Press Box: Wrestling dropped from Olympics; Northwestern's Swopshire has surgery
In a surprising turn, the International Olympic Committee voted Tuesday to recommend eliminating wrestling from the 2020 games to be held in Madrid, Istanbul or Tokyo.
Starting with the 2016 Games, golf and rugby will be recognized officially as international Olympic sports.
Wrestling has been a part of the amateur games since 1896, but faces a September vote in Buenos Aires against seven other sports marked for removal by the IOC to be retained in a revamped form.
Taekwondo, field hockey and other sports considered more likely to be dropped by the executive board were able to survive.
More than 340 wrestlers participated in the London Olympics.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Northwestern forward Jared Swopshire had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will miss the rest of the 2012-13 season.
Swopshire was hurt in the second half of the Feb. 9 game at Iowa.
The graduate student started 24 games this season, and averaged 9.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He scored a career-high 22 points against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 15, and recorded a career-best 16 rebounds at Nebraska Jan. 26.
---The wife of former University of Pennsylvania basketball star Matthew White has been charged of stabbing her husband to death in bed, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer report, citing court records.
White, 53, was sleeping when Maria Rey Garcia-Pellon stabbed him in the neck early Monday morning, according to the court record.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Four Alabama Crimson Tide freshman football players have been suspended in conjunction with charges of second-degree robbery or credit-card fraud.
Eddie Williams, a former top recruit, was arrested Monday for the second time in two days. He was first arrested Sunday and charged with carrying a pistol without a license.
Defensive end D.J. Pettway (second-degree robbery), and linebackers Tyler Hayes (second-degree robbery) and Brent Calloway (fraudulent use of a credit card) were arrested Monday with Williams, according to multiple reports, citing online records from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office. The four players were released Monday night on bonds ranging from $5,000 to $65,000.
GOLF
Tiger Woods, the world's second-ranked golfer, officially committed to play in this year's Honda Classic, pairing with top player Rory McIlroy to headline the tournament.
The event is scheduled for Feb. 28 to March 3 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
