The U.S. Olympic Committee reached an agreement on a sponsorship deal with BMW worth about $24 million, the Sports Business Journal reported Monday.
The contract will run through the 2016 Games, and the USOC will receive cash. BMW will be the first foreign carmaker to sponsor the USOC and will fill a void left when General Motors decided not to renew its sponsorship after the 2008 Olympics.
Duke wins first lacrosse title
BALTIMORE — C.J. Costabile scored with five seconds elapsed in sudden-death overtime to give Duke its first NCAA men’s lacrosse title with a 6-5 victory over Notre Dame.
Costabile won the faceoff from Trever Sipperly and sprinted downfield before beating standout goaltender Scott Rodgers with a shot from in front of the net.
Asked if he once dreamed of pulling off such a feat, Costabile said: “Everyone kind of thinks about that. It’s kind of cool. It’s fairy-tale stuff. You don’t think it’s going to happen.” And then, after a slight pause, he added, “I guess it kind of happened.”
Lakers’ Bynum has knee drained
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum‘s troublesome right knee has been drained of excess fluid in hopes the procedure will allow him to play closer to full strength for Thursday night’s start of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
• Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard said he might not play for USA Basketball at this summer’s world championships.
“I haven’t decided what I’m going to do,” Howard said. “I’m just going to get some rest and think about that later on.”
Meanwhile, forward Matt Barnes said he will opt out of the final year of his contract with the Magic.
Cyclist Valverde gets two-year ban
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde received a global two-year ban for his connection to a blood-doping ring, but was allowed to keep his 2009 Spanish Vuelta victory.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favor of the International Cycling Union and World Anti-Doping Agency, which wanted Valverde sanctioned for suspected doping revealed in a 2006 Spanish scandal known as Operation Puerto. The 30-year-old Valverde said he plans to appeal the verdict.
Footnotes.
With jockey John Velazquez aboard, Quality Road took charge just after the start and held off a mild challenge from runner-up Musket Man to win the $500,000 Met Mile by 1 1/2 lengths in New York.
• The expected field for the Belmont Stakes increased to 12 when trainer Todd Pletcher announced he will enter Interactif in Saturday’s final leg of the Triple Crown.
• IndyCar driver Mike Conway will miss at least three months with back and leg injuries from his crash in the Indianapolis 500. Dario Franchitti earned $2,752,055 for winning the race Sunday.
• Bradley Klahn of Stanford defeated Austen Childs of Louisville 6-1, 6-2, while Chelsea Gullickson of Georgia beat Jana Juricova of California 6-3, 7-6 (7) to win the women’s crown at the NCAA tennis championships in Athens, Ga.
Denver Post wire services
