Cycling
Nike will live on without Armstrong and Livestrong
AUSTIN, Texas – Nike, which helped build Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong cancer charity into a global brand and introduced its familiar yellow wristband, is cutting ties with the foundation in the latest fallout from the former cyclist’s doping scandal.
The move by the sports shoe and clothing company ends a relationship that began in 2004 and helped the foundation raise more than $100 million, making the charity’s bracelet an international symbol for cancer survivors.
That relationship soured, however, with revelations of performance-enhancing drug use by Armstrong and members of his U.S. Postal Service team.
Nike said Tuesday it will stop making its Livestrong line of apparel after the 2013 holiday season. Foundation and company officials said Nike will honor the financial terms of its contract until it expires in 2014.
NBA
NBA unanimously approves Kings’ stay in Sacramento
The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale of the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday to a group led by TIBCO Software chairman Vivek Ranadive.
The league said in a statement the “transaction is expected to close shortly.”
After owners blocked the relocation of the franchise to Seattle earlier this month, the Maloof family reached an agreement to sell a 65-percent controlling interest in the Kings to Ranadive’s group at a total franchise valuation of $535 million. Ranadive, who will have to sell his minority stake in the Golden State Warriors, becomes the NBA’s first Indian-born majority owner.
The Sacramento group also includes 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov, former Facebook senior executive Chris Kelly and the Jacobs family that owns communications giant Qualcomm.
Three teams around the NBA hire new head coaches
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Steve Clifford, a long-time NBA assistant, was hired away from the Los Angeles Lakers by the Bobcats before the Milwaukee Bucks could make a play for him.
ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks named longtime Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer head coach Tuesday.
PHOENIX – Jeff Hornacek played the first six of his 14 NBA seasons with the Suns, and now one of the most popular Phoenix players from the franchise’s past will guide the team to an uncertain future.
NFL
Next year’s NFL draft will be conducted in May in NYC
The NFL officially has moved the NFL draft back by two weeks, scheduling the 2014 draft May 8-10 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
For now, the NFL only has changed the date of the 2014 draft, the stated reason from the league being a scheduling conflict at Radio City Music Hall.
The NFL announced Tuesday that next year’s combine will be held Feb. 18-25, while the league year – and the ensuing free agency frenzy – will begin March 11.
Congress calls for Washington to ditch the ‘R-word’
WASHINGTON – Ten members of Congress are urging the Washington Redskins to change their name because it is offensive to many Native Americans.
The representatives said Tuesday they’ve sent letters to Redskins owner Dan Snyder, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Redskins sponsor FedEx and the other 31 NFL franchises.
The letter to Snyder said that “Native Americans throughout the country consider the ‘R-word’ a racial, derogatory slur akin to the ‘N-word’ among African Americans or the ‘W-word’ among Latinos.”
Among the group sending the letters are the leaders of the Congressional Native American Caucus: Tom Cole, R-Okla., and Betty McCollum, D-Minn.
The nickname is the subject of a long-running legal challenge from the group, but Snyder has vowed that he never will change the name.
Associated Press
