BCS director called on to defend system
College Football: Called in by the Department of Justice to explain how major college football crowns a champion, the head of the Bowl Championship Series spent 1 1/2 hours Thursday making a case for the much-criticized system.
BCS executive director Bill Hancock met with 10 officials from the department’s antitrust division in Washington.
Hancock said the tone of the meeting was friendly and that justice officials asked about how the BCS operates, how teams qualify to play in college football’s five most lucrative bowl games, and its finances and history.
Hancock said he brought two attorneys to the meeting and that he came away from it with no sense of whether he would be hearing from the Department of Justice again.
Even if there is no federal investigation, the BCS is already under fire from at least one state. The attorney general of Utah, Mark Shurtleff, has said he plans to file an antitrust lawsuit against the BCS.
Germany, France on to quarterfinals
Soccer: Germany reached the Women’s World Cup quarterfinals, beating Nigeria 1-0 when Simone Laudehr scored on a thunderous volley during a 54th-minute goalmouth scramble in a surprisingly tight game at Frankfurt, Germany.
After France, led by Gaetane Thiney’s two goals, routed Canada 4-0 in Bochum to also advance, tournament host Germany must beat its neighbor Tuesday if the two-time defending champions are to win Group A. Nigeria was eliminated along with Canada. The United States (1-0) plays Colombia in Group C on Saturday in Sinsheim.
U.S. routs Egypt to open U-19 tourney
Basketball: The United States opened defense of its FIBA Under 19 World Championships gold medal by scoring the first 22 points of a 115-60 victory over Egypt in Liepaja, Latvia.
Joe Jackson of Memphis and Jeremy Lamb of national champion Connecticut both had 15 points for the U.S., which plays Serbia today.
Scott, Haas lead AT&T National
Golf: Adam Scott made a couple of long birdie putts and hit a 5-iron within 2 feet for birdie on the 14th hole on his way to a 4-under-par 66 to share the lead with Hunter Haas at the AT&T National in Newton Square, Pa.
Only 28 of the 120 players managed to break par at Aronimink. Spokane native Alex Prugh was not among them after opening with a 7-over 77.
• Final Husky eliminated: Chris Williams of Moscow, Idaho, the last remaining hopeful for the University of Washington at the 2011 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Bandon Dunes (Ore.) Golf Resort, lost during match play in the round of 32.
Michigan’s Jack Schultz never trailed at the Old McDonald Course, beating Williams 3 and 2.
• Woods’ niece shines: Qualifying medalist Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods, advanced to the quarterfinals in the Women’s U.S. Amateur Public Links, winning two matches at Bandon Dunes’ Bandon Trails course.
Owners, players continue talks
NFL: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith met again, expanding talks on a pro football labor deal for the first time this week to include owners and players.
Sitting down with U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan at a Minneapolis law firm were a handful of owners – John Mara of the New York Giants, Clark Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs, Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots – and players including Jeff Saturday of the Indianapolis Colts, Brian Waters of the Kansas City Chiefs and Domonique Foxworth of the Baltimore Ravens.
A person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the labor talks are not being released, said “no big news” was announced but there was the same kind of optimism as last week when negotiations seemed to be making progress.
Another person familiar with the situation, was less upbeat, characterizing the process as “two steps forward, one step back.” A deal was not imminent, the person said.
Clemens may call on Mitchell to testify
Miscellany: Former Sen. George Mitchell says Roger Clemens may call him to testify at the upcoming trial on charges the all-star pitcher lied about drug use.
Mitchell’s 2007 report on performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball accused Clemens and 85 other former or current players of using those drugs.
Clemens is scheduled to go on trial next week in federal court in Washington, D.C.
• Animal Kingdom done for season: Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom will not race again this season after recent radiographs revealed the colt to have a slab fracture in his left hind leg. The 3-year-old son of Leroidesanimaux was first found to have a small fissure in that same hind leg two weeks ago.
• Hulsenberg captures bowling title: Hall of Famer Leanne Hulsenberg won the U.S. Women’s Open bowling title at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, beating 2003 and 2010 winner Kelly Kulick 218-183 in the title match.