NBA Announces Salary Cap Increase for New Season

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has increased the salary cap by 7.5 percent to an all-time high of $63.065 million for the 2014-15 season, it revealed on Wednesday.

The tax level for the 2014-15 season increased by 7.1 percent to $76.829 million.

The salary cap went into effect on Thursday when the league’s “moratorium period” ends and teams can begin signing free agents and making trades.

The minimum team salary, which is set at 90 percent of the salary cap, is $56.759 million for the 2014-15 season.

Fifty U.S. Senators Endorse Washington Redskins Name Change

Further pressure has been put on the Washington Redskins to change their name after Fifty U.S. senators urged the National Football League on Thursday to endorse the change, saying the franchise’s name was a racial slur.

In a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the lawmakers said the league should follow the example of the National Basketball Association, which has banned Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life for bigoted remarks.

“Today, we urge you and the National Football League to send the same clear message as the NBA did, that racism and bigotry have no place in professional sports,” wrote the senators, all of them Democrats or independents.

“It’s time for the NFL to endorse a name change for the Washington, D.C. football team.”

The letter adds pressure on Dan Snyder, the Redskins’ main owner. He has defied calls from activists and journalists for 14 years to change his team’s name and Indian logo.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had said in January most football fans and Americans supported the Redskins’ keeping their name.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said: “The intent of the team’s name has always been to present a strong, positive and respectful image. The name is not used by the team or the NFL in any other context, though we respect those that view it differently.”

Bayern Munich President Investigated for Tax Evasion

According to reports, abortion Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness is being investigated by the German Revenue Administration for tax evasion.

The former West Germany international made the revelations as the Bavarian giants cruised to a 6-1 demolition of Hannover. 

The 61-year-old Hoeness refused to discuss the finer details of the investigation but did reveal they centred on a Swiss bank account. 

“I filed a voluntary disclosure about the account to my accountant at the tax office in January 2013,” Hoeness is quoted as saying by German magazine Focus. 

“I trust fully in the work of the authorities involved in the case and ask for there to be respectful refrain from further enquiries.”

Bayern Munich have already secured the Bundesliga for this season and will face Barcelona in the Champions League Semi-Final. 

Minnesota Wild’s AHL Affiliate to Relocate to Iowa

The Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL) announced today that its American Hockey League (AHL) developmental affiliate will relocate from Houston, Texas, to Des Moines, Iowa, beginning with the 2013-14 season.
“Our organization has enjoyed tremendous support from the loyal, passionate hockey fans in Houston since 2001,” Wild Assistant to the General Manager/Aeros General Manager Jim Mill said. 
“There is a great hockey history in Houston, beginning with the Apollos in 1965, and continuing with the Aeros in the WHA, IHL and AHL. We are honored to have been a part of this hockey tradition.”
“We are grateful to our corporate and community partners, as well as our hard-working staff in Houston,” Mill added.
“We were not able to find agreement on terms of a new arena lease which would allow us to continue to successfully operate our franchise.  We thank Toyota Center for the partnership we’ve had since moving there in 2003,” Wild Chief Operating Officer Matt Majka said.
“We have enjoyed a very strong relationship with the Aeros dating back to Toyota Center’s inaugural 2003 season. Both parties worked diligently and in good faith during this process, but unfortunately we were unable to reach an agreement. We wish the Aeros continued success,” Houston Rockets/Clutch City Sports & Entertainment CEO Tad Brown said.
“On behalf of our Board of Governors, I would like to thank the fans of the Houston Aeros for the terrific support they have shown their team and the American Hockey League for the last 12 years,” American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews said.

Share Prices of China Sports Companies Rise

Shares of Chinese sportswear companies have risen by up to 10.7 percent.

Sportswear retailers made a strong rebound on the stock market Friday with investors believing they are likely to be among the first consumer-related sectors to recover from the economic downturn.

Anta Sports Products, the largest local sportswear retailer in terms of total sales, rose 9.6 percent to close at $0.77, while Li Ning’ share price increased by 6.7 percent to $0.53.

Other sports companies that rose include Fujian-based Peak Sport Products, Xtep International Holdings and 361 Degrees International, which all climbed between 9 and 10.7 percent.

UBS Analyst, Spencer Leung, said: “We expect sportswear to be one of the first of the consumer discretionary segments to emerge from the current downturn as the consolidation process is near completion.” {jcomments on}

Japanese Baseball Players’ Union Stands Firm

Members of the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association met with officials of Nippon Professional Baseball’s (NPB) 12 teams this week regarding the union’s participation in the 2013 World Baseball Classic but no progress was made according to reports.

The union maintained that it will not take part under the current system, in which all sponsorship and broadcast revenues are put in the same pot and split by all participating organisations.

The league’s side explained once more in detail about the plan to create a permanent body called the ‘Samurai Japan Project’ that would guarantee revenue.

The union maintains it will not participate as long as WBC Inc. denies the rights of Japan to its own sponsorship revenues. NPB Secretary General, Toru Matsubara said: “We explained that the players’ stance is firm.”{jcomments on}

MLB Renews Commissioner Bud Selig’s Contract Until 2014

Major League Baseball owners have extended Commissioner Bud Selig’s contract for a further two years, through the 2014 season.

Owners have seen no need to rock the boat, nor see any particular reason to replace Selig, who has been commissioner since 1992.

“No one understands the landscape of our sport better than Bud Selig.” said Philadelphia Phillies president David Montgomery in a statement issued by Major League Baseball. “The commissioner’s vision for the game has brought consensus among the clubs and a sense of unanimity that has allowed the game to thrive.”

Paul Beeston, president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays, said: “I am very pleased that Commissioner Selig remained open to the wishes of the clubs and has agreed to continue in a role in which he excels. The great prosperity of the game today is a reflection of Bud’s record of accomplishment. He is uniquely suited to handle the demands of his position and serve as the leader of Major League Baseball.”

Selig, 77, called it an “honor to be asked to continue to serve.”

“This is an extraordinary era for Major League Baseball. The focus is on the field, competitive balance is strong, and fans around the world are supporting our game in unprecedented fashion. I am very humbled by the request to stay on, and I look forward to building on the great momentum our game has seen in recent years.”

At $18.35 million, Selig has easily been the highest-paid of the four major sports league’s commissioners. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who makes more than $10 million a year, is the next-highest paid.

IMG Part Company with World Series of Boxing Leaving Stake to AIBA

IMG, the major sports marketing and management firm, has announced that it will part company with the World Series of Boxing (WSB) at the end of the inaugural season of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) project.

The first WSB campaign is set to conclude later this month having got underway in November of last year, while the team finals will take place on May 6-7 and the individual championships will be held on May 27-28.

AIBA, boxing’s world governing body, will acquire IMG’s 25 per cent stake in the Series after the split, making the International Federation the 100 per cent owner of WSB.

AIBA released a statement reading: “The World Series of Boxing would like to clarify that IMG and the WSB have taken a mutual decision for IMG to cease activities as the exclusive sales agent on sponsorship and TV distribution for the World Series of Boxing and, as a consequence, for IMG to transfer its shareholding in the World Series of Boxing back to AIBA, the International Boxing Association.”

A joint statement released by the two organisations claimed that “IMG and WSB are pleased with the success of the inaugural season of the World Series of Boxing”.

However, the statement added: “Since the season started WSB and IMG have been in discussions on the respective roles of each organisation beyond the first season of the tournament. During these discussions it emerged that there were different expectations as to how the partnership should develop.”

Arena Racecourse Operator Fears Tough Year Despite ’10 Profits

generic pills Helmet, advice Freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.077em; text-rendering: auto; clear: left; padding: 0px;”>Arena Leisure, the UK Horseracing course operator, has posted a rise in underlying profits, but says it expects challenges ahead as funding from bookies is cut.

Amongst other leisure interests, Arena operates seven courses in the UK – Windsor, Doncaster, Southwell, Wolverhampton, Folkestone, Worcester and Lingfield Park.

Last year, the firm saw a 10.4 per cent rise in adjusted pre-tax profits to US$8.74m.

However, chairman David Thorpe said the yield from the levy on bookmakers was estimated to fall this year, stating: “The yield from the levy is estimated to fall to £64.8m ($104.9m) in 2010-11 as a result of the movement of internet and telephone betting offshore, the impact of overseas betting operators and betting exchanges.

“The levy is fundamental to the support of horseracing in the UK and it is our belief that all parties should seek to maintain it in a modernised and restructured form.”

During 2010, Arena staged 352 horse racing fixtures and said its average attendance had increased by 4.2 per cent to 1,800 over the period.

NZ Government Admit Concerns Over Christchurch WC Games

The government of New Zealand has admitted to concerns that Christchurch may not be able to host Rugby World Cup matches following last week’s devastating earthquake, despite Prime Minister John Key last week saying that he was determined to ensure Christchurch hosted World Cup games.

Rugby New Zealand 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden added to the debate, denying speculation that the country could lose some games to Australia. However, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee revealed at the weekend that Christchurch’s involvement in the tournament was far from certain, even though only minor damage was sustained at the city’s AMI Stadium.

In an interview with TVNZ, Brownlee stated: “To lose the Rugby World Cup from Christchurch would be a massive blow. I don’t want to see it happen, but we’ve got to be realistic about the prospect. This place recovered amazingly well after the September 4 earthquake (last year), but let’s not rush too far ahead of things.”

While the World Cup games remain in doubt, the management at AMI Stadium have ruled out Super 15 matches taking place at the venue until at least March 15.