Off the wire

LITTLE ROCK — ATHLETICS NCAA mulling athlete grants

NCAA President Mark Emmert backed a proposal to allow conferences to increase grants to student-athletes by $2,000, “to more closely approach” the full cost of attending college, beyond the athletic scholarships some athletes receive for tuition, fees, room, board and books. Emmert told the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics on Monday that the proposal will be finalized this week and he’ll ask the NCAA Division I Board of Directors to support it at their meeting Thursday. He noted that student-athletes have limited opportunities to work outside the classroom and playing fields, and that the current model of athletic scholarship hasn’t changed for 40 years. Emmert said he’ll also ask the board to allow colleges and universities to provide multi-year grants, instead of year-to-year scholarships. Emmert said he expected all of the Bowl Championship Series conferences to adopt it - at least those six that get automatic bids toBCS bowl games - because they have the revenue stream to afford it. “Will schools underneath that?” he asked. “I don’t know. So you don’t want to put a conference or a school in a position with a mandatory expense, and the only way to pay for it is to cut scholarships.” Boise State President Robert Kustra urged supporters of the plan to look at the support that Division I student-athletes receive, and compare it to “the rest of our students, who are making minimum wage, collecting tips, trying to find their way into their next semester at the university ... Go back and examine the life of a student-athlete in intercollegiate sports in America today, and see how privileged they are to be where they are and the opportunities they have.” Another panelist, LSU Chancellor Michael Martin, said he was undecided on the proposal. “I think institutionslike us could clearly afford it,” he said. “I’m not sure all can. Also right now, we’re very sensitive on our campus to the fact that the faculty have gone three years without any salary adjustment. And then tosay that every student athlete gets $2,000 at the same time that we may have to go another year without one, only builds up that tension between faculty leadership and the administration and athletics.”

MOTOR SPORTS IndyCar officials discuss safety

IndyCar drivers and officials debated how to make open-wheel racing safer Monday in Indianapolis. More than a dozen IndyCar drivers met for three hours with series CEO Randy Bernard and Brian Barnhart, the series’ president of competition, about preventing another fatal accident. The meeting came eight days after two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon was killed in a crash in the season finale at Las Vegas. “How we react to this is critical, and we’re very encouraged with what happened today in terms of ideas,” four-time IndyCar champ Dario Franchitti said. “Finger-pointing is not going to do any good at all, and we’re all unified going forward in one direction.” The discussion was expected to cover everything from tracks used by theseries to new Plexiglas catch fences to putting canopies over the drivers’ open cockpits. IndyCar has time to consider potential changes because it won’t race again for six months. “We’re not going to make motor racing 100 percent safe, that’s a fact,” Tony Kanaan said. “But there are things that we can do, hopefully, to make it better, make it safer.” IndyCar already planned on a new car for next season. Wheldon was the primary test driver for the new model.

GOLF Golfers given new rule

Golfers will no longer be penalized if their ball moves after approach after the rule has been addressed in one of a number of rule changes announced Monday by the sport’s governing body. Rory Mc-Ilroy and Webb Simpson were among those to have been hit with one-shot penalties this year for one of the harshest rules in golf. The revision was made by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, which issues the sport’s rules in conjunction with theUnited States Golf Association, the governing golf organization in the United States and Mexico. Beginning Jan. 1 and effective until 2015, players will not be punished if their ball moves after the address “when it is known or virtually certain that he did not cause the ball to move.” Padraig Harrington, a three-time major winner and R&A ambassador, said, “Every time the wind blows, I am worried that my ball is going to move and I am worried about grounding my putter, distracting me from trying to hole my putt.” McIlroy, the U.S. Open champion who is ranked No. 3 in the World Golf Rankings, was penalized in his final round at the British Open at Royal St. George’s. The consequences weren’t dire for McIlroy - he had little chance of winning and finished 25th - but the same cannot be said of Simpson during the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in May. The American was leading by a shot and closing in on what would have been his first title when his ball moved on the 15th green. After receiving a one-strokepenalty, he eventually lost in a playoff to Bubba Watson. Simpson lost the PGA Tour money title to Luke Donald on Sunday by a margin of $335,861 - the difference between first and second place at the Zurich Classic was $460,800. Other changes announced by the R&A include allowing players to smooth sand or soil before playing from a hazard.

TENNIS

Simon, Dolgopolov upset

Top-seeded Gilles Simon and third-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov lost in the first round of the St. Petersburg Open on Monday in Russia. Adrian Mannarino rallied to beat fellow Frenchman Simon 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, while Dolgopolov was upset by Israeli wild-card Dudi Sela 6-2, 6-2. Earlier, fifth-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia advanced to the second round, beating Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine 6-3, 7-6 (7), while Potito Starace of Italy defeated Russian wild card Ivan Nedelko 6-0, 6-1.

Kevin Anderson defeated 2010 finalist Andreas Haider-Maurer of Austria 6-4, 6-4 Monday in theopening round of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. The sixth-seeded South African relied on his serve, breaking Haider-Maurer once in each set. He closed out the victory with his 10th ace.

BASKETBALL Ham hired as assistant

The Los Angeles Lakers have hired Darvin Ham to be an assistant to new Coach Mike Brown. Ham was hired by the Lakers on Monday, joining John Kuester, Chuck Person and Quin Snyder on Brown’s staff. Ham spent the past three seasons on the coaching staff of the New Mexico Thunderbirds of the NBA’s D-League, including last season as their head coach. Ham played eight seasons in the NBA, winning a championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.

HORSE RACING Havre de Grace preps

Havre de Grace worked out at Keeneland on Monday in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs., with jockey Gabriel Saez guiding the 4-yearold filly over five furlongs in 58:60 seconds. Havre de Grace is expected to run against the boys on Nov. 5 in a bid to become the second female to win the Classic, following Zenyatta in 2009. However, owner Rick Porter of Fox Hill Farm has said she will be cross-entered in the Ladies’ Classic. Her other wins this year include the Azeri, Apple Blossom, and Obeah Stakes, with her only loss being a runner-up finish to Blind Luck by a nose in the Delaware Handicap in July.

The executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has announced her resignation effective next month. Lisa Underwood, who has been executive director for five years, will rejoin the law firm of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs as a partner to practice equine and business law. Her resignation, announced Monday, is effective Nov. 16. Deputy executive director Marc Guilfoil will be appointed interim executive director while a nationwide search is conducted for a replacement.