Landis takes his case to the courtroom

Floyd Landis began a most unusual defense of his Tour de France title Monday, trading his yellow jersey for a yellow necktie.

Striding into the law building at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., for the start of his arbitration hearing, Landis said he was confident he’ll retain his title if the final ruling is based “on the facts.”

Accused of using banned synthetic testosterone during his Tour de France victory last year, Landis insisted on turning his arbitration hearing into a public process, in part to expose what he says is the fraudulent way USADA and its partners in the industry do business.

The hearing is expected to last through next Wednesday with dozens of scientific experts scheduled to testify before a three-man panel of arbitrators who will decide Landis’ fate.

•Italy’s Olympic Committee recommended the Italian Cycling Federation suspend Ivan Basso for admitting involvement in the Spanish doping scandal.

The committee’s anti-doping prosecutors in Rome also recommended Michele Scarponi be suspended.

•In Cagliari, Sardinia, Alessandro Petacchi won the third stage of the Giro d’Italia in a sprint finish, and Enrico Gasparotto regained the overall lead from teammate Danilo Di Luca.

Robert Forster, a German with the Gerolsteiner team, was second. Ariel Maximilian Richeze, an Argentine with Panaria, was third.

Football

Jones’ appeal delayed

A decision on Titans cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones’ appeal for leniency from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be delayed while lawyers complete paperwork.

The commissioner then will review the briefs summing up the legal points and testimony from the appeal hearing before deciding whether to ease Jones’ season-long NFL suspension. The decision would come no sooner than May 21, two people close to the case told the Associated Press.

•The Cincinnati Bengals released defensive tackle Sam Adams and signed unrestricted free agent Kenderick Allen to a one-year contract.

•In New York, Dolphins cornerback Andre Goodman had surgery on his left shoulder for the second time this year.

Miscellany

Colangelo rewarded

Bryan Colangelo, the Toronto Raptors’ president and general manager, was chosen as the NBA’s Executive of the Year for the second time in his career.

•In Valencia, Spain, Emirates Team New Zealand and Italian boat Luna Rossa won their opening Louis Vuitton Cup semifinal sailing races.

•The openly gay coach of the Missouri men’s lacrosse club team was told his contract will not be renewed after nine seasons. Team leaders said Kyle Hawkins was dismissed because of his job performance, not his sexual orientation.

•George Kiseda, a journalist who championed civil rights issues in sports in the 1950s and 1960s, has died. He was 80.

Kiseda died early Sunday of a form of dementia at an Alzheimer’s care facility in San Jaun Capistrano, Calif.