A judge has ruled that the Los Angeles Dodgers can use as much as US$60m of a bankruptcy loan after Major League Baseball (MLB) dropped its opposition following changes in the loan’s terms.

A requirement that the Dodgers sell television rights within six months was deleted and a potential fee for the lender, vcialis 40mg JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Highbridge Capital Management LLC, order was cut to US$250,000 from US$4.5m, lawyers for the Dodgers said yesterday at a hearing in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

MLB layer Tom Lauria said that the MLB’s aim yesterday was to prevent the Dodgers trying to auction the broadcast rights. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig last week rejected a proposed deal with Fox Sports, leaving the Dodgers unable to keep to its payroll commitments. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said the 17-year agreement, valued by him at about US$3bn, would have assured the team’s financial stability.

“My client came here to fight the process being put in place to start an auction,” Lauria said in an interview. “So it’s MLB, one, McCourt, zero.”

Bruce Bennett, an attorney for the Dodgers, said the team filed for bankruptcy to gain time to auction the television rights. Although the deadline has been removed from the loan terms, the team still has the right to propose an auction while under court protection, he said.

Staff of Arsenal Football Club, ampoule including CEO Ivan Gazidis will be sleeping out on November 11 to help raise money for the Club’s Charity of the Season, health Centrepoint.?

A total of eleven members of staff including senior management will join others at Old Spitalfields Market in giving up their bed for the night at Centrepoint’s annual Sleep Out, to show solidarity with some of the most marginalized people in society.?

Centrepoint is Arsenal Football Club’s Charity of the Season for 2010/11 and through its ‘Be a Gooner. Be a Giver’ campaign, the Club has set itself a fundraising target of £500,000 which will be used to create a state-of-the-art service in a refurbished building in Soho. The centre will help homeless young people across London to develop essential life skills to get back on their feet and stay off the streets permanently.?

CEO Ivan Gazidis said: “This is a great way for our staff to connect and engage with the club’s Charity of the Season, Centrepoint. It will provide a rare insight into some of the challenges that young homeless people in London are faced with. We are heartened by the response of staff and hope this event will push us further towards our season-long fundraising target of £500,000.”?

The Club will match staff’s fundraising endeavours as part of Arsenal’s ongoing commitment to reaching the campaign’s ambitious target and will also be dedicating its Premier League fixture against Fulham on December 4 to the charity, when players and directors will donate a day’s wages to Centrepoint.

To find out more about Arsenal’s Charity of the Season and see how you can donate, visit www.beagoonerbeagiver.org

Football’s governing body Fifa has threatened Togo with an international ban unless its federation holds elections by early November.

The announcement comes weeks after it was discovered that a “fake” Togo side played Bahrain in an international friendly.

Fifa has said it has accepted a request from the Togolese FA (FTF) to extend the deadline for elections, but said no more extensions would be granted.

Fifa released a statement saying: “The [Fifa] emergency committee has made it clear that if elections are not held by 6 November for whatever reason, the FTF will be automatically suspended.

“In addition, the FTF has been requested to send Fifa a new schedule for the elections as soon as possible.”

The Chairman of the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, Suresh Kalmadi, has written to the Indian Sports Minister, M S Gill, in an attempt to reschedule two cricket Test matches between India and Australia that will clash with the Games.

Although neither of the Tests are to be held in Delhi, the first, in Mohali, takes place a day before the Games start, while the second in Bangalore starts on 10 October.

In the letter, Kalamdi says: “You will be well aware that the XIX 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games is drawing closer and we have 94 days to go for its start. Our preparations to ensure that we host a successful Games are on the home stretch and we are confident of delivering the best games ever.

“I write to seek your good offices to try and convince the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to reschedule the two Test matches between India and Australia now slated to start on 2 October in Mohali and 10 October in Bangalore, so that the cricket Test matches do not clash with the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

“I need not stress the importance of not having any international cricket in India during the Commonwealth Games. I had written to Mr Sharad Pawar (International Cricket Council President) as early as 1 July 2009, seeking due consideration from the BCCI to ensure that it does not schedule any major cricket matches during the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

“I am sure you will use your good offices to convince the BCCI to reschedule the cricket series.”

It is not yet known what M S Gill’s response is.

The new all-electric FIA Formula E Championship have unveiled its new global marketing campaign entitled Drive the Future with the inaugural series set to begin in Beijing on September 13 2014.

Developed in conjunction with creative agency Dare, the new campaign launches Formula E as a unique and innovative new sports entertainment brand that will transform cities around the world as the season progresses.

It will be played on consumer broadcast networks around the globe including FOX Sports, and business audience networks including CNN and CNBC. It will also feature heavily on China’s Sina and Weibo platforms.

In addition, the Drive the Future campaign will incorporate a unique 600 sq m animated poster on the side of the seven star Pangu Plaza Hotel in Beijing, overlooking the streets surrounding the Olympic ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium where the 20 Formula E drivers will compete in one month’s time.

An extensive Out-Of-Home campaign will also feature across bus stops, buses and the subway throughout the Chinese capital with billboard promotions at Beijing International Airport via leading outdoor advertising company JCDecaux.

Charles Davies, Head of Marketing, said: “With one month to go before our first race, we’re very excited to be unveiling our new Drive the Future campaign for the FIA Formula E Championship. We believe Formula E has all the ingredients to appeal to a new, younger generation of motorsport fans who want to enjoy close, city-centre racing combined with the latest music and entertainment.”

The first of 10 races takes place in Beijing with the season finale taking place in London on June 27 2015.

Bundesliga 2 team FC Kaiserslautern and SPORT FIVE have extended their cooperation for a further six years until 2020.

The German sports rights agency will continue to oversee the overall marketing of the team, cough stadium advertising, shirt sponsorship and hospitality programs. As an additional right SPORT FIVE will also facilitate the future marketing of third-party events in the Fritz-Walter-Stadion.

“We have taken the time necessary to achieve a sustainable and economically best possible result for the club. FCK is set up with the new marketing agreement in this area optimally for the future. The tender for the marketing rights has shown that the FCK as a club and as a brand is a highly regarded, “explains Fritz Grünewalt, Chief Financial Officer of the 1st FC Kaiserslautern and adds that” the bids and the result obtained are evidence that The association positioned economically serious and the recovery is generally well advanced. “

Philipp Hasenbein, Managing Director of SPORTFIVE GmbH & Co. KG: “We are delighted to continue our successful partnership with the 1st FC Kaiserslautern in the long term. Together, we intend to further develop the 1 FC Kaiserslautern in the coming years as the authentic brand and raise the marketing to a new level. “

Buckinghamshire New University has signed an innovative partnership with Surrey United Basketball Club. 

Surrey United play in the British Basketball League and 12 of its players are studying three-year BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science degrees at Bucks New University as well as turning out to play for the side in matches around the country.  

A number of Surrey United matches are also broadcast on Eurosport, as well as BBL TV Player, the league’s own channel. 

Student, Elvisi Dusha, 19, is captain of Surrey United and said he is seeing the benefits of the partnership on and off the court. 

He said: “My experience so far has been an exciting challenge physically and mentally because trying to juggle my professional basketball career with studies makes things very busy. 

“We have two hours of basketball practice every day, as well as individual strength and conditioning, and then we typically play two games a week so it’s a hectic schedule but I am enjoying every moment of it.” 

Paul Morgan, Head of Sport at Bucks New University, said: “This is a fantastic programme involving students from Lithuania, Poland, and Portugal, as well as the UK. 

“The students are serious about their academic study, and they are inspired by training and competing in the British Basketball League. 

“They are settling in well and we are excited about the potential for this partnership. It is allowing us to create an environment which is attractive to athletes who wish to pursue a high level of competition with academic study.” 

Emma Chambers, Director at Surrey United Basketball Club, said: “This partnership has allowed our players to join an integrated programme that provides the chance to compete in a professional league, as well as for Bucks New University, and also gain an academic degree in Sports Science and Coaching, so it is a fantastic link-up all-round.” 

Jack Majewski, Head Coach of Surrey United, said: “We have provided the opportunity for the students to play at the highest possible level of basketball in the UK. Thanks to the link-up with Bucks New University, this means they are provided with the opportunity to operate and actively participate in a highly professional environment both on and off the court.”