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2B Daily News – Wednesday, July 24, 2013 SOCCER PENN STATE NCAA seeks dismissal of Paterno family lawsuit STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — The NCAA asked a Pennsylvania court on Tuesday to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the family of the late coach Joe Paterno that seeks to overturn the sanctions against Penn State for the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. Some trustees, former players and coaches and current faculty members are also taking part in the same lawsuit, which the NCAA said was flawed and contained ''various significant legal deficiencies.'' College sports' governing body said in the filing in Centre County court late Tuesday that the civil suit must be dismissed in part because the university itself isn't part of the suit. The sanctions handed down in July 2012 were agreed to by the NCAA and the university president. The NCAA also firmly denied a claim that it had conspired with former FBI director Louis Freeh's team in formulating the sanctions. Freeh led the school's internal investigation into the scandal, and the Paterno family and three former school officials have vehemently denied Freeh's scathing allegations of a cover-up. ''Their suit complains primarily about the conclusions of the Freeh Report, conducted at the behest of the Penn State Board, and the university's acceptance of its findings,'' NCAA chief legal officer Donald Remy said in a statement outlining the organization's arguments. ''The NCAA did not commission the Freeh Report nor had any role in it. It was the NCAA's first response to the case since the lawsuit was filed in late May. The NCAA also asked for related complaints against NCAA president Mark Emmert and Oregon State president Ed Ray to be dismissed for lack of merit. Ray was chair of the NCAA executive committee when the penalties were announced. ''Universities must be free to manage their own affairs, including their membership in the NCAA, without interference by disappointed or disgruntled individuals,'' Remy said. ''While the plaintiffs may be unhappy with the conclusions and university's acceptance of the Freeh Report, the plaintiffs in this case were not sanctioned by the NCAA and have no legal basis to sue.'' Paul Kelly, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs other than the Paterno family, said Tuesday he had not a chance yet to review the NCAA's lengthy response. The landmark sanctions were announced a year ago Tuesday, on July 23, 2012. They included a four-year bowl ban, steep scholarship cuts and a $60 million fine. The penalties, and the NCAA's handling of the Penn State case, remain the subject of scrutiny among some alumni, area residents and Pennsylvania politicians, as well as in the courts. Earlier Tuesday, three trustees who took seats earlier this month offered support for the five board colleagues involved in the litigation. The suit said that the NCAA bypassed the organization's own rules in levying penalties against the football program with uncharacteristic speed. The lawsuit also attacks Freeh's handling of the internal investigation, along with how and why the NCAA used Freeh's report as a basis for sanctions. ''We firmly believe that truth and justice should never fear an open hearing and review — whether in the courts or before the Board of Trustees,'' trustees Ted Brown, Barbara Doran and William Oldsey said in their joint statement. The alumni-elected trustees elected this spring were endorsed by an alumni watchdog group that has been critical of the decisions of board leaders after the scandal began with Sandusky's arrest in November 2011, including Paterno's firing. The NCAA filing came on the same day that Penn State issued a statement on bowl revenue. The school's nearly $2.3 million share of bowl revenue has been divided among the Big Ten's 12 member schools, including Penn State, to distribute for causes focused on child protection or advocacy. The school said the individual share for each school amounted to more than $188,000. The Nittany Lions finished the 2012 season bowl-eligible at 8-4, but were banned from the postseason as part of NCAA sanctions for the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. The $2.3 million represents Penn State's share of conference bowl revenue had the school been allowed to play in the postseason. Penn State said its portion of the carved-up bowl share would be funneled through the Centre County United Way with instructions to split the money between the Stewards of Children program and the Children's Advocacy Center. Coach Bill O'Brien and three players are scheduled to take part in Big Ten media days beginning Wednesday in Chicago. US prepares for Gold Cup match ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jurgen Klinsmann wants to get a better picture of what his squad will look like for its likely trip to Brazil next year. If the U.S. national team's current form continues through July, he will have some tougher decisions to make than previously anticipated. As the Americans prepare to take on Honduras in the semifinals of the Gold Cup on Wednesday night at Cowboys Stadium, they bring with them a national-team record nine match winning streak and a bevy of second-teamers looking to impress. ''It's an opportunity for us to see players coming through the system, and you want to evaluate them and see them in every training session,'' said Klinsmann, who took over the team after a second-place finish in the 2011 version of the CONCACAF championship. ''You want to see them every minute they are on the field in order to get a better picture of them towards the World Cup in 2014.'' So far, those looking to catch Klinsmann's eye have done so. The United States has won all four of its games in the biennial tournament, outscoring opponents 16-3. The only close game the U.S. has played in the tournament was a 1-0 victory against Costa Rica to close out group play in first place. The majority of the regulars, such as Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore, are not at the Gold Cup after a highly successful string of World Cup qualifiers. The U.S. sits atop the final leg of qualifying with four games left. The U.S. is also coming off its most successful year in team history in 2012 with a 9-2-3 mark. However, the replacements are doing their best to break into the first-team rotation. ''I think all of us know that we'll stand out individually if we do well as a team,'' said U.S. forward Chris Wondolowski, whose five goals lead all Gold Cup scorers. ''And so I think we have that, first and foremost, and I think that's going to be the key and we've all bought in on that. I think you can see the camaraderie in the group, and it's definitely team-first here.'' While players like the 30-year-old Wondolowski, who has scored all six of his international career goals this month, are trying to prove they belong, former national team stars also are hoping to catch on. Most notably, three-time World Cup veteran Landon Donovan. Donovan has been among the top U.S. players through four games in the Gold Cup. He has five goals and seven assists in his five games back with the squad after a selfimposed hiatus from the sport. Despite his years of success with the national team, he hasn't been a part of such an historic run. Until now. ''It's a lot of fun,'' Donovan said. ''It's really enjoyable to play in, not only the goals but we're creating lots of chances, and that's enjoyable.'' Brek Shea, a Texas native, said the weight of the win streak hasn't gotten to the team, nor do the Americans talk about the record. The 23-year-old Shea scored the winner against Costa Rica after coming on as a substitute. He said the team doesn't want to put more pressure on itself to win. ''I think everyone is just excited to play,'' Shea said. ''We've had a really fun time in this tournament. On and off the field it's a great group of guys. The U.S. and Mexico were pretournament favorites to reach the Gold Cup final. Mexico meets Panama in the second semifinal. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago. While U.S.-Mexico is the final most expected, Honduras hopes to break up the party with a victory Wednesday. Honduras, the fifth-ranked team in the region by FIFA, is the last CONCACAF team to defeat the United States in competitive play, at the beginning of World Cup qualifying. MLB Courtesy photo (Continued from page 1B) Julia Brandt of Red Bluff anchors the 1st place 400-meter Free Relay team, which qualified for the Far Western Championships in San Jose and the Speedo Sectional Championships in Long Beach with a time of 4:13.70. Pictured from left to right are Shiree Wasko, Mariah Lynch, Connor Doran and Julia Brandt. in the 2011 MVP vote, said the Milwaukee slugger should be stripped of the honor. ''We had conversations, and I considered him a friend,'' Kemp said. ''I don't think anybody likes to be lied to, and I feel like a lot of people have felt betrayed.'' New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Braun was guilty. ''You don't accept a deal unless you're guilty,'' he said. ''It's another black eye for our game. I know this game is very resilient, and there's been a lot of scandals over the years, but you get tired of it,'' Girardi added. He may soon facing his own problem — with a teammate. More than a dozen players have been targeted by MLB in its probe of the closed anti-aging clinic Biogenesis of America, including three-time AL MVP Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees. The next step will be for MLB to inform the union of additional players it intends to penalize, which could happen as early as a meeting on Thursday, a person famil- SOAR (Continued from page 1B) 200 and 400 Relay teams to 2nd place finishes. Jaxon Balken, who just turned 11 last week, had some fantastic swims and brought home a medal in the 50 Back, placing 8th with an "A" time of 37.26. In the 200 IM Balken dropped 5 seconds and earned a new "A" time going 2:52.88 and earning 10th place. In the 200 Breast he finished in 12th place, and DIRT (Continued from page 1B) to make his second Truck Series start of the season. ''I have been looking forward to this race for a really long time,'' he said. ''I've had a lot of fun racing at Eldora and have had quite a bit of success, so I am excited to get back. I can't wait to see how the trucks run there.'' Even with the lengthy in the 50 Breast he was 13th. In the 100 Breast he finished in 14th place. Balken also swam on the 4th place 400 Medley relay team. Zinnia Balken, 15, enjoyed significant time drops in all of her events and just missed finals in the 200 Breast, finishing 11th. In the 100 Breast Balken got her best time and placed 16th. She cut 1.45 seconds off in the 100 Fly, finishing 24th, and she placed 25th in the 200 IM. Having taken a year off, it was great to see Holiday Rider, 13, back in the water. He swam to a 15th place finish in the 50 Back, 27th place in the 50 Fly and 37th place in the 50 Free. He was also part of the 8th place 400 Medley relay team and the 9th place 400 Free relay team. Jordan Brandt, 7, qualified for her first ever long course Junior Olympics in the 100 Free, 50 Back and 50 Breast. Her best swim was in the 50M Breast where she took off 2.78 seconds and finished in 28th place. In the 100 Free she placed 29th and in the 50 Back she finished 35th. Mitchell Sauve, 14, competed on five Sun Oaks relay teams. The 400 Medley relay finished in 7th place, the 200 Medley was 8th place, and the 400 Free, 800 Free, and 200 Free relays finished in 9th place. Coley Sauve, 16, swam on the 200 Medley relay team, which placed 11th. Sun Oaks Aquatics swimming will be competing in Weaverville this weekend and will end the season at the NVAL Championships August 24. gap between NASCAR dirt races, fans and drivers are buzzing over the race, a rarity in a series that often runs in front of mostly empty grandstands as a support race in a Sprint Cup weekend. But a big crowd, big ratings and a great race could go far in making an Eldora a regular stop on the Truck Series circuit — and maybe make stock car racing there a reality. ''If it has incredible success, who knows how far this could go?'' driver Kenny Wallace said. ''You could put the Nationwide Series there. One thing I always remind people of — and I race dirt all over the United States — this is where Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman came from. Three quarters of the field in Sprint Cup came from dirt tracks just like Eldora. I think this is a really good deal.'' The race comes six weeks after the death of NASCAR driver Jason Leffler on a dirt track in New Jersey. State police say a mechanical problem was to blame for the spinout that ended with Leffler's car slamming into a concrete wall. The 37-year-old Long Beach, Calif., native was a two-time winner on the NASCAR Nationwide Series and a one-time winner in the Truck Series. iar with the probe said, speaking on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized. New York expects ARod could face a much harsher penalty than the one Braun agreed to, a second person familiar with the case said, also speaking on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized. The Yankees anticipate Rodriguez could be accused of using PEDs over multiple seasons, of recruiting other athletes for the clinic, of attempting to obstruct MLB's investigation, and of not being truthful with MLB in the past when he discussed his relationship with Dr. Anthony Galea, who pleaded guilty two years go to a U.S. federal charge of bringing unapproved drugs from Canada into the United States. Despite Braun's suspension, Kemp has no shot at claiming the MVP trophy. The Baseball Writers' Association of America has said repeatedly that it will not revisit any of its award votes. ''The decision was already made. He won it,'' said Jack O'Connell, the BBWAA's secretary-treasurer.