Scooter Tuning Pics » contract for a closer by signing a four-year, $62 mil

PRETORIA, South Africa -- A hearing into "shameful" collusion by construction companies that led to bid rigging and price fixing on 2010 World Cup projects opened on Wednesday, tarnishing the legacy of South Africas historic tournament that was initially praised as a glowing success. A tribunal is being asked to confirm fines totalling 1.46 billion rand ($147 million) for 15 companies that conceded to "rigged" projects in the general construction industry in South Africa between 2006 and 2011. World Cup-related work is included in the findings by the Competition Commission, which uncovered the wrongdoing by the countrys biggest building firms in a two-year process in which the companies came forward and acknowledged their roles and the extent of price fixing in exchange for guarantees they wouldnt face criminal prosecution. There was "a shameful pattern of collusion" by the companies, David Unterhalter, a lawyer representing the commission, told the hearing. The collusion by the companies led to inflated prices on projects like the new $730 million Cape Town Stadium and a $200 million contract to redevelop Soccer City stadium and the surrounding precinct in Johannesburg, the World Cups showpiece venue that hosted the opening game and the Spain-Netherlands final. The revelations chip away at the national pride and unity still felt by South Africa after it was widely praised for pulling off a successful World Cup despite initial doubts. An association representing some of the nine host cities for the World Cup estimated that at least five of the cities were overcharged by between 10 and 30 per cent on stadiums and World Cup-related infrastructure. The South African Local Government Association says Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Polokwane could collectively be owed up to $390 million back because of the price fixing. Lawyers representing SALGA and the Gauteng provincial government, which controls South Africas commercial hub, Johannesburg, asked for permission at the start of the two-day tribunal hearing to intervene in the process, wanting more disclosure on the rigged projects. Tribunal chairman Norman Manoim dismissed their application, but the cities can pursue damages from the companies in civil court once the hearing has ruled on the fines. South Africas central government spent about $3 billion on the first World Cup in Africa, including the building of six new stadiums, the rebuilding of Soccer City and the upgrading of the other three venues. SALGA, the local government association, argued that the fines handed down by the commission -- one of which was only about 3 per cent of the company in questions annual turnover -- might not be appropriate to the scale of the price fixing, but the cities will now likely have to go to a civil court to get money back in damages. If the tribunal agrees with the $147 million fines proposed by the commission, that money will go to South Africas national treasury. Adidas Ultra Boost Baratas . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. Adidas Deerupt Hombre . In the response filed Wednesday to the complaint by 30-year-old Alexander Bradley, attorneys say the former University of Florida player is invoking his Fifth Amendment right that protects people from incriminating themselves. http://www.baratasnmd.com/adidas-nmd-r1-baratas.html . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. Adidas Ultra Boost 4.0 Comprar . 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NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- The New York Yankees, Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers all remain in the mix for the two most coveted free-agent closers in baseball, Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen, sources said.Now, Everyone is waiting on Chapman,?said an executive of one interested team on Wednesday.The assumption among the teams in on both closers is that Chapmans contract will set the market for Jansen, if only because the team signing Chapman would not be required to sacrifice its first draft pick. Only the club signing Jansen would lose a pick, because Jansen received and rejected a qualifying offer.At least one of the teams involved expected Chapman to choose a team within the next 24 hours. But with negotiations ongoing and Chapmans agent, Barry Praver, trying to push Chapmans package above $90 million for five years, the exact timetable remained unclear.The Yankees and Marlins have made five-year offers to both closers, sources said. And the Dodgers remain interested in both, although it was uncertain Wednesday night whether they had actually made formal offers to either.Chapman has long been regarded as the Yankees first choice. But sources who have spoken with the Marlins describe Miami as being significantly more interested than previously believed.As ESPN reported Tuesday night, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has given the OK to spend the dollars required to sign one of the free-agent closers, and he has said the ultimate decision on what the team ultimately does is up to his baseball people. One source who had spoken with the Miami front office characterized that group on Wednesday as now leaning toward Chapman, because he wouldnt cost the club a draft pick.However, other sources have described Marlins manager Don Mattingly as being strongly in favor of signing Jansen, his former closer in Los Angeles. And Mattingly admitted Wednesday he had called Jansen to let him know the Marlins had legitimate interest and to gauge Jansens interest in coming to Miami.I think the main thing I could say is that he wasnt opposed, Mattingly said. He didnt tell me, Im absolutely going back too the West Coast, or, I absolutely dont want to play in South Florida.dddddddddddd So basically, he was open to the idea.Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi said Wednesday his team was in a holding pattern.Were involved in a few markets where some dominoes need to start falling, and quite frankly, I think other people are in the same position where they are waiting to see what we do, and that might guide them in other directions, he said.Certainly on the reliever side, I think a lot of the teams that are shopping in that market probably want to fill [the closer role] before looking at some secondary pieces. Similarly, there are still a lot of quality relievers out there in free agency that are probably waiting to see if they can use some perceived setting of the market to their benefit.Zaidi added that, Theres no trade or free-agent deal that is available to us that we would say that we would do right now.Earlier in these meetings, Mark Melancon set a record for the largest contract for a closer by signing a four-year, $62 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. Now, Chapman and Jansen seem poised to sign deals that could be $20 million to $30 million above that figure.But the biggest remaining drama of these winter meetings isnt how large the contracts will be. It revolves around three teams bidding on two of the best closers in the game -- which means two of them will solve their closer questions for the next five years, while the third will be left with neither of the above.Options for the club that lands neither will be to pursue a less pricey free agent, such as Greg Holland, Brad Ziegler, Koji Uehara or Santiago Casilla, or to pursue a trade for someone such as David Robertson of the Chicago White Sox or Alex Colome of the Tampa Bay Rays.So as these meetings draw to a close and Chapman and Jansen remain unsigned, the stakes for all three teams in pursuit of them are now nearly as high as the dollars.ESPNs Doug Padilla contributed to this report. ' ' '