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The Florida Marlins scored a significant victory late on Friday when they received preliminary approval to a major source of funding for a new ballpark on the Miami River.

Continental Europe is waking up to the commercial benefits to be gained from new stadia builds said a panel of industry experts on the second day of industry conference SportBusiness 2001.

George Gillett Jr.?s purchase of the Montreal Canadiens from Molson Inc., could be in doubt because of a failed merger involving a meatpacking company in which he has a substantial interest, according to a report in Canada?s Globe and Mail.

Major League Baseball will charge fans to listen to broadcasts of its games over the internet, according to the New York Times.

Lawyers for the Oakland Raiders have told a US court that the NFL wrongly took the team?s rights to the Los Angeles market and then refused to pay for it.

St Andrews golf course has pulled out of the running to stage the 2009 Ryder Cup in an attempt to increase Scotland's chances of hosting the event.

Analysts have expressed scepticism about the immediate benefits Manchester United will reap from its joint marketing deal with the New York Yankees.

Walt Disney Co are to shut down its struggling Internet portal, GO.com, with heavy redundancies, but will maintain other web operations like ESPN and ABCNEWS.com.

The International Olympic Committee has confirmed the status of Beach Volleyball as a full Olympic discipline as from the Olympic Games of Athens in 2004.

The NBA has fined Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $250,000 for his "outbursts and actions concerning game officials" after a 107-104 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Web-based multimedia messaging experts MindArrow Systems have signed a deal with the NBA to allow the use of its eBrochure technology by NBA, WNBA and NBDL teams.

The NHL has awarded the 2003 All-Star Game to the Florida Panthers.

Interactive-television concern OpenTV Corp has announced its first deal with an American cable outfit, USA Media Group.

Outspoken Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Wednesday, receiving his third fine this season for public criticism of the league's referees.

World Boxing Council middleweight champion Keith Holmes has sued promoter Don King for breach of contract, seeking unspecified damages and termination of the contract.

NFL owners have voted to return the Super Bowl to Houston and Detroit.