financial piece of it is pretty critical at this juncture," Nels

MOSCOW -- The International Olympic Committee is weighing up whether to ban Russia from next months games in Rio de Janeiro after revelations of a massive doping cover-up, but relations between the two were once much sunnier.When IOC president Thomas Bach was elected in 2013, he was called almost immediately by Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country was then gearing up to host the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Bach, a former fencer from Germany, took the call as his IOC colleagues waited to continue the proceedings.What the two men spoke about isnt known, though they had more in common than a shared interest in the Sochi Olympics, which have since been overshadowed by allegations that Russian officials colluded to sabotage the drug testing laboratory at the games.Putin is a keen athlete, with judo and ice hockey his favorite sports, while Bach has longstanding sports and personal links to Russia.Those links will be tested after World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren alleged top Russian officials including Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, a close Putin ally, had personally intervened to cover up hundreds of failed drug tests.The IOCs executive board meets Sunday and is expected to provide final confirmation for a ban on the Russian track and field team. The board said earlier this week it will explore the legal options for banning all Russians from the games, across all sports, following what Bach called a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sports and on the Olympic Games.At an IOC event three days before the opening of the Sochi Olympics, with Putin in attendance, Bach thanked the Russian president in person for his great commitment to the games and for the way he set the pace in this great endeavor.Bach also addressed the subject of doping, praising what he said were tough IOC rules. The fight for the clean athletes, this should be our motto, Bach said. Fighting for the clean athletes means we have to protect them from doping, any kind of manipulation and related corruption.Bach has been a regular visitor to Russia in his three years as head of the IOC, both before and after the Sochi Olympics. Putin has also shown himself willing to travel to improve contacts with the IOC, giving a well received speech in 2007 in Guatemala -- delivered in English, which is rare for Putin -- ahead of the vote which gave Sochi the 2014 Olympics.Since he won Olympic gold in 1976, Bachs chosen sport of fencing has been transformed, most recently by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, a Putin ally who has pumped large sums of his own money into the sport over eight years as president of the International Fencing Federation.That money has increased the profile of one of the more niche sports on the Olympic program, making for a bigger media presence and glitzier competitions.Bach also has business connections in Russia. After becoming president of the IOC, he kept his other role as chairman of the supervisory board of Weinig, a Germany company which produces woodworking machinery. Weinig, which did not respond to requests for comment, has a strong presence in Russia, with a headquarters near Moscow and offices across the country.Besides Bach, several other influential IOC members have long been sympathetic to Russia.Putin was presented with world swimmings highest honor last year by federation head Julio Maglione, who has yet to comment on McLarens allegations that Russian officials sabotaged the testing program at its world championships last year. Ice hockey federation president Rene Fasel is a friend of Mutko and regular visitor to Moscow.Patrick Hickey, an Irish member of the IOCs executive board, has been trying to persuade the Russian government to host the 2019 European Games in his other role as head of the European Olympic Committees.The European Games have run into trouble after a much-criticized debut edition in Azerbaijan last year and the decision of the Netherlands to pull out of hosting the next games in 2019. Tuesdays IOC statement on the McLaren report said the IOC would no longer organize or give patronage to the European Games if held in Russia.Other IOC board members, however, harbor less sympathy for Russia. WADA, which wants Russias entire team banned from Rio, also has its president Craig Reedie on the IOC board. Cheap Jimmy Wynn Jersey . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. Cheap Jose Cruz Jr. Jersey . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said. http://www.cheapastrosjerseys.com/ . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship. Cheap MLB Jerseys . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club.DALLAS -- Dirk Nowitzki is willing to hop on a plane at a moments notice. Mark Cuban wont have "Shark Tank" tapings that interfere with recruiting. The Dallas Mavericks and their star player and owner are ready for a run at Dwight Howard when free agency opens late Sunday night. Its been two years since the Mavericks dismantled key parts of their only championship team in the name of salary cap space. They are a summer removed from getting spurned by point guard Deron Williams -- while Cuban was on the set of his reality TV show -- in their first big pitch with money to spend. If Howard does the same thing, Dallas isnt planning to wait another summer to give Nowitzki some help so the 35-year-old German can try to remain relevant in the championship picture for his last couple of years as an elite player. "We made it clear to everybody that were exploring different options," Cuban told reporters during practice for Nowitzkis celebrity baseball game Friday. "Its just not one approach. Last year it was one-year deals because we wanted to get to this year, not just because of the big names but there were other names that we really liked. This year its not going to be about one-year deals." A second straight season with a bundle of expiring or one-year contracts cost Dallas a 12-season playoff streak when Nowitzki missed the first two months after knee surgery. At his age, he might need a headliner more than a sidekick, but he definitely needs one or the other. "If Dwight or whoever says no, weve got to have some other options," Nowitzki said. "We dont want to get too excited for one thing." First things first, though -- and thats Howard. Cuban said meetings are already set in Los Angeles with "a couple of different players." Howards future with the Los Angeles Lakers appears much murkier than point guard Chris Pauls potential return to the Los Angeles Clippers. Thats because the Clippers grabbed coach Doc Rivers from Boston in a deal that cost them a future first-round pick. Nowitzki has already reached out to Howard by phone, and knows what can happen when he has a defensive-minded centre around the basket. That was Tyson Chandler in 2011, when the Mavericks won the title but chose financial flexibility over bringing back Chandler on a long-term contract under the new labour deal. Dallas hasnt won a playoff game since, and is now remaking the roster for the third straight year.dddddddddddd "I guess hes just weighing out his options," Nowitzki said of his conversation with Howard. "He didnt really say anything newsworthy. Im sure hes got a couple of meetings set up for whenever that might be and hopefully the Mavs are one of those teams and well go from there." If Howard doesnt return to the Lakers, Dallas, Houston and Atlanta -- his hometown -- are considered the most likely destinations. Players cant sign before July 10. The Mavericks signalled during the draft Thursday night that free agency is their first priority by trading down twice to save cap space. They ended up with the 18th pick in Miami point guard Shane Larkin, the son of Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin, and like him enough that they could keep him. With or without Larkin, the Mavericks have more work to do to clear enough room to give Howard a maximum contract in the range of $20 million for his first season. President of basketball operations Donnie Nelson says the team can get there, and that cap manoeuvring was why 2012 first-round pick Jared Cunningham, another point guard, was included in draft-night dealings. "The financial piece of it is pretty critical at this juncture," Nelson said after the draft. "Weve got to go into the off-season with the decks clear and clean." The Mavericks have just seven players on the roster, Larkin and second-round pick Ricky Ledo of Providence included, and only two starters in Nowitzki and forward Shawn Marion. Larkin and Ledo dont figure to start, so Dallas presumably is still looking for front-line players at point guard, shooting guard and centre after the experiment of Darren Collison, O.J. Mayo and Chris Kaman didnt work last season. Mayo looks like the only one of those three with a remote chance of returning, and even that is unlikely with him expected to get better offers. "Were trying to accumulate high-quality, high-energy, high-motor, skilled players to put around Dirk Nowitzki," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "Weve got to enhance his ability to do what he does and weve got to enhance the opportunity to keep him playing as long as possible because he loves to play and hes great. So thats a priority, and it will continue to be one this summer." With or without Dwight Howard. ' ' '