League Notes

SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL’s John Lombardo reports NBA owners next month are “expected to hear specifics on the creation of a planned new entity with the working title of NBA China that will likely include private investment and the hiring of a chief executive charged with running the league’s growing interests in China.” The entity’s CEO would report directly to NBA Commissioner David Stern, but it is “unclear where the executive would be based or who is on the short list of candidates” (SBJ, 3/19 issue).

SLASHING: IIHF President Rene Fasel said that the IIHF’s council later this month will consider a proposal to reduce the number of hockey games during the 2010 Olympics from 38 to 30, “although the deal is considered all but done.” Fasel said, “VANOC was not so happy we’d reduce the number of games.” But he added that the NHL and NHLPA “felt the tournament had too many games in such a short period” (AROUND THE RINGS, 3/17 issue).

DEW DROPS: The Dew Action Sports Tour is not returning to Louisville. Kentucky State Fair Board President Harold Workman confirmed that “tour sponsors had dropped Louisville in favor of Baltimore” (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 3/17).