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Sports 1B Wednesday December 11, 2013 Star athletes A's deal Anderson to Rockies take on homophobia at U.N. event UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Former professional basketball player Jason Collins and tennis great Martina Navratilova on Tuesday urged world sports bodies like the International Olympic Committee and FIFA to take gay rights into consideration when awarding major sporting events. The two openly gay athletes spoke at a special United Nations event celebrating International Human Rights Day. They focused in part on the upcoming Winter Olympics in Russia, which passed a law this summer banning homosexual "propaganda." The law has drawn international condemnation and sparked calls for a boycott, though no nations have threatened to pull their athletes. Navratilova, who lost lucrative endorsements when she came out in 1981, said she doesn't support boycotts of any kind. But she said the IOC is "putting its head in the sand" and criticized FIFA, the world soccer body, for awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. "Nobody's talking about Qatar and the World Cup. You can get a jail term there," she said of consensual gay sex in the Persian Gulf nation. In six other countries, including Saudi Arabia, simply being gay is punishable by death, she said. "Gays and lesbians seem to be the last group it's seen as OK to pick on," she said. The two athletes also joked about how times have changed for gay rights in the U.S. "When Collins came out this year, he got a phone call from President Obama congratulating him," Navratilova said. "Well, in 1981, Reagan was president. I didn't get that phone call." "It's funny, right before President Obama, it was Oprah Winfrey," Collins added. "Like a surreal experience." Collins almost shyly thanked Navratilova for being so outspoken. "I'm sitting next to one of my idols," he said. North America's major pro sports leagues are still awaiting an openly gay athlete. Collins, 35, was prepared to become the first when he came out after the NBA regular season had ended. The aging reserve player and free agent has not been signed by another team, though he says he stays in shape and hopes to return to the NBA. Collins said the league is doing a "great job changing the culture of sport" in regard to gay players. In a recorded message, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also praised straight athletes who speak out against homophobia. "They understand an abuse against any of us is an affront to all," he said. In a related event Tuesday, U.S. ambassador Samantha Power called the Russian law "as outrageous as it is dangerous." Power, who was meeting with dozens of gay activists from around the world, said 78 countries still have laws that criminalize consensual sex between adults. "To deny gays and lesbians the right to live freely ... is in fact barbarian," Power said. This year was the first time the U.N. held a ministerial meeting on LGBT issues, with Secretary of State John Kerry attending. "That's progress," Power said. Russian journalist and gay right activist Masha Gessen then read part of the Russian law on gay "propaganda" and said, "It actually enshrines second-class citizenship and makes it a crime to talk about equality." Zambian activist Juliet Mphande listened to Gessen's comments and said, "I imagine Russia to be an African country right now." She said at least six people from her country's gay community had been arrested this year. AP photo In this photo provided by the United Nations, former NBA player Jason Collins addresses the media during a news conference at United Nations headquarters Tuesday. Tehama Tracker Today's schedule BOYS SOCCER Gridley at Corning, 3:15 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER Red Bluff at Enterprise, 6 p.m. Gridley at Corning, 3:15 p.m. WRESTLING Chico at Corning, 6 p.m. Sports on TV GOLF 8:30 p.m. TGC — Asian Tour, Thailand Championship, first round, at Bangkok NBA BASKETBALL 5 p.m. ESPN — Chicago at New York 7:30 p.m. ESPN — Dallas at Golden State NHL HOCKEY 5 p.m. NBCSN — Philadelphia at Chicago SOCCER 11:30 a.m. FSN — UEFA Champions League, Celtic at Barcelona FS1 — UEFA Champions League, Arsenal at Napoli pleton Shootout, final round, at Naples, Fla. OAKLAND (AP) — The Oakland Athletics found a trade partner for pitcher Brett Anderson and his big salary. The A's dealt the lefthander and cash to the Colorado Rockies for lefty Drew Pomeranz and minor league right-hander Chris Jensen on Tuesday. Two-time AL West champion Oakland had been looking to move Anderson, who is due to make $8 million this season and has a $12 million contract option for the 2015 season. That includes a $1.5 million buyout. The 25-year-old Anderson was the Athletics' starter on opening day this year. He went 1-4 with a 6.04 in five starts and 16 appearances, finishing up as a reliever in an injury-interrupted season. "Thanks to the A's Organization and Fans for everything," Anderson posted on Twitter. "I'll nothing but fond memories of my time there." Of his move to Denver, he added: "Peyton Manning and I are going to become best friends...fact." This marked A's general manager Billy Beane's fourth trade in just over a week. "We had a lot of starting pitching, and in the acquisition of Pomeranz, it allows us to turn back the clock a little with another very talented lefthander," Beane said at the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. "Brett's been with us for several years, and someone obviously with that kind of talent we think very highly of, but with the amount of guys we have, we knew we could use that to get younger guys with less service time, and that was attractive." Anderson, a secondround draft pick by Arizona in 2006, has been plagued by injuries in recent years. He returned in the summer of 2012 after missing 14 months following Tommy John elbow surgery. During his lengthy rehab, Anderson AP file photo Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Brett Anderson delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. on April 19. worked to improve his fitness and lost more than 20 pounds. He then missed four months this past season with a sprained right ankle and stress fracture in his right foot. "Great talent and certainly moments of brilliance," Beane said. "From the Rockies end, they're probably getting him at a great time. He's been through the Tommy John. He's always been motivated. He's a hard worker, and this is the time to get him, because the cost of acquisition a couple of years ago on Brett, well there really wasn't one. He was an untouchable." The power-armed Pomeranz was on the disabled list late in the season with left biceps tendinitis. He went 0-4 with a 6.23 ERA in with four starts and eight outings for 21 2-3 innings. He went 2-9 in 22 starts the previous year. Beane envisions keeping him as a starter at this stage, but eventually could work into a bullpen role. Jensen went 5-8 with a 4.55 ERA in 152 1-3 innings for Class A Modesto. He had 136 strikeouts to 39 walks in 28 starts. In less than 24 hours last week, Beane completed three trades while also working to deal Anderson. The A's acquired new closer Jim Johnson from the Orioles to replace All-Star closer Grant Balfour. Then last Tuesday, they traded for San Diego right-handed reliever Luke Gregerson for Seth Smith and acquired outfielder Craig Gentry from Texas for top prospect Michael Choice. America's Cup economic impact below projections; cost taxpayers over $5 million SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The America's Cup sailing races this year generated far less economic activity in the San Francisco Bay Area than projected, and have cost taxpayers more than $5 million, a newspaper reported. Draft figures from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute reviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle show the races generated at least $364 million in economic impact. That figure rises to $550 million if the construction of a new cruise ship terminal is factored in. That is far below the $900 million projected just a few months before the races were set to begin and the $1.4 billion originally estimated in 2010. Based on figures from Mayor Ed Lee's office, the newspaper also reported the races have cost city taxpayers more than $5 million so far despite private fundraising and a boost in city tax revenue. The numbers come as Lee prepares to submit a proposal by Dec. 22 to host the next Cup. In a statement, he said the races "showcased our beautiful city to the world and brought thousands of new jobs, long-overdue legacy waterfront improvements, international visitor spending, and a boost to our regional economy." But Supervisor John Avalos said city money was better spent in outlying neighborhoods such as the one he represents, rather than its waterfront, which was spruced up for the races. "A $5.5 million deficit, all for a yacht race for billionaires," Avalos said. "The whole event has been nothing more than a stupefying spectacle of how this city works for the top 1 percent on everyone else's dime." The event faced numerous setbacks, including the death of Olympic gold medal-winning sailor Andrew "Bart" Simpson during a training run in May. The $100 million price tag to compete in the race whittled down the list of competitors. Simpson's death raised concerns about the safety of the race. AP photo Oracle Team USA crosses the finish line during the 18th race of the America's Cup sailing event against Emirates Team New Zealand on Sept. 24 in San Francisco. Still, the finish was thrilling, with defending champion Oracle Team USA coming back from an 8-1 match deficit to defeat Emirates Team New Zealand. "While the economic boost fell short of initial expectations, it's definitely worth a modest city investment to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for our local economy," said Board of Supervisors President David Chiu. "The race ended up being pretty exciting, too." Russell Coutts, a five-time America's Cup winner who is CEO of Oracle Team USA, said it was a "very positive experience" for both the city and the event. "The economic impact numbers show what the America's Cup can deliver," Coutts said. "San Francisco provided a spectacular venue for racing, and the final was one of the most exciting in the 162-year history of the event."