IN BRIEF

OLYMPICS

IOC's Pound: Obama should be at 2016 vote

President Barack Obama has some fans in the International Olympic Committee.

Obama's absence at next month's vote to award the 2016 Games would be noticed, IOC member Dick Pound said Monday. But he's not sure how it would affect Chicago's chances to bring the Summer Olympics back to the United States for the first time since 1996.

"I don't think there's an IOC member on the planet that wouldn't love to meet your president. He's a transformational figure in the world today," Pound said at a Chicago symposium on the 2016 Games sponsored by DePaul and the McCormick Foundation. "If he can be persuaded to go, I think it makes a huge difference."

Chicago is in a tight contest with Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Tokyo, and the presence of world leaders has been instrumental in the most recent votes.

MISCELLANEOUS

God bless America! Teens sue over ejection

Three teenagers who say they were tossed from a New Jersey ballpark over their refusal to stand during the song "God Bless America" are suing the minor league Newark Bears.

The boys argue that their constitutional rights were violated when they were asked to leave Newark's Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium on June 29 by Bears president and co-owner Thomas Cetnar.

Cetnar acknowledged the boys were asked to leave but declined to say why. He also has denied making some statements attributed to him in the lawsuit.

The boys -- Millburn High seniors Bryce Gadye and Nilkumar Patel, both 17, and junior Shaan Mohammad Khan, 16 -- sued in federal court on Friday seeking unspecified damages.

According to the lawsuit, the boys were seated behind home plate when the song began playing. Once it ended, they say Cetnar approached them yelling.

"Nobody sits during the singing of 'God Bless America' in my stadium," the lawsuit quotes Cetnar as saying. "Now the get the (expletive) out of here."

Cetnar denied saying that: "Never, never did that ever happen."

Also: No. 1 NBA Draft pick Blake Griffin has been cleared to work out with the Los Angeles Clippers after hurting his shoulder during the summer league.

The rookie forward strained his right shoulder July 16 in Las Vegas, causing him to miss a minicamp for USA Basketball.

Michael Waltrip Racing hired Pat Tryson as the crew chief for Martin Truex Jr. next season.

Tryson will leave Kurt Busch's team at the end of this season. He has been with Busch at Penske Racing since 2007 and guided him to four wins and two berths in the Chase for the championship.

Formula One will return to Montreal next year.

The sport's governing body and Grand Prix F1 du Canada Inc. settled a financial dispute that began last fall and led to the cancellation of the 2009 Canadian Grand Prix.

Local promoter Normand Legault said an announcement that Montreal is back on the F1 schedule is "forthcoming."

The 18th-ranked UNLV women's golf team stands in sixth place after two rounds of the 18-team GolfWeek Conference Challenge at Primm Valley Golf Club.

The Rebels have a 36-hole total of 28-over-par 604, 14 strokes behind tournament leader Chattanooga entering today's final round.

UNLV has two players in the top 25: Natasha Krishna tied at 17th (6-over 150) and Ellis Keenan tied at 25th (7-over 151).