MOSCOW -- The International Olympic Committee is weighing up whether to ban Russia from next months games in Rio de Janeiro after revelations of a massive doping cover-up, but relations between the two were once much sunnier. Cheap Dallas Mavericks Jerseys .When IOC president Thomas Bach was elected in 2013, he was called almost immediately by Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country was then gearing up to host the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Bach, a former fencer from Germany, took the call as his IOC colleagues waited to continue the proceedings.What the two men spoke about isnt known, though they had more in common than a shared interest in the Sochi Olympics, which have since been overshadowed by allegations that Russian officials colluded to sabotage the drug testing laboratory at the games.Putin is a keen athlete, with judo and ice hockey his favorite sports, while Bach has longstanding sports and personal links to Russia.Those links will be tested after World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren alleged top Russian officials including Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, a close Putin ally, had personally intervened to cover up hundreds of failed drug tests.The IOCs executive board meets Sunday and is expected to provide final confirmation for a ban on the Russian track and field team. The board said earlier this week it will explore the legal options for banning all Russians from the games, across all sports, following what Bach called a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sports and on the Olympic Games.At an IOC event three days before the opening of the Sochi Olympics, with Putin in attendance, Bach thanked the Russian president in person for his great commitment to the games and for the way he set the pace in this great endeavor.Bach also addressed the subject of doping, praising what he said were tough IOC rules. The fight for the clean athletes, this should be our motto, Bach said. Fighting for the clean athletes means we have to protect them from doping, any kind of manipulation and related corruption.Bach has been a regular visitor to Russia in his three years as head of the IOC, both before and after the Sochi Olympics. Putin has also shown himself willing to travel to improve contacts with the IOC, giving a well received speech in 2007 in Guatemala -- delivered in English, which is rare for Putin -- ahead of the vote which gave Sochi the 2014 Olympics.Since he won Olympic gold in 1976, Bachs chosen sport of fencing has been transformed, most recently by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, a Putin ally who has pumped large sums of his own money into the sport over eight years as president of the International Fencing Federation.That money has increased the profile of one of the more niche sports on the Olympic program, making for a bigger media presence and glitzier competitions.Bach also has business connections in Russia. After becoming president of the IOC, he kept his other role as chairman of the supervisory board of Weinig, a Germany company which produces woodworking machinery. Weinig, which did not respond to requests for comment, has a strong presence in Russia, with a headquarters near Moscow and offices across the country.Besides Bach, several other influential IOC members have long been sympathetic to Russia.Putin was presented with world swimmings highest honor last year by federation head Julio Maglione, who has yet to comment on McLarens allegations that Russian officials sabotaged the testing program at its world championships last year. Ice hockey federation president Rene Fasel is a friend of Mutko and regular visitor to Moscow.Patrick Hickey, an Irish member of the IOCs executive board, has been trying to persuade the Russian government to host the 2019 European Games in his other role as head of the European Olympic Committees.The European Games have run into trouble after a much-criticized debut edition in Azerbaijan last year and the decision of the Netherlands to pull out of hosting the next games in 2019. Tuesdays IOC statement on the McLaren report said the IOC would no longer organize or give patronage to the European Games if held in Russia.Other IOC board members, however, harbor less sympathy for Russia. WADA, which wants Russias entire team banned from Rio, also has its president Craig Reedie on the IOC board. Ray Spalding Jersey . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Cheap Mavericks Jerseys . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. http://www.cheapmavericksjerseys.com/ . According to a report from the Winnipeg Free Press, the Bombers will name Acting GM Kyle Walters to the post full time. SEATTLE -- One day after an ill-advised bunt attempt in a losing effort, Jose Altuve returned to what he does best.Altuve homered among his four hits and drove in three runs, Collin McHugh escaped a pair of bases-loaded jams to pitch six scoreless innings, and the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 8-1 on Sunday.Altuve, who bunted on his own with the tying run on second and none out in the ninth inning of Saturdays 1-0 loss, had a two-run homer and three singles in five at-bats to raise his American League-leading average to .346. McHugh (6-6) allowed four hits and walked four, striking out 10 to win for the first time in eight starts since his last victory on May 30.Today I went there and I wasnt thinking about bunting, Altuve said. I was thinking about hitting the ball, driving the ball. I felt really good at the plate today, I feel really happy that we won the game.Carlos Gomez added his second career grand slam in the seventh inning off Nathan Karns to put the Astros up 8-0.Kyle Seager singled home Seattles only run in the eighth off Chris Devenski.Mike Montgomery (3-4), making his second start this season after 30 relief appearances, allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings, walking two and striking out seven.Altuve had the green light on a 3-0 pitch in the third and delivered his 15th homer to follow Marwin Gonzalezs leadoff double, putting Houston up 3-0.He pretty much has a green light at life, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. Stealing, hitting 3-0, hitting 0-0, hes a very gifted player, but he works at it. Hes fun to be around.The Astros made it 4-0 in the fifth when Gonzalez again doubled to open the inning, took third on a throwing error by center fielder Leonys Martin, and scored on Altuves single to left.The Astros hustled across an unearned run in the first. Gonzalez reached on a fielders choice and Altuve singled. Gonzalez stole third and continued around on an error by third baseman Seager, who misplayed the throw from catcher Jesus Sucre.The Mariners, who have lost six of their last seven against the Astros, committed four errors, walked four and left 10 runners on.Thats the worst game weve played all year, Mariners manager Scott Servais said. Messed up six or seven plays in the field today. We played a terrible ball game. Theres no way you can sugarcoat that.McHugh escaped a pair of basses-loaded situations without allowing a run. Cheap Mavericks Jerseys China. n the first, Seagers one-out drive to right with the bases loaded barely hooked foul. Seager then struck out and Dae-Ho Lee bounced back to the mound.In the third, the Mariners loaded the bases with no outs on a walk to Leonys Martin, a pop single by Robinson Cano on an overturned call and Nelson Cruzs single to the base of the wall in right-center. McHugh struck out Seager and then enticed Lee into an inning-ending double-play bouncer to second.I started sweating a little bit more when I was out there and I saw that ball, you start to give it the whole body lean a little bit, McHugh said of Seagers long foul. That could have changed the game, could have broken the game wide open.ALTUVE MISSES FIFTH HITAltuve, who struck out in his final at-bat, has 17 four-hit games in his career, but never a five-hit game. The elusive fifth hit is hard for him, Hinch said, Its a funny thing to say, because the first four arent very easy for anybody but Altuve.UPON FURTHER REVIEWWith nobody out in the third, Astros shortstop Carlos Correa dropped Canos pop up while reaching across the foul line behind third base while looking back into the sun. The Mariners challenged and the call was overturned after a review estimated at 2:08, giving Cano a single to put runners at first and second.TRAINERS ROOM:Astros: SS Correa was hit by a pitch in the seventh. He stayed in the game but was replaced by pinch-hitter A.J Reed in the eighth. Correas fine. I took him out because I wanted Reed to get an at-bat and steal a couple innings of rest for him, Hinch said.Mariners: SS Ketel Marte and OF Nelson Cruz both returned to the lineup after missing Saturdays game. Marte injured his ankle Friday night and Cruz fouled a ball off the top of his left foot.UP NEXTAstros: RHP Mike Fiers (6-3, 4.35 ERA) opens the three-game series at Oakland. Fiers allowed four earned in runs in 3 1/3 innings with a no-decision in his last start prior to the All-Star break, but he has not lost in seven starts since May 27.Mariners: LHP Wade LeBlanc (1-0, 3.52 ERA) makes his fourth start since being acquired in a trade with Toronto to open a three-game series at home against the White Sox. Wholesale Jerseys 2018 Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale NFL White Jerseys Cheap Authentic Jerseys Disocunt Football Jerseys Cheap Jerseys 2019 Wholesale Jerseys 2019 ' ' '