Flying Squirrels set for Sports Radio 910

MINOR-LEAGUE BASEBALL

Squirrels set for Sports Radio 910

WASHINGTON -- The Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, yesterday announced a two-year media partnership with Clear Channel Broadcasting-Richmond, which will make Sports Radio 910 AM the radio flagship station for the team in its first two seasons. Sports Radio 910 will carry all 142 regular-season games, any potential postseason games and the Eastern League All-Star Game. All games also will be available via on-line streaming at SportsRadio910.com.

The Flying Squirrels' radio broadcast team will consist of Jon Laaser and Anthony Oppermann. Laaser will provide play-by-play during all 142 regular-season games, and Oppermann will provide play-by-play during home games and select road games.

SOCCER

Longtime United player Olsen retires

Longtime D.C. United and U.S. national team midfielder Ben Olsen is retiring from professional soccer. Olsen, 32, said ankle injuries over the years made it difficult to keep playing. Olsen leaves United as one of the most popular players in franchise history. He was the MLS rookie of the year in 1998 and helped the United win the MLS Cup in 1999 and 2004. Olsen also played 37 games with the U.S. national team from 1998 to 2007.

TENNIS

Federer rallies for victory

LONDON -- Roger Federer bounced back after losing the first set, rallying to beat Andy Murray 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 at the ATP World Tour Finals and ensuring he will have the year-end No. 1 ranking for the fifth time.

Federer, who has two wins from two matches in Group A and is favored to reach the semifinals at the season-ending tournament, still has to play Juan Martin del Potro in the round-robin stage. Del Potro beat Federer in the U.S. Open final.

Earlier, Del Potro held on to beat Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1).

NBA

Seizure for Nets' arena allowed

ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York's top court ruled yesterday that the state can use eminent domain to force homeowners and businesses to sell their properties for a massive development in Brooklyn that includes a new arena for the New Jersey Nets.

In a 6-1 ruling, the Court of Appeals said the Empire State Development Corp.'s finding that the area was blighted was enough to justify taking the land.

A group of tenants and owners claim the seizure is unconstitutional. They argue that developer Bruce Ratner's proposed $4.9 billion, 22-acre Atlantic Yards project mainly enriches private interests, while the state constitution requires public use for taking land.

"The constitution accords government broad power to take and clear substandard and insanitary areas for redevelopment," Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman wrote for the majority. "In so doing, it commensurately deprives the judiciary of grounds to interfere with the exercise."

Ratner said construction will continue, with the intent that the Nets will play ball there in the 2011-2012 season.

LACROSSE

Three Sacred Heart players charged

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Three lacrosse players at a Connecticut college have been charged with conspiring to sexually assault a female student. Nicholas Travers of Smithtown, N.Y., Zachari Triner of Marshfield, Mass., and Timothy Sanders of Ashburn play lacrosse for Sacred Heart University. They were charged Sunday. Sanders' lawyer said the allegations are "grossly exaggerated." Attorneys for Travers and Triner say they cannot comment on the case or the arrests.

HORSE RACING

Race renamed for Zenyatta

ARCADIA, Calif. -- Zenyatta is getting the Grade 1 race she won twice at Santa Anita renamed in her honor. Track officials said that the Lady's Secret will be renamed The Zenyatta beginning next fall. The race is for fillies and mares ages 3 and up run at 1 1-16 miles.

Zenyatta won the race the past two years. She capped her 14-0 career by beating the boys in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 7.

ELSEWHERE

• Talk about getting stuck with the cheap seats. The Pontiac Silverdome in suburban Detroit was built three decades ago for $56 million. Now it's being virtually given away after a judge approved its sale for a paltry $583,000. That comes out to $7.25 a seat as the once-proud arena is relegated to being another sad symbol of the Detroit area's economic collapse. The Silverdome opened in 1975 as home of the Detroit Lions and housed the NBA's Pistons in 1978-88. Since being abandoned by the Lions in 2002, the stadium has saddled Pontiac with a $1.5 million a year maintenance bill.

• Sophomore guard Walter Offutt has decided to leave the Ohio State men's basketball program and will seek a transfer to another school. Offutt, an Indianapolis native who appeared in 23 games at Ohio State, has not indicated where he will transfer. He will finish out the quarter at Ohio State.

-- From Staff and Wire Reports