USA
RAIDERS SUE NFL FOR FORCING THEM OUT OF L.A.
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 DROPS BID TO STAGE 2009 RYDER CUP
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.
UNITED/YANKEES DEAL MAY NOT HAVE IMPACT IN SHORT-TERM
Analysts have expressed scepticism about the immediate benefits Manchester United will reap from its joint marketing deal with the New York Yankees.
DISNEY CLOSES GO.COM BUT KEEPS ESPN.COM
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.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL NAMED AS AN OFFICIAL OLYMPIC SPORT
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.
CUBAN FINED OVER OUTBURST
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.
MINDARROW TARGETS NBA WITH EBROCHURE TECHNOLOGY
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.
PANTHERS WIN 2003 NHL ALL-STAR GAME
The NHL has awarded the 2003 All-Star Game to the Florida Panthers.
USA MEDIA GETS INTERACTIVE WITH OPENTV
Interactive-television concern OpenTV Corp has announced its first deal with an American cable outfit, USA Media Group.
NBA FINE CUBAN – AGAIN
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.
BOXING CHAMP SUES TO END CONTRACT WITH DON KING
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 AWARD SUPER BOWLS TO HOUSTON, DETROIT
NFL owners have voted to return the Super Bowl to Houston and Detroit.
SUBWAY SERIES RATINGS `ENCOURAGING? FOR FOX
Fox, which has gambled $2.5 billion on baseball as a TV ratings winner, breathed easier on Monday after preliminary figures showed the rest of America did not completely turn off the all-New York World Series. For the full details, see the `FEATURES? section of sportbusiness.com.
DC UNITED UP FOR GRABS
Major League Soccer (MLS) might take over DC United's operations, following the collapse of the club's long-awaited sale to a New York investment firm.
WWF SMACKS TALENT AGENCY IN SUIT
The World Wrestling Federation has filed a New York City Federal Court lawsuit against the William Morris Agency, which claims that the fees Morris is demanding from the WWF are not justified.
IBM SET TO TAKE GOLD ? THEN RETIRE FROM GAMES
Four years after the "Glitch Games" of Atlanta, IBM looks set to end 40 years of Olympic involvement on a high note.
BEIJING PLEDGES CLEAN AIR IN 2008 BID
Organisers of Beijing's 2008 Olympic bid have pledged that the Chinese capital would offer clean air and ensure freedom for the thousands of foreign journalists who would flock to the Games.
ZEN-RUFFINEN: `2002 WORLD CUP GAMES COULD BE PLAYED IN NORTH KOREA?
A FIFA official has said some 2002 World Cup soccer matches could be staged in North Korea after the two Koreas agreed to march under the same flag at the Olympic Games.