United States law enforcement authorities are investigating a Russian sports agent based in New York on suspicion of bribery and corruption, sources tell The New York Times.The agent, Andrey Baranov, who lives on Manhattans Upper West Side, has been under surveillance by federal authorities. Sources tell the newspaper that investigators are trying to determine whether Baranov conspired with organizers of American marathons, including the New York City Marathon, to allow runners to used banned substances while competing.The operation is part of a broader investigation by the U.S. Justice Department into doping. The probe includes the FBI and investigators from the U.S. Attorneys office for the Eastern District of New York.Federal officials also are looking into possible racketeering and money-laundering schemes involving the organizers of major American track events.The news about Baranov comes as elite athletes from all over the world are arriving in New York for Sundays marathon.According to the Times report, Baranov, who has been described in the past as a whistleblower who exposed cheating and corruption in track and field, has not been charged with any crimes.Baranov, on Thursday, said he was not aware of the governments probe. Baranov denied he is involved in any criminal activity, telling the Times he has absolutely not entered doping athletes in U.S. races, nor made inappropriate payments to race officials.A New York City Marathon spokesman, meanwhile, said race officials also know nothing about criminal activities within their organization, and that Baranov had not bribed anyone in the group.In keeping with international authorities who have banned Russian athletes from competition, no Russians are registered to run in Sundays marathon. Baranov said none of his clients are registered to run, either.The Justice Department was investigating state-sponsored doping by Russian athletes, with an emphasis on those who might aid competitors in the U.S. who are doping, or used the nations banks to fund doping schemes -- the Times reported in May. Grigory Rodchenkov, former head of Russias anti-doping lab, told the newspaper the Russian government was running a program to help its athletes use banned substances and avoid detection.More than 100 Russian athletes were banned from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Eastern European athletes who participated in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Games also faced discipline, after their urine samples were retested.Federal authorities, according to the Times, are looking into whether race officials have been bribed to allow athletes to compete while using banned performance-enhancing drugs, and whether doped athletes have consciously been entered into competitions, which legally could be considered fraud. The track investigation reportedly is focusing on the agents for track athletes, like Baranov, and whether they might be laundering money through American banks.The investigation is similar to criminal inquiries into FIFA, soccers scandal-ridden governing body. Eighteen people connected to the FIFA investigation have been convicted on charges ranging from bribery and racketeering to money laundering and wire fraud.While the investigation centers on Russian agents, if it is found that payments being used for illegal purposes are being made through American banks, the U.S. government can claim jurisdiction over the alleged crimes.In fact, Rodchenkov also is facing scrutiny by U.S. officials, though he fled to the United States in 2015 and has provided investigators with information.Baranov, 50, who moved to New York in the 1990s, according to the Times, and has competed in the New York City Marathon six times, runs the Spartanik Running School. It was founded in 2003 to help boost Eastern European athletes in Olympic competitions.Baranov has represented a number of high-profile runners, including some top finishers in New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago, who have failed drug tests. One of his clients -- Liliya Shobukhov -- who won the Chicago Marathon in 2009, 2010 and 2011, was accused by Baranov of paying officials to conceal doping violations that allowed her to compete in the 2012 Summer Games. She was later stripped of several titles.Wes Hopkins Eagles Jersey . The Dane followed up his first European Tour title last weekend with eight birdies and just a single dropped shot on Thursday for a one-stroke advantage over South Africas Allan Versfeld and Portugals Ricardo Santos. Carson Wentz Youth Jersey . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. https://www.eaglessportsgoods.com/Womens-Wilbert-Montgomery-Inverted-Jersey/ . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Chuck Bednarik Jersey . Now, correct me if Im wrong but I saw one official distinctly pointing at the net indicating a good goal but after an inconclusive review they overturned the goal. Shouldnt the ruling on the ice (good goal) stand after an inconclusive review? Why was this overturned? James Veaudry Pembroke, ON -- Hey Kerry, Youll get a lot of these, but why was the Montreal goal against Nashville Saturday night overturned? Eller puts the puck on net and the on ice ruling from the ref behind the net is a Montreal goal. Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J.The Washington Wizards had chances to win road games against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. They just could not make plays when necessary to get those wins.Washington has had two days to digest its last-second loss to the Spurs and is hoping to get it done Monday night when it visits the Brooklyn Nets.The Wizards are 6-12 with three losses in their last four games. It is the last two defeats that are especially frustrating.Last Wednesday against Oklahoma City, the Wizards came back from a 16-point deficit and held a seven-point lead with 5:35 left on a 3-pointer by Bradley Beal. They wound up with a 126-115 overtime loss by going 6-of-19 the rest of the way.Two nights later in San Antonio, Washington held an 11-point lead early on and wound up coming back from 10 points down to get the game tied twice in the final 84 seconds. The ending was a Kawhi Leonard 20-footer with 20.1 seconds remaining and when Otto Porter missed a floater with 1.2 seconds remaining, the Wizards wound up with a 107-105 loss.Once again, we competed well and the game came down to one play, Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. I didnt like the way we played against them last week at our place, but tonight we did everything we could possibly do to get the win except get the win.It is a familiar refrain for the Wizards. Of the Wizards 12 defeats, half have been single digits with two of those close losses coming in overtime.We fought and we are making strides -- we just have to find a way to make stops, Wall said after getting 17 points and 15 rebounds. We need to get over that hump. You cant have that many turnovers and beat a team that executes as well as San Antonio; for us to even be in the game with them at their home place with that many turnovers is impressive.On Friday, in the final three minutes of quarters, the Wizards were 8 of 24 from the floor. They were 7 of 20 in tthose situations in the first three quarters, which eventually set up the frustrating finish.ddddddddddddLet another one go, Wall said. There are about seven games already this season for us that can haunt us (in regards to playoffs).The Nets have lost nine of their 10 games since they held a 4-5 record Nov. 12. Only two of those losses have been by single digits and most of those often feature a bad quarter.For most of this skid, third quarters were problematic. In Saturdays 112-103 loss at Milwaukee, the Nets outscored the Bucks by seven in the third only to have the collapse occur late in the fourth.In the final 12 minutes, the Nets held four one-point leads and a two-point lead on a 3-pointer by Brook Lopez. In the final 5:20, the Nets were outscored 20-9 by missing seven straight while allowing the Bucks to make four of their last six shots and hit 12 free throws.We were down one with five minutes, I thought we couldnt score, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. We struggled to score.Bojan Bogdanovic led the Nets with 24 points but Lopez was held to 13 on 3-of-17 shooting. He made 3 of 9 shots from 3-point range but was 0-of-8 from inside the arc.We just kind of hurt ourselves, Lopez said. I definitely wasnt happy with the way I played. I am very disappointed in myself. That definitely affected the outcome. I think I let us down tonight, no question.Lopez is averaging 19.6 points but shooting a career-low 45.2 percent. He is shooting 37.3 from long range as he consistently becomes a perimeter threat for the first time in his career but inside the arc has been difficult at times as Lopez is 1 of 12 on two-point attempts.The Wizards have won eight of the last 10 meetings and have swept the season series in two of the last three seasons. ' ' '