MLB
Schedule length, reviews hot topics at meetings
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Don’t expect Major League Baseball to shorten each team’s regular-season schedule from 162 games to 154.
Dan Halem, baseball’s chief legal officer, said such a cut is not likely to result from talks next year for a new labor contract to start in December 2016.
Teams currently play over a 183-day season, leaving few complete off days after travel is included.
With more runners called out on slides when they pop up off a base as fielders keep tags on them, MLB plans to review the issue during the offseason.
Since the start of expanded video review for the 2014, more runners have been called out after fielder’s press their gloves against them, hoping they will come off the base for a split second during or after their slide.
NFL
Oakland, San Diego and St. Louis speak to owners
NEW YORK – The three NFL cities in line to potentially lose their NFL teams to Los Angeles made thorough and impassioned presentations to the league Wednesday as a step toward keeping them
Officials from Oakland, San Diego and St. Louis spoke to the league’s Los Angeles, stadium and finance committees – all three of which play some role in a potential relocation. Oakland spoke first, and was followed by San Diego and then St. Louis.
The Raiders and Chargers have combined on a project in Carson, California, that would cost about $1.78 billion if approved by three-fourths of the 32 owners. Rams owner Stan Kroenke is pushing a rival project in nearby Inglewood.
Olympics
Putin calls for investigation of track doping allegations
MOSCOW – Facing allegations that Russia engages in extensive, state-sponsored doping, President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called on sports officials to carry out an internal investigation but said that clean athletes shouldn’t be punished for the actions of those who take banned drugs.
Putin’s comments at a late-night meeting in Sochi, the city that hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics, reflected concerns that Russia’s track and field athletes could be hit with a blanket ban for next year’s summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Skiing
U.S. skier Mancuso will undergo hip surgery
PARK CITY, Utah – American skier Julia Mancuso had season-ending hip surgery Wednesday in Vail.
The four-time Olympic medalist hopes to be back in March for some freeskiing. She’s taking a conservative approach in her recovery because, “if I were to try to push through, get more treatments and try to ski this season, I would just be setting myself back toward the real goal.” And the real goal, she said, is being healthy for the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea.
U.S. Ski Team medical director Kyle Wilkens said they tried different treatment options, but “unfortunately those efforts were not successful.”
Soccer
Blatter remains in hospital after stress ‘breakdown’
LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Sepp Blatter remains in a Swiss hospital after what his spokesman called a “small breakdown” related to stress.
The 79-year-old suspended FIFA president expects to leave the hospital next Monday.
Blatter is appealing against his 90-day provisional ban by the FIFA ethics committee over suspected financial misconduct.
He still hopes to host the Ballon d’Or award ceremony in Zurich on Jan. 11, after the suspension expires, Gagg said on the sidelines of a meeting of Olympic sports.
Blatter’s main goal is to host the FIFA election congress Feb. 26.
Associated Press
