League Notes

Delays In Stadium Construction One Of Issues Surrounding South Africa's Hosting Of World Cup

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has spoken to three countries about hosting the 2010 World Cup if a "natural catastrophe forces it away from South Africa." Concerns are "mounting about South Africa fulfilling its hosting obligations after Tuesday's announcement that the Port Elizabeth stadium is unlikely to be completed in time for next June's Confederations Cup tuneup event." Blatter "would not name" the three countries (CP, 7/9).

CONCUSSION DISCUSSION: MLBPA General Counsel Michael Weiner yesterday said that the union "plans to approach [MLB] about developing formal leaguewide guidelines for managing concussions." Weiner: "We would also want to discuss whether all clubs have access to appropriate specialists. We might want to jointly identify specialists in all the markets that teams could take advantage of." MLB VP/PR Pat Courtney said that the commissioner's office would be "receptive to such discussions" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/10).

FINED AND BANNED: England's Football Association yesterday announced that English Premier League club Manchester United F Wayne Rooney's agent Paul Stretford has been fined US$592,308 and "banned from working as an agent for 18 months by a disciplinary commission." Stretford was disciplined based on actions "relating to how he acquired the right to represent" Rooney in '02. The second half of Stretford's suspension "will not be invoked if he is found to have not broken any other regulations" (London INDEPENDENT, 7/10).