Olympic head blames Boston
IOC President Thomas Bach said Boston was firmly to blame for its aborted bid for the 2024 Olympics, saying the city failed to deliver on “promises” made to U.S. Olympic leaders when they selected the Massachusetts capital as the American candidate for the games.
Bach also said Wednesday the IOC has a “commitment” from the U.S. Olympic Committee that it will put forward a bid city for 2024, though he declined to endorse any other contender. Los Angeles is considered the USOC’s likely choice ahead of the Sept. 15 deadline for official submission of candidates.
Bach gave his first extensive comments on the demise of the Boston bid, which was dropped amid poor public support, strong local opposition and lack of full political commitment.
Hockey
The Winter Classic is coming to the home of the NFL’s New England Patriots. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman joined officials from the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens to say the Original Six rivals will meet New Year’s Day at Gillette Stadium. The Bruins will be the first team to host the event twice. They also hosted it in 2010 at Fenway Park.
• New Jersey Devils forward Dainius Zubrus was placed on unconditional waivers with the intention of ending his contract. Zubrus, 37, played for the Devils the past eight seasons and was slated to earn $3.1 million this season in the final year of a three-year, $9.3 million deal.
• The Robert Morris women’s team will play 16 home games this season between 20 conference and 14 nonconference games. The Colonials kick off their 2015-16 preseason Sept. 25-26 at Bemidji State and play their first home series Oct. 9-10 at the Robert Morris Island Sports Center against Merrimack.
• Class AAA Penguins Cup champion CanonMcMillan hired Joe Rodella as its new coach. Rodella compiled an 88-69-4 record as coach of Pitt’s club hockey team from 2008-14 and was the Tri-State Collegiate Hockey League’s coach of the year in 2011.
Pro basketball
Ivory Latta scored 20 points to lead the host Washington Mystics to a win, 87-74, against the Seattle Storm in WNBA action. … Shenise Johnson scored 19 points to lead the Indiana Fever past the visiting New York Liberty, 84-72. … Maya Moore had 27 points to lead the host Minnesota Lynx past the Los Angeles Sparks, 82-76. … Kayla McBride’s 25 points helped the San Antonio Stars beat the visiting Atlanta Dream, 102-85.
Tennis
Roger Federer pulled out of next month’s Rogers Cup hard-court tournament in Monterla. A spokeswoman for Tennis Canada wrote in an email to The Associated Press that Federer “wants to make sure he will be [in] top shape for” the U.S. Open, the year’s last Grand Slam tournament.
Soccer
Kaka scored on a penalty kick and set up David Villa’s goal in the first half to help the Major League Soccer all-stars beat Tottenham Hotspur, 2-1, in Commerce City, Colo.