d get healthy. Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb is down, yet again, to Lance Armstrong, and yet again to cycling and its glamour event, the Tour de France. Armstrong rained

Gaping loss projections for the 2016-17 home summer have underlined the pivotal importance of Cricket Australias forthcoming negotiations for new broadcast deals, both at home and in the spinally lucrative Asian market.At an otherwise straightforward Cricket Australia AGM at the MCG on Thursday, a graph presented by the governing bodys new chief financial officer Todd Shand stuck out for its frankness. After posting an A$98 million surplus for 2014-15, and a more modest A$9 million for 2015-16, the projection for this financial year plunged through the floor to the tune of a A$68 million loss for the visits of South Africa and Pakistan.While CA are in robust financial shape, with cash reserves of nearly $150 million and a well-established four-year revenue cycle to factor in the fluctuations created by inbound summer visitors - essentially India tours bankrolling all others - the sharp change from one year to another made for stark viewing.Contributors to the figure expected for this summer include increases in areas such as player payments and dividends to the states, plus the targeted investment of around $18m from the Australian Cricket Strategic Growth Fund. David Peever, the CA chairman and former managing director of Rio Tinto in Australia, admitted he would like to see a less lumpy set of numbers.It is something we do think about and talk about, Peever said. I think we also have to accept the fact that were dealing with a reality in terms of the lumpiness of the revenue flow. At this stage, its a fact of life, but I think we would certainly prefer that we didnt have such large fluctuations. But, knowing we have them means we have to plan over the four-year cycle and deal with it.Dealing with it in 2016-17 will entail renewing broadcast deals, both domestically and overseas, for international cricket in Australia, and also the Twenty20 Big Bash League, which opened up a significant, fresh revenue stream for the game down under when it attracted a $90 million bid from Network Ten to put the competition on free-to-air television.Combined with the $500 million committed by Channel Nine for international cricket, which featured a shared digital venture between the network and CA, the 2013 deals placed the game in richer territory than it had ever previously traversed in Australia.While there have been estimates that the BBL in particular could attract as much as an extra $60 million a year in the next round of deals, the stakes for CA are being raised by the level of opulence the games governors and decision-makers have become used to - new and greater revenue is invariably followed by new and greater ways to spend it.There is some chance that the next set of rights will feature a split of BBL matches between free-to-air broadcasters and the pay TV provider Foxtel, at least partly as a way of sharing the escalating cost of television rights. Sport continues to be seen as a rare sure thing in the increasingly balkanised Australian television market.More complicated is the Indian television market, after the merger between Ten Sports and Sony reduced the number of major players in competition for cricket broadcast rights by a third. To that end, discussions are underway among several nations to bundle their broadcast rights together. Whatever transpires, all present at the MCG on Thursday morning will be eager to avoid the sight of financial graphs sinking under the break even line next time around.Discount Basketball NCAA Jerseys . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. College Jerseys Outlet . Irving scored 23 points, Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night. http://www.cheapcollegechina.com/ . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. Cheap NCAA Jerseys Online . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. Cheap Washington Huskies Jerseys China . It says Pocklingtons lawyer filed the appeal Friday in a California court. CTV Edmonton also says Pocklington gave a $100,000 cash deposit as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he will be out on bail until his appeal is heard.Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss toughing it out, David Stern, A-Rod and, yet again, Lance Armstrong. Bruce Arthur, Globe and Mail: My thumb is up to Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins. After Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final he stood in the Bruins dressing room and enumerated his injuries: broken rib, torn rib cartilage, torn muscles around his ribs and – by the way – hed separated his shoulder at the beginning of the game. One thing he didnt tell us was that hed been having a little bit of trouble breathing and went to the hospital and he had a small hole in his lung, either from the rib or from – and this is what worries me – the painkilling needle that allowed him to play. Now, well never know whether or not Bergeron would have gotten on a plane after Game 6 to play Game 7 had Boston held on, We dont know if he would have had a collapsed lung. Were not even talking about the fact that Jonathan Toews played through a concussion. Playing through injuries is amazing. Its incredible, its laudable, but theres a line. Bergeron came very close to crossing it. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is up to David Stern, for the manner in which he handled his 30th and final NBA Draft. Stern smiled that comfortable, warm smile of his – the anti-Bettman – as he was booed incessantly by fans in Brooklyn and he seemed to take it all in and enjoy it. One time he even said “I cant hear you.” Stern handled himself so well that when it came time for him to inttroduce the last pick, he got a standing ovation.dddddddddddd. At an NBA Draft that was supposed to have no stars, to be a weak draft, the star of the night turned out to be the out-going Commissioner. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is down to Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees for the on-going saga. This one started on Twitter – the worlds most dangerous form of communication – on Tuesday when Rodriguez said: ‘great, Im coming back. Brian Cashman – the general manager said ‘shut up, or words to that effect. Brian Cashman does work blue. The problem with Alex Rodriguez is not Alex Rodriguez, right now its that the Yankees are terrible and they need Rodriguez and at some point this thing needs to get settled and he needs to get back to the Bronx and get healthy. Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb is down, yet again, to Lance Armstrong, and yet again to cycling and its glamour event, the Tour de France. Armstrong rained on the tours 100th parade this week by saying hes still the greatest of all time. Never mind the doping that allowed him to win seven titles, the doping that he considered "part of the sport, part of the job." Oprah was enough. Who wants to hear him give the same interview time and again? Not the Tour de France. But it and cyclings governing body should refrain from blasting Armstrong, as if he continues to ruin the reputation of a sport that deserves better. Dont Armstrong and cycling need to stop blaming each other and start blaming themselves? Or better still, they need to just keep quiet. ' ' '