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Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans title chances now.
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The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
INDIANAPOLIS - The NCAA said Friday that approval from American Indian tribes would be a primary factor in deciding appeals from schools that want to use Native American nicknames and mascots in postseason play.
The first review is scheduled to start next week.
Two weeks ago, the NCAA announced that it would ban the use of American Indian imagery and nicknames by school representatives at postseason tournaments starting in February. Mascots will not be allowed to perform at tournament games, and band members and cheerleaders will also be barred from using Indian images on their uniforms beginning in 2008.
The decision also prohibits schools with American Indian mascots from hosting future NCAA postseason events. Schools that have already been awarded postseason tournaments would have to cover any Indian depictions in their sports venues.
Major college football will not be affected because there is no official NCAA tournament.
All appeals will go through a staff committee chaired by Bernard Franklin, the NCAA’s senior vice president for governance and membership. Decisions could then be reviewed by the NCAA’s executive committee.
“This is a complex issue and the circumstances surrounding each institution’s use of Native American mascots and imagery is different,” Franklin said in a written statement. “Each review will be considered on the unique aspects and circumstances as it relates to the specific use and practice at that college or university.”
One factor will be whether documentation exists from a “namesake” tribe that has approved use of Indian images or nicknames.
The most outspoken university officials have been at Florida State, which uses the nickname Seminoles and has already threatened a lawsuit. The Seminole Tribe of Florida announced in June it supported the use of its tribal name by Florida State. And the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma recently stated that it does not condemn Florida State for its use of the Seminole nickname.
“We’re encouraged by the executive board’s decision to set up the administration of the appeal process,” Florida State President T.K. Wetherell said. “We don’t think we ever should have been on a list, but we’re certainly encouraged to where we are compared to where we’ve been.”
NCAA officials said Florida State was put on the list because other Seminole tribes were opposed.
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“We assume, based on what Bernard Franklin told (FSU athletic director) Dave Hart and what we’ve read in the press release ... they will name some administrators to hear that (appeal),” Wetherell said. “I don’t know what that process entails, but clearly they’re looking at relationships that exist. That certainly works in our favor.”
At least 18 schools face sanctions.
“It is vitally important that we maintain a balance between the interests of a particular Native American tribe and the NCAA’s responsibility to ensure an atmosphere of respect and sensitivity for all who attend and participate in our championships,” NCAA President Myles Brand said in a written statement.
“We recognize that there are many points of view associated with this issue and we also know that some Native American groups support the use of mascots and imagery and some do not; that is why we will pay particular attention to special circumstances associated with each institution.”
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
NEW YORK (AP) - As the glow fades from the Giants' Super Bowl triumph, some New York sports fans are tuning in to basketball and hockey, with the Rangers in first place and the Knicks' overnight sensation, Jeremy Lin, sparking "Lin-sanity.''
Robins: This year, six new breeds will be making their debut on the green carpet for the Westminster Dog Show, which begins Monday.
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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
Adreian Payne scored 15 points, Draymond Green added 12 and defense-minded No. 11 Michigan State beat No. 3 Ohio State 58-48 Saturday night, ending the Buckeyes' 39-game home winning streak.
