, did not respond to a request for comment

GENEVA -- The fallout of Russias state-backed cheating at the Sochi Olympics could add pressure on Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who also is its top official at FIFA and head of the local organizing committee for the 2018 World Cup.His status was unclear Monday after Russian President Vladimir Putin said all officials directly implicated in a World Anti-Doping Agency inquiry report will be suspended.The alleged conspiracy to ensure doped Russian athletes helped their nation win the most medals at the 2014 Winter Games could lead to Mutko being removed from the next big sports showcase in Russia, the World Cup.The WADA inquiry published Monday confirmed claims widespread doping across Russian summer and winter sports was tied to the government ministry headed by Mutko.Mutko personally intervened to cover up a doping case of at least one foreign (soccer player) in the Russian League, according to email evidence obtained by the inquiry, led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren.The report alleged an additional 11 positive tests of Russian soccer players were made to disappear in the state-sponsored doping program from late 2011 to 2015.WADAs executive board called on FIFAs independent ethics court to act against Mutko, who has been a member of the scandal-scarred soccer bodys ruling panel since 2009.Among seven key demands, WADA leaders urged: The FIFA ethics committee to look into allegations concerning football (soccer) and the role played by a member of its executive committee, Minister Vitaly Mutko.FIFA made no mention of Mutko in its own statement about the McLaren report and said it will ask WADA to share information about alleged cover-ups of doping in Russian soccer. FIFA said it will take the appropriate next steps based on feedback it gets.The Union of European Football of Associations, whose member federations have twice elected Mutko to four-year terms representing UEFA at FIFA, did not respond to a request for comment.Mutko is due to stand for re-election to his FIFA post in March and would be required to pass an integrity check.It was inconceivable that Minister Mutko was not aware of the doping cover-up scheme, the report said, citing evidence provided to the WADA inquiry from Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Moscows testing laboratory.McLaren said he did not try to speak with Mutko for this report.A previous Mutko interview -- conducted last September in Zurich for an earlier WADA report of doping cover-ups and corruption in Russian track and field -- was singularly unhelpful, McLaren said Monday.Mutkos position has seemed vulnerable after Russias 11th-place finish in the medals standings at the 2010 Olympics.However, the real catalyst to develop the Sochi scheme was the abysmal performance of the Russian delegation at the Vancouver Winter Games in 2010, the WADA report said Monday.Later in 2010, Mutko was revealed in a government audit to have charged expenses of $4,500 to Russian taxpayers for 97 breakfasts during his 20-day stay in Vancouver, British Columbia.His firing was unlikely then because it would have risked his standing at FIFA ahead of a December 2010 executive committee vote to choose the 2018 World Cup host. Russia beat three rivals, including England, and a separate contest for the 2022 tournament saw Qatar picked ahead of the United States. Custom Mavericks T-shirts . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. Cheap Custom Mavericks Jersey . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. http://www.custommavericksjersey.com/ .C. -- Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said after all of these years in the NBA hes still amazed at some of the things LeBron James does. Wholesale Custom Mavericks Shirts . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. Custom Mavericks Jersey China . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. SEATTLE -- Stuck in a stretch of facing mostly left-handed pitching, Adam Lind has found himself as a spectator far more than he would prefer.Even with just a handful of at-bats over the past couple of weeks, Lind showed he can still provide pop when given the chance.Lind hit the fourth grand slam of his career as part of Seattles five-run first inning, added a solo home run in his next at-bat and led the Mariners to an 8-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.Linds 19th and 20th homers of the season helped Seattle jump to an 8-0 lead and kept the Mariners on the fringe of the AL wild card race, five games behind Baltimore. It was the 12th career multi-homer game of Linds career and his second this season.He has the ability to do that. Weve seen it in patches through the course of the year. He just hasnt put together a normal Adam Lind year, Seattle manager Scott Servais said. But you look up at the end of it hes still got 20 homers, hes had some games like this where he can really carry you. He just hasnt been that consistent.Opportunities have been limited for Lind as part of a platoon at first base. Its an unfortunate run that has left Lind and Seth Smith coming off the bench during a stretch of facing left-handed starting pitching.Lind had just 12 plate appearances over the past 10 games coming into Wednesdays game.This is definitely the division with the most lefties, Texas and Anaheim of late, Lind said. I played in the NL Central last year and it was predominantly a right-handed pitching division. Its just how it goes.The homers from Lind were plenty for starter Ariel Miranda in his strongest performance since joining the Mariners.Miranda (3-1) allowed one hit and two baserunners through five innings and was nearly untouched through six before an error kept the sixth inning alive and was capped by Carlos Beltrans three-run homer.Miranda faced one batter in the seventh before being pulled. He won his second straight start, striking out four and walking three. Texas saw its streak snapped of eight straight games scoring at least six runs.Up until now (this) has been my best start of the year, Miranda said through an interpreter.ddddddddddddSeattle was already up 1-0 on Texas starter A.J. Griffin after Smiths leadoff double and Ketel Martes single. Base hits by Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager loaded the bases for Lind. Griffin left a fastball elevated over the plate and Lind drove it to deep center field to give Seattle a 5-0 lead.Linds opposite-field home run to left in the third gave Seattle a 7-0 lead and Smiths 13th homer of the season in the fourth pushed the lead to 8-0.Griffin (7-4) lasted four innings, giving up seven hits and all eight runs. Griffin had won his previous two decisions and the four innings was his second-shortest outing of the season.The fastball was flat and when he tried to go in, he missed out over the plate and when he was behind in the count, he wasnt able to land the off-speed pitch that he can normally drop in there for a strike, Texas manager Jeff Banister said. The first (inning) was a big challenge and giving up the grand slam was probably his big blow.AT THE TOPBatting leadoff for the second time this season, Smith was on base four times and scored three runs. He finished a triple short of the cycle.LEWIS RETURNSBanister said Colby Lewis will return to the Rangers rotation this weekend and is scheduled to start on Sunday against the Angels. Lewis has been out since June 21 with a strained muscle in his right shoulder. Before going on the DL, Lewis was 6-1 with a 3.21 ERA in 15 starts. Lewis return will give the Rangers six pitchers in their rotation for the final few weeks.UP NEXTRangers: Derek Holland (7-6) will start the series finale. Holland is 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts since coming off the DL on Aug. 23.Mariners: Taijuan Walker (4-10) looks to rebound from the shortest start of his career. Walker gave up five earned runs and six hits and recorded just two outs in a loss to the Angels. Hes 0-3 with a 7.90 ERA in his last three starts. ' ' '