League Notes

NASCAR driver Carl Edwards said that he “thought it would be a good idea for drivers to get together as a group and collectively pay" for independent drug testing "at the same time as NASCAR's test is conducted.” Edwards said, “This is just my theory, I think the drivers need to get together and we need to have our own group that is paid by us, that works for us, to here in tandem with the NASCAR drug testers and have them test us at the same time.” He added, “I don't think it's a contentious thing. I think that would remove almost all doubt in any situation of a positive test” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/14).

PROTECT YOUR ASSETS: FOXSPORTS.com’s Sam Gardner writes NBA players “are essentially assets, and they’re putting their livelihoods -- and, by virtue, the owners’ livelihoods -- on the line to play for Team USA.” USA Basketball has seemingly “everything to gain and nothing to lose from their participation.” Gardner: “The risk NBA Players teams take isn’t a worthwile one when it comes to their players participating in international play.” Should a World Cup of Basketball ever materialize, it “wouldn’t have the prestige of the Olympics, or perhaps even the FIBA World Championship.” But it “would allow NBA teams and owners to benefit financially from the use of their players, which seems like a fair enough return for putting their own investment at risk.” But, in the end, “rich or poor, we all need to cover our assets” (FOXSPORTS.com, 7/16).

A FRESH START: Bundesliga President Reinhard Rauball told Germany's Welt Online that FIFA President Sepp Blatter "should step down as soon as possible so that soccer's governing body can make a fresh start.” Blatter has acknowledged that he “knew about payments by marketing agency ISL to former FIFA chief Joao Havelange but insisted they were legal in Switzerland in the 1990s.” Blatter said, “Now it is on record what I have always said: I have never taken nor received any bribes ... the people who attack me now know this is the case but still they persist. They want me out" (AP, 7/14).