Auto Racing
NASCAR allows franchise system to give teams value
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – NASCAR has agreed on a franchise-like system with its team owners, one in which owning a team will now provide actual value.
The new system creates 36 “charters” that guarantee revenue and a starting position in what will now be a 40-car field.
The charters are designed to give team owners something of value to offer potential investors and buyers.
Cycling
Hammer headlines U.S. team for track worlds
COLORADO SPRINGS – Olympic silver medalist Sarah Hammer will go for her third world title in the omnium while anchoring the U.S. women’s pursuit team at the track cycling world championships.
Hammer was part of a nine-member team announced Tuesday that will compete in London from March 2-6.
She’ll be joined by Chloe Dygert, Kelly Catlin, Jennifer Valente and Ruth Winder in the team pursuit. Catlin and Valente will also compete in the individual pursuit, with Valente taking a shot at the scratch race. Kim Geist will compete in the women’s points race.
Absent from the men’s squad is Bobby Lea, an automatic nominee for the scratch race who is barred from competing because of a doping violation. Lea is appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Jake Duehring will race the men’s omnium and scratch race with Matt Baranoski competing in the keirin and Ian Holt in the points race.
Katusha escapes team suspension despite doping
AIGLE, Switzerland – The International Cycling Union says Katusha won’t be suspended despite a second failed doping test in a 12-month period within the Russian team.
The UCI’s disciplinary commission ruled that “the conditions for a suspension of Team Katusha ... have not been met” because one of the two riders who tested positive was banned for using a recreational drug.
Luca Paolini tested positive for cocaine at last year’s Tour de France, then Russian cyclist Eduard Vorganov was provisionally suspended following a positive doping test for meldonium in an out-of-competition test.
NBA
NBA to teams: No Hack-a-Shaq on inbounds passer
NEW YORK – NBA teams need to keep Hack-a-Shaq on the court, not the sideline.
The league sent a memo to teams and referees Tuesday clarifying that intentionally fouling a player inbounding the ball will be a delay of game violation – and possibly a technical foul.
The memo comes in response to questions after San Antonio’s Danny Green fouled Houston’s Clint Capela as Capela was attempting to inbound the ball in a Jan. 28 game.
Citing a specific rule in the rulebook, the memo says that if a defender crosses the sideline before the ball has been thrown, a delay of game will be assessed. If it comes in the last 2 minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime, a technical foul will be called.
NFL
Obama congratulates the Broncos on Super Bowl win
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said via Twitter that he passed along his congratulations to the Denver Broncos for winning the Super Bowl.
Obama tweets: “Just got off the phone with Coach Kubiak. Congrats to Peyton, Von Miller, and that monster @Broncos defense – see you at the White House!”
Obama typically doesn’t predict who will win the Super Bowl, but in this case, he did so as long as CBS didn’t reveal the pick until the day after the game. It turns out the president thought the Carolina Panthers would win, which the Broncos players will probably remind him of during what is traditionally a light-hearted ceremony.
Associated Press
