Cycling
Horner is the first American to join Lampre-Merida
MILAN – Spanish Vuelta champion Christopher Horner became the first American to sign for Italian cycling team Lampre-Merida.
The 42-year-old Horner, who is the oldest winner of a Grand Tour, likely will make his debut in Lampre colors in next month’s Challenge Mallorca.
NFL
Will the St. Louis Rams be the Los Angeles Rams again?
ST. LOUIS – A company tied to St. Louis Rams’ owner Stan Kroenke purchased a prime piece of land in the Los Angeles area amid speculation the NFL franchise is considering a return to the city it left for the Midwest nearly two decades ago.
Team officials Friday provided a written statement confirming the recent purchase of a 60-acre site in Inglewood, Calif., adjacent to the shuttered Hollywood Park racetrack. The property is three miles east of Los Angeles International Airport runways and sprawls between the newly renovated Forum concert venue, former home of the L.A. Lakers, and Hollywood Park, which closed Dec. 22 after 75 years of horse racing.
The land previously was owned by Wal-Mart, which hoped to build a superstore there but could not win local voter approval for the project. Kroenke is a former Wal-Mart board member who is married to the daughter of company co-founder Bud Walton and continues to build shopping centers for the retailer.
L.A. has lacked an NFL team since both the Rams and Raiders left in 1994. The Rams can break their 30-year lease in St. Louis after the 2014 season – a decade early – but have said little about their plans.
Goodell talks expanding the league and the playoffs
NEW YORK – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the possibility of adding two teams to the playoffs will “continue to get serious consideration.”
Goodell said Friday at his annual pre-Super Bowl news conference that he sees many positives to the proposal.
The league’s competition committee is expected to look into the issue this offseason. Each conference would add one playoff team, bringing the total from 12 to 14.
Goodell said he is confident the proposed $765-million concussion settlement between the league and former players will be approved.
Goodell said the league made a mistake in how it handled ticket sales for the playoffs that led to teams struggling to sell out postseason games.
Goodell said the possibility of a future franchise in London is “further down the road” than it was a year ago at this time.
Goodell said it’s possible some part of the instant replay process will take place at league headquarters and not just on the field; the competition committee is expected to examine the issue this offseason.
Olympics
Parise will captain the U.S. Olympic hockey team
Zach Parise of the Minnesota Wild will be the captain of the United States’ men’s hockey team at the Sochi Olympics.
Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter and center Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings will be the alternate captains.
The 29-year-old Parise was an alternate captain at the Vancouver Olympics four years ago. He has experience on U.S. national teams going back to 2002.
Tennis
Murray overwhelms Young in the Davis Cup opener
SAN DIEGO – Wimbledon champion Andy Murray overwhelmed Donald Young 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 on Friday, and James Ward won 10 of the last 11 games to take a stunning five-set victory against Sam Querrey to give Britain a 2-0 lead against the United States in the first round of the Davis Cup on Friday in left field at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.
Ward was two games from losing when he rallied for a 1-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory.
Associated Press
