Basketball
U.S. women’s national hoops team opens training camp
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – There was a sense of familiarity among the coaches and players as the U.S. women’s national team opened up training camp for the world championship Monday at the Naval Academy.
Geno Auriemma returns as coach of the squad, which will be trying for a second consecutive world title at the end of the month.
This marked the fourth time in the history of the U.S. women’s basketball program that a coach has served two terms in charge of a world championship team.
College Football
Let’s go bowling: NCAA lifts Penn State’s postseason ban
The NCAA on Monday lifted the on-the-field sanctions placed on the Penn State football team for the Jerry Sandusky scandal, including immediately eliminating the postseason ban and restoring scholarships.
Penn State was halfway through a four-year postseason ban handed down during the summer of 2012. The NCAA rescinded some of the scholarship sanctions last year.
In a news release Monday, the NCAA said that in addition to the postseason ban being lifted, Penn State will be allowed to have the full complement of football scholarships in 2015.
The school still must pay a $60 million fine, 112 wins under Joe Paterno remain forfeited.
Cycling
Alberto Contador grabs stranglehold of Vuelta lead
LA FARRAPOSA, Spain – Alberto Contador consolidated his overall race lead in the Spanish Vuelta by powering forward on the final ascent and winning the 16th stage Monday.
The Tinkoff-Saxo rider charged past Christopher Froome with less than a kilometer to go on the mountainous 99.7-mile ride from San Martin del Rey Aurelio to La Farrapona to finish in 4 hours, 53 minutes, 36 seconds.
Froome finished second, 14 seconds behind, ahead of Alessandro di Marchi, who was 50 seconds behind.
Alejandro Valverde lagged on the final ascent and finished fourth, 55 seconds behind, clinging on to third place overall by three seconds.
The stage was marred by a fight between Gianluca Brambilla and Ivan Rovni, who threw punches at each other while riding and were both ejected from the race.
NBA
Civil rights leaders to meet with Hawks officials
ATLANTA – Civil rights leaders and representatives of the Atlanta Hawks will meet after the disclosure of a racially charged email written by the team’s co-owner.
Both sides said Monday that they have agreed to speak and are trying to set up a meeting in the next two days.
Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said he wants to hear the concerns.
The Rev. Markel Hutchins and others criticized the team after Hawks co-owner Bruce Levenson announced Sunday that he would sell his controlling interest in the team, partly because of an email he wrote two years ago, offering a theory that black fans were keeping away white fans.
Hutchins says he believes the incident shows the team has a racist outlook, not just a single owner.
Soccer
FIFA proposes 2 kickoff dates for 2022 World Cup
ZURICH – FIFA has offered January and November in 2022 as alternative kickoff dates for the World Cup in Qatar.
FIFA says it presented the two options Monday when its consultation group first met to seek alternatives to the desert heat of June-July.
However, the January-February tournament option probably could not happen if the 2022 Winter Olympics are scheduled in the traditional February slot.
IOC president Thomas Bach has already said FIFA President Sepp Blatter assured him the two events would not clash.
Associated Press
