Cycling
AUSTIN, Texas – Former cyclist Lance Armstrong says he “loved” representing the U.S. Postal Service, even as the government sues to get back the millions it spent sponsoring his teams.
After years of legal wrangling, the federal government’s $100 million lawsuit against Armstrong is expected to go to trial later this year. The Postal Service sponsored Armstrong’s team when he was six of his seven Tour de France titles from 1999-2005.
Armstrong later admitted using performance-enhancing drugs and was stripped of those titles.
Armstrong says the lawsuit can’t “undo all of the good that was done all of those years.” Armstrong claims the government made more money in publicity from the sponsorship than the $32 million it paid his teams.
MLB
PHOENIX – Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred came down solidly on the side of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ ownership in the team’s court battle with Maricopa County.
The Diamondbacks have sued the county, seeking to remove a clause from their stadium lease to allow the team to look to move elsewhere.
The team contends in the lawsuit that the county has failed to allocate some $187 million for maintenance and improvements at Chase Field.
Owner Ken Kendrick said last week that the team will not go to arbitration to resolve the dispute.
TAMPA, Fla. – Alex Rodriguez maintains he will not attempt a comeback.
Released last August with more than a season left in his $275 million, 10-year contract, A-Rod worked his first day as a New York Yankees spring training guest instructor. Asked whether he is retired, the 41-year-old responded: “Yes, I am.”
Rodriguez said he received inquiries about possibly playing from “a few teams” after his release but decided not to pursue them. Any team could sign him for this year for the big league minimum of $535,000, which would be offset from the $20 million he is owed from the Yankees.
MLB
BOSTON – The value of Tom Brady’s missing Super Bowl jersey is listed as $500,000 on a Houston Police Department report.
The New England Patriots quarterback is listed as the complainant in the report dated Feb. 6, the day after the Patriots came back from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime. The police report was made public Tuesday.
Investigators have worked to identify who was in the locker room at the time the jersey was taken. A Houston police officer was stationed outside the locker room on the day of the game, but access to the location was controlled by Patriots team security.
WNBA
Candice Wiggins said her experience playing in the WNBA was “toxic” and was a major reason why she retired last season.
In an interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune, Wiggins said the culture in the league was “very, very harmful” and that she was targeted throughout her career for being heterosexual and popular.
Wiggins said that she was treated poorly because she was straight. The 30-year-old Stanford graduate said she was bullied from the time she was drafted by Minnesota.
Associated Press
