In brief: Pound, Conte sit down for rare exchange

In a meeting hardly anyone could have imagined a few years back, BALCO founder Victor Conte and World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dick Pound sat down Wednesday for their first face-to-face discussion about doping in sports.

During the two-hour meeting in Manhattan, they didn’t discuss specific cases or name any names, but had what both termed a frank conversation they hope will lead to a more productive relationship.

“We talked about the macro and systemic problems and his perspective on that, his thoughts on how we could get better at what we do,” Pound said. “I think we’ll probably stay in touch. We’ll try to build up a relationship where he’ll have confidence in me using the information he has in the right way. We’ll try to get a better handle on what he knows directly and what he knows as having been part of an overall operation.”

Conte, who pleaded guilty to operating a steroids distribution ring at the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, said Pound asked him what he would change if he were “king of the world in anti-doping for a day.”

“As someone who was able to evade their system for so long, it was easy for me to point out the many loopholes that exist and recommend specific steps to improve the overall effectiveness of their program,” Conte said in a statement.

Olympics

IOC erases Jones

Don’t look for Marion Jones’ name in the Olympic record books anymore. As far as the IOC is concerned, her five-medal performance at the 2000 Sydney Games never happened.

Jones was erased from the Olympic records when the IOC formally stripped her of her three gold and two bronze medals. Once the world’s biggest track and field star, Jones is now just a disgraced drug cheat.

“She is disqualified and scrapped from the results,” IOC president Jacques Rogge said at the close of a three-day executive board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“The 2012 U.S. Olympic track and field trials will be held in Eugene, Ore., also the site of the 2008 trials.

USA Track & Field officials and the U.S. Olympic Committee made the announcement at the University of Oregon, site of the future events.

Football

CSU picks Fairchild

Sonny Lubick was Steve Fairchild’s mentor at Colorado State. Now, the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator is Lubick’s replacement with the Rams.

Fairchild, a former Colorado State quarterback and assistant coach, was hired as the school’s 19th head coach.

“Hoping for a boost on offense and at the box office, Southern Miss hired Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Larry Fedora as its new coach.

Fedora replaces Jeff Bower, who resigned last month after 17 years and 119 wins. Fedora told about 1,000 fans, media and pep band members that he plans to squeeze more from a program that’s a proven winner and Conference USA contender every season.

“Two state charges of selling cocaine were dropped against former Montana State football player Derrick Davis Jr., as part of an agreement with the federal government, Gallatin County Attorney Marty Lambert said in Bozeman.