Update: The original story said the former gym will be put on the Philadelphia register in a few days. Temple Spokesman Hillel Hoffman said the designation could take a few months.

The fight ain’t over yet.

Joe Frazier’s Gym in North Philadelphia was added Tuesday to the National Register of Historic Places. But there’s still a few more rounds to go before the gym can receive protection.

Temple University students are pushing for approval from the Philadelphia Register for Historic Places, which would protect the building from demolition or major changes to the exterior by any future owner.

As part of the National Park Service’s National Register, the building is only added to a list as a notable landmark.

“The Temple students and their professor has definitely led the fight to keep this gym,” said Temple spokesman Hillel Hoffman. “But this particular status does not officially protect the gym.”

Hillel said the Philadelphia Register is “what’s really going to protect the gym and that’s supposed to come in a day or two.”

The preservation of the building began with adjunct professor Dennis Playdon’s two Introduction to Architectural Preservation courses at Temple University in 2011 and 2012. It has grown into a group of dedicated student’s white whale.

The gym is currently occupied by a discount furniture store.

“Smokin’” Joe Frazier, a former Olympic gold medalist and world heavyweight champion, died in November 2011. He lost the gym after suffering financial difficulties.

The post Joe Frazier’s gym named historic place, but still not saved appeared first on Metro.us.

Lawrence J. Nowlan was tapped to translate the likeness of another Philadelphia sports icon to bronze.

Nowlan, who also built the Harry Kalas statue at Citizens Bank Park, was picked to build a statue in honor of legendary boxer Joe Frazier.

The statue of Frazier, former Olympic gold medalist and world heavyweight champion, is scheduled to arrive at XFINITY Live! by spring 2014.

“I have no doubt that Lawrence Nowlan will capture Joe Frazier’s tenacity, energy and spirit in his work,” said Mayor Michael Nutter in a statement. “Mr. Nowlan’s previous work has proven to be exceptional, and I look forward to the finished product.”

Nowlan’s blueprint was chosen over eight others.

“To kids like me, growing up in Philadelphia in the 1970s, Joe Frazier was a hero,” Nowlan said in a statement. “To be selected by the Frazier family to create the monument that will forever represent one Philadelphia’s most enduring icons and greatest boxers is a heavyweight honor to me.”

About $160,000 was raised to pay for the construction.

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If you’re going to be (to use a phrase) “playing the field” when you’re one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, it is probably better to take the Michael Phelps route than the Tiger Woods way.

Phelps is single and doesn’t seem to want to be married anytime soon. He seems to have a new girlfriend every week. Sometimes he even recycles them. The NY Post reported this week that he is back to hanging out with ex-girlfriend Caroline Pal. Just last month, Metro dished on Phelps dating waitress Sarah Herndon (don’t laugh, apparently she can remember orders of up to four without writing it down … she’s that talented). But a month in Phelps’ dating world is a decade for everyone else.

Then there is Tiger. Woods made off-course news last week when it was officially revealed that he was dating famed skier Lindsey Vonn. Just a few days later, he regained his status as the No. 1 golfer in the world (that will ring hollow unless he’s around on Sunday at Augusta in a couple of weeks).

The problem here is that Woods seems ready to climb back into serious relationships. No, Tiger. That doesn’t work for you. You know it. We know it. The Perkins’ waitress knows it.

Good to see Phil Knight is still a scumbag after all these years. We were getting worried there for a minute, Philip.

Follow Metro Boston sports editor and columnist Matt Burke on Twitter: @BurkeMetroBOS

The post Playing the Field: Michael Phelps is better at dating than Tiger Woods appeared first on Metro.us.

It took a Wilt Chamberlain-esque parade of women for Tiger Woods to figure it all out, but he and we now know that he has a type: white, blonde and athletic.

Woods and women’s downhill skiing champion Lindsey Vonn officially announced what has long been rumored: they are, in fact, dating. Woods announced his relationship status like most famed golfers turned sex fiends always have – on Facebook, at the exact same time as his new flame.

“This season has been great so far and I’m happy with my wins at Torrey and Doral,” Woods wrote. “Something nice that’s happened off the course was meeting Lindsey Vonn. Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating. We thank you for your support and for respecting our privacy. We want to continue our relationship, privately, as an ordinary couple and continue to compete as athletes.”

Vonn wrote:

“I guess it wasn’t a well-kept secret but yes, I am dating Tiger Woods. Our relationship evolved from a friendship into something moreover these past few months and it has made me very happy. I don’t plan on addressing this further as I would like to keep that part of my life between us, my family and close friends. Thank you for understanding and your continued support! xo LV”

Other than being world-class athletes, we also know that Woods and Vonn have this in common:

The 28-year-old Vonn made headlines just last month when she tore her ACL and MCL in a brutal crash in Austria. Woods tore his ACL in 2008 and hasn’t really been the same since (though that other set-back on Thanksgiving weekend of 2009 may have played a factor as well).

Follow Metro Boston sports editor and columnist Matt Burke on Twitter @BurkeMetroBOS

The post Playing the Field: Tiger Woods has a type, dating Lindsey Vonn appeared first on Metro.us.

Wrestling isn’t modern enough for the Olympics. The sentence sounds outdated, perhaps snobbish, but that’s the main reason why the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has chosen to eliminate the sport from the 2020 Olympic Games.

Forget that wrestling has been in all but one Olympics since 1896. It’s not viewer friendly. It doesn’t entertain fans. It’s old news.

“It’s saddening, disheartening, frustrating,” said Jordan Burroughs, who won a gold medal at the 2012 London Games, in an interview with Metro. “It’s sad because it’s a sport I’ve grown to love since I was 5 — taking that away, the chance to win a gold medal, that’s the pinnacle of any wrestler’s career.”

Burroughs, a Sicklerville, N.J. native, has every right to protest the decision, maybe even turn in his gold medal, like some fellow Olympians have threatened. He won’t. In fact, Burroughs refuses to take pot shots at the more suspect events staying. The IOC is actually considering eight new sports, including roller derby.

“I’ve never been one to underestimate the other Olympic sports,” Burroughs said. “I want people to understand the amount of commitment we put in, all the Olympic athletes. Roller derby, modern pentathlon … these people put in the same commitment we do [as wrestlers]. Instead of removing sports, they should add them. The more sports the better.”

Burroughs, along with USA Wrestling, has taken the fight viral with the website, Keep Wrestling In The Olympics. The Facebook page has almost 100,000 likes. Burroughs is doing his part, supporting the movement on social media and obliging every media request he can. Still, he admits that he is only one man.

“We need support from non-traditional wrestling fans,” he said. “I’m trying to do my best, but it’s hard to do it on my own.”

Until then, Burroughs will continue to train. He just returned from the Wrestling World Cup in Iran, where he went 5-0 and Team USA placed third, and he’ll compete in the Wrestling World Championships in Budapest, Hungary taking place in September. Burroughs also plans to pursue a second gold medal at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

“It’s not just about winning championships anymore,” Burroughs said. “I love to wrestle, I love to train, I love to compete. When I step out on the mat, it’s not about winning gold medals anymore. I just want to perform at the highest level and show people the commitment I have for the sport.”

And, speaking of gold medals, where is that shiny piece of validation at these days?

“I keep it at home on my dresser. It’s just sitting there, just hanging out [not in a trophy case],” Burroughs said. “The memory of being an Olympic champion, and the pursuit of that dream, is a lot more memorable than the medal.”
Quest for gold started in Jersey
Jordan Burroughs got into wrestling after watching WWE, then he picked up a flier in his elementary school [Winslow Township Elementary School] and began his journey, one cultivated and encouraged strongly by his parents. His mother, Janice, was one of the first people he embraced after winning gold in London.

“I didn’t know if there would be tight ropes or chairs in the ring, but I wanted to experience it [wrestling],” Burroughs said, referring to his elementary school days. “I got into it, my parents got into it and I just stuck with it.”

Would he ever consider joining WWE?

“Probably not now. I loved it as a kid but not anymore,” he said.

And while Burroughs lives in Nebraska, where he attended college, he never forgets his Philly roots.

“I love Wawa. I wish they had it here in Nebraska,” he said. “Jersey is definitely close to my heart, even if I never return there. It helped mold me into the man I am today.”

The ‘golden’ moment

Burroughs can still recall fondly the moment he pinned Sadegh Goudarszi of Iran in the 163-pound weight class to strike gold. He rushed into the stands immediately after and was mobbed by friends and family.

“Awesome, exhilarating, complete euphoria,” Burroughs said. “It was the best moment in my entire life, not just athletically, in my entire life.”

Burroughs had drawn some criticism from his peers after he guaranteed that he would win gold on Twitter. It was tough to trash the guy after he backed up his brag.

“Some people thought I was arrogant, conceited,” Burroughs said. “I realized what I needed to do to be the best. To each his own, I don’t shun anyone from having their own opinion and ideas on my social media network. I knew what I needed to do to be the best.”

When Burroughs went back to Iran in February for the Wrestling World Cup, he was surprised by the reception he received. He was greeted like nothing happened, despite beating one of their own in the Olympic final.

“There were no hard feelings, very accepting,” Burroughs said. “Politically, with the government, nothing [animosity] existed. It was all about wrestling and it was really, really awesome.”

The post Burroughs taking fight to save Olympic wrestling viral appeared first on Metro.us.

A case in point was the simplest of comments offered last week at the NFL combine by Chip Kelly. The new Eagles coach said he didn’t want to trade Nick Foles because he really wanted to work with the young, promising, but slow-footed quarterback.

The howls of indignation that followed this innocuous remark were astonishing. An internet poll I oversaw at WIP radio had 58-percent of Eagles fans saying Kelly was lying. Reports surfaced almost that the coach was looking for nothing more than a third-round draft pick for Foles. The consensus was: Who does Chip Kelly think he’s kidding?

What made this reaction so interesting is that Kelly has absolutely no track record for fabrication. He was known at Oregon as guarded, maybe even distrustful with the media, but never a liar. So far, he has dazzled no one with the hiring of his new staff and decision to bring back Mike Vick. But he has made no obvious attempt at deception.

So why has he been branded an unreliable source for information? Well, the obvious reason is that he’s following Andy Reid, a coach who had no respect for the fans or for the truth. Remember, it was Reid who said he was “trying to win the football game” when he got LeSean McCoy hurt in the final two minutes of a 31-6 loss last season.

The Eagles, as an organization, have obviously been no slaves to the truth, either. Their medical reports have been consistently misleading, their explanations for fan-unfriendly decisions have been insulting and, well, former president Joe Banner poisoned many psyches with his 16 years of tall tales.

Fans have every right to doubt what sports figures are saying, especially after a decade of lies from Lance Armstrong, Alex Rodriguez and an ever-growing list of cheats and scoundrels. And when these sports voices are not lying to them, they are hiding from sight, like Sixers GM Tony DiLeo or Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz or Eagles owner Jeff Lurie.

The few who do tell the truth in sports quickly rise to the top of popularity polls: Charles Barkley, Larry Andersen, and — just last week — Claude Giroux. The Flyers captain said his team was “going through the motions” in a game against Montreal, inspiring some improved play from his teammates and outright amazement from the fans.

As someone who has survived 23 years talking sports in Philadelphia, I can say with some authority that honesty is the one quality that can cut through the din of deceitful voices rattling in our ears. Fans will always embrace an honest answer to a fair question. They will always revere an honest person.

If Chip Kelly learns nothing else from the cynicism over his support of Nick Foles, it should be this: Just tell the truth. It will definitely separate him from the pack of incorrigible liars who populate the sports world today.

Doc passes ace torch to Hamels

Roy Halladay’s gracious handing of the torch to Cole Hamels re-established him as the soul of the Phillies. No one on the aging team deserves a World Series win more than the 35-year-old pitching warhorse, Doc Halladay.

After Hamels was chosen to start the exhibition opener, Halladay stepped up and praised the decision to make the young lefty the ace of the staff. Halladay has started every season opener since 2002, and he accepted without complaint the demotion that his poor 2012 season demanded.

Then Halladay reclaimed his role as a leader by publicly calling for more urgency to win from the entire team, especially early in the 2013 season. The future Hall of Famer pointed out that the Phillies treated April and May like extended spring training last year, while Washington raced out to an insurmountable lead.

Of course, if you were reading this column back then, you already know how absurd the Phillies’ blasé attitude was, and ultimately how destructive it became. In his own subtle, classy way, Halladay was sending a high, hard one right under the chin of manager Charlie Manuel, the culprit behind 2012′s early stupor.

Thanks to Halladay’s leadership last week, we can all take some comfort in the notion that April and May will be better this season. Nobody has more riding on it than Manuel himself.
Andrew Bynum, the big negative

Is there really anything else to say about the poster boy for sports apathy, Andrew Bynum? Ah, let’s give it a try.

Bynum has become such a negative influence on Philadelphia sports that Sixers tickets are selling for pennies on the secondary market and there are public demands for the lackadaisical center’s immediate release. Despite my utter disgust over him, I disagree with this sudden outcry for revenge.

First of all, dumping him now would give Bynum a chance to sign with another team and maybe play enough games to showcase himself before free agency. Other than satisfying our natural urge to punish a deadbeat, there is nothing to gain from this.

A better idea is to continue to monitor his progress from chronic knee issues in the hope that he can get back on the court soon. Hey, he did actually practice with the team for the first time over the past few days. There’s always hope.

Now here comes the best part of this plan: When Bynum is finally ready to show the world that he’s worth the $100 million or more he will be seeking after this outrageous season, the Sixers should sit his rear end on the bench and never play him. Not one minute.

Think about it for a second. The Sixers would be insane to sign Bynum to a long-term deal after the past six months, and the current season is a lost cause anyway. Scoring a win over Bynum — and a blow against unmotivated, me-first, hair-stylin’, bowling-crazed egomaniacs — would provide some solace, wouldn’t it?
Idle thoughts from Cataldi
» The Eagles are talking about restructuring Nnamdi Asomugha’s contract. How about requiring the overrated cornerback to pay the Eagles to play here next season? If he gives back, say, $5 million, of the money he’s stolen so far, we might be able to stave off the nausea of watching him play again.

» Howie Roseman said last week that the Eagles will draft the best player on the board with the fourth pick, and then the GM quickly added that this stud will have to fit into the team’s new system. Hmmm. Isn’t that a total contradiction? Could it mean Roseman has no idea what he’s doing? Just wondering.

» Tony DiLeo finally made a move six months into his tenure as Sixers GM. He acquired Charles Jenkins and his 1.7-per-game average from Golden State. Jenkins is a point guard, the deepest position on the Sixers. So now it’s official. DiLeo is off to a very slow start as GM.

Roy Halladay has graciously handed the reins of Phillies staff ace over to Cole Hamels.

» If a lack of leadership was such a big deal on the 2012 Phillies, then can we finally stop praising Charlie Manuel for being so brilliant at managing personalities? Obviously, if no one stepped forward, that failure reflects on the guy leading the players, doesn’t it?

» Andrew Bynum unveiled yet another new look last week when he corn-rowed one side of his head and coiffed an Afro in the other side. Still, fans continue to criticize him for not paying attention to the important things. It’s just so unfair.

The post Cataldi: Finding the truth in sports rare these days appeared first on Metro.us.

TheBigLead is reporting ESPN’s “SportsCenter” will be shrinking from three hours down to two during the day. An announcement is expected next month. Hannah Storm (meh) and Kevin Negandhi (we can roll with that) will host from 9-11 a.m. followed by Chris McKendry (meh) and Jay Crawford (god awful) from 11-1 p.m. and then Sage Steele (like) and David Lloyd (no clue who this is) from 1-3 p.m.

J.R. Smith was talking about some plumbing issues with a lovely young lady on Twitter.

Tuning into SportsCenter, especially when you work in the sports industry, is kind of like eating your vegetables when you’re a little kid. You want no part of it, but you know you have to. So, while we might prefer the program to go away forever, we know it is a necessary evil. Now if we could just get rid of Stephen A. Smith, it might be borderline watchable. Might be.

Sex, like a good Chubby Checker joke, has many slang terms in the English lexicon. From laying the wood to bumping uglies to checking the plumbing, everyone has a favorite. For Knicks star J.R. Smith, it is apparently “laying the pipe.”

In a recent Twitter exchange with a high school senior, via Deadspin, Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) asked the lovely young follower, “You trying to get the pipe?” We can only assume what he meant … unfortunately, there is no confirmation of any pipe laying on either end.

In a semi-related (pun intended) note, porn legend Ron Jeremy is back in business after battling a serious illness. Yes, he’s been cleared for take-off.

The post Playing the Field: Bye, Bye SportsCenter (we wish) appeared first on Metro.us.

Well, the Oscars are here (well, they’ll be here Sunday) and why can’t sports join in on the fun? And if you’re thinking, ‘What about the ESPY Awards?’, then click a banner ad and move along because they don’t count.

So, to borrow an old Bud Selig phrase, this time it counts. With that, we bring you Playing the Field’s version, better known as the Oscar Pistorius Awards.

Best male athlete in a leading role » LeBron James. As much as we’ve hated on the King in this space in the past — and all apologies to Kobe — he’s the best. He’s flat-out unstoppable right now, and he’s living proof that you can have your cake and eat it, too.

Best female athlete in a leading role » Beyonce. Before you even try and say that Bey isn’t an athlete, take a look at her abs in that GQ photo shoot. If that doesn’t sell you, remember that time she turned out the lights at the Super Bowl? Yes, that happened.

Best supporting male athlete » Oscar Pistorius’ prosthetic legs. The Blade Runner scooped up six Paralympic golds (and didn’t embarrass himself in the real Games). Oh right … he also strapped on those bad boys before shooting and killing his girlfriend. Legs!

Best supporting female athlete » Gabby Douglas’ hair. Douglas, the 17-year-old gymnast nicknamed the Flying Squirrel, turned in one of the most impressive performances in Olympic history. Then several detractors took to Twitter to call out her unkempt hair. Umm, looked fine to us. Then again, our grooming habits our very suspect.

Best producer » John Calipari. Kentucky coach earned his first national championship last April — and while his squad is struggling this year — Cal continues to churn out NBA hits (Nerlens Noel, he’ll be fine once Dr. James Andrews gets done with him, is his latest project).

Best costume design » Andrew Bynum. We’re not even factoring in his ridiculous, ever-changing hairstyles. No, no. Bynum gets this award for pretending to be an actual NBA superstar. Sorry, Sixers fans.

Best music » The real academy prefers original scores. We don’t. We’re giving this one to the Miami Dolphins cheerleading squad for its awesome rendition of that annoyingly addictive Carly Rae Jepsen song.

The post Playing the Field: The Sports Oscars edition appeared first on Metro.us.

Crazy? Yes, it is. Yet Philadelphia was included in letter sent out to a list of the nation’s largest cities in an effort to gauge interest about hosting the 2024 Olympic Games.

A city spokesman sounded intrigued by the idea.

“From a Philadelphia perspective, we have a pretty impressive array of facilities and amenities that would get us close to the starting line,” Mark McDonald told Philly.com.

This marks the second time our fair city has been in the Olympic conversation. Philly was one of five cities in the mix to host the 2016 Games. It was eventually eliminated after presenting its case to the USOC. A U.S. city hasn’t hosted the Olympics since 1996 in Atlanta. New York fell short in 2012 and Chicago missed out in 2016.

The post Olympics in Philadelphia? It’s possible appeared first on Metro.us.

Many, okay – two people, were worried about what Michael Phelps would be doing in his post-swimming career. Let’s face it, Phelps is downright boring outside the pool. Aside from crying when the Ravens won the Super Bowl, Phelps isn’t exactly an emotion factory. Still, models from across the globe seem to be drawn to the Olympic hero (this Olympic fame fades at some point, Michael, ask Kurt Angle … that’s right – WHO?!). According to multiple reports, Phelps is now dating 22-year-old waitress/model Sarah Herndon.

“‘Michael’s a good kisser. He’s very cuddly and kissy, which is cute. He’s charming and a gentleman,” Herndon told the Daily Mail. “’He’s got a great sculpted body. He’s obviously been a swimmer like forever.”

Sounds like they’re in it for the conversation.

In the past year, Phelps has been linked to Jasmine Waltz, Megan Rossee and Nicole Johnson – not a bow-wow in the bunch.

Hip-hop v. the NBA

Yesterday at PTF we touched on the rising hip-hop vs. NBA battle, highlighted by Lil’ Wayne saying that he had relations with Chris Bosh’s wife and having hundreds of people chant “F*** the NBA!” in a public forum.

Just hours later, in the Raptors-Wizards game, rapper Wale was well-prepared to do damage to Toronto announcers Matt Devlin and Sherman Hamilton. Devlin and Hamilton didn’t really know who Wale was (more than forgivable) and apparently Wale took offense after people took to Twitter and ratted out the Raptors broadcasters.

Best part of video 1: “Hey Wal-eh, I’m in Canada now, Eh?”

Best part of video two: The Raptors announcers try to play it off like they’ll be quick friends with the furious Wale. “We’ll ah, we’ll talk to him after the third quarter.”

Follow Metro Boston sports editor Matt Burke on Twitter @BurkeMetroBOS

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  View Video

  Wale attacks Raptors announcers (Part 1)

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It’s Valentine’s Day, a day created by Hallmark to make couples spend loads and loads of money on candy, flowers and gourmet dinners. Or the day when singles and cheaters clean up on the internet and in the bars.

Whatever side of the romantic fence you’re standing behind this year, one thing is certain: the made-up holiday is on everybody’s mind. Radio stations are cranking out all the classic love songs, while kids and grown-ups alike are handing out cards to classmates and co-workers. On Thursday, ESPN did a ridiculously stupid sketch where Damien Woody, starring as the Love Doctor, gave NFL fans advice on their favorite teams and players.

Point is, it’s infectious and we here at PFT aren’t above any of it. So away we go as we name the athletes and celebrities we would like to see hook up.

» Dwight Howard and Taylor Swift: We don’t get the whole fascination with Swift — a nice-looking girl with a decent voice — and her whiny, boyfriend-dissing ballads (not to mention her penchant for firing lovers … but she sure sounds like she would be perfect arm candy for Howard, who has made a living off whining, dissing teammates and getting coaches fired. Plus, Swift (5-foot-11) is one of the few girls that might not look completely ridiculous standing next to Howard (6-foot-11).

» Chad Johnson and Rihanna: The receiver formerly known as Ocho Cinco has been bored out of his mind since beating his wife and being kicked out of Dolphins camp. He is constantly on Twitter posting pictures (in Spain, at NBA games, at a Marilyn Manson concert), but Chad is usually alone — and he is dying for attention. Enter Rihanna, a longtime favorite in this space who needs to ditch Chris Brown. Rihanna, like Chad, is addicted to Twitter — and she likes to get wild and crazy, and doesn’t mind being put in her place every once in while.

» Andrew Luck and Jennifer Lawrence: Wow, what a pairing this would be, right? Luck is arguably the best young quarterback in football and Lawrence is the best young actress in Hollywood. Luck’s Colts have 40-1 odds to win the Super Bowl, while Lawrence is one of the front-runners to win the Oscar for Best Actress. Not to mention, they are both extremely young and attractive — with the possibility of spawning a long line of rifle-armed, post-apocalyptic killing machines.

» Jim Boeheim and Andy Katz: Because being an idiot and a disloyal person is no way to go through life. We need to get these two crazy kids back together immediately. College basketball needs them, just like Arm needs Hammer … like Oscar Pistorius needs legs a good attorney. What? Too soon?

The post Playing the Field: Valentine’s Day coupling edition appeared first on Metro.us.

South African “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee who became one of the biggest names in world athletics, was charged on Thursday with shooting dead his girlfriend at his home in Pretoria.

Police said they had opened a murder case after a 30-year-old woman was found dead at the track star’s house after an incident in the upmarket Silverlakes gated complex on the outskirts of the capital.

“At this stage he is on his way to a district surgeon for medical examination,” police brigadier Denise Beukes told reporters outside the heavily guarded residential complex.

Pistorius and his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, had been the only people in the house at the time of the shooting, Beukes, said, and witnesses had been interviewed about the incident, which happened in the early hours of the morning.

“We are talking about neighbors and people that heard things earlier in the evening and when the shooting took place,” she said. Earlier, police said a 9mm pistol had been found at the scene.

“When a person has been accused of a crime like murder they look at things like testing under the figure nails, taking a blood alcohol sample and all kinds of other test that are done. They are standard medical tests,” Beukes said.

Pistorius is due to appear in a Pretoria court after 1200 GMT.

Before the murder charge was announced, Johannesburg’s Talk Radio 702 said the 26-year-old may have mistaken Steenkamp for a burglar.

South Africa has some of the world’s highest rates of violent crime, and many home owners have weapons to defend themselves against intruders, although Pistorius’ complex is surrounded by a three meter high wall and electric fence.

In 2004, Springbok rugby player Rudi Visagie shot dead his 19-year-old daughter after he mistakenly thought she was a robber trying to steal his car in the middle of the night.

VALENTINE’S DAY

Steenkamp, a model and regular on the South African party circuit, was reported to have been dating Pistorius for a year, and there had been little to suggest their relationship was in trouble.

In the social pages of last weekend’s Sunday Independent she described him as having “impeccable” taste.

“His gifts are always thoughtful,” she was quoted as saying.

Some of her last Twitter postings indicated she was looking forward to celebrating Valentine’s Day on Thursday with him.

“What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow???” she posted.

However, Beukes said the police were aware of previous incidents at the house of a “domestic nature”, and recent media interviews with Pistorius revealed he kept an assortment of weapons in his home.

“Cricket and baseball bats lay behind the door, a pistol by his bed and a machine gun by a window,” Britain’s Daily Mail wrote in a profile published last year.

He was arrested in 2009 for assault after slamming a door on a woman and spent a night in police custody. Family and friends said it was just an accident and the charges were later dropped.

Steenkamp’s colleagues were distraught.

“We are all devastated. Her family is in shock,” Steenkamp’s agent, Sarita Tomlinson, told Reuters, in tears. “They did have a good relationship. Nobody actually knows what happened.”

TRACK STAR

Pistorius, who races wearing carbon fiber prosthetic blades after he was born without a fibula in both legs, was the first double amputee to run in the Olympics and reached the 400 meter semi-finals in London 2012.

Respected worldwide for triumphing over his disabilities to compete on a level playing field with able-bodied athletes, his sponsorship deals are thought to be worth $2 million a year.

In last year’s Paralympics he suffered his first loss over 200 meters in nine years. After the race he questioned the legitimacy of Brazilian winner Alan Oliveira’s prosthetic blades, though he was quick to express his regret for the comments.

Pistorius is sponsored by British telecoms firm BT, sunglasses maker Oakley, sports apparel maker Nike and French designer Thierry Mugler.

“We are shocked by this terrible, tragic news. We await the outcome of the South African police investigation,” a BT spokeswoman said before Pistorius was charged.

A Nike spokesman in London said before hearing of the murder charge that the company was “saddened by the news, but we have no further comment to make at this stage”.

Pistorius also has a sponsorship deal with Icelandic prosthetics manufacturer Ossur.

“I can only say that our thoughts and prayers are with Oscar and the families involved in the tragedy,” Ossur CEO Jon Sigurdsson told Reuters. “It is completely premature to discuss or speculate on our business relationship with him.”

Neighbors expressed shock at the arrest of a “good guy”.

“It is difficult to imagine an intruder entering this community, but we live in a country where intruders can get in wherever they want to,” said one Silverlakes resident, who did not want to be named.

“Oscar is a good guy, an upstanding neighbor, and if he is innocent I feel for this guy deeply,” he said.

The post ‘Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius charged with murdering girlfriend appeared first on Metro.us.

Wrestling was in a state of shock after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made a surprise recommendation on Tuesday to drop the sport from the 2020 Games.

Contested in the first modern Olympics in 1896 and part of the ancient Games in Olympia, wrestling will now join seven other candidate sports battling for one spot in a revamped program.

It is unlikely, however, that it will get a reprieve when the IOC session in Buenos Aires votes on the recommendation in September.

“This is not the end of the process, this is purely a recommendation,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams told reporters following an Executive Board meeting. “It is the session which is sovereign.

“It was a decision to look at the core sports, what works best for the Olympic games. This was the best program for the 2020 Olympics. This is not about what’s wrong with wrestling but what is good for the Games.”

The vote came as a major surprise after other sports, including modern pentathlon and taekwondo, were seen as at risk of losing out due to their lower global appeal.

“FILA was greatly astonished by today’s recommendation of the IOC Executive Board not to maintain wrestling among the 25 core sports for the 2020 Olympic Games,” the international wrestling federation said in a statement.

It said the federation was represented in 180 countries, “with wrestling being the national sport in a fair amount of them and the only possibility for athletes to represent their country at the Olympic Games, thus contributing to their universality.

“FILA will take all necessary measures to convince the IOC… of the aberration of such decision against one of the founding sports of the ancient and modern Olympic Games,” it said, adding it would meet next week to discuss its next steps.

Board members were given a report on each of the Olympic sports which provided details on 39 criteria such as popularity, finances, tickets sold and governance, before a secret vote.

“There were different rounds of voting necessary to come to this conclusion,” said IOC Vice President Thomas Bach. “It is an extremely difficult decision to take.”

“I cannot look into the heads of my colleagues. Such a decision is never based on one single reason. It is always a series of reasons. Of course different members take a different approach.”

“The common understanding is the purpose of this was to modernize, to look into the future of the Olympics,” added Bach, a potential IOC presidential candidate later this year.

While pentathlon and taekwondo have the support of senior IOC members, wrestling is not strongly represented in the IOC’s decision-making body.

SECRET BALLOT

IOC sources told Reuters that in the secret ballot there were four sports battling to avoid the cut: field hockey, modern pentathlon, taekwondo and wrestling.

“I am very surprised by the result,” board member and president of the International ice hockey federation Rene Fasel told Reuters. “Personally, I do not know why but that is what the majority wanted.”

The IOC said 25 of the 26 Olympic sports were elected as core sports for the 2020 Games which will also include rugby and golf, making their first appearance in 2016.

Wrestling joins baseball and softball, making a joint bid, martial arts karate and wushu, rollersports, wakeboarding, squash and sports climbing as candidates for the one empty spot.

Baseball and softball were taken off the program in 2005.

The IOC executive board will meet in St Petersburg in May to determine which of these will be put to the vote in September.

Wrestling had 344 athletes at the London Olympics, competing in greco-roman and freestyle disciplines. Women’s events were introduced at the Athens 2004 Olympics.

 MAJOR BLOW
Russian wrestling federation chief Mikhail Mamiashvili was shocked by the decision but was confident his sport would remain in the Games.

“I’m absolutely convinced this ancient sport will retain its status,” Mamiashvili, who won an Olympic gold medal in 1988, told Reuters.

“But FILA (the world amateur wrestling federation), the whole wrestling community must take a more active role in the process. We need to make some drastic changes in the sport, make it more attractive, especially for TV audience,” he said.

Olympic exclusion will be a major blow to the sport’s popularity and financial stability as the Games are a global platform for the promotion of smaller, less established sports.

“It is very unfortunate,” Satpal Singh, coach of India’s twice Olympic medal winner Sushil Kumar, told Reuters. “It is being played from the first Olympics and is played all over the world.”

International Modern Pentathlon Union president Klaus Schormann welcomed the news.

“In the last few years we acted and took decisions to make our sport more telegenic and more compact,” Schormann told Reuters. “So every good news is further motivation for us.”

Madrid, Tokyo and Istanbul are bidding to host the 2020 Olympics with a decision also to be taken in September.

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