Support remains for Armstrong

BEIJING — Lance Armstrong still has some support among riders in elite cycling despite a damning report by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that detailed testimony from 26 witnesses, including 11 former teammates.

Samuel Sanchez, the 2008 Olympic road race champion, said "until the contrary is proved, he remains innocent."

"Lance has overcome many controls and even until today he has never been found positive in any of them," the Euskaltel-Euskadi rider said in Spanish in a television interview before Thursday's third stage of the Tour of Beijing.

"So about all the accusations that have been poured against him, we have to see what is the goal of all of them, whether it is an economic motive or they want to harm his image.

"We still need to wait to see what's the final decision taken by the UCI (cycling's governing body), and see what it rules," he added. "The UCI has said all the time that it works on today's cycling and not in the cycling of the past."

USADA released about 200 pages filled with vivid details of accusations, portraying Armstrong as a man who spared no expense — financially, emotionally or physically — to win the seven Tour de France titles that the anti-doping agency has ordered to be taken away.

Meanwhile, five of Armstrong's teammates — George Hincapie, Tom Danielson, Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie — have accepted six-month doping suspensions, reduced because they provided evidence that helped the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency make the case to strip Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles.

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Jennings' status remains in doubt

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin — Greg Jennings is listed as questionable for Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks after missing the last game with a groin injury.

Stick to the plan: Russell Wilson and the Seahawks may not have to worry about Packers star Greg Jennings on Monday. AP

His coach and teammates suspect the Pro Bowl wide receiver has a better than a 50-50 shot of playing in the Packers' first road game this season.

"I thought Greg looked good today," coach Mike McCarthy said after watching Jennings practice Saturday for the second straight day. "He made a big jump from earlier in the week. He practiced well."

Concerns about Jennings' availability cropped up after the team withheld him from practice Thursday. Jennings tested his groin Tuesday. He practiced on a limited basis the last two days but had a full workout Saturday.

"His examination in the morning (Sunday) will be the key, whether he goes or not," McCarthy said. "But I felt he looked like himself today."

Jennings wasn't available in the locker room after practice Saturday. A day earlier, he said he was planning to play Monday even though his groin is not fully healed.

"But it feels really good," he said. "I'm extremely excited about the progress."

Jennings was initially hurt in the final minutes of Green Bay's season-opening loss to San Francisco on Sept. 9. The Packers had a quick turnaround for their next game, beating Chicago four days later.

"He knows his body better than anyone, so everything will be by him," receiver Jordy Nelson said. "I'm not even going to talk about his injury or anything. But hopefully he can go."

The Packers could sure use him. Their high-scoring offense of last season is mostly intact, but Green Bay has struggled to score. They are averaging 22.5 points and of their five touchdowns, two have come on special teams.

"It's going to be important for us to have (Jennings) back," receiver/kick returner Randall Cobb said. "We know what he brings to the game. So I think we'll be excited if he's able to play."

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Panthers receiver Steve Smith says he "lit into" Cam Newton about his actions on the sideline when the young quarterback was replaced late in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's 36-7 blowout loss to the New York Giants.

Smith said he was upset when Newton sat sulking on the bench instead of getting up to watch backup Derek Anderson and trying to learn from his own mistakes.

As a team captain and the elder statesman of the team, Smith felt something needed to be said to the 23-year old Newton about the importance of remaining positive and better handling adversity.

"I don't want to be passive and not do it because if I don't do it, who will?" Smith said. "The same way with my son, I can't expect somebody else (to do that). So yeah, I lit into him because I thought it was an opportunity for him to see and understand what was going on. This is more than about playing football. It's about becoming a man and understanding what this is."

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Baruto remains on course for promotion

OSAKA — Estonian behemoth Baruto stayed in the hunt for promotion to sumo's top rank of yokozuna with a routine defeat of winless Kyokutenho on Friday, the sixth day of action at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

The former nightclub bouncer was never in any danger in the day's next-to-last bout at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, getting both arms around the Mongolian and spinning him around and down with a "shitatenage" underam throw to sit one win behind lone yokozuna Hakuho.

Hakuho, seeking his 22nd title, remained undefeated alongside in-form sekiwake Kakuryu as he wrapped up the day's action with a hard-fought win over No. 2 maegashira Yoshikaze.

Hakuho looked in all sorts of trouble as he was twice driven up against the ring's edge, but the yokozuna's pedigree eventually proved the difference as he sent Yoshikaze (1-5) packing with an armlock throw.

Baruto and fellow ozeki Kotooshu are among a group of six wrestlers at 5-1.

Mongolian trickster Kakuryu, who stunned Baruto on Wednesday, showed nifty footwork to draw in Tochiozan (3-3) and slap the komsubi down to stay tied at the top as the first week of the basho draws to a close.

Ozeki Kotoshogiku cemented his place among the chasing pack by dismantling Myogiru with a frontal push down, sentencing the No. 1 maegashira to his fifth defeat of the tourney.

Kotooshu claimed European bragging rights in a meeting with Georgian komusubi Gagamaru (0-6), the Bulgarian prevailing with a textbook overarm throw. Kisenosato (3-3) followed suit in the next bout, the Naruto stable star rebounding from Thursday's defeat with a shove that forced Aminishiki (3-3) to lose his footing and step over the straw ridge.

Harumafuji repeatedly thwarted Tochinoshin (1-5) and countered to tip the Georgian No. 3 maegashira over with a hooking inner thigh throw to stay in touch with the front-running duo.

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