49ers get NFL loan toward new stadium
INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The San Francisco 49ers have been loaned $200 million by the NFL to help with the building of a new stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
The Santa Clara Stadium Authority approved an $850 million construction loan for the stadium last month. With the loan from the NFL, groundbreaking on the $1.02 billion, 68,500-seat stadium could take place in the next few months.
The facility would then be expected to open in late summer 2014.
"With the NFL's muscle now behind the new stadium, we are moving forward," said 49ers Chief Executive Officer Jed York. "I expect an official groundbreaking ceremony very soon. Get your hard hats ready; we are embarking on the path to the next generation of 49ers football."
The team already has its offices and training facilities in Santa Clara, about 45 miles south of San Francisco.
The team has played in Candlestick Park, which has undergone a series of name changes, since 1971.
The loan to the 49ers is the first from the NFL's "new stadium fund," which was established as part of the league's new collective bargaining agreement.
Angelo Dundee, trainer of Ali, dies at 90
MIAMI, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Angelo Dundee, who trained Muhammad Ali and worked in his corner throughout his Hall of Fame career, died Wednesday in Florida, his son said. He was 90.
Jim Dundee told The Miami Herald Angelo Dundee died in Clearwater of a heart attack.
Angelo Dundee also worked as trainer for Sugar Ray Leonard and was in the corner for George Foreman when Foreman won the world heavyweight title in 1994 at age 45.
The Herald said Dundee suffered a blood clot during his return trip from celebrating Ali's 70th birthday in Louisville, Ky. After receiving treatment at a hospital, he was transferred to a rehabilitation center.
"He was recuperating and coming along quite well," Jim Dundee told the newspaper. "He was already making plans to take a trip to Las Vegas for another event in two weeks."
Angelo Dundee was hired by Ali in 1960 and was with him for 20 years. He was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.
Croats win Zagreb second-round matches
ZAGREB, Croatia, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Croats Ivan Dodig and Ivo Karlovic posted wins Thursday and advanced to the quarterfinals of the PBZ Zagreb Indoors tennis tournament in Croatia.
Dodig, the defending champion and No. 4 seed this year, topped Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a 2 1/2-hour battle. Dodig lost his serve twice in the first set but had a pair of third-set breaks to improve to 2-0 lifetime versus Garcia-Lopez.
Their other meeting was in the Zagreb Indoors semifinals last year and also went three sets.
Karlovic lost just 11 points in eight service games of a 6-3, 6-2 win over Dudi Sela. Karlovic saved the only break point he faced and had a pair of breaks in each set.
Lukas Lacko ousted No. 2-seeded Alex Bogomolov Jr. in a seesaw 6-0, 6-7 (1-7), 6-1 decision. Lacko won two-thirds of the points over the first and third sets.
Other second-round matches Thursday saw third-seeded Mikhail Youzhny top Grega Zemlja 6-1, 6-3 and No. 6-seeded Marcos Baghdatis defeat Lukasz Kubot 6-4, 6-2.
Dodig goes against Baghdatis and Lacko plays No. 7-seeded Robin Haase in one half of the draw's quarterfinals while Youzhny meets Karlovic and Jurgen Melzer faces Michael Berrer in the others.
U. of Cincinnati drops arrested player
CINCINNATI, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- University of Cincinnati running back Akise Teague was dropped from the team Thursday after being charged with burglarizing dorm rooms.
Teague, a 20-year-old freshman, was arrested Wednesday, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. He allegedly entered dorm rooms while the occupants were asleep and stole items that were later found in his possession.
University police said he confessed to the crimes orally and in writing.
"Akise Teague has been suspended indefinitely and dismissed from the University of Cincinnati football team," Coach Butch Jones said in a statement. "Student-athletes in the program are held to a higher standard of conduct on and off the field as representatives of the university. This incident in no way reflects the values, principles and ideals of our football program."
Teague was a high school star at Youngstown Ursuline and was named Ohio AP Mr. Football in 2010. That year Ursuline won its third consecutive Division V state title.
As a freshman at Cincinnati, Teague played in two games last season, rushing eight times for 42 yards and one touchdown.
