NBA approves sale of Wizards to Leonsis
NEW YORK, June 8 (UPI) -- Ted Leonsis, who owns the NHL's Washington Capitals, has received unanimous approval from the NBA Board of Governors for his purchase of the Washington Wizards.
The Leonsis-controlled Lincoln Holdings is buying the shares of the Wizards and the Verizon Center, where both the Capitals and Wizards play, from the family of longtime Wizards owner Abe Pollin.
Pollin died last November and in May his family reached an agreement with Leonsis to buy its 56 percent holding of the NBA team and arena. Leonsis already owned the rest of the interest.
"The transaction signifies the end of an era and a passing of the torch into very capable hands," NBA Commission David Stern said in a release. "We have long admired what Ted has done with the Washington Capitals in terms of sales, marketing and outreach in the community and we look forward to him bringing those skills to bear for the Wizards."
The board vote comes about two weeks before the NBA draft, in which the Wizards have the first overall selection.
Texas thoroughbred racing sees hard times
HOUSTON, June 8 (UPI) -- Thoroughbred racing may be canceled next year at two major tracks in Texas because of financial difficulties, officials said.
Sam Houston Race Park in Houston and Retama Park in Selma may forgo thoroughbred racing in 2011 in favor of a single 65-day thoroughbred schedule at Lone Star Park, a Dallas-Fort Worth track.
Owners and trainers are to meet Wednesday at Lone Star to discuss the plan, the Houston Chronicle reported Tuesday. The plan also must be approved by the Texas Racing Commission, which meets July 7.
The plan would enable promoters to increase daily purses to about $280,000, boosting efforts to compete against tracks in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas that offer gaming options prohibited by Texas law, said Dave Hooper, head of the Texas Thoroughbred Association.
New Jersey owners and trainers have had success with a consolidated season at Monmouth Park in Ocean Park, N.J., Hooper said.
Obama: Selig right to let 'The Call' stand
WASHINGTON, June 8 (UPI) -- Baseball Commissioner Bug Selig was right in declining to overrule an umpire's blown call that cost a Detroit pitcher a perfect game, President Obama said.
Obama commended the show of honesty by umpire Jim Joyce when he admitted he made the wrong call at first base on what would have been the final out in a game last week, the Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday.
The call -- later reviewed by Selig, who led it stand -- ruined Armando Galarraga's bid for the 21st perfect game in Major League history. After the game, the umpire said he had blown the call and apologized.
"I thought that showed something about sportsmanship that you don't see enough of in America today," Obama told NBC while in Kalamazoo to speak at a high school commencement.
But ... baseball may have to realize something that basketball and football already know, "which is replay may, in some cases, be appropriate," Obama said.
Galarraga did not fault the umpire for taking away a perfect game. He said Joyce deserved "a lot of credit" for admitting his mistake and apologizing.
Wozniak, rain among winners in Birmingham
BIRMINGHAM, England, June 8 (UPI) -- No. 9-seeded Aleksandra Wozniak collected a victory Tuesday, but most of the schedule at the Aegon Classic in England was rained out.
Wozniak defeated Alicia Molik 7-5, 6-1, taking Molik's serve four times in 10 chances. Wozniak lost only 12 points on serve -- four of those coming on the one service break she surrendered -- and took 62 percent of the points in the match.
Also Tuesday in other first-round matches completed, 16th-seeded Vania King stopped Kirsten Flipkens 6-4, 6-0 in a brisk 51 minutes and Ayumi Morita was on the court nearly 2 hours in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 win over Maria Elena Camerin.
None of the other nine matches on the schedule were completed. No. 15-seeded Kristina Barrois was leading Karolina Sprem 2-1 in the first set and Jill Craybas was up 7-5, 3-4 over Sophie Ferguson when play was halted.
Second-round matches involving No. 2-seeded Maria Sharapova, third-seeded Yanina Wickmayer and fourth-seeded Aravane Rezai were among those postponed to Wednesday.
