Other sports

College football

Ohio State coach Meyer defends staff's 'relentless' recruiting style

There was interesting give-and-take when Big Ten coaches met at the conference offices Friday.

New Ohio State coach Urban Meyer faced off with at least a couple of coaches who have been reported saying they question his poaching of recruits who had orally committed to other programs.

Meyer's first recruiting class for the Buckeyes included eight players who initially had said they were attending another school, including four who originally said they were going to Penn State and one each who had declared they would go to Michigan State and Wisconsin. Two others had orally committed to Notre Dame.

"We had an opportunity to discuss a number of issues with each other and conference staff, including those that have arisen this week," Meyer said in a statement issued after the meeting.

"It should be noted that my coaching staff is in full compliance with our recruiting efforts, and no one on this staff did anything illegal or unethical."

Former Florida coach Meyer said his staff would continue to be "relentless."

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema has been quoted expressing his displeasure with Ohio State raiding other team's recruits. Michigan State's Mark Dantonio also reportedly questioned Meyer's recruiting tactics, but he said Friday his comments were taken out of context and were not directed at Meyer.

"There's a few things that happened early on I made people be aware of that I didn't want to see in this league that I had seen take place at other leagues," Bielema said on Wednesday's first day for the signing of national letters of intent. "Other recruiting tactics, other recruiting practices that are illegal. I was very up front and was very poignant to the fact. I actually reached out to coach Meyer and shared my thoughts and concerns with him and the situation got rectified."

Dantonio issued a statement saying he made general comments about unethical situations around signing day that "had nothing to do with Urban Meyer and Ohio State."

Purdue hires ex-WSU player

Purdue hired Greg Burns, 39, to coach its defensive backs; he replaces Lou Anarumo, who recently took a job with the NFL Miami Dolphins.

Burns, who spent the previous four seasons coaching cornerbacks at Arizona State, played for Washington State from 1991 to 1993 and in 1995. He has bachelor's and master's degrees from WSU.

O'Keefe to leave Iowa

Iowa offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe, 58, is leaving the program for another job, reportedly with the Miami Dolphins.

Auto racing

ISC bets on appeal of casino

Lesa France Kennedy strode through the Art Deco-inspired lobby, past rows of blinking slot machines and spinning roulette wheels.

The chief executive of International Speedway Corp., which owns and operates Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., marveled at the new casino overlooking Turn 2 of the track — a $411 million facility that reportedly has created 1,000 new jobs and is expected to attract 4 million visitors annually.

"All the different screens, all the colors," Kennedy said. "I'm blown away."

Kennedy is gambling on the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, which celebrated its grand opening on a rainy Friday morning, to generate interest, drive ticket sales and increase revenue for ISC during a sluggish time for motor sports.

After a ribbon was cut, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Kasey Kahne of Enumclaw and Clint Bowyer threw the ceremonial first dice and people began streaming through the doors and taking up seats at slot machines and blackjack tables.

The gaming is on a single, 95,000-square-foot floor, with a bar and restaurant that have a view of the speedway.

Ferrari unveils new F1 car

Ferrari unveiled its overhauled Formula One car in a low-key Internet presentation after the full launch was canceled because of a snowstorm.

The car is named the F2012, which marks a return to the team's traditional jargon after last year's car was called the F150 in honor of the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification.

"We're hoping it's competitive right away," team chief Stefano Domenicali said.

Soccer

Terry won't be England captain

Chelsea defender John Terry, 31, was removed as England's captain as he awaits trial in July for alleged racial abuse of Queens Park player Anton Ferdinand during an English Premier League match in October. Terry remains eligible to play for England at the European Championship.

The English Football Association said Terry will be stripped of his captaincy "until the allegations against him are resolved."

Team officials said Terry will remain Chelsea's captain.

Elsewhere

• The designer of the golf course for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil won't be announced until March. The winner had been scheduled to be selected Friday after the eight bidders spent two days this week in Rio de Janeiro making final presentations.

It will be the first Olympic course in more than 100 years. Golf is returning to the Games for the first time since being dropped after the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis.

• Klaus Kroell gave Austria its first World Cup downhill victory of the season, edging American Bode Miller by 0.01 seconds in a race so tight the top five skiers were separated by 0.08 seconds. Kroell won in 2 minutes, 4.22 seconds in Chamonix, France.

"It's tough. ... There's so many places where a hundredth can come or go," Miller said.

Seattle Times news services