Sports in brief
Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 24, 2014
SOCCER
Real Madrid takes 1-0 lead in semifinal — Karim Benzema scored in the 19th minute to give Real Madrid a 1-0 win over defending champion Bayern Munich on Wednesday night in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal. Madrid got its goal on a counterattack when Cristiano Ronaldo found Fabio Coentrao speeding down a flank. Coentrao crossed for Benzema, who tapped the ball past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer from 4 yards. Madrid, which won the last of its nine European titles in 2002, has been knocked out of the semifinals for three straight years. The second leg is Tuesday in Munich. Chelsea hosts the other semifinal next Wednesday following a 0-0 tie at Atletico Madrid this week.
BASKETBALL
Jackson says he won’t coach Knicks — The coaching search is on in New York, and the best possible candidate has already been eliminated. Phil Jackson won’t be hiring himself to coach the Knicks. Two days after firing Mike Woodson, Jackson reiterated Wednesday that he won’t be returning to the bench, despite the fact that even fiancee Jeanie Buss told him he should. But Jackson says his body isn’t up to doing the job.
COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Big schools could make own governance rules — NCAA President Mark Emmert believes college sports can address the concerns of union organizers without changing the entire model. Emmert acknowledged Wednesday that under a proposed new governance structure, the richest sports programs would have the autonomy to provide more money and more counseling and perhaps even more protections to student-athletes. His comments come one day before the NCAA’s board of directors is to discuss a series of proposals that could change college sports. The agenda includes debate over a new governance structure that would allow the five biggest football conferences to implement some legislation on their own, expand meal plans and change transfer rules. The 57-page draft proposal would allow the 65 schools in the five biggest football conferences to implement some legislation — such as expanding scholarship benefits to cover the full cost-of-attendance, money that goes beyond tuition, room and board, books and fees, and additional academic and career counseling.
— Bulletin wire reports