Warwickshire County Cricket Club have announced a rebrand of their Twenty20 team and will now be known as the Birmingham Bears as a number of other changes were also announced. 

In changes to the game announced on Tuesday, the T20 competition – to be known as the NatWest T20 Blast – will primarily take place on Friday evenings.

The county will still be known as Warwickshire in the County Championship and 50-over Royal London One-Day Cup.

Bears chief executive Colin Povey said: “Birmingham and Edgbaston has been the Club’s home since 1886 and we believe that adopting the Birmingham Bears name for the NatWest T20 Blast presents a great opportunity for us to engage even more closely with fans living and working at the heart of the City.

“Asian families, business men and women working in the city’s commercial districts and local cricket clubs are three particular audiences the club is seeking to work with more next season.

“T20 games in 2014 will predominantly be played on Friday evenings, so this fixed slot gives supporters a time that we hope will be associated with the Birmingham Bears; similar to Saturday afternoon football or rugby.

“However, despite our T20 name change, we will continue to maintain the proud history of the club and play under the Warwickshire banner in the other two more traditional formats.”

Councillor Ian Ward, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, added: “The Birmingham Bears T20 team is an incredibly exciting proposition that can unite sports fans across the city on Friday evenings next summer.

“The club and the redeveloped stadium provide so many great opportunities for the local communities to play and watch world-class cricket here in Birmingham, and I’m looking forward to seeing people get behind the Bears.”

The UCI has instructed auditors KPMG to carry out a review of its governance in the wake of the Lance Armstrong scandal.

The audit was announced as cycling’s world governing body revealed discussion topics for a consultation exercise titled ‘A Bright Future for Cycling’, which will take place early next year.

A UCI statement read: “The UCI has also engaged the international auditors KPMG to carry out a review of the governance of the UCI, as well as that of the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF), reporting back in time for its findings to be debated in the consultation process.”

The UCI and its leadership – particularly president Pat McQuaid and his predecessor Hein Verbruggen – has been heavily criticised for numerous perceived failings after the scale of doping at Armstrong’s United States Postal Service team was revealed by an United States Anti-doping Agency (USADA) investigation.

Armstrong, who declined to co-operate with USADA, was banned for life and stripped of all results since 1 August, 1998, including seven Tour de France titles, following a scandal which continues to send shockwaves through the sport.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Ticketmaster have formed a partnership that will see the creation of a website where fans can buy and sell match tickets.

The idea of the website is for there to be tickets available from primary sellers, abortion as well as fans who are looking to resell their unwanted tickets.

It is thought that there are two man purposes that the site will serve for the NBA. Firstly, arthritis the NBA is likely to take away business from websites such as StubHub, cialis who is the largest ticket resale website in the United States.

It is also thought that the new website will allow teams to determine what the pricing should be for seating.

Nathan Hubbard, CEO of Ticketmaster said: “The NBA is determined to provide their fans a safe, convenient place to buy and sell game tickets, and we are delighted to be delivering this revolutionary solution.

“This is ‘Moneyball’ for the fans in terms of ticketing. Teams have used sophisticated data to evaluate players. Now it’s time for teams to use sophisticated data to evaluate fans instead of just going with the gut.

“It’s time for teams to get data and do what Procter & Gamble and GE does with that data: Find the best product for the consumer at the right price in the best distribution channel possible.”

Former Deccan Chargers chief executive, Tim Wright, has prevailed in his case for wrongful dismissal against the franchise and been awarded £10.5 million ($16million), plus legal costs, by the High Court in London.

Previously with IMG, Wright joined the Chargers management after the first season of the IPL but was dismissed in January 2009 and began legal proceedings against Chargers and its parent company, Deccan Chronicle Holdings, the following month. Chargers had challenged the jurisdiction of the English court but Wright was granted the right for his case to be heard in the UK.

At Monday’s trial, Judge Seymour ruled that Chargers had committed several breaches of their contract with Wright, including failing to provide him with his full salary, benefits and pension entitlements, failing to appoint him to the board of directors and failing to transfer to him an agreed equity share in the company. They were ordered to pay him his dues (£10 million) as per his contract, with interest.

The judge also called Chargers’ conduct during the litigation ‘disgraceful’; they had not attended the trial, after having submitted their case as defendants.

“Today’s judgment is vindication of my decision not to be cowed by the bullying of a large corporation,” Wright was quoted as saying after the trial’s completion.

The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Washington Capitals have agreed to an affiliation agreement with the Reading Royals of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

“We are very pleased to announce our new ECHL affiliation with the Reading Royals,” said McPhee. “The Royals are a first-class organization where our prospects will be playing in an environment that will help them develop to their ultimate potential. We feel the proximity to both Washington and our AHL affiliate in Hershey will be beneficial to all three clubs. We would like to thank the South Carolina Stingrays and their fans for their support over the last eight seasons.”

The Royals finished the 2011-12 campaign with a record of 36-28-4-4 under head coach and director of hockey operations Larry Courville. Courville played 33 career NHL games with Vancouver and appeared in 49 games with the Hershey Bears in 2001-02. He finished his playing career in 2007-08 while playing for the Reading Royals. Reading has made the playoffs in six of its 11 seasons in the ECHL, finishing first in its division twice. 

“This affiliation agreement kicks off a new era of Royals’ hockey,” said Royals general manager Mark Wallace. “The Capitals have a deep tradition of success and a proven track record of identifying and developing young talent. The history of success of professional hockey in Hershey is simply legendary. We look forward to working with the Capitals and Bears as we all seek to strengthen and grow our sport in Central Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake region. We believe that fans in Reading are going to have a unique opportunity to closely follow the development of prospects within this system, while being treated to an exceptional quality of play which we trust will translate into winning games in Reading.”

A number of current Capitals have spent time in the ECHL, including goaltenders Braden Holtby, an ECHL All-Star who played in South Carolina during the 2009-10 season, and Michal Neuvirth, who was named an ECHL All-Star during the 2008-09 season while with South Carolina.

The Royals, who are entering the team’s 12th season in Reading, had a previous affiliation with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings from 2001-2008. From 2008-09 through 2011-12, the Royals were affiliated with the Toronto Maple Leafs and, beginning in 2009-10, the Royals added a secondary affiliation with the Boston Bruins. Reading plays its home games at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pa., which holds a capacity of 7,160.

Courville will be in attendance at the Capitals Prospect Development Camp which begins today and runs through Saturday, July 14, at Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

Grand Prix Entertainment, a Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment company, and USA Rugby, a member of the United States Olympic Committee, announced an extension of their U.S. Exclusive Sanction and License Agreement for a 2nd six year term through 2018.

This ground breaking partnership between a national governing body and private enterprise exclusively grants Grand Prix the rights to own and operate USA Rugby sanctioned Professional Rugby Sevens, including the equally exclusive worldwide broadcast distribution rights across all media. The exclusive and extensive sanction rights cover both indoor and outdoor professional rugby sevens leagues and/or tournaments.

USA Rugby is a member of the United States Olympic Committee, governing the new Olympic sport of Rugby Sevens, as well as the U.S. member of the Rugby World Cup’s International Rugby Board.

“To say the least, much as happened since we joined USA Rugby in this crusade to bring the World’s Contact Sport to the World’s Largest Market” said William Tatham, Founder and Chairman of Grand Prix Entertainment. “When USAR initially awarded Grand Prix these unparalleled exclusive, extensive and long term rights in 2005, we decided to honor USA Rugby’s trust and instead of staging “on the field” events prematurely, we wisely committed to a multi year – multi million dollar “off the field” investment focusing on the three critical pre launch start-up phases of planning, protecting and projecting. We’ve been blessed by exclusive rights that are invaluable, a sport that has gone Olympic, and USA Rugby partners that are priceless.”

Newly appointed Grand Prix Chairman Alan Rothenberg said, “The exclusive long term rights granted to Grand Prix Rugby, including global distribution rights, coupled with the mutually beneficial partnership with USA Rugby, provide Grand Prix Rugby with a unique opportunity to develop and grow the sport to its fullest potential.”

USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville concurred, saying “USA Rugby is pleased to see Grand Prix’s progress and is equally excited to continue this exclusive partnership with Bill and his Grand Prix team. Grand Prix has exciting plans; the next six years will be equally exciting times for American Rugby.”

GPE broadcast representative and former President of CBS Sports Neal Pilson echoed the unique opportunity these exclusive and global media rights represent stating, “These live telecast rights to Grand Prix’s exciting rugby sevens tournaments have great value here in the US and abroad. We fully expect to finalize a carriage agreement with a U.S. network partner very soon.”

“On a global basis, these exclusive multi year rights make my job much easier as the ability to deliver consistent major league sports content over a period of years vs. a single season is what international carriers strive to acquire,” said former President of MGM Worldwide Television Gary Marenzi, who now oversees Grand Prix’s international distribution rights.

While the NFL forced fans to endure a 132-day lockout this spring and summer and the 2011-2012 NBA season looks doomed because of owners and players being immovable on their negotiations, medicine on Tuesday, cialis order Major League Baseball and its players’ union announced that they have agreed to a new five-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) until 2016.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig, sale said: “Nobody back in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, 1994, would ever believe that we would have 21 years of labor peace.”

The most significant addition is blood testing for HGH. For years, the baseball union has resisted this. Blood tests require invasive needles. The unspoken worry: blood testing is the only reliable way to catch HGH users.

All players will be subjected to HGH tests in spring training, and for “reasonable cause” throughout the year. Players will be subject to random, unannounced blood testing beginning next off-season. According to this agreement, “the parties have also agreed on a process to jointly study the possibility of expanding blood testing to include in-season collections.” Union chief Michael Weiner said he still has concerns that in-season will drain the players’ energy and negatively effect performance.

Also starting in 2013 at the latest, a second wild card team will be added to the post-season (the league said a decision on whether to add a second wild card to the upcoming season will be made by March 1). The two wild card teams will play a one-game playoff, with the winner moving on to play in the Division Series. Also, the Houston Astros will move to the American League West, starting in 2013, giving each league 15 teams. Inter-league play will take place over the entire season, not just within a few designated weeks.

In order to reign in excessive signing bonuses for draft picks, each team will be assigned a signing bonus pool for their first 10 picks on the draft. The value of the pool depends on a team’s draft position (underperforming teams with high draft positions will have bigger pools). Teams that spend above the pool will be taxed, harshly: teams that spend over 15% of their assigned value, for example, will be taxed 100% on the overage, and forfeit first round picks for the next two drafts.

The current luxury tax system will stay in place: teams that spend above $178 million on payroll  pay a penalty.

Overall, the new agreement keeps baseball on the right economic path and has no doubt embrassed the NBA and NFL organisations.

ESPN Star Sports (ESS), the broadcast rights holder for the AFC Asian Cup 2011 soccer tournament, will telecast all 32 matches from the event across its network and in high definition on ESPN HD.

The games will also be available on ESS’ broadband network ESPN Player as well as mobile coverage on mobileESPN showing daily news and goals from the event.

ESS is hoping the AFC Asian Cup 2011 will be a major draw for football fans featuring teams such as World Cup representatives – Korea Republic, Japan, Australia, and DPR Korea.

India also qualified for the Asian Cup for only the third time in its history after 27 years and will play Australia in its opening fixture on Monday, January 10. 

The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011 features the best 16 teams in the region, including defending champions Iraq and starts this Saturday 8 January 2011. With the likes of China and India both competing in the competition, viewership for the event is expected to draw encouraging numbers.