Sports BIZ Briefs

MLS In Decent Shape
(Howard Bloom) - Toronto is off and running. San Jose is well on the way for 2008 and Seattle is in the hole for 2009 as Major League Soccer's 15th club. Who will get the next expansion franchise in MLS? That was the primary topic at Commissioner Don Garber's annual State of the League address on Friday as Garber gave a detailed rundown on possibilities of new teams for the relatively near future. In alphabetical order, Garber gave an update on expansion possibilities in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Miami, Philadelphia, Montreal, New York (a second club), Portland, St. Louis and Vancouver. While touching on the rousing first year in Toronto, the new stadium plans for San Jose and the fact that Seattle has already exceeded 5,000 season tickets in its first three days, Garber expressed optimism that the next round of clubs will have equally grand success stories.

NASCAR Is Healthy According to France
Television ratings are down. At many venues, there seem to be far more empty seats than in recent years. But on Sunday, prior to the running of the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the season finale in the long 36-race Nextel Cup season, Brian France insisted repeatedly that all is well with the sport that he presides over. Furthermore, France squelched rumors that his family might be willing to sell NASCAR anytime in the foreseeable future and denied that he has any plans to step aside. This was written by Joe Menzer and appeared at NASCAR.com. Speculative reports suggesting both possibilities have circulated on the Internet and even in at least one magazine report in recent weeks. France also touched on other hot-button subjects concerning his sport, including a decline for the second year in a row in television ratings and an undercurrent of gripes from many longtime fans, some who appear to be turning their backs on the sport -- an assumption France vehemently denies. France also denied that having driver Jimmie Johnson so far ahead in the Chase for the Nextel Cup entering Sunday's final event signals a need to alter the Chase format.