Drug czar: U.S. leads in fight against cheating

The nation’s deputy drug czar said Tuesday that the indictment of slugger Barry Bonds in connection with a federal steroids investigation shows the world that the United States remains “the No. 1 country in the world when it comes to going after cheating in sports.”

Scott Burns, deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, made the remark during a conference call from Washington summing up the World Anti-Doping Agency’s third international conference on sports doping. The conference ended Saturday in Madrid with the approval by 1,500 delegates of a tougher international code against sports doping.

Burns faulted the U.S. pro sports leagues, which have long refused to accept WADA jurisdiction, for their looser standards. He was especially critical of the NBA’s relatively liberal policy on marijuana use, which calls for a maximum five-game suspension for the third and subsequent offenses.

“If Americans knew that you can be a professional high-level athlete and smoke dope and those are the penalties, they would be offended,” he said. “For professional athletes that smoke dope, there should be a message that says you don’t get to play your sport.”

-- Michael Hiltzik

American cyclist Floyd Landis launched his final appeal of a doping charge against him by calling an arbitration panel’s majority finding against him in September “a pre-determined result” that ignored WADA laboratory regulations.

The statement came in his legal brief for his appeal of the arbitration award, which will be heard by a new set of arbitrators panel at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, sometime early next year. It is the last appeal he is permitted under WADA rules.

-- Michael Hiltzik

Cyclist Jared Bunde has been suspended for two years after a failed drug test. Bunde, 31, tested positive for clomiphene on July 28, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced.

BASEBALL

Rollins is named MVP of the NL

Philadelphia’s Jimmy Rollins won the National League MVP award, edging Colorado’s Matt Holliday after propelling the Phillies to their first playoff berth in 14 years with his speed and steady all-around play.

The Gold Glove shortstop received 16 of 32 first-place votes and finished with 353 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Assn. of America.

Holliday, the left fielder who led Colorado’s surprising charge to the World Series, got 11 first-place votes and 336 points.

“I don’t know what they look at,” Rollins said, “but being a shortstop, that’s No. 1. Defense is first. Defense is always first.”

World Series MVP Mike Lowell and the Boston Red Sox finalized their $37.5-million, three-year contract.

Outfielder Scott Podsednik was cut by the Chicago White Sox, who no longer had a spot for the catalyst of their 2005 World Series championship team.

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired outfielder Chris Snelling from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash.

The Cleveland Indians signed Japanese free agent Masahide Kobayashi to a $6.25-million, two-year contract.

The New York Mets acquired Johnny Estrada from the Milwaukee Brewers for reliever Guillermo Mota, moving quickly to plug their hole at catcher after talks with Yorvit Torrealba collapsed.

Geoff Blum, who helped the White Sox beat Houston in the 2005 World Series, agreed to a $1.1 million, one-year contract with the Astros.

MISCELLANY

U.S. finalizes Davis Cup team

Andy Roddick, James Blake, Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan were officially named to the U.S. team that will play Russia in the final of the Davis Cup, beginning Nov. 30 in Portland, Ore.

Roger Federer beat Pete Sampras, 6-4, 6-3, in an exhibition at Seoul, South Korea.

Spain defeated the U.S., 21-25, 25-20, 27-25, 25-20, dropping the Americans to 1-2 at the volleyball Men’s World Cup in Matsumoto, Japan. The top three teams qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

World ice dancing champion Maxim Staviski has been charged with drunk driving and causing a fatal accident.

Italian team Mascalzone Latino and Spanish syndicate Ayre Challenge will sail in the next America’s Cup.

International Boxing Federation world heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko will fight World Boxing Organization champion Sultan Ibragimov in a unification bout at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 23.

Mike Tyson reported to jail in Phoenix, at an open-air facility near a dog pound and trash dump, where he’ll serve a one-day sentence for a DUI conviction.

John McDonough resigned as president of the Chicago Cubs -- a team that is up for sale -- to take a similar position with the Chicago Blackhawks.

UCLA defender Mike Zaher, midfielders Tony Beltran, Jason Leopoldo and Chance Myers were all-Pacific 10 first-team soccer selections.