Press Box: Pistorius granted bail
Olympian Oscar Pistorius was granted bail Friday by a judge in Pretoria, South Africa, who ruled that there was not enough evidence to consider him a flight risk.
South African magistrate Desmond Nair allowed Pistorius to be released in the shooting death of his girlfriend, model and law-school graduate Reeva Steenkamp, on Feb. 14. The decision, which brought cheers of "Yes" from Pistorius' family in court. was handed down after two hours of arguments from the defense and prosecution.
Bail was set at $1 million rand, or $113,000. His next court date is scheduled for June 4.
Pistorius, 26, is charged with one count of premeditated murder. He has contended that he accidentally shot Steenkamp in the bathroom off his bedroom at his home, thinking that an intruder had entered the house.
CYCLING
---The Justice Department has joined a lawsuit under the False Claims Act against cyclist Lance Armstrong.
According to the suit, Armstrong hid his use of performance-enhancing drugs and defrauded a longtime sponsor and violated sponsorship contracts with the U.S. Postal Service. According to USA Today, the two sides remain far apart on the amount Armstrong should pay in a settlement. Reports indicate that the government could be asking for approximately $100 million.
COLLEGE SPORTS
--- An internal memo that questioned the leadership of the NCAA has been passed among Mountain West Conference presidents, CBSSports.com reported. The memo is directed at Fresno State president John Welty, a member of the NCAA board of directors.
According to the report, the email stated, "Is it time for the presidents to seek new NCAA leadership or a new organization? The NCAA has evidenced decisions that focus on trivial and penalize our athletes. The salaries for the NCAA leadership are excessive and an embarrassment to the Mountain West schools. Their decision making is cumbersome and oblique."
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
---Junior guard DeMario Mayfield, Charlotte's leading scorer this season, was dismissed from the program, the school announced.
Mayfield, a Georgia transfer, was suspended indefinitely for a violation of athletic department policy on Jan. 30. Prior to that, he averaged 11.7 points in 18 games and had scored in double figures 14 times this season.
