's 53rd-minute goal soon followed, and five minutes later Fabio Coentrao made a run past the Galaxy defense and crossed to Benzema, who buried the ball past Brian Perk.

Real Madrid continue their North American tour on Wednesday when they play Mexican club Chivas of Guadalajara at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

The Spanish club is one of several European sides warming up for the season in North America. Spanish rivals Barcelona, English Premier League clubs Manchester United and Manchester City and Italian club Juventus all have friendlies scheduled in the coming weeks.

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SPORTS - Bumpy road looking pretty good now for Americans (AP)

SPORTS - Bumpy road looking pretty good now for Americans (AP)

AP – The United States team go through passing drills during a training session in preparation for Sunday's …

By NANCY ARMOUR, AP National Writer Nancy Armour, Ap National Writer – Sat Jul 16, 6:07 pm ET

FRANKFURT, Germany – The bumpy, windy road got the Americans right where they wanted to go all along.

Eight months after having to win a playoff just to get to Germany, the Americans face Japan in the Women's World Cup final on Sunday. A win would be the ultimate finish to their improbable journey, making the United States the first three-time champions and delighting a country of newfound fans.

"I believe all the way we'll find a way," Carli Lloyd said Saturday after the team's last training session. "It's going to be a tough match like every other match has been, but I believe that we will find a way and it's our destiny to get it done."

For a long time, the Americans were about the only ones who believed that.

The U.S. is the No. 1-ranked team in the world and defending Olympic champion, and the Americans have dominated the women's game for the better part of two decades now. But they arrived at the World Cup looking, well, kind of average. They were stunned in regional qualifying in November in Mexico, a team that hadn't managed a win in its first 25 tries against its neighbor to the north, and had to beat Italy in a two-game playoff for the very last spot in the World Cup.

They opened the year with a loss to Sweden, then fell to England for the first time in 22 years — so long ago Alex Morgan hadn't even been born yet. Then, after easy wins in their first two games in Germany, the Americans lost to Sweden again, their first loss ever in World Cup group play.

"In the past, we'd always won everything," captain Christie Rampone said. "Those losses made our team what it is today. We need each other and you feel that, from the locker room to the time we step on the field."

Never was that faith in each other more evident than in their quarterfinal against Brazil. Down a player for almost an hour and on the verge of making their earliest exit ever from a major tournament, Abby Wambach's magnificent, leaping header in the 122nd minute tied the game and sparked one of the most riveting finishes ever in a World Cup game — men's or women's.

The Americans beat Brazil in a penalty shootout and, just like that, the folks back home were hooked.

Hollywood celebrities, fellow pro athletes and people who don't care about any sport, let alone soccer, have adopted the players. The Brazil match drew the third-highest ratings ever for a Women's World Cup game, and Wednesday's semifinal victory over France did almost as well — despite being played in the middle of the workday back home.

The Empire State Building is lit with the red, white and blue this weekend, along with Japan's colors. And the White House is sending an official delegation led by Vice President Joe Biden's wife, Jill, and Chelsea Clinton, who just happened to be part of that massive Rose Bowl crowd 12 years ago, the last time the Americans won the title.

"We've proved everyone wrong," Lloyd said. "Now I think everyone is starting to believe in us. We've won everybody over, which is tremendous because the support back home has been unbelievable."

While part of the U.S. appeal is its success here, it's the team's spunk that has really charmed fans, a can-do attitude uniquely — proudly — American.

This might not be the best team the U.S. has ever had, but none will try harder.

"We are disappointed in the kind of soccer we played in last few games. It's just not the kind of soccer we want to play," Wambach said. "Sometimes games turn into what games turn into and you have to deal with what you've got and somehow find a way and figure it out. And that's what we did and that's something to be proud of and that's what we take away from it.

"But against Japan, we want to do and play the way we've been training. We don't want it just to be a dogfight. We want it to be a game people can watch and be excited about."

Japan will have something to say about that, of course.

The Nadeshiko have never beaten the Americans — draws in 2000, 2003 and 2004 are the best they've managed in 25 games — and have been outscored a whopping 77-13. They have three losses this year alone to the U.S., including a pair of 2-0 defeats in warmup games a month before the World Cup began. This also is Japan's first final at a major tournament, having lost to the U.S. in the semifinals at the Beijing Olympics.

"Of course it's something I bring up," U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said. "We've been there before, we've done it before."

But Japan is a far better team than the one the Americans saw in May, having upset pre-tournament favorite Germany in the quarterfinals and Sweden in the semifinals. The Nadeshiko's ball-handling skills are exquisite, drawing comparisons to Barcelona for their lightning quick passes and slick combination play, and they dominate possession as if it's a game of keepaway.

They've shown a nice scoring touch, too, their 10 goals at the World Cup second only to the 11 scored by the U.S. The ageless Homare Sawa has been a marvel, sharing top-scoring honors with Marta with four goals.

"Why shouldn't we be confident?" Sawa asked.

Japan also has powerful motivation, knowing it has provided some emotional relief for a nation still reeling from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The team displays a banner reading "To our Friends Around the World — Thank You for Your Support," after every game, and coach Norio Sasaki inspired his players before the quarterfinal by showing them pictures of the devastation.

But the Americans remain confident, just as they were through every pothole and dip in their bumpy road.

"Nothing worries me right now," Sundhage said. "You have to enjoy the moment. Look at the road we've taken. If I get worried, I just have to look back at that road."

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SPORTS - China leads men's 10-meter synchro qualifying (AP)

SPORTS - China leads men's 10-meter synchro qualifying (AP)

AP – A diving competitor practices at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Shanghai, China, Friday, July …

By BETH HARRIS, AP Sports Writer Beth Harris, Ap Sports Writer – 1 hr 37 mins ago

SHANGHAI – Diving in front of his hometown fans, Huo Liang and new partner Qui Bo moved China closer to winning its second gold medal in diving at the world championships on Sunday.

Huo and Qui finished first in qualifying for the men's 10-meter synchronized platform with 477.96 points.

Huo won the world title with a different partner at the 2009 worlds in Rome and in 2007 at Melbourne, and could become the event's first three-time champion.

Americans David Boudia and Nick McCrory were second with 447.21. Boudia won a silver with another partner in Rome.

"We've been spending the past year getting to know each other and getting to know each other's diving," Boudia said. "We're both very confident in what our ability is and we know that all six dives can be that much better."

Boudia was part of a U.S. team that won four medals in Rome, and he's confident that he and McCrory can put some pressure on the Chinese duo.

"We've raised our degree of difficulty," he said. "We know that we can do great things, so we'll see what happens."

Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein of Germany were third with 441.12.

The top 12 teams advanced to the final later Sunday.

Also qualifying were: Russia, Britain, Ukraine, Mexico, Japan, Canada, Colombia, Belarus and Cuba.

The pressure is off for the British duo of Peter Waterfield and Tom Daley, the 10-meter champion in Rome. Even if they don't win a medal, Britain is assured a spot in the synchronized events as the host nation at next year's London Olympics.

Daley's training has been affected by the death of his father to brain cancer in late May, and then Waterfield arrived in Shanghai feeling ill.

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SPORTS - D.J. gets another shot at elusive major title (AP)

SPORTS - D.J. gets another shot at elusive major title (AP)

AP – Dustin Johnson of the US reacts after putting a birdie on the 12th green during the third day of the …

By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP National Writer Paul Newberry, Ap National Writer – Sat Jul 16, 5:32 pm ET

SANDWICH, England – After squandering two chances to win a major championship last year, Dustin Johnson never envisioned getting another shot at this British Open.

Not when he arrived at Royal St. George's with swollen glands the size of grapes.

Certainly not when he played the first 12 holes at 4 over, looking more like a guy headed home before the weekend than someone who'd be playing in the final group.

Well, that's just where he'll be on Sunday.

Again.

Johnson claimed a well-deserved spot in the last pairing with his second straight 2-under 68 in the third round, leaving him one stroke off the pace set Saturday by Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke.

Not that the 27-year-old American shouldn't be getting used to it by now. This will be the third time in the last six majors he's claimed one of those coveted spots. Now, he's just got to show he can finish the job.

Stay away from the 82s. And definitely, under no circumstances, ground a club in anything resembling a bunker, no matter how much it looks like a footpath.

"Well, obviously I've been in this situation a few times, so I think the more and more you can put yourself in a situation, the more comfortable you get," Johnson said. "I'm going to be pretty comfortable out there (Sunday) because I know what to expect, I know how to approach it, and I know what I do in those situations."

At last year's U.S. Open, Johnson went to the final round with a commanding three-stroke lead and, with youthful bravado, insisted he could handle the pressure. Clearly, he couldn't. By the time he got to the fifth hole, the lead was gone. He threw it away with a mess of a start — triple-bogey, double-bogey, bogey — and staggered to the finish with an 82, an eighth-place afterthought to Graeme McDowell's first major title.

"It's the first time I've gone into a major in the last group or with the lead or anything," he recalled. "I had a really good warmup, so I wasn't expecting to go out and play bad. I just had kind of a bad start on 2 and kind of just spiraled down after that."

Whatever disappointment Johnson must have felt that day paled against his plight two months later at the PGA Championship. Again playing in the last group, though this time starting out with a three-shot deficit to Nick Watney, Johnson rallied for the outright lead by curling in a putt at the 17th hole for his second straight birdie.

Then, heartbreak.

Johnson sent his tee shot at No. 18 far beyond the fairway, over the ropes that held back the fans and into a tiny patch of sand that had been trampled over all week. Johnson figured it was a footpath. Instead, it was one of the countless bunkers at Whistling Straits, most of them far out of play for the pros.

When Johnson grounded his club before striking the shot, he essentially lost the tournament. He went on to make bogey and thought he was going to a playoff, only to be told he must assess himself a two-stroke penalty for a much-debated but very clear rules violation.

Martin Kaymer won the championship. Johnson went home in shock.

"Other than the last hole, I played really good golf," he said. "I birdied 16 and 17 to get a one-shot lead going into 18. I played really good. I played good golf. I hung in there all day. I wasn't making any putts at all on Sunday at the PGA, but I fought and I hung in there all day and then got a few to go in."

Coming into this Open with some sort of infection that caused his glands to bulge, Johnson felt awful when he walked out for the opening round Thursday.

"I went and saw the doctor," Johnson said. "He just gave me some medicine and told me to take it. He said I'd start feeling better in a few days. I said OK."

He gutted out a decent-enough start, but a stretch of three bogeys in four holes sent his score soaring to 4 over. It was a little early to throw the panic switch, but not by much.

"I didn't feel like I played very bad starting out. I played solid," Johnson said. "I was hitting the ball well, just missed a couple putts here and a couple putts there and I was 4 over through 13 holes. I knew I needed to get something going.

Taking advantage of his power, he picked up his first birdie at the par-5 14th. He followed with another at the 15th. Then came the shot that really got things going Johnson's way: a wedge from 161 yards at the par-3 16th.

The ball caromed hard toward the hole and probably would've run a good 20 feet past — if it hadn't struck the flagstick and dropped in for the third ace of his pro career.

"Obviously, the ace I had on 16," Johnson said, "really kind of got me going."

He hasn't looked back.

Over the last 41 holes, Johnson has posted a score of 8 under. That's the sort of golf that makes a major champion, and he's feeling more and more comfortable on a course that he hadn't seen until a week ago.

"I was playing pretty well, but you never know, especially coming into a British Open," he said. "I didn't know how it would suit my game. I didn't know how it would fit my eye. But after playing the course a few times ... I thought it set up pretty well for me."

Now, he's in a spot he never expected.

Again.

"You know," Johnson marveled, "through 13 holes in the first round, I definitely didn't see myself in the final group on Sunday. But I think I've definitely played well enough to do that."

___

AP National Writer Paul Newberry can be reached at http://twitter.com/pnewberry1963

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