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Albany, NY – Well the NBA is about to take another crack at settling its four-month labor dispute.
Sources say officials from the league and the players' association will meet today, less than a week after talks with a federal mediator failed to end the lockout. Talks broke down last Thursday after players said owners insisted they agree to a 50-50 split of revenues before they would further discuss the salary cap system. By not reaching an agreement last week, the NBA will likely be forced to cancel additional games.
To baseball... It was an off day for the World Series yesterday, as the Cardinals and Rangers prepped for Game 6 in St. Louis tonight. Leading three games to two, Texas can wrap up their first championship in franchise history. The Rangers will send Colby Lewis to the mound against the Cardinals Jaime Garcia.
In other baseball news, there were dual news conferences in Chicago and Boston yesterday to announce new leaders of the local baseball teams.
In Chicago, Theo Epstein was introduced as the Cubs' new president of baseball operations, where he takes over a franchise that hasn't won a title since 1908.
In Boston, the Red Sox introduced new general manager Ben Cherington, whose top priorities will be to find a manager to replace Terry Francona, and decide whether to try to retain David Ortiz and Jonathan Papelbon.
Boston also announced that starting pitcher John Lackey will undergo Tommy John surgery and will miss all of next season. Lackey was 12-12 with a 6.41 ERA in 2011.
On the ice, Columbus skated past Detroit 4-1, San Jose dumped Nashville 3-1, Edmonton got past Vancouver 3-2, Pittsburgh blanked the Islanders 3-0, Dallas dropped Phoenix 3-2, Tampa Bay rallied to beat Buffalo 4-3, Ottawa held off Carolina 3-2, New Jersey shutout Los Angeles 3-0, and Chicago edged Anaheim 3-2 in a shootout.
And in college sports, sources say the Big 12 has approved West Virginia to replace Missouri, when the Tigers complete their move to the SEC. The Mountaineers move would allow the Big 12 to maintain 10 members, and is another blow to the embattled Big East, which already has lost two members and one member-to-be in the last six weeks. The Big East is trying to reconfigure as a 12-team footballleague and is courting Boise State, Navy, Air Force, Central Florida, SMU and Houston.
I'm Tristan O'Neill, WAMC News.