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.”

British horseracing commercial group, The Jockey Club, have announced today plans  to make a record £19.5 million contribution to prize money in 2014.

This beats the previous mark by more than £1 million its own previous record high of £18.4m.

Since 2009, The Jockey Club has increased its annual contribution to prize money by £7.1m as a result of its commercial success. 

The Jockey Club’s 15 racecourses nationwide – which include Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and Newmarket’s Rowley Mile and July Course, as well as smaller courses such as Carlisle, Exeter, Market Rasen and Wincanton – expect to offer record total prize money in excess of £42 million in 2014 from 364 scheduled fixtures. This equates to record average prize money per fixture of £118,000 and per race of £17,000 next year. 

Based on its 2014 plans, the UK’s largest racecourse group will have increased its contribution to prize money by 57% since 2009. At that time its contribution was a then industry-leading £12.4 million, which equated to Jockey Club Racecourses resourcing 30% of the total prize money distributed at its courses, while industry funding accounted for 51% of the total.

By contrast, 2014 reinforces the changes to the funding dynamics of British racing, with Jockey Club Racecourses intending to contribute from its own resources 46% of the record total £42.8 million prize money it expects to distribute in 2014. Industry funding of £15.9 million is slated to make up 37% of the total in 2014, highlighting how the group has rapidly and successfully grown its business in challenging economic conditions to put record amounts of investment back into the sport.  

Simon Bazalgette, Group Chief Executive, The Jockey Club, said: “Prize money is the lifeblood of British racing, providing a return for racehorse owners and supporting trainers, jockeys and stable staff. It is an important measure of the health of our sport. As a result of the continued growth of our business, I’m delighted to announce plans for The Jockey Club to contribute more than ever before into prize money in 2014, with our year-on-year increase once again far outstripping improvements in the wider economy. 

“At the same time we have been raising capital to invest in projects designed to enhance the customer experience we offer and increase our returns. In particular at Cheltenham we have our biggest ever facilities development, which will cost £45m to be ready ahead of the 2016 Festival. The demands on our Group remain significant and our sport’s funding model still requires major works, but without shareholders The Jockey Club’s sole reason for existence is to support British racing, meaning the more successful we can be commercially, the more we can do for our sport.” 

Paul Fisher, Group Managing Director, Jockey Club Racecourses, said: “Every time someone spends money to go racing with Jockey Club Racecourses they help to support British racing given we put our profits back into the sport. 

“The evidence shows our prize money contributions are paying dividends. The economic downturn significantly reduced the size of the horse population and that wasn’t something within the power of British to avoid.

“However, industry data shows our field sizes have been outperforming the wider sport, which we are linking to our industry-leading investment in prize money and turf surfaces, as well as ensuring the right opportunities to race are available at our courses. As well as boosting prize money across the board, it is also worth noting we have invested carefully in upgrading our race programme so that the average race class at Jockey Club Racecourses today is 3.9 compared to 4.1 in 2011.”

Fresh allegations of match-fixing in English football have come to surface with suggestions that even next year’s World Cup could be a target.

Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said it had acted on information passed on by the Sun on Sunday tabloid.

The paper said an undercover reporter had met former Portsmouth player Sam Sodje, who allegedly boasted he’d arranged for a player in English football’s second-tier Championship to get themselves a yellow card in return for £30,000.

It also alleged the 34-year-old Sodje had said he could rig Premier League matches and that the former Nigeria international, who played in the Premier League for Reading, was preparing to rig fixtures at next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil.

Meanwhile the Sun on Sunday said Oldham’s Cristian Moldano apologised to Sodje after failing to get a first-half yellow card as part of an alleged betting scam during a match against Wolves on October 22 this year.

Gamblers can make huge sums by betting on incidents such as yellow or red cards, penalties, late goals and corner kicks.

Colin Farmery, a spokesman for fourth-tier English south coast club Portsmouth, said: “If these serious allegations are true then we are extremely shocked and saddened by them, as match-fixing of any type goes to the heart of the integrity of the game.

“The player in question no longer plays for the club and we have not been contacted by the authorities, but of course we would co-operate fully with any inquiry.”

League One Oldham said they had launched an internal investigation of their own.

“Oldham Athletic Football Club has been made aware of the incident and allegation surrounding one of its players, Cristian Montano,” a statement issued by the third-tier north-west club said.

“The club will commence an immediate internal investigation. The club is co-operating with other agencies in this matter and cannot comment on specific facts at this stage.”

The NCA, which deals with serious and organised crime in Britain, initially said Sunday that three people had been arrested in connection with its latest investigation before updating the figure to six.

“The NCA can confirm that the Sun on Sunday has passed material from its own investigation to the National Crime Agency,” it said in a statement.

“An active NCA investigation is now underway and we are working closely with the Football Association and the Gambling Commission.

“Six people are in custody and are being questioned by NCA officers. We cannot comment further at this stage.”

Four people were charged this week in a separate NCA investigation into an alleged Singapore-based betting syndicate involving non-league English football.

Speaking about Sunday’s allegations, Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey said any claims of criminal activity were treated “with the utmost seriousness”.