League Notes

Andy Ram Upset ITF Played  Davis Cup In Empty Stadium

The AP's Karl Ritter reported ATP World Tour player Andy Ram Thursday "blasted" the Int'l Tennis Federation (ITF) for allowing the Israel-Sweden Davis Cup tie in Malmo, Sweden, to be "played in an empty stadium without fans." Ram said that the ITF "should have put more pressure on Malmo officials who decided to play the first-round matchup in a closed arena because of fears of demonstrations and protests against Israel." Ram added that the ITF should have "issued an ultimatum to the Swedish organizers: Play with a crowd or the event would be moved to another country." Ram: "Now it's too late. Politics won over sports. That's sad. You don't see that very often in tennis" (AP, 3/5).

LEADER OF THE PACK: SPORTSNET.ca's Gerry Dobson wrote Vancouver "has always been a frontrunner" for an MLS expansion franchise, as the city "has been the league's No. 1 choice, almost since the day they submitted their bid last October." St. Louis "doesn't have the money," and Portland has "nowhere decent to play, at least not yet." And while Senators Owner Eugene Melnyk, who is leading Ottawa's bid for an MLS franchise, "might get his wish for a stadium," it looks as though it is "too late for this round." The league "will award one franchise to Vancouver, there's no question," but "what about that second franchise?" St. Louis "appears to be out of it," and "if it is Portland, what will the two conferences look like?" (SPORTSNET.ca, 3/5).

BOSS TALK: CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon, when asked what is on his "to-do list in the next calendar year," said he would like to help the Ottawa ownership group "get [a stadium] deal done there." Meanwhile, when asked about the Bills playing games in Toronto, Cohon said he supports "one game in Toronto as long as it helps the Buffalo Bills stay in Buffalo and helps the bottom line so that the franchise stays there." Cohon: "We are positioned, especially in these tough economic times, that we are value, we are Canadian and we are accessible. The proof is in the pudding in terms of the reaction to that game (Bills vs. Dolphins last year)" (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 3/5).