Kelowna, B.C., will compete in lawn bowling

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns fired their coach after one season. Now theyre sweeping out their front office. Owner Jimmy Haslam announced Tuesday that CEO Joe Banner will step down in the next two months and general manager Michael Lombardi is leaving the team. "Mike and Joe have left us in good position in terms of free agency and cap space as well as this years draft, where we have 10 overall picks and three of the first 35," Haslam said at a news conference. Its yet another stunning development for a franchise that has undergone nearly constant change in the past 15 years. Haslam also said assistant GM Ray Farmer, who was pursued by Miami to be the Dolphins GM this winter, has been promoted and will immediately take the over the teams football operations and lead the Browns during free agency and draft. Cleveland has two first-round picks in Mays draft and is well under the salary cap to spend on free agents. Haslam added that president Alec Scheiner will keep his current role. "Alec Scheiner will run our business side and remain as president, Mike Pettine will be our head coach and Ray Farmer will be our GM," Haslam said. "We will not have a CEO and those three people will report directly to me." The shake-up comes one month after the Browns finally hired coach Mike Pettine. Banner and Haslam had fired coach Rob Chudzinski after a 4-12 season, the teams sixth straight with at least 11 losses. Wisconsin said Tuesday that coach Gary Andersen was contacted by the Cleveland Browns for their coaching vacancy but decided not to pursue the position following a conversation with the NFL team, which spent 25 days to hire Pettine. "Mike will have final say on the 45-man roster-- who plays on Sundays-- and Ray will have final say on the 53-player roster," Haslam said. Banner, who previously worked in Philadelphia, was hired by Haslam to run the team shortly after his ownership was approved by the league in 2012. "We appreciate Joes contributions to the Cleveland Browns, especially in helping us as new owners," Haslam said in a release. "He was committed to creating a successful organization and bringing in talented individuals. We thank him for his work and dedication. We wish him and his family the best." Banner will transition out of his job over the next two months. "It is bittersweet leaving the Browns organization," Banner said. "I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Jimmy Haslam and helping him set the infrastructure for this franchise. I am proud of the talented individuals we brought in to help lead this team and feel that the Cleveland Browns are in good hands moving forward." Lombardis departure ends a curious second stint with the team. His hiring was widely panned by some Cleveland media members and many fans because of his time with coach Bill Belichick when he was Clevelands coach. Lombardi kept a low profile over the past year in Cleveland and was not in attendance at any major news conferences. "Were also grateful for Mike Lombardis efforts and commitment since rejoining our organization," Haslam said. "He is an experienced and creative NFL executive with a unique ability to see the big picture. He has tremendous instincts and I know hell be a valuable addition to any NFL organization. We simply wanted to give Ray this opportunity that hes earned. We wanted to move forward under his leadership and capabilities." AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia, contributed to this report. Marcus Foligno Wild Jersey .C. -- The Charlotte Bobcats said head coach Steve Clifford underwent a successful procedure Friday to have two stents placed in his heart. Mikko Koivu Wild Jersey . Onyshko, from Minnedosa, Man., will compete in artistic gymnastics while Hanet, from Kelowna, B.C., will compete in lawn bowling as a para-athlete. "It is exciting that our Canadian athletes are starting to arrive at the Games Village," said Chantal Petitclerc, Canadas Chef de Mission. http://www.authenticwildpro.com/Mikko-koivu-wild-jersey/.com) - Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer were among the third-round winners Friday at the French Open. Eric Staal Wild Jersey . “Momentum is only as good as the next days starter,” the long-time Baltimore Orioles manager famously quipped. Custom Minnesota Wild Jerseys . Liriano pitched in and out of trouble in his duel with Josh Beckett, and Ike Davis homered to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 Friday night. SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal appeals court on Friday upheld former Giants slugger Barry Bonds obstruction-of-justice conviction stemming from rambling testimony he gave during a 2003 appearance before a grand jury investigating elite athletes use of performance-enhancing drugs. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Bonds testimony was "evasive" and capable of misleading investigators and hindering their probe into a performance-enhancing-drug ring centred at the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, better known as BALCO. In a statement Friday night, Bonds said he was disappointed but he has instructed his attorneys to ask that he be allowed to immediately begin serving his sentence of 30 days of house arrest and two years of probation. "Meanwhile, I also intend to seek further judicial review of the important legal issues presented by the appeal that was decided today," Bonds said. "This has been a long and difficult chapter in my life and I look forward to moving beyond it once I have fulfilled the penalties ordered by the court." Like several other prominent athletes who testified before the grand jury, Bonds was granted immunity from criminal prosecution as long as he testified truthfully. But after Bonds repeatedly denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs -- he testified he thought he was taking flax seed oil and other legal supplements -- prosecutors charged him with obstruction and with making false statements. A jury convicted Bonds of a single felony count of obstruction, stemming from when he was called before the grand jury in San Francisco in December 2003. Bonds was asked whether his trainer, Greg Anderson, had ever injected him with a substance, and he repliied by discussing the difficulties of being the son of a famous father.dddddddddddd Bonds father is former major leaguer Bobby Bonds. The jury deadlocked on three other counts that Bonds made false statements stemming from his denial that he knowingly used drugs, and those charges were later dismissed. Bonds was sentenced to house arrest and probation after his 2011 trial. Prosecutors had sought a 15-month prison sentence. The three-judge appeals court panel Friday rejected Bonds argument that his rambling testimony didnt amount to felony obstruction. Bonds appellate attorney, Dennis Riordan, argued that Bonds answer was, in fact, true: He felt the pressure of being a child of a celebrity. But Judge Mary Schroeder said that didnt matter. She said it was obvious Bonds meant to mislead -- and obstruct -- the grand jurys investigation into his use of performance-enhancing drugs, often called PEDs. "The statement served to divert the grand jurys attention away from the relevant inquiry of the investigation, which was Anderson and BALCOs distribution of steroids and PEDs," Schroeder wrote. "The statement was therefore evasive." Schroeder and her two colleagues also rejected arguments that the trial judge had issued improper jury instructions. "We conclude there was sufficient evidence to convict Bonds of obstructing justice," Schroeder said. San Francisco U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag said, "We are gratified by the courts decision and believe justice is served." Bonds has the option to ask the same three-judge panel to reconsider its decision, ask a special 11-judge panel of the 9th Circuit to take on the case, or petition the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his appeal. ' ' '