L.A.’s Olympic bid gets AEG aid

The people who brought Staples Center and the Home Depot Center to Southern California, Anschutz Entertainment Group, gave the people who are trying to get the Olympic Games back in Los Angeles in 2016 some extra ammunition Monday.

Rod O’Connor, general manager of the Home Depot Center, announced at a news conference that, were Los Angeles to get the bid for the 2016 Games, his company would expand his facility with a 125-acre project that would include a training facility and hotel/conference center.

The price on that project was put at $50 million to $60 million and the combination training center and hotel was seen as an enhanced attraction to athletes from afar with an on-site place to stay.

The Home Depot Center in Carson is a hotbed of Olympic-sport training, with facilities for soccer, tennis, track and field and velodrome cycling.

The timing of the announcement appeared to be for maximum impact on United States Olympic Committee decision-makers, who will decide April 14 on whether Los Angeles or Chicago is put forth as the U.S. candidate city in the international race for the 2016 Olympic bid.

If the 2016 bid doesn’t go to Los Angeles, O’Connor said AEG would “revisit our options.”

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-- Bill Dwyre

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BASEBALL

Walker to be released

today by San Diego

San Diego plans to release infielder Todd Walker today, a little more than a month after he won a $3.95-million salary in arbitration.

The Padres will owe Walker $971,311 in termination pay. He batted .225 in spring training.

The team announced that right-hander Jake Peavy will be the opening-day starter at San Francisco on April 3.

An MRI exam showed that reliever Duaner Sanchez of the New York Mets has a broken bone in his pitching shoulder and was expected to be sidelined until at least midseason.... National League batting champion Freddy Sanchez sought a second medical opinion that confirmed the Pittsburgh Pirates’ evaluation of a sprained right knee ligament.... Florida acquired reliever Jorge Julio and cash from Arizona for a minor league prospect.... Detroit sent first baseman Chris Shelton to triple A.

TENNIS

Williams wins match but

deals with racist heckler

Serena Williams says a heckler bothered her throughout her match at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., making at least one racist remark before he was finally ejected.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Williams said. “I had to do a double take. I think I hit a double fault on that point.”

Williams won the third-round match against Lucie Safarova, 6-3, 6-4. Fans and security confirmed a man heckled Williams inappropriately, tournament director Adam Barrett said.

In other matches, Amer Delic, ranked No. 89th, beat fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko, 7-6 (5), 6-3; top-ranked Roger Federer beat No. 29 Nicolas Almagro, 7-5, 6-3; and Kim Clijsters lost to No. 15 Li Na, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

MISCELLANY

Home Depot Center

track event is canceled

The Just Relays! track event, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, has been canceled because the number of entries received and promised in all divisions did not meet the minimum of 80, organizers said.

-- Helene Elliott

The owner of Ultimate Fighting Championship’s parent company is expected to announce today that the organization has purchased the PRIDE Fighting Championships, according to Japanese media reports.

-- Lance Pugmire

Clint Dolezel threw seven touchdown passes -- five to Will Pettis -- and Dallas beat host Orlando, 70-49, in an Arena Football League game.