The US Soccer Federation is being sued for $US50 million ($51.5m) by a former promoter of professional games in the US.

The lawyer behind the legal action said that he had asked a US court last week to compel FIFA executives in Switzerland to disclose their dealings with the USSF on the suit.

Soccer powerbrokers in the US say they were confident they could beat the lawsuit and fend off any threat to their bid for the World Cup.

The US is the frontrunner for the 2022 event, ahead of Australia, Qatar, Japan and South Korea. A European bid is certain to win the 2018 World Cup.

A judge in Chicago gave heart to the litigants in July by ruling that the federation had a case to answer on claims that it was involved in racketeering, extortion and anti-competitive behaviour when it forced promoters to pay large fees for the right to hold matches in the US between foreign professional clubs, including Manchester United and Barcelona.

The promoter, ChampionsWorld, paid $US3m to hold such matches between 2003 and 2005, and sold more tickets than the US Major League Soccer competition.

ChampionsWorld claims those fees pushed it into bankruptcy in 2005 and its creditors are suing the USSF for $US50m damages.

A court ruling that the USSF and FIFA had no right to demand the fees would knock a hole in the federation’s revenue and set a legal precedent that could allow other promoters to demand repayment of millions more in fees.

Supporters of the lawsuit said the USSF could be bankrupted, compromising its ability to host the World Cup, if the court decided ChampionsWorld was driven out of business by predatory behaviour by the federation and FIFA.

Soccer United Marketing, an MLS spin-off, does most of the promotion of international soccer matches in the US. Its revenue has helped MLS to survive its growth years and fund the World Cup bid.

Alan Rothenberg, president of the federation when the US hosted the 1994 World Cup, said he expected the federation to defeat the lawsuit, and even if it lost it had a strong enough balancesheet to avoid bankruptcy.

The federation’s revenue stream from international matches ranked well behind its earnings from television rights and gate receipts for US national team matches, he said.

In the year to 2009, the federation made $US2.9m from fees on international matches, and this year it is likely to have taken more than $US3m from more than 40 international matches involving clubs such as Real Madrid and Manchester City.

Jamie Brickell, the lawyer representing the creditors, said he hoped to be in court by the middle of next year and he was confident of success after a ruling in July by Circuit Court judge Harry D. Leinenweber.

“The judge agreed with us that there is no statute in American law that says the federation has authority over all professional soccer, or that FIFA has the power to give anybody the right to govern professional soccer,” Brickell said.

He hoped Judge Leinenweber would next week direct FIFA to provide information about its role in the matter.

The USSF tried to have the lawsuit dismissed, arguing US legislation on sport, and internal decisions by FIFA, had given it the right to impose the fees on promoters, but Judge Leinenweber said the case should go ahead.

He ruled that the federation had no right to govern professional soccer except in the Olympics.

“ChampionsWorld has sufficiently alleged a pattern of racketeering activities,” Judge Leinenweber wrote.

US laws did not appear to give the federation monopoly control over professional soccer in the US, he said, and if it had that control, USA Basketball, which ran the amateur sport, would also have control over the NBA.

“It is extremely difficult to conclude from a reading of the plain text (of the relevant legislation) or its legislative history that Congress intended such a result,” he wrote.

“The court holds that, as a matter of law, the act does not give the USSF authority to govern professional soccer in the US, except to the extent necessary for USSF to govern the participation of professional players in the Olympic Games and related events.”

The International Cricket Council has formed a three-member tribunal under the leadership of Michael Beloff QC that will look into the case against three suspended Pakistani cricketers allegedly involved in “spot fixing”.

“The International Cricket Council (ICC) can confirm that, during a telephone hearing earlier today, the Chair of the ICC’s Code of Conduct Commission, Mr Michael Beloff QC, formally appointed an independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal to determine the alleged breaches of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code by three Pakistan players – Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif,” the ICC said in a statement.

Apart from Beloff the three-member tribunal will be made up of Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa and Sharad Rao from Kenya. The hearing is scheduled to take place from 6-11 January 2011 in Doha, Qatar.

“The three-person tribunal will be made up of Mr Beloff QC (as Chair), together with two other Code of Conduct Commissioners – Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa and Sharad Rao from Kenya – as per the appointment procedure described in the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code. During the telephone hearing it was also agreed that the full hearing would be scheduled to take place from 6-11 January 2011 in Doha, Qatar,” the statement said.

According to AFP, the decision to shift the hearing to Doha was taken as Asif is barred from entering in United Arab Emirates after he was deported in 2008 on possession of banned drugs.

“The three players were charged under Article 2 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code on 2 September 2010 and have been provisionally suspended since that date. Two players –Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir – had an appeal against that provisional suspension dismissed on 31 October 2010. All three players remain suspended from all cricketing activities,” the statement concluded.

Salman and Aamer had accused the ICC of delaying the verdict on the case last month but the ICC denied the accusation, saying they wanted an urgent solution to the case.

The scandal broke after a report by British tabloid The News of the World prompted Scotland Yard to launch an investigation into allegations of spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test against England in August.

Police raided the team’s hotel in London and questioned Salman, Aamer, Asif and bowler Wahab Riaz, but they have yet to level any charges. The International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended the trio and late last month rejected appeals from Salman and Aamer while the third Asif withdrew his appeal.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Atlanta likely will have to build a new stadium if it wants to host its third Super Bowl.

Goodell was in the city Thursday night to attend the Falcons’ game against the Baltimore Ravens at the 18-year-old Georgia Dome.

The 72,000-seat stadium hosted the championship game in 1994 and 2000, but Falcons owner Arthur Blank has since been rebuffed twice in efforts to land another Super Bowl.

“The bar has been raised because you’re getting great facilities around the country in great communities,” Goodell said during a reception before the game, held on a rooftop overlooking Centennial Olympic Park. “These games are a tremendous value to the communities, so there’s a lot of competition for it. So I think a new stadium with this great community would be beneficial to bringing another Super Bowl to this community.”

Goodell said contentious talks with the players toward a labor agreement are linked to the owners’ desire to keep a greater share from revenue-sharing, funding that could be used to help finance new stadiums. Minnesota, San Francisco, Oakland and San Diego also are looking to replace aging facilities.

“That’s one of the reasons we’re focused on restructuring the collective bargaining agreement, to make sure that we have the kind of structure that will allow us to make those kind of investments in the game and the communities which allow the game to continue to grow,” Goodell said. “That is good for the players, good for the teams, good for the communities. That’s something we want to continue to focus on.”

The contract with the players runs out in March. If a new agreement can’t be reached, the 2011 season could be in jeopardy.

Goodell said the labor talks and steps to protect the players from serious injury are his primary concerns. The league already has cracked down on helmet-to-helmet hits with hefty fines.

“I am relentless on this point,” the commissioner said. “It’s important we do everything we can to make our game safe. That goes to our rules and our leadership. We’re promoting safety for our players and other people who play our game. We all know that what happens in the NFL moves on down” to colleges, high schools and youth leagues.

Source: Associated Press

The PGA Tour’s season-opening tournament at Kapalua has a new sponsor and a new name.

The tour announced Thursday that Hyundai Motor America has taken over as the title sponsor on Maui for a winners-only tournament that now will be called the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Seoul Broadcasting System had signed a deal through 2019 to be the sponsor, and will continue to support the tournament.

By changing the name of the tournament, the tour goes back to its tradition of when it began in 1953 in Las Vegas. It had been the “Tournament of Champions” until Mercedes began as sponsor in 1994.

The winners-only event moved to Kapalua in 1999. It most recently was called the SBS Championship.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee has today named a new Secretary General to lead Olympic and Commonwealth sport into the new decade.

Kereyn Smith will be the first woman to lead the organisation and brings with her more than twenty years in sport leadership and governance both at both a national and international level.

New Zealand Olympic Committee President Mike Stanley says Ms Smith was chosen for her strong leadership ability, order ed | strategic expertise and commercial and financial acumen. She is currently the CEO of Academy of Sport South Island and the vice-president of the International Netball Federation.

“Kereyn is both highly qualified and a motivational and inspirational leader, medic ” said Stanley. “High performance sport in New Zealand is undergoing a period of review and change and Kereyn is the ideal person to provide the strong strategic direction necessary at this time.

“The Olympic rings symbolise the pinnacle of high performance sport in New Zealand,” he continued. “Kereyn will maximise the value the New Zealand Olympic Committee adds to sport, athletes, commercial partners and all New Zealanders.

“We’re delighted Kereyn is on board.”

Ms Smith will also work at both a national and international level to advocate on behalf of New Zealand athletes and sport and acknowledges the aggressive financial targets ahead.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit charitable organisation that receives just seven percent of annual revenue from government.

“In order to deliver consistently high performance environments at Olympic and Commonwealth Games and to on behalf of athletes in New Zealand, financial security is crucial,” said Stanley. “Kereyn will be part of ensuring this security.”

Ms Smith will take up her role in January 2011 just 18 months out from the London Olympic Games which begin on 27 July 2012.

‘I am honoured to be appointed to the role of Secretary General,” said Ms Smith of her new role. “I am also acutely aware of the very real challenges that lie ahead. With less than two years to the London Olympic Games, a dynamic and changing high performance landscape, and the ongoing need to secure the necessary financial resources to add value to sport and athletes, it will certainly be a testing time.

“Kiwi athletes have unreasonable ambition and expectation that they will take on the best in the world and succeed,” continued Ms Smith. “This means sports organisations and their leaders must also step up their pace. I’m excited to be part of this drive for success.”

Ms Smith also believes sport plays an important role in society and will look to further develop a series of programmes that inspire school-age children to take up sport and, in doing so, become the best they can be.

Barry Maister is the current New Zealand Olympic Committee Secretary General and has held the position since 2001. He will step down on December 31st 2010.

Maister was appointed to the IOC earlier this year and, as such, will continue to sit on the New Zealand Olympic Committee board.

Ms Smith will be the tenth Secretary General of the New Zealand Olympic Committee. The organisation was inaugurated on 18 October 1911 and will celebrate its centenary next year.

The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) has announced that it has appointed Accelerate Sport(Pty) Ltd as its commercial sales agents for South Africa and the rest of the African continent.

ASP currently has three events in South Africa and is looking to add further events, not only in South Africa but at key destinations on the Continent too.

Mark Noonan, Chief Commercial Officer for ASP, said: “The ASP showcases the world’s best surfers on the best waves in some of the most desirable locations on the planet. We are pleased to be working with Accelerate Sport and believe they are the ideal partner to represent ASP Africa and its alluring lifestyle to the corporate community in these very important markets.”

Managing Director of Accelerate Sport, Gary Grant said “We are delighted to be representing the ASP on the Continent, they are a highly professional organisation and we are thrilled to be a part of where they are taking the sport.

“This appointment not only adds to our business diversity and Africa growth strategy but also further entrenches our association with surfing as current commercial partners of Surfing South Africa. Surfing events are now lifestyle occasions attracting a cross section of people and activities, offering brands and host destinations greater personal reach and experiential marketing capabilities”.

Ticket marketplace company StubHub has extended their partnership ESPN and its digital properties, decease including desktop, mobile and apps.

As their exclusive ticketing partner, StubHub has signed on for a further three-years until 2017. The collaboration began in 2007.

“We are thrilled to continue with ESPN as its exclusive ticketing partner,” said StubHub’s Geoff Lester, managing director, partnership and business development. “As the worldwide leader in sports, there is no better place to engage with sports fans and provide direct access to thousands of events, regardless of what platform or device in which they consume sports content.”

The deal will continue to provide a total end-to-end consumer experience in which StubHub event links and seat maps are integrated into ESPN digital content. In addition, ESPN and StubHub are working closely together on ways to enhance the content experience on both StubHub.com and across ESPN digital properties as well as around live events.

“We’re committed to serving fans, and providing them easy access to tickets only furthers that mission,” said Marc Horine, VP Digital & Print Media. “The StubHub/ESPN relationship provides a great user experience for our fans.”

With the Sochi Winter Olympics on the horizon, salve the British Olympic Association have announced the launch of the Team GB online shop in partnership with kitchen appliances supplier, Ulster Weavers.

From yesterday, fans can wrap up and rally behind Britain’s winter athletes taking to the snow and ice in Sochi with a compact range of bespoke Team GB products, including the official Team GB Winter Hat that will be worn by athletes at the Opening Ceremony on the 7^th February.

This is the first time that Team GB supporters will have the opportunity to purchase an item worn by British athletes at an Olympic Opening Ceremony of a Winter and indeed Summer Games.

“We are very excited to launch our online shop and to offer fans this opportunity to feel part of Team GB in a very unique way. I’m sure the Team GB Winter Hat will help fans keep cosy in this winter weather,” commented the British Olympic Association’s Chief Executive, Bill Sweeney.

“Having an online destination, which will be accessed through the Team GB website, was the natural way to engage with Team GB’s social media fans and followers in the lead up to Sochi.

USA Cycling have announced six locations for 2015-16 USA Cycling national championships. 

The 2015 and 2016 USA Cycling Amateur & Para-cycling Road National Championships will be in North Lake Tahoe, Calif. 

“We are pleased to be working closely with USA Cycling for the 2015 and 2016 USA Cycling Amateur & Para-cycling Road National Championships. Hosting this prestigious race at North Lake Tahoe will be a true win-win for everyone involved,” said Andy Chapman, chief marketing officer for the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/Convention and Visitors Bureau/Resort Association. “Renowned for its spectacular mountain vistas and crystal clear lake, Lake Tahoe’s pristine setting is the perfect environment for athletes to both push themselves and to relax and rejuvenate after they race. We’re looking forward to great events in 2015 and 2016.”

In 2015 and 2016, the USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike and Enduro National Championships will be held on Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Ore. 

“Bend’s long-term partnership with USA Cycling has been extremely positive for our community,” said Chief Executive Officer of Visit Bend Doug LaPlaca. “Every USA Cycling event hosted in Bend introduces our city to new visitors who fall in love with the Bend lifestyle. We are honored to continue our work with the USA Cycling family.”

The 2015 and 2016 USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships are slated to be in Columbia County, Ga., just outside Augusta. The 2015 competition will mark the first time this stand-alone event will be held east of the Mississippi River. The great expanse of trails in Wildwood Park in Appling, Ga., will serve as the setting of one of the more grueling mountain bike national championships.

“The Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau is honored to have been selected to host the 2015 and 2016 USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships,” said Randy DuTeau, the executive director of the Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The event will be based out of Wildwood Park in Appling, Georgia, and held in conjunction with the Wildwood Outdoor Festival along the shores of Clarks Hill Lake. Having hosted the IMBA World Summit in 2010, and being designated a bronze level IMBA Ride Center in 2012, our region has become a true destination for mountain biking. We are certain the national championship participants will appreciate our trails and warm southern hospitality when they visit Columbia County for the nationals.”

The 2015 and 2016 USA Cycling Gravity Mountain Bike National Championships will utilize the course used for the 1996 UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Championships at Mammoth Mountain in California. With its long and storied history of gravity mountain bike racing, Mammoth Mountain has proven to be an extremely popular stop on the USA Cycling Professional Gravity Tour.

“Mammoth’s long history with the sport dates to the 1980s, when the Kamikaze Downhill ignited mountain bike racing,” said Bill Cockroft, senior vice president, Mammoth Mountain and member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. “Since then, our bike park has continued to evolve and is once again leading the sport’s progression. We have the history, experience, terrain and passion to put on great national championship events in 2015 and ’16.”

In 2015 and 2016, the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships are slated to be at Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia. The trails at Snowshoe have served as the backdrop for top-tier mountain bike racing for nearly 25 years. 

“Snowshoe Mountain is excited to host the country’s top collegiate riders here on our challenging terrain in October,” Dave Dekema, the director of marketing for Snowshoe Mountain, said. “Having witnessed the championship event several times before, I know firsthand it brings out the greatest displays of college team pride, character and competitiveness amongst a very talented group of student-athletes. There’s no question Snowshoe will be ready to match that with a best-in-class race venue across all disciplines.”

In 2015-16, USA Cycling returns to Greenville, S.C., for the USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championships. Greenville, which was the site of its professional road national championships from 2005-11, has a strong history of hosting professional national championships and is an extremely popular area for cyclists.

“Greenville, South Carolina’s emergence as a recognized and talked about cycling destination combined with proven category event experience and an incredibly passionate local cycling community makes for a standout championship for the athletes and the fans,” President of VisitGreenvilleSC Chris Stone said. “We look forward to sharing our enthusiasm for cycling and the great outdoors as we welcome and celebrate the 2015 and 2016 USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championships in Greenville, South Carolina.”