Putin says WADA leaks raise a lot of questions
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) records leaked by hackers raised a lot of questions with healthy athletes seemingly taking banned substances, TASS news agency reported.
“It raises a lot of questions,” Putin said. “It seems as if healthy athletes are taking drugs legally that are prohibited for others, and people who are clearly suffering from serious illnesses, major disabilities, are suspected of taking some kind of substances and banned from the Paralympic Games.”
“What they did, can not fail to be interesting to the international community, the sporting community first of all,” Putin said.
His comments came just hours before hackers released a third batch of drugs test data involving 11 more athletes.
As recently as Wednesday WADA had confirmed athlete data had been leaked by a Russian cyber espionage group with hackers releasing information on 25 athletes from the United States, Germany, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland, Romania, and Russia.
Red Wings tab Horcoff director of player personnel
The Detroit Red Wings named Shawn Horcoff as their director of player personnel on Friday.
Horcoff capped a 15-year career with the Anaheim Ducks last season, scoring six goals to go with nine assists in 59 games.
A fourth-round draft choice of the Edmonton Oilers, for whom he played his first 12 seasons and served as team captain, Horcoff also played in his 1,000th game last season, finishing his career with 1,008.
Horcoff, who spent two seasons with the Dallas Stars following his lengthy stay in Edmonton, netted 186 goals and collected 325 assists in his career.
He has roots in the Detroit area, playing collegiately at Michigan State from 1996-2000.
Starting tackle expelled from Washington State
Washington State starting nose tackle Robert Barber has been expelled from school following a university investigation into his alleged role in a fight over the summer that occurred at an off-campus party.
The brawl on July 23 left one student unconscious and another hospitalized with a fractured jaw, according to the Spokesman-Review.
Barber, 22, will continue to practice while appealing the expulsion.
The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Barber is a fifth-year senior from American Samoa who has started 15 career games for the Cougars at nose tackle.
Junior QB to start for LSU
LSU coach Les Miles confirmed that junior quarterback Danny Etling will start against Mississippi State on Saturday night.
Etling replaced Brandon Harris against Jacksonville State last week and led the Tigers on three consecutive touchdown drives.
Miles had hinted this week that Etling would take the first snap against the Bulldogs at Tiger Stadium, replacing Harris, who has started the team’s past 14 games. The coach also said he reserves the right to change his mind.