Impact Wrestling – November 10, 2011 Knockouts Results: Mickie James & Velvet Sky vs. Gail Kim & Madison Rayne

On the November 10, 2011 episode of Impact Wrestling, Mickie James and Velvet Sky faced the Knockouts Tag-Team Champions Gail Kim and Madison Rayne…

—Before the match, Karen Jarrett was seen backstage, giving Gail Kim a pep talk on her match against Velvet Sky at Turing Point.

Knockouts – November 10, 2011 Impact Wrestling Match:
TNA Knockouts Tag-Team Championship
Gail Kim & Madison Rayne (c) vs. Velvet Sky & Mickie James

—The challengers; Mickie James and Velvet Sky made their way to the ring. The Champions; Gail Kim and Madison Rayne came out next—accompanied by Karen Jarrett and Traci Brooks. Velvet Sky started this match with a spear to Madison Rayne. Madison; however, was able to get the upper hand on Velvet after Gail took a cheap shot on Velvet. Mickie tagged herself in, and after some offense, she found herself on the defense in this match. Mickie was later able to get a hot tag on Velvet Sky. Gail Kim was able to pick up the win after hitting her finisher on Velvet. 

Winner(s): Gail Kim & Madison Rayne at 3:55
After the match, Karen Jarrett, Gail Kim and Madison Rayne celebrated in the ring.
Thoughts: Unfortunately for Knockouts Champion Velvet Sky, a few of her in-ring flaws were seen in the match… With the singles belt on her, expectations are naturally higher.
Mickie James really shined in the match, and a feud between her and Gail Kim is one that TNA should greenlight.
Gail Kim will challenge Velvet Sky this Sunday at Turning Point for the Knockouts Championship.

Lawsuit against swimming establishmentv - Fox Sports

Former swimming coach Christopher Wheat was sentenced a year ago after admitting to sexual activity with a 14-year-old member of his Lawrence youth swim team.

Now, the girl's lawyer has filed a lawsuit alleging the culture around youth swimming allows pedophile coaches to prey on the kids entrusted to their care.

Lawyer Jonathan Little filed the lawsuit on behalf of the girl against United States Swimming and Indiana Swimming, the national organization that governs competitive swimming and its affiliate. The lawsuit also names Lawrence Township Schools, Wheat, former Lawrence coach John Diercks and McCutcheon High School swim coach Amanda Juntenen Cox.

Generally, the lawsuit alleges that people in positions of authority were made aware of allegations against Wheat but never went to law enforcement as required by law.

USA Swimming spokesman Mike Whewell said the organization does not have a culture of protecting pedophiles and had not been warned of allegations of past sexual abuse by Wheat. Whewell said USA Swimming has a comprehensive athlete-protection policy and it banned Wheat as a member after his arrest.

Diercks told The Indianapolis Star by email Thursday that he did not know about the lawsuit and that he was in no way involved.

Other defendants either could not be reached by The Star or declined comment.

It's Little's sixth lawsuit against USA Swimming, an organization based in Colorado Springs, Colo., that faces an increasing number of lawsuits alleging a pattern of sexual misconduct among swimming coaches nationally.

The lawsuit comes at a time when the public could hardly be more aware of such allegations. No story has more dominated the national news this week than the shocking allegations of a sexual abuse cover-up at Penn State University.

In both the Lawrence and Penn State cases, a coach is accused of abusing a minor, and others in a position of authority are being accused of not doing enough to prevent it.

"We have a rotten, sick culture in USA Swimming," Little said at a news conference Thursday. "Just like in the Penn State case, those in authority ignored sexual abuse claims and failed to report sexual abuse complaints to law enforcement.

"USA Swimming and Indiana Swimming have failed to protect (my client) and possibly a number of other swimmers across the country by fostering a culture that places the protection of pedophile coaches ahead of protecting athletes."

The lawsuit asks for unspecified monetary damages and calls for the removal of USA Swimming and Indiana Swimming officials and coaches who, Little alleges, knew about the misconduct. Little also asked the Marion County prosecutor's office to charge officials and coaches who, he says, never reported allegations to authorities.

Brienne Delaney, spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office, said the office reviewed evidence before Wheat's trial and decided not to file charges against any other coaches or officials.

Wheat was sentenced in September 2010 to eight years in prison and two years in community corrections after he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor and one count of child solicitation. The victim was an eighth-grade swimmer on the Lawrence Swim Team, where Wheat was head coach and executive director. He also was an assistant coach for Lawrence North.

On Nov. 4, a Marion County judge declined to shorten Wheat's prison sentence.

The victim asked the judge to keep Wheat behind bars, saying: "I rarely feel like a normal teenager."

She never would have been in harm's way, Little contends, if others had reported what they knew to law enforcement.

It started with John Diercks, Little said. Little contends in the lawsuit that swimmers told two assistant coaches about Wheat's "sexually inappropriate behavior" in the spring and summer of 2001.

The suit further contends that those coaches informed Diercks, the former head coach at Lawrence North.

But, Little said, Diercks never reported the allegations to law enforcement. Soon after, Wheat resigned his coaching position. But then in 2003, court documents say, Diercks hired him back.

"I am unaware of any lawsuit filed against me," Diercks said Thursday in his email response. "I was (and am not) in any way involved."

Little said officials from USA Swimming, the Lawrence school district and Indiana Swimming also allowed Wheat to be hired despite knowing of allegations made by parents.

Officials from Indiana Swimming did not return messages for comment on the lawsuit. Robin Phelps, the school district's spokeswoman, said district officials would have no comment until they had seen the lawsuit.

Little said at least one other swim coach also knew of Wheat's behavior. A series of text messages filed in the criminal case details a conversation on Oct. 4, 2009, between Wheat and Amanda Juntenen Cox, the McCutcheon High School swim coach and head of the youth team Maverick Aquatics.

Wheat, in the messages, admits to having a relationship with a young girl. He describes her as the "blonde one" and names her friends. Cox says "OK! That's was imy (sic) first thought."

Wheat describes being depressed and tells Cox the girl's mother had chaperoned a sleepover at the new pool the previous day -- and both Wheat and the girl were there.

"Her mom kept asking me what's wrong … I wanted to say well I have been making out and the like with ur daughter … and well she called it quits earlier today" and "now I have 4 years with her … ugh … who knows where this one goes … Cox replies "D`amn" and Wheat asks "what" and Cox texts "Age" and then "But good catch … now put her back in the lake and chalk it up as an experience, smile about it occationally (sic), and upgrade to college … Or a vacation w/ boys."

In the text messages, her "cavalier attitude is beyond belief," Little says. Cox could not be reached Thursday.

Little has five active lawsuits on behalf of swimmers against USA Swimming. Another case, he said, has been resolved — but he wouldn't disclose details, citing a confidentiality agreement.

In one of the five active cases, he represents one of the victims of Brian Hindson, former Kokomo and Westfield coach. Hindson pleaded guilty in 2008 to 16 counts of child pornography after secretly recording girls younger than 18 undressing.

Serbia’s Tennis Federation President Resigned

The long standing power battle in Serbian tennis between the existing hierarchy and the Djokovic family has taken another twist with the news Slobodan ‘Bobo’ Zivojinovic has resigned as the president of the Balkan nation’s tennis federation.
Pressure has been mounting on Zivojinovic for much of the last year and his decision will be announced formally at a Serbian Tennis Federation meeting scheduled for November 24. According to Serbian media reports Zivojinovic will be replaced by Serbia’s Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic.
Former top-ranked player Zivojinovic has been at odds with Djokovic’s father Srdjan after Serbia won the Davis Cup late last year. Djokovic Senior maintained Zivojinovic did little to help the careers of his son or other Serbian players.
Zivojinovic reportedly said he was resigning because of his obligations with the International Tennis Federation and its Davis Cup committee.

Baseball-Rangers' Hamilton has successful sports hernia surgery -ESPN KARACHI

Texas Rangers All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton has undergone successful surgery for a sports hernia and is expected to be fully recovered in time for spring training in February, the team said on Friday.
Hamilton, the 2010 American League most valuable player, had the surgery in Philadelphia on Friday.
The four-time All-Star batted .298 with 25 homers and 94 runs batted in in 2011 despite missing part of the season with a broken bone in his right arm.
He has helped the Rangers make the World Series the past two seasons. They lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games this year.

No word on Nats' player Ramos abducted in Venezuela -Routers

(Routers) - Friends and family of kidnapped U.S. Major League Baseball player Wilson Ramos in Venezuela prayed for his safe return on Friday from gunmen who seized him during an off-season visit to the South American country.
The 24-year-old Washington Nationals catcher was at his mother's home in the city of Valencia on Wednesday when four men dragged him into a stolen car and sped away. He had been due to play for the local Aragua Tigers during the off-season.
"There is still no news. ... The kidnappers have not made contact. We just have to remain patient, pray and have faith," Tigers spokeswoman Kathe Vilera said.
"It is anguish, yes it is. But there is hope and we have to think positive. We continue to support his family," Vilera added.
Kidnappings, armed robberies and murders are common in Venezuela, where insecurity routinely tops surveys of voters' concerns ahead of a presidential election next October.
But Ramos's case has particularly shocked this baseball-mad nation, putting big pressure on the authorities to find him. He is one of the many players from Venezuela who have found stardom and wealth playing baseball in the United States.
Friends and neighbors flocked to the family's modest home, a minute's silence was held at each local league baseball game, and players wore green armbands in a show of solidarity.
Fans at the stadiums waved hand-made signs reading "Free Wilson Ramos" and "Wilson we are with you and your family."
Police found the vehicle the kidnappers used abandoned on Thursday, and detectives from the CICPC investigative division produced artists' impressions of two of the suspects.
"The Chavez government is working 24 hours a day to solve this case," said Deputy Interior Minister Edwin Rojas.
Abductions in Venezuela typically target wealthy local businessmen and landowners, although relatives of Major League Baseball players have been targeted here in the past.
In many cases, victims are taken to cash machines in so-called "express kidnappings" that last a few hours or less. In others, gangs demand big ransoms from relatives. Experts say the majority of cases are never reported to the police.
'OVERWHELMING INSECURITY'
The abduction of Ramos has been especially distressing for Venezuelan baseball fans, who are hugely proud of local players who make it into the U.S. big leagues.
Seizing on public outrage at the case, the opposition Democratic Unity coalition said it was more evidence of "the overwhelming insecurity that we Venezuelans are suffering due to the negligence of the government."
The Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball said on Thursday they had been instructed to make no further comment beyond a statement of concern for Ramos and his family. The league said its investigators were working with authorities.
On opening day last spring there were 62 players born in Venezuela on Major League Baseball club rosters.
Baseball was brought to the country by U.S. oil workers early last century. Local TV is packed with games broadcast from the United States, and Chavez himself is a player who once dreamed of pitching in the major leagues.
Ramos is considered one of the more highly regarded catching prospects in baseball. He had a .267 batting average with 15 home runs and 52 runs batted in for the Nationals during the 2011 season, his first in the major leagues.
(Editing by Abid Naim)