(Reuters) - Disgraced Olympic and world 400 meters champion LaShawn Merritt has been cleared to compete in August's world championships, USA Track & Field (USATF) said on Tuesday.

Merritt needed an exception to USATF team policy to claim a wild-card berth in the world championships as the reigning champion.

U.S. team policy requires athletes to compete in its trials, which were held last weekend, to be eligible for world championships but Merritt was unable to because his 21-month doping suspension does not expire until July 27.

USATF's board granted an exception since he would be eligible for competition a month ahead of the world championships.

After struggling for 15 Years the League’s future is still unclear

By Gary Montgomery, BVN Staff –

The Sacramento Kings of the NBA are hoping to have a place to play─ when the labor dispute is resolved. The ultra rich and famous Maloof Brothers, owners of the Kings have jettisoned a huge chuck of their once numerous assets to hold on to the team. The city of Sacramento has reached into its legal bag of tricks to keep them from leaving town and stiffing the city with a million dollar plus tab.

Frank McCourt, owner of the Los Angeles is Dodgers finds himself battling insolvency and needing an unlikely miracle after burning through millions and falling out of favor with the league. With an impending payroll due in just under two weeks, League commissioner Bud Selig has signaled that he will take control of the team if McCord falters.

The NFL is locked in a well publicized fight that threatens to wipe out the upcoming season for the nation’s most popular sport.

Owner’s say they desperately need to reel in their expenses and players say they can’t do it on their backs. Any number of sports teams are struggl ing and have nearly unsolvable problems.

Nearly every American is seeing neighbors and friends losing their jobs and struggling to hold on to their homes. These are indeed very difficult times all over the nation’s landscape.

It is in these times, that the fifteen year old WNBA finds itself growing up. At the tender age of 15, most find themselves learning and understanding the concepts necessary to move into adulthood.

Yet, the WNBA at 15 faces many of the same financial pressures that it faced at its beginning through no fault of its own.

The WNBA has a good league, with knowledgeable rabid fans, many as passionate about their game as any in sports. The league is currently loaded with the best group of young stars as at any time in its history.

The current WNBA visibly has everything necessary to be successful.

But, looks don’t tell the complete story. Owned by the NBA, the league has treaded water since the end of the ownership agreement in 2007.

When primary owners started to depart, leading to the demise of the Houston Comets and later the Sacramento Monarchs, many thought this was the end. But, the league responded by shuffling some teams and moving forward.

This is the plight of the current WNBA. Caught in an economic conundrum that is threatening its existence although the league itself has seeming done everything right.

Tuesday evening’s contest between the Los Angeles Sparks and the New York Liberty was set for June 21st to commemorate the WNBA’s inaugural contest between those same two teams on the exact same date 15 years earlier.

With 10,389 fans in attendance on a Tuesday evening in Los Angeles is indicative of a strong following by any measure.

Fifteen years ago Lisa Leslie and Kim Hampton tipped the ball to begin what is now the most successful Women’s Basketball League ever, and yet the league finds itself unsure of its future. We can only hope their success can continue.

G. Montgomery can be reached at sports@blackvoicenews.com

By Jon D. Gaede, BVN Staff –

Mike Soscia’s Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, don’t resemble themselves these days. Champions of little ball and good pitching, these 2011 Angels have neither of late.

At the start of the season, the club expected a rehabilitated Kendry Morales and the addition of proven hitter Vernon Wells, to round out their offensive attack. In reality, Kendry’s earliest return looks like sometime in May. He is sorely missed.

Veteran Vernon Wells was obtained in an off season move with Toronto. The career .280 hitter who normally averages 28 homers and 90 RBI was hitting below the Mendoza line (under .200) and is still recovering from an early season hamstring injury.

Team captain Torii Hunter’s bat has also gone cold as well as their usual team strength, starting pitching.

Starter Scott Kazmir had so many horrible outings this year, that the Angels sent him down to Salt Lake. Kazmir’s ERA is 17.02 in five starts.

In exchange for Kazmir, 21 year old rookie, Tyler Chatwood (Redlands East Valley) has been the new addition to the rotation.

Soscia has been patient with him. Chatwood has a nifty 95 mph fastball and a 12 to 6 curve ball. Although he has struggled with his control, Chatwood is 3-3 on the season and is gaining valuable experience.

Sure hitting Howey Kendrick has returned from injury and has a .350 average over the last seven games.

The Angel season can be summed up by missed opportunities, an inordinate number of double plays and a general lack of run support.

Ace pitcher Jerod Weaver led the American League out of the gate with a 6-0 mark.

Then the Angels stopped hitting, Weaver lost his next four with an average of 2 runs or less. He is currently 7-4.

When their pitching is sound and the Angel bats produce 4 runs or more per game, they are capable of winning every series, to include the mighty Yankees. The club was 3-7 during the previous 10 when hit the road to Seattle. The Angels beat the Mariners twice in two games.

With all their troubles, the Angels are only 5 games out of first in the West. They have won two of two on their road trip thus far in Seattle. Maybe this is the start of a mini run toward the All Star break in July.

Fan watch - New York Yankee Derek Jeter was six hits shy of 3,000 on Monday. Due to an unusual calf injury, the Yankee captain will be sidelined for ten days.

Sparks run down Lynx in star studded season opener

By Gary Montgomery, BVN Staff –

The Los Angeles Sparks tipped off the 15th season of WNBA professional basketball last Friday evening with a 82-74 win over the Minnesota Lynx and the leagues number one draft pick Maya Moore in front of an announced crowd of 13,589 fans.

Los Angeles, one of the League’s most successful franchises and one of only two teams located in a major media market serves as a fitting place for the season opener showcasing their newest and brightest league stars.

Moore, the women’s collegiate player of the year, three time winner of the Wade Trophy and winner of two national championships as a Connecticut Huskies, joins an already talented Lynx squad with Lindsey Whalen, Simone Augustus, Candace Wiggins, Alexis Hornbuckle, Charde Houston all college superstars.

The league’s newly hired president Laurel Richie made her debut and held pregame locker room meetings with each of the teams. “I wanted to let them know that the league is healthy, thanks to them and how important each of them was to the league,” said Ritchie.

“We have incredibly talented young ladies in this league and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with them.”

Ritchie, a marketing and finance professional, has the immediate challenge of securing sponsorship and growing league revenues in one of the most competitive sports markets ever. Ritchie has an abundance of young stars to work with. At no time in its history has the WNBA had more young stars than it does today.

“I was amazed, she new every player in the locker-room by name,” said Sparks Head Coach Jennifer.

After moving the game time back an extra hour to deliver the game to a national television audience, the WNBA’s 15th season got underway with a very unusual rousing ovation for the visiting team’s best player, Maya Moore.

With all of the excitement over Maya, the Sparks had to feel a little overshadowed. Led now by Candace Parker, the Sparks are re-establishing their identity. Parker is joined by veterans DeLisha Milton- Jones, Tina Thompson, Ticha Penicheiro and Noelle Quinn in the starting lineup.

Moore scored 21 points to lead all scorers in her first professional game, but the Lynx couldn’t hold off a late rally by the Sparks. The Lynx have lost eight straight games to the Sparks and have not beaten them since 2009.

After giving up a 10-point early lead, the Lynx lead 43-37 at the end of the first half. Los Angeles took a slim lead in third outscoring the Lynx 24- 14 during the period. The fourth quarter belonged to the Los Angeles. Lead by the hot shooting of Noelle Quinn, the Sparks outscored the Lynx 23- 17 in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

Sparks leading Scorer Candace Parker had 19 points and 10 rebounds. The WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, Tina Thompson had 15 points.

Noelle Quinn had 11 points and DeLisha Milton added 8 points.

“I thought we came out defensive minded in the second half and that was the difference in the game. I have been trying to get that though to them for two weeks. We know we can score but we have to be able to stop people,” said Coach Gilliam.

G. Montgomery can be reached at sports@blackvoicenews.com