USOPC to cut up to 20%, says no games would be ‘devastating’
DENVER » The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is bracing for cuts of up to 20% because of the coronavirus pandemic and warning that a cancellation of the Tokyo Games would be “devastating” to athletes and the organization.
The Associated Press received a copy of a letter CEO Sarah Hirshland sent to leaders across the U.S. Olympic world Tuesday, in which she said cuts of 10 to 20% are “necessary to balance both the current delay in revenue and anticipated decline” that’s expected over coming years.
The letter was accompanied by a Q&A that dealt with the possibility that the Olympics, now scheduled to start a year late, in July 2021, could be canceled altogether if the coronavirus isn’t curtailed by then.
“We have to fully understand what that possibility would mean for our organization, so we certainly have considered it and evaluated it,” the note said. “The impact of cancellation would be devastating to our athletes, first and foremost, but also to our financial health and stability. We would survive such a scenario, but the impact would be severe.”
Though job cuts or pay reductions appear likely among the 500-person staff, many based at the headquarters in Colorado Springs, the Q&A said “we will look at broader program, services and personnel-related costs before we consider cuts or furloughs.”
Djokovic says he may reconsider his anti-vaccination stand
BELGRADE, SERBIA » Novak Djokovic has reiterated he is against taking an anti-coronavirus vaccination if it becomes mandatory to travel once the pandemic subsides, but says he’s open to changing his mind.
The top-ranked Djokovic said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press on Tuesday, “Personally I am opposed to the vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be able to travel.
“But if it becomes compulsory, I will have to make a decision whether to do it or not. This is my current feeling, and I don’t know if it will change, but it really influences my profession.”
Djokovic caused a stir in a live Facebook chat with fellow Serb players on Sunday when he said that if a vaccination was compulsory when the tours resume then he “wouldn’t want to be forced by someone” to take it.
In his statement on Tuesday, Djokovic said, “I have expressed my views because I have the right to and I also feel responsible to highlight certain essential topics that are concerning the tennis world.”
Ex-driver Lazier dies from virus
LAKEWOOD, COLO. » Bob Lazier, the 1981 CART rookie of the year and father of 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier, died Saturday from COVID-19. He was 81.
Lazier’s wife, Diane, confirmed the death in an interview with the Vail (Colo.) Daily, telling the newspaper her husband had spent 22 days in a hospital in Lakewood, Colo., fighting the illness. They had been married for 58 years.
Lazier spent only full-time season on the CART circuit. He finished ninth in the standings that season, was the series top rookie and qualified 13th in his only Indianapolis 500 start. An engine failure forced Lazier to drop out of the race after 154 laps.
Buffalo gets probation
BUFFALO, N.Y. » The University at Buffalo men’s basketball team has been placed on one-year probation and agreed to other NCAA sanctions after a former assistant coach was found to have forged recruiting documents.
The decision was announced by the NCAA and the Mid-American Conference school as part of a negotiated resolution. The school said it self-reported the infractions in October and cooperated with the NCAA investigation.
Buffalo also was fined $5,000, agreed to a two-week ban on communicating with potential recruits and reduced its recruiting days by five for the 2020-21 season.
The NCAA credited Buffalo for acting quickly and found no evidence of a lack of institutional control or failure to monitor the situation. The governing body said it would not reveal the coaches or athlete involved.
NCAA: Players ejected for targeting can remain on sidelines
INDIANAPOLIS » Players ejected from football games for targeting will be allowed to remain on the sidelines, the NCAA announced.
The Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the rules change no longer requiring players to head to the locker room after targeting is confirmed. All other aspects of the rule discouraging above-the-shoulders contact remain the same.
The panel also approved a pace-of-play guideline for instant replay officials to complete video reviews in less than two minutes. Reviews that are exceptionally complicated or involve end-of-game issues should be completed as efficiently as possible without a stated time limit.