In brief

Lawmakers grapple with boxing issues

By wire services
Published March 4, 2005

WASHINGTON - Boxing needs the government to step in and protect the sport, reformers told Congress on Thursday. A key Republican said he was wary of making bureaucrats act as referees.

A stalled bill to create a U.S. Boxing Commission brought a hearing in a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, where lawmakers are trying to forge a compromise with a Senate effort championed by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

House lawmakers grappled with a host of issues - fighters risking their health, lack of financial support for rundown boxers, the confusing contractual battles involving promoters, networks and big-name boxers.

"The problem that we have is we don't have any enforcement mechanism," said Ron Scott Stevens, chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission.

He said a commission would safeguard the health of fighters and bring more structure to the often chaotic business.

Two sanctioning bodies, the IBF and WBA, oppose a federal commission, but a representative said they do support national medical standards.

Boston's FleetCenter has a new name: TD Banknorth Garden. The bank reached a 20-year deal with arena owner Delaware North Cos. to put its name on the home of the Celtics and Bruins. Financial terms were not immediately disclosed, but published reports have mentioned between $5-million and $6-million per year. The Maine-based bank also will invest more than $5-million in New England neighborhoods, and commit $8-million for improvements to the arena over the life of the deal, officials said. The new name takes effect July 1 and resurrects at least part of the name of the FleetCenter's legendary predecessor, the Boston Garden.

David Beckham, the game's highest earner and the English captain, said he wants to end his playing career at Real Madrid in Spain rather than in England. "I'm going to stay here as long as possible," he said in a television interview. "I want to retire here." Beckham, 29, is 21 months into a four-year contract with Madrid. He said he and his wife, Victoria, want to bring up their three children in Spain. Since his arrival in Madrid, U.K. newspapers have consistently linked him with a return to the Premiership.

SCANDAL GROWS: A second referee "no doubt" fixed a game in the scandal that has rocked Germany a little more than a year before it hosts the World Cup, the German Soccer Federation's sports court said. Referee Dominick Marks was handed $4,800 in his kitchen to fix the game between amateur clubs, the court said. Until now, star witness and referee Robert Hoyzer, who admitted to fixing or attempting to fix seven matches, had only accused three other referees in his testimony to police.

U.S. WINS: Taylor Twellman and Pat Noonan scored two goals apiece to give the national team a 7-0 victory over Club Deportivo Chivas USA in Carson, Calif., Wednesday night.

OBITUARY: Rinus Michels, who masterminded a style of soccer in which players moved freely between positions on the field, died in Aalst, Belgium, after heart surgery at age 77. He coached the Netherlands' only title-winning national team at the 1988 European Championship.

HORSES: Stewart Elliott, who won last year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes aboard Smarty Jones, was back riding at Aqueduct a day after his release by federal immigration officials who detained him because he had pleaded guilty to 2001 felony assault charges. The Canada native was winless in four races. ... Churchill Downs Inc. filed a federal lawsuit against the Jockeys' Guild in an attempt to prevent jockeys from staging boycotts, as they did twice last November.

WINTER SPORTS: Cindy Klassen of Canada ended Anni Friesinger's streak of three straight 1,500-meter titles at the world speed skating championships with a victory in the German's hometown of Inzell. Klassen was timed in 1 minute, 58.49 seconds, followed by Friesinger (1:58.73) and Jennifer Rodriguez of the United States (1:59.44). ... Switzerland's Daniela Meuli beat Americans Michelle Gorgone (silver medal) and Rosey Fletcher (bronze) in the women's World Cup snowboarding parallel giant slalom races at Wilmington, N.Y.

OLYMPICS: A poll released Thursday found that while New Yorkers overwhelmingly support the city's efforts to attract the 2012 Olympics, a majority (56 percent) remain opposed to building the $1.7-billion stadium necessary to lure the Games.

FLORIDA GAMES: Athletes wishing to compete in cheerleading and dance, figure skating and sport shooting in the Sunshine State Games can find registration information and applications at www.flasports.com Cheerleading and dance will be April 22-24 at the University of Tampa's Martinez Center, sport shooting from April 23-May 22, and figure skating May 13-15 in Coral Springs.

[Last modified March 4, 2005, 00:31:15]