LONDON -- The independent panel investigating doping in cycling hopes the chance for reduced bans and even immunity will encourage witnesses -- including Lance Armstrong -- to come forward.
[b]Allen Iverson Jersey[/b] . Tasked with shedding more light on the sports tainted past, the three-man commission, which is also investigating whether cyclings governing body colluded with Armstrong, has the power to propose reduced sanctions against testimonies. It has been set up with the approval of the World Anti-Doping Agency and will be able to seal deals with cheats offering valuable information. "The reduced bans will obviously apply to people who have not been already sanctioned," commission chairman Dick Marty told a conference call on Tuesday, adding that immunity could also be granted in some cases if the information is of "great importance." Armstrong has already been banned from Olympic sports for life but can still hope his case will be reviewed if he gives substantial information to the panel based in Lausanne, Switzerland. "For those who have already been punished and are still willing to give important information, the commission can advise the competent authorities to reconsider and shorten their bans," Marty said. The panel, which had a UCI-funded budget of 3 million Swiss francs ($3.35 million) was a key element in the manifesto of Brian Cookson, who was elected UCI president last year after defeating Pat McQuaid. It started its work on Tuesday with the aim of producing a comprehensive report within a year. "Its not just about learning from the past, its also learning lessons for the future so we dont make the same mistakes," Cookson said. The commissions main job is to determine how the culture of doping was able to flourish within cycling and to "discover the main providers and facilitators of doping in cycling" since the Festina affair in 1998. Armstrong has said he would co-operate with any international commission on doping in cycling. He has so far refused to provide sworn testimony to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, whose detailed report in 2012 of drug use by Armstrongs U.S. Postal Service team led to him being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. Cookson did not say whether Armstrong or former UCI presidents Hein Verbruggen and McQuaid had been contacted by the commission but added they would be more than welcomed. The UCI and Verbruggen have been accused of protecting Armstrong and helping cover up his doping. The American might be interested in co-operating after telling a British newspaper last year that Verbruggen helped him cover up doping at the 1999 Tour de France. Verbruggen dismissed it as a "ridiculous story." "There will an invitation to anyone who comes forward," Cookson said. "To anybody, Lance Armstrong or anybody else. Please come forward and offer your information to the commission. ... This is a window of opportunity." Both Marty and Cookson said confidentiality will be granted to witnesses but all the criminal offences compiled will be transmitted to the relevant authorities, whichever the country. They added that negotiations will take place with possible witnesses ahead of their testimonies in order to determine if the information they can provide justifies a reduced ban. "There can be preliminary discussions but until the evidence has been heard it is impossible to determine the amount of sanction reduction," Cookson said. "The reduced sanctions will only apply for the period that the commission is operating, and the danger is other people will come forward. If anyone has something to hide now is the time to come forward and tell all of the truth before someone else comes and tells the truth about your activities." The other members of the commission are German anti-doping expert Ulrich Haas and Peter Nicholson, a former Australian military officer and war crimes investigator.
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[b]Will Barton Jersey[/b] . Wall made the comment in a speech to a Regina business crowd that included Lesnar. The U.S. wrestler and retired mixed martial artist says he was visiting his brothers farm in Saskatchewan and decided he wanted to hear what the premier had to say.PARAMUS, N.J. -- Now that the majors are over, Adam Scott is going after the only big prize left this year -- a shot at the $10 million FedEx Cup title. Scott ran off four straight birdies in the middle of his round Friday, and then closed with an approach that settled a foot from the cup for a tap-in birdie and a 6-under 65. That gave him a share of the 36-hole lead with Cameron Tringale at The Barclays. Three dozen players were within five shots of the lead, a group that includes British Open and PGA champion Rory McIlroy. The worlds No. 1 player, going after his fourth straight victory, shook off some rust on the range and was nine shots better than his opening round with a 65. Scott won The Barclays a year ago at Liberty National, and it felt like a bonus in a year in which he won his first major at the Masters. He never had a serious chance at any of the majors this year, and he is looking at the FedEx Cup playoffs differently. "Theres so much to play for, and for me to be satisfied with the year, I need four really great weeks," Scott said. Scott and Tringale were at 8-under 134. Kevin Chappell (67), Brendon Todd (69) and Jim Furyk (69) were one shot behind. The group two shots back included Henrik Stenson (64), Jason Day (64) and Ernie Els, who is playing his sixth straight tournament and shot a 68. Some scorecards needed more than just numbers, starting with Phil Mickelson. Lefty took a bogey on the "five-and-dime" fifth hole, thusly named because Byron Nelson always used a 5-iron and a wedge. Mickelson, like so many other players, tried to drive the green and took a wild detour. His shot bounced into the grandstand, behind a row of seats on the thin carpet of the hospitality area. Instead of dropping into deep grass, he chose to play it out of the bleachers, right next to a half-filled glass of beer on a table. It went too long, over the green and into a bunker, though it gave the crowd a thrill. "It wasnt hard to make contact. It was hard to hit it on that skinny little green and get it to stop," Mickelson said. He compared it with trying to hit a shot off the cart path, except the carpet "doesnt scrape up your club as much."t; Mickelson birdied his last hole for a 72 to make the cut on the number.
[b]Paul Millsap Jersey[/b]. Seung-yul Noh made a bogey by playing off the wrong green -- except it turned into a triple bogey because he didnt know that he wasnt allowed to hit off the putting surface from a different hole. His tee shot on No. 11 was so far right that it landed on the third green. Noh took a divot off the green, and a rules official drove up and told him the rule, which comes with a two-shot penalty. McIlroy kept his excitement to birdies. The 25-year-old from Northern Ireland said he took a week away from golf to celebrate his big summer -- two majors and his first World Golf Championship -- and paid for it with an opening 74. But the range session Thursday afternoon did wonders, and he went from below the cut line to within five shots of the lead. He also made those "Freaky Friday" rounds that ruined so many tournaments a distant memory. His last four second rounds have been 66, 64, 67 and 65. Thats more like "Fun Friday," and theyve put the No. 1 player back in the mix. "Its a very bunched leaderboard," McIlroy said. "Im still five shots behind, but theres a lot of players between me and the leaders -- obviously, a few quality guys at the top, Adam being one of them. So Im going to have to shoot a couple of rounds similar to today to maybe win this thing." Scott was so clean from tee-to-green that he shot 65 and walked away lamenting a pedestrian effort with his putter. He missed six putts inside 12 feet and played the par 5s in 1 over. No wonder he called that "some of the best golf Ive played all year." "It just wasnt my day today on the greens," he said. The top 100 from the FedEx Cup advance to the second playoff event next week outside Boston, with the top 70 advancing to third event in Denver and the top 30 going to East Lake in Atlanta for the Tour Championship and a shot at the $10 million prize. Lee Westwood kept his PGA Tour season going -- barely. He shot a 73 and made the cut on the number at 1-over 143. Because 79 players made the cut, there will be a 54-hole cut Saturday, only the second such cut in the playoffs since the new policy began in 2008.
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