en again in Russia and Qatar, where more new stadiums are b

SAO PAULO - Its white elephant time for World Cup stadiums — again.When the World Cup ended, Brazil was left with a sense of pride after successfully hosting soccers showcase tournament. It was also left with 12 modern facilities that officials said would help revitalize the sport in the country.Now, Brazils brand new arenas are having to host weddings, childrens parties and religious events to generate revenue.Nearly six months after the final at the revamped Maracana, Brazil is still trying to find ways to take advantage of some of its new arenas.Although the venues worked well during the World Cup despite construction delays that put the countrys preparations in jeopardy, not all the stadiums are being used to their full potential. Its the same thing that happened with many of the venues from four years ago in South Africa, and what could happen again in Russia and Qatar, where more new stadiums are being built.Some venues in Brazil have proved profitable to their owners, improving attendance and benefiting local clubs. But others clearly run the risk of becoming the dreaded white elephants that critics warned about long before the competition started.Local World Cup organizers insisted they wanted the tournament played in 12 host cities despite concerns from FIFA and complaints from critics outraged by the money needed to build or renovate all the stadiums — many in cities without soccer tradition.There was no question you were going to build a bunch of white elephants, said Victor Matheson, a sports economist at the College of the Holy Cross. Brazil went a little overboard with 12 stadiums instead of 10 or eight. Local politicians got a little too deep in the World Cup frenzy. We can identify three of four stadiums that make no economic sense at all.The 44,000-capacity Arena da Amazonia in the jungle city of Manaus — which has no teams in the first, second or third divisions — hosted 11 events since the end of the World Cup in July. There were four professional soccer matches, one amateur tournament, three religious events, two concerts and the celebration of the citys anniversary.At the 70,000-capacity Mane Garrincha Stadium in Brasilia — another city without a big soccer tradition — only 300 fans were on hand this month to watch the U.S. womens national team, ranked No. 2 in the world, play China in an international tournament.In the remote city of Cuiaba, only three games attracted more than 30,000 fans at the 42,000-capacity Arena Pantanal after the World Cup. The local government has been hosting alternative events that include police games, gatherings of cyclists and even the launch of a housing complex.There arent many things that will require a 35,000-seat stadium, Matheson said. People are starting to find that out.The Arena Pernambuco in the northeastern city of Recife, where 236 people bought a ticket to watch a Brazilian Cup match just before the World Cup, is resorting to corporate events, conferences, fairs and wedding ceremonies. In September, A 15-year-old boy celebrated his birthday at the stadium — he and his friends were allowed to play on the field and use the changing rooms and other facilities. Last month, the arena held the local final of an American football league in front of about 7,000 fans.Like many of the other venues, the Arena Pernambuco has a website advertising its space and looking for occupants.The arena can be the ideal place for parties, showrooms and even workshops, stadium operators boasted in a release about the multiuse venue in Recife, which already had three stadiums before the World Cup.Of the nearly $11.5 billion spent on the World Cup, about $4 billion was used on the 12 stadiums. About 80 per cent of the funds came from government loans or tax breaks. Only three stadiums were not built by local governments, and many of the others — including the ones in Cuiaba and Manaus — are now being handed to private operators through bidding processes.Some of the new venues have helped local soccer.The revenue from ticket sales in Brazilian league matches in the new arenas increased 246 per cent on average compared to the older stadiums, according to a study released this month by the consulting firm BDO Brazil. The study also showed an 88 per cent increase in the average attendance in league matches in the new venues, from about 12,000 to 22,500. It all came despite an 84 per cent raise in ticket prices for matches in the new arenas.Clubs quickly noticed the potential of the new stadiums and many hosted games away from their cities to earn the extra money. Venue owners have been paying hefty fees to attract top teams and maximize everyones profits. Many of these matches would have had smaller crowds if they had not been transferred to the new arenas, where they become a bigger attraction to local fans not used to seeing traditional teams in their hometown.The Brasilia arena hosted many of these matches after it was inaugurated for the 2013 Confederations Cup. Stadium operators said there were more than 70 events at the venue since then, including 44 matches.These events are paying for the maintenance costs and generate profit and promote the growth of the local economy, Brazils sports ministry said in an email sent to The Associated Press.___Follow Tales Azzoni at http://www.twitter.com/tazzoni San Francisco 49ers Jerseys . Not sure yet. #livetweetingthegreatuntangle — Strombone (@strombone1) April 17, 2014 Stage three, coping: I feel like I could use a cigarette or something. Ronnie Lott Jersey . Jeff Carter had two goals and an assist as the Kings stretched their streak to seven wins in a row with a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. http://www.authenticsf49erspro.com/Customized/. The whole deflation of New England Patriots footballs is like a murder mystery without the violence or significance. On one side, this is a ridiculous issue. Patrick Willis Jersey . - The RBC Canadian Open will return to Glen Abbey Golf Club next year, marking the 27th time that the national open championship will be played at the Oakville, Ont. Deion Sanders Jersey . Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton and Kole Calhoun all homered to help the Los Angeles Angels get their first win of the season with an 11-1 rout of the Houston Astros.CLEVELAND -- The Los Angeles Lakers left Canadian Robert Sacre on the court after he fouled out in the fourth quarter. Coach Mike DAntoni felt it was the best move for his depleted team. Its been that kind of year for the short-handed Lakers. Los Angeles lost two more players to injuries on Wednesday night and had to go to a little-known NBA rule to hold on for a 119-108 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. "That was, by far, one of the strangest games Ive ever seen," DAntoni said. Rookie Ryan Kelly scored a career-high 26 points and Steve Blake had his first career triple-double for Los Angeles, which snapped a seven-game losing streak. The Lakers set a franchise record for 3-pointers, going 18 for 37 from long range. But Los Angeles first win in two weeks was overshadowed by a bizarre ending. The Lakers had eight available players coming into the game. Then Nick Young twisted his left knee in the first half and Chris Kaman fouled out early in the fourth quarter. When Jordan Farmar left with leg cramps in the final period, that put Los Angeles at five players. Sacre committed his sixth foul with 3:32 remaining, but the North Vancouver, B.C., native stayed in the game because DAntoni was out of healthy bodies. The Lakers were assessed a technical foul. "That was just crazy," Sacre said. "When I got my sixth foul, I was just like, Oh, dang! Then I got to come back in, so I thought it was something special. I didnt know what was going on." Each side has to have five players on the court at all times during an NBA game. With the Lakers down to five healthy players, DAntoni was informed by the officials that he could leave Sacre on the floor and any addition foul on the centre would also result in a technical. "I didnt know about that rule, but its a nice rule," DAntoni said with a chuckle. The Lakers were without Steve Nash (rest), Jodie Meeks (sprained ankle) and Jordan Hill (strained neck). Pau Gasol (groin) and Kobe Bryant (knee) remained in Los Angeles for the three-game road trip. The situation was so unusual that Nash, who was in street clothes, went to the locker room and put on his uniform late in the game, but DAntoni said he had no intention of putting the point guard into the game. "I was not going to go to Nash -- it was not an option to us -- but the other thing we talked about was having Jordan go out there and just stand in the corner," DAntoni said. "When the officials came over to explaiin the options to me, we decided to keep Robert out there.dddddddddddd I knew he would be smart and not commit too many more fouls." Nash played for the first time since Nov. 10 on Tuesday night after being out because of a nerve problem in his back. Meeks sprained his right ankle about a minute into Tuesdays game and Hill was elbowed in the head by Kaman. Farmar scored 21 points and Wesley Johnson added 20 for the Lakers, who shot 53 per cent from the field. Blake had 11 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds. C.J. Miles led Cleveland with 27 points. All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving was taken out with 7:32 remaining in the third quarter and finished with 11 points as the Cavaliers lost their sixth consecutive game, tying their longest losing streak of the season. Anderson Varejao was the only starter to play in the fourth quarter as Miles, Anthony Bennett of Brampton, Ont., Matthew Dellavedova and Dion Waiters got the Cavaliers back in the game. "They definitely deserved to be on the floor," Irving said. "That second group did a heck of a job. You have to give a whole bunch of credit to them. If I were the coach, I would have played that second group as long as he did." "Maybe we can learn something from what that group did on the floor," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. "They played the right way." The Lakers built a 29-point lead in the second quarter and led 96-68 late in the third period before the Cavaliers rallied. Cleveland cut the lead to 100-90 early in the fourth and got to 114-108 before Blakes 3-pointer with 56.9 seconds left finally sealed the win. While the Cavaliers were off Tuesday, the Lakers lost in Minnesota and flew through a snowstorm to arrive in Cleveland around 2 a.m. Wednesday. While Los Angeles had 22 assists on 25 field goals while building a 70-49 halftime lead, Clevelands offence was stagnant. The Cavaliers shot 37 per cent from the field and were 1 of 18 on 3-pointers. NOTES: The Cavaliers hung a new banner of Austin Carrs retired No. 34 jersey from the rafters at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday. The original banner vanished last week and is still missing. Carr was the first player drafted by the franchise in 1971 and currently works as a TV colour analyst for the team. ... Nash is expected to play Friday night in Philadelphia. ... Lakers G Manny Harris second 10-day contract expired and the team chose not to re-sign him for the rest of the season. 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