SPORTS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2013 Barca’s , Tello injured IOC re-testing 2006 Tough for rookie QBs MADRID: Barcelona’s injury woes deepened yesterday when tests showed that Torino dope samples BEIJING: Highly-paid rookie quarterbacks are under increasing pressure to make an instant Spain playmaker Xavi had a muscle strain and winger Cristian Tello suffered impact in the NFL, former San Francisco 49ers great Joe Montana said. knee ligament damage in training. BERLIN: Samples stored from the 2006 Torino winter Olympics are “There’s more pressure because they’re making a lot more money. When you get paid all Both players were in doubt for Saturday’s game at home to Granada, being retested by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the that money they want you to start right away,” he told Reuters during a promotional event for the Spanish champions said on their website (www.fcbarcelona.com). eight-year statute of limitations runs out next year, an official said yes- NFL China in Beijing. “Just to stay and make it through the year, it’s pretty good. If you can do Xavi had a problem with his left hamstring, while Tello had damaged liga- terday. that and hang on to your job for that long as a rookie, then you’re doing a pretty good job.” ments in his right knee, they added. Barca are already missing World Player of The IOC is eager to root out cheats long after Olympic Games by Huge hopes have been pinned on the crop of new recruits over recent seasons, with the the Year , who was ruled out for up to eight weeks after tearing a using new methods of tracing known banned substances or sub- spotlight on the likes of Heisman trophy-winning college quarterbacks Sam Bradford of the St leg muscle in this month’s 4-1 La Liga win at . stances that were not known at the time. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III at the Washington Redskins. The IOC official said the retests were in no way connected to a Griffin set the NFL alight last year during a spectacular rookie season but fol- Defenders Gerard Pique and worked apart from their German state television report about two doping labs finding hun- lowing injury has struggled in this campaign, while 2013 rookies like Geno team mates yesterday as they continued their recoveries, Barca dreds of positive tests using new methods. Smith of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills’ EJ Manuel, chosen in the first said, without specifying whether they would be available for “We are re-testing Torino Games samples as planned. This is not round of this year’s draft, are still finding their feet. Montana downplayed Saturday’s game at the Nou Camp. linked to that report,” the official told Reuters. The IOC can re-test ath- what fans should expect from new players. “It’s a tough go, no matter what, Cesc Fabregas, who could replace Xavi in central letes’ samples from its own events up to eight years after the Games for that first year,”Montana said. “There’s a lot of things that are so much dif- midfield against eighth-placed Granada, again trained normally and can sanction them. They did so with five samples from the 2004 ferent, so much more complicated than it appears on television, than it as he works his way back from a knee problem picked up in the Athens Olympics coming back positive. According to German ARD might be.” He said it was too early to count out players like Smith, who put up Betis game. Unbeaten Barca top La Liga by three points from broadcaster labs in Cologne and Moscow found traces of anabolic impressive numbers in college at West Virginia but has been inconsistent in his steroids in hundreds of urine samples using the new testing method. debut NFL season. “Unfortunately you’ve got to wait it out sometimes for a Atletico Madrid after 13 matches, with Real Madrid a “This case is a good example of the necessity of performing retests few years. Some guys take a little longer,” he remarked. Montana was further three points adrift in third. Atletico are at on Olympic doping samples. I would certainly conduct retests here,” drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1979 but only became the start- home to Getafe on Saturday, when Real play at pro- Arne Ljungqvist, head of the IOC’s medical commission told ARD. “We moted Almeria. —Reuters have the mandate for that, after all”.—Reuters ing quaterback midway through the 1980 season and went on to win four Super Bowls and three MVP awards. —Reuters Penguins get past Ducks

PITTSBURGH: Sidney Crosby capped a third- period outburst with his 10th goal of the sea- son as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on Monday. Brian Gibbons scored on the first shot of his NHL career and Brandon Sutter chipped in his fourth goal of the season as Pittsburgh’s strug- gling offense found a rhythm late against the Pacific Division-leading Ducks. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 26 shots for Pittsburgh, which won for only the second time in six games. Crosby’s goal was his second in 11 games. Ryan Getzlaf scored his 11th goal for the Ducks, who earned just one point during a four-game East Coast road trip. Viktor Fasth made 24 saves but struggled in the final 20 minutes. Gibbons took a slick backhand pass from Evgeni Malkin to break a scoreless tie 3:56 into the third. The Penguins needed just 62 seconds Lance Armstrong to make it 2-0, as Sutter deflected a shot from the point by Olli Maatta. Anaheim responded Armstrong: UCI head immediately when Getzlaf scored his fifth goal in four games. Crosby pushed Pittsburgh back PITTSBURGH: Viktor Fasth No. 30 of the Anaheim Ducks makes a save against the Pittsburgh planned doping cover-up in front by two, finishing the Penguins’ three- Penguins during the game at Consol Energy Center.— AFP goal outburst in a span of 4:04. LONDON: Lance Armstrong claims former service and will complete his duties as chair- International Cycling Union president Hein man of the Olympic Broadcasting Service BRUINS 4, HURRICANES 1 NHL results/standings Verbruggen instigated a cover-up of his dop- after the Sochi Winter Games in February. The Reilly Smith and Carl Soderberg had a goal ing at the 1999 Tour de France. IOC released a statement Monday, saying, “It and an assist each in the first period as Boston Armstrong told Britain’s Daily Mail news- is hard to give any credibility to the claims of topped Carolina. Johnny Boychuk scored mid- Boston 4, Carolina 1; Pittsburgh 3, Anaheim 1; Calgary 5, Winnipeg 4 (SO). paper in an interview published Monday that a cyclist who appears to have misled the way through the third period, and Milan Lucic Western Conference Eastern Conference Verbruggen insisted “we’ve got to come up world for decades.” added an empty-net goal for Boston, which has Pacific Division Atlantic Division with something” to explain his positive tests “That said, the UCI is currently working on 11 points in its last seven games (5-1-1). WLOTLGFGAPTS Tampa Bay 14 6 0 64 50 28 Boston 13 6 1 57 37 27 for a banned corticosteroid. Cycling’s govern- plans to investigate the matter more thor- Boston killed four Carolina power plays, Anaheim 15 6 2 72 59 32 ing body, the UCI, appeared to ignore its own oughly and we await proper considered out- Toronto 12 7 1 57 47 25 including 63 seconds when the Bruins were San Jose 13 3 5 72 50 31 Detroit 9 5 7 54 60 25 anti-doping rules when it accepted comes,” the Olympic governing body added. down two skaters. They haven’t allowed a pow- Phoenix 14 4 3 73 66 31 Montreal 10 9 2 52 45 22 Armstrong’s backdated prescription for a Armstrong spoke out while the UCI is in er-play goal in 32 short-handed situations since Los Angeles 14 6 1 58 46 29 Ottawa 8 8 4 58 62 20 cream to treat saddle sores. the process of creating an independent com- giving up goals on five consecutive power Florida 5 12 4 46 70 14 That allowed Armstrong to stay in the mission that will examine alleged official col- plays in October. Vancouver 11 8 3 56 58 25 Buffalo 5 16 1 41 68 11 race, and he went on to win the first of his lusion, and he is expected to be the star wit- The Hurricanes played their first game since Calgary 7 11 3 59 79 17 Metropolitan Division seven Tours, helping revive the sport after ness. Armstrong, who is seeking a reduction Oct. 24 with Cam Ward in net. Ward, who Edmonton 5 15 2 53 83 12 Pittsburgh 13 8 0 59 48 26 doping scandals wrecked the 1998 event. in his lifetime ban, told the Daily Mail that he missed 10 games because of a leg injury, made Central Division Washington 12 8 1 69 59 25 “The real problem was, the sport was on would reveal details of how the UCI operated. NY Rangers 10 10 0 42 50 20 26 saves. He rebounded from a rough start in Chicago 14 3 4 78 61 32 Carolina 8 9 4 40 59 20 life support,” Armstrong said in the article. “I have no loyalty toward them,” he said. “In which he gave up two goals on Boston’s first Minnesota 13 4 4 55 44 30 New Jersey 7 8 5 42 49 19 “And Hein just said, ‘This is a real problem for the proper forum I’ll tell everyone what they four shots. Tuukka Rask stopped 23 shots for St. Louis 13 3 3 66 46 29 NY Islanders 8 10 3 61 68 19 me; this is the knockout punch for our sport ... want to know. I’m not going to lie to protect Boston. Colorado 14 5 0 59 41 28 Columbus 7 10 3 52 57 17 so we’ve got to come up with something.’ So these guys. I hate them. They threw me under Philadelphia 7 10 2 35 48 16 Dallas 11 7 2 58 56 24 we backdated the prescription.” the bus.” In October 2012, the UCI decided FLAMES 5, JETS 4 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one Winnipeg 10 10 3 61 66 23 Though Armstrong has acknowledged the not to challenge a US Anti-Doping Agency Sean Monahan scored the winning goal in point in the standings and are not included in prescription excuse in a television interview verdict to strip Armstrong of his Tour titles the eighth round of a shootout as Calgary end- Nashville 9 9 2 46 63 20 the loss column (L). with Oprah Winfrey, he had not previously and ban him for life. Verbruggen’s successor, ed its six-game losing streak with a victory over linked Verbruggen or other UCI officials to a Pat McQuaid, said the disgraced rider Winnipeg. goalie Reto Berra, and Little put a rebound into of the season on the power play and added an cover-up. Verbruggen, who served as UCI deserved to be forgotten by the sport. Jiri Hudler had given Calgary a 4-3 lead with an open side of the net. assist. T.J. Brodie and Lance Bouma also scored. president until 2005, did not respond to The UCI has been led since September by 3:26 remaining in regulation, but the Jets tied it Montoya made 29 saves. Berra stopped 43 Michael Frolik, Olli Jokinen and Dustin phone messages Monday. The Dutch official, British official Brian Cookson, who defeated on Bryan Little’s with six seconds left. shots, including three in overtime, to help the Byfuglien had goals for Winnipeg, and defense- who is still listed by the UCI as its honorary McQuaid in a presidential election in which With Winnipeg goalie Al Montoya on the Flames end their 0-5-1 skid. Calgary’s Michael man Grant Clitsome and Blake Wheeler both president, has long denied any collusion with the Armstrong case and cycling’s doping past bench for an extra attacker, the Jets swarmed Cammalleri scored his team-leading ninth goal added a pair of assists. — AP Armstrong despite widespread claims the were central issues. American rider was protected. In a statement Monday, the UCI said its Corticosteroids, which reduce inflamma- commission would “invite individuals to pro- Mind coach hails mountain-climbing Stenson tion, are banned unless the athlete has a ther- vide evidence.” “We would urge all those apeutic use exemption. Armstrong and his involved to come forward and help the LONDON: Henrik Stenson’s mind ending $8 million tournament in one shot at a time and we don’t do can’t really get in touch with their feel- manager, Johan Bruyneel, had signed the Commission in its work in the best interests of coach Torsten Hansson was a proud Dubai, Hansson said he wanted anything unless he’s absolutely posi- ings because they’re so absolutely doping control document that he was not the sport of cycling,” the governing body said. and happy man on Monday after hav- Stenson to be sure of every step he tive about the shot he’s about to play.” worn out. taking any medication at the time, so under “This investigation is essential to the well- ing been in Dubai to witness his pro- took. “On the flag there’s an inscription Not surprisingly, given the scale of “There wasn’t much drinking from UCI rules, he should have been disqualified being of cycling in fully understanding the tege accomplish the task of climbing that says no one has ever been here his achievement, Stenson resembled Henrik last night, he’s not really into even if he later produced a prescription. doping culture of the past, the role of the UCI “the world’s highest golfing moun- before and you are the first one,” he something of a busted flush on that stuff.” Stenson will remain in Verbruggen was granted honorary mem- at that time and helping us all to move for- tain”. A win at the 2009 Players added. “When you’re at that level of Sunday night. “We had a low-key party Dubai for a couple of days before jet- bership by the IOC in 2008 after 12 years’ ward to a clean and healthy future.” — AP Championship in Florida, the sport’s climbing you have to be 100 percent really,” said Hansson. “I was with ting to South Africa for a family holi- unofficial fifth major, took the Swede certain where you put your hands and Henrik, his family and his close friends. day and rounding off his golfing year up to fourth in the world before he feet so I was just trying to tell him, “I think he was more relieved and by competing in the Nedbank Ireland plans ambitious suffered the second big form slump of ‘Don’t move anything unless you are surprised than overwhelmed. Most Challenge in Sun City that starts on his career to crash out of the top 200. sure you have a good grip’. “We take it athletes tell me the same, that they Dec. 5. bid for rugby World Cup Stenson decided to reunite with The 37-year-old has been troubled his former mind coach Hansson in by a wrist injury for the last month but DUBLIN: Ireland will consider launching a al and also has the backing of Ireland’s 2012 and since then he has fought his Hansson said he was confident two bid for the 2023 rugby World Cup this Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), meaning way back to the top, culminating in weeks of rest would cure the problem. week, the country’s sports minister said on it can use stadiums like the 82,300-capaci- Sunday’s historic six-shot triumph at “Not only is his wrist sore now, Monday, hoping a politically-symbolic pro- ty Croke Park. the DP World Tour Championship in everywhere in the body is sore after posal will win it the right to host the event Alongside Croke Park, there are another for the first time. 10 Gaelic grounds as big or bigger than the Middle East. the last couple of weeks we’ve had, The ambitious effort would see games the second-largest rugby stadium in the Not only did the victory enable the what with playing, praticising, training played on both sides of the Irish border as country, Munster’s Thomond Park, former Ryder Cup player to finish the and all the effort he’s put in,” he unlike soccer, the national team is an all- although many will need major renovation season as Europe’s number one golfer, explained. Ireland selection, and would represent to stage an international tournament. it also meant world number three “I think if we give him 14 days rest another major step since a 1998 peace The GAA, governing body for Ireland’s Stenson became the first man to land he’ll be ready again.” Britain’s Ian agreement mostly ended three decades of unique sports hurling and Gaelic football, the Race To Dubai and US FedExCup Poulter, who battled Stenson all the violence in Northern Ireland. had to ask its members earlier this year to double. way only to finish second in the Race Ireland has been mulling the idea for allow the stadiums to be opened up to “I used a metaphor these last four To Dubai money list, said the Swede over a year, looking to replicate the suc- other sports which it had previously done days when we were working hard to could justifiably be called “the best cessful hosting by similarly populated New eight years ago. try and get these titles that we were player on the planet” right now. Zealand in 2011, and minister Leo Varadkar In 2005 the GAA changed its rules to attempting to climb the highest Stenson trails second-placed said he will seek approval from cabinet col- permit rugby and soccer to be played at mountain in the world,” Hansson told Australian Adam Scott and 14-times leagues late yesterday. Croke Park while the old Lansdowne Road Reuters by telephone just moments major winner Tiger Woods in the rank- “It’s probably the biggest event a coun- was being upgraded. after arriving back in his native ings but Hansson had no argument try like Ireland could do, we’re too small for The vote was a landmark decision as Sweden. with Poulter’s assertion. the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup and Croke Park, the national stadium for Gaelic “We had been struggling in the “You saw the performance he gave for that reason it would engender enor- football and hurling, was the venue for the bushes and then the woods but then yesterday,” said Hansson. “With all that mous national pride,” Varadkar told an original “Bloody Sunday” in 1920 when suddenly we could see above the tree pressure, all that media scrutiny and International Rugby Board conference. British troops killed 14 people during tops and we could actually start then to top it all with an eagle at the “The second thing is that even during Ireland’s War of Independence. climbing. 18th, how can you ever explain it in the very difficult times of the Troubles, rug- Until 1971 the GAA banned members “In these last four days we were in any other way? by in Ireland was a unifying sport. For us in from playing or attending so-called “for- the last stages of our climb and I told “I’ve told him so many times if we Ireland, it would just be a symbol of how eign games” like rugby and the politically- Henrik, ‘It’s going to be hard because stick to the plans and work really hard far we’ve come from the bad times to the charged Six Nations game against England you’re totally worn out and it’s freez- there will be moments when we have better times now.” in Croke Park in 2007 marked a significant ing up there but you must be really the golfing gods with us and he had South Africa, hosts of the hugely sym- moment in British-Irish relations. aware of where you’re putting your that. bolic 1995 rugby World Cup and 2010 soc- Varadkar said it could potentially boost hands and feet’,” said Hansson. “The gods wanted him to win yes- cer World Cup, have also indicated that the ailing economy by as much as 800 mil- “After he finished and we were terday and they wanted him to win in they plan to make a bid. France, hosts as lion euros ($1.1 billion) with hundreds of having dinner last night I talked about a really spectacular way so that every- recently as 2007, have also expressed an thousands of fans coming to the country, the metaphor we had used and I gave one in the world could see how good interest in the 2023 edition. according to a report prepared for govern- him a flag because that’s the only he is,” said Hansson. “We really feel he Dublin has been working with the ment by consultancy firm Deloitte & thing he forgot to do, put the flag at can reach number one in the world. Northern Ireland executive on the propos- Touche. —Reuters the top of the mountain.” During the Now we have new goals and new course of the European Tour’s season- Henrik Stenson of Sweden mountains to climb.”— Reuters