Report: NBA to wipe out exhibition games
NEW YORK, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- NBA owners and players met with no obvious success Thursday in a bid to prevent a disruption in the league's training camps and exhibition season.
"My demeanor is flat because I don't have anything to say," league Commissioner David Stern said after the meeting. "We're getting on fine as a personal matter. We're each saying and believe we're doing the best for our clients and we're trying to make a fair deal. But both sides have work to do."
Yahoo! Sports reported Stern, after consulting with league owners, would announce Friday that the opening of training camp would be postponed two weeks and that the exhibition campaign would be canceled. Camps are scheduled to open Oct. 3 and the first pre-season game is set for Oct. 9. The regular season has a Nov. 1 start date.
"The calendar is obviously not our friend, but we're not going to give up on the process because of the time," union President Derek Fisher said.
"We'll get back at it next week, hopefully earlier in the week. Right now there isn't anything to report or say. We'll keep working until we find some solutions."
NBA players have been locked out since July 1 after the league's collective bargaining agreement expired.
"We're trying to figure out ways to come together," Fisher added. "It didn't happen today. Hopefully we'll get another opportunity next week to continue to try and figure this thing out."
Keegan Bradley leads Tour Championship
ATLANTA, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Newly crowned PGA titleholder Keegan Bradley took the lead at the Tour Championship Thursday and Luke Donald moved in position to capture the FedEx Cup.
Bradley, the only major championship winner from 2011 to qualify for the elite 30-player field this week, shot a 6-under-par 64 at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
Jason Dufner, who lost to Bradley in a four-hole playoff at the PGA in August, shared second place at 66 with Chez Reavie and Donald.
Donald, ranked No. 1 in the world, was in fourth place on the year-long PGA Tour points race when this event began and if the standings at the end of the first round hold for the rest of the week he would capture the FedEx Cup and the $10 million that goes with it.
Charles Howell, Hunter Mahan, Adam Scott and Jason Day shared fifth place at 67.
Webb Simpson, the points leader going into what is the last of the four tour playoff tournaments, was tied for 16th following a 69. Dustin Johnson, second in points starting the week, posted a 70.
Rain began to fall as the final groups made the turn and when dangerous weather moved in play was halted with four players still on the course. Those players returned after a 29-minute delay and completed the round.
Bradley got his day going by holing out from a greenside bunker at the par-3 second and he made four birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine.
Bradley started the week in 20th place in the FedEx Cup points list and if things stand as they are he wound finish second behind Donald. Simpson would wind up third and Johnson would be fourth.
Big 12 commissioner resigns
NORMAN, Okla., Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Members of the Big 12 Conference board of directors announced Thursday Commissioner Dan Beebe had agreed to resign.
The resignation took place immediately and Chuck Neinas, who served as commissioner of the old Big Eight Conference more than 30 years ago, will take over the position on an interim basis. Beebe had been commissioner for four years.
There were reports last week that both Texas and Oklahoma were prepared to move to the Pacific 12 Conference if Beebe was not removed from his position. The Pac-12 then announced it was not expanding, but Beebe's fate was sealed by the obvious animosity toward him by member schools.
It was perceived by Big 12 members that Beebe had displayed a lack of leadership as the conference has recently come close to dissolving. Nebraska left the league for the Big Ten, Colorado has gone to the Pac-12 and Texas A&M has announced plans to exit at the end of this year for a berth in the Southeastern Conference.
"We sincerely thank Dan, who has always demonstrated a total commitment to what is in the best interest of the Big 12 Conference," Big 12 Board of Directors Chairman Brady Deaton said.
Oklahoma President David Boren indicated the Big 12 had not given up on the possibility of keeping Texas A&M in the league and said his school looked at other options out of necessity.
"We were concerned about the stability of this conference at a certain point in time," Boren said. "That's why we felt it was only prudent, not because we ever wanted to leave, but we were really worried if the conference would remain stable. That's the reason we had conversations with at least one other conference."
Mets damage St. Louis playoff hopes
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- A two-run single finished off a wild, six-run, ninth-inning rally Thursday that brought the New York Mets an 8-6 victory over St. Louis.
The stunning setback prevented the Cardinals from making up ground in the National League wild card chase, instead leaving them two games behind idle Atlanta in that competition with six games remaining. The Cardinals also fell five games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.
The game was delayed by rain at the start for 2 hours, 19 minutes.
St. Louis owned a seemingly comfortable 6-2 lead heading into the ninth, but surrendered six runs in the inning on just three hits and committed two errors that made one of the runs unearned.
The Mets loaded the bases before Justin Turner drew a walk to force in the first run in the ninth. Jose Reyes singled in another, Ruben Tejada doubled home two more and Harris closed things out with his two-RBI single.
The New York comeback made a winner out of Manny Acosta (4-1), who worked the bottom of the eighth. Bobby Parnell threw a perfect ninth to end the Cardinals' four-game winning streak and earn his sixth save.
Marc Rzepczynski (0-3), one of three St. Louis pitchers used in the ninth, took the loss.
