MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin called Friday for a new anti-doping commission to be created to shape Russias future strategy, as the country faces possible exclusion from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.Putins intervention came as former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev wrote to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach to oppose a blanket ban on the Russian team, saying that a collective sanction was unacceptable.Putin did not directly address allegations that Russian government officials helped to cover up hundreds of doping cases, but said the state was resolutely opposed to performance-enhancing drug use.In sport there is not and cannot be a place for any doping, Putin said. Sport must be clean, and an athletes health must be properly protected.He added there was a need to cooperate closely on doping with the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency, the latter of which welcomed Thursdays court ruling to uphold a ban on Russias scandal-hit track and field team.Putin told a meeting of Russias cabinet that the commission, under the direction of the Russian Olympic Committee, would provide rapid development and tough control for the effective realization of a national plan on the fight against doping.He added that the commission would be independent and would include Russians and foreigners in the fields of medicine, law and sports administration. He did not give a timescale for the commission to begin its work.Putin proposed 81-year-old Vitaly Smirnov, an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee member and a veteran of Russian and Soviet sports administration, to lead the panel.Such a commission should be headed by a person with an absolutely unimpeachable reputation, who has the trust and respect of the Olympic family, Putin said. There is such a person in our country and he is Vitaly Georgievich Smirnov.Smirnov once served as the Soviet Unions deputy sports minister and helped to organize the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.Smirnov, a former IOC vice president, was among five IOC members given a serious warning in 1999 for their role in the Salt Lake City bid scandal. A total of 10 members resigned or were expelled for receiving cash, gifts and other improper inducements during the citys winning bid for the 2002 Winter Games.Smirnov suggested in televised comments that the Russian doping scandal was a series of misunderstandings, and said the new commission would aim to eradicate performance-enhancing drug use from sport entirely. We will work to eliminate the problem, he said.In a rare intervention on sports matters, the 85-year-old Gorbachev wrote an open letter to Bach, saying a ban on the whole Russian team would unfairly punish clean athletes.I am worried and deeply upset by the possibility that in the case of a ban on Russian athletes competing in the Olympics, the innocent will be punished along with the guilty, he wrote in the letter, published on his website. For me the principle of collective punishment is unacceptable. Steve Nash Jersey . 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"All the players, they know me and they were really happy to see me and they were really happy that this is over for me," Cilic said. NEW ORLEANS -- It took Cam Newton nearly an hour to show up for his postgame interview after the Carolina Panthers fourth straight loss Sunday. He was in a much bigger hurry once he got there, walking out after 90 seconds of terse, sullen responses.If there was any good news for the defending NFC champion Panthers (1-5), Newton resembled his old self during -- and after -- a 41-38 loss to the New Orleans Saints.Back from a concussion that sidelined him for a week, he rallied Carolina from a 21-0 deficit to tie the score in the fourth quarter. But he had a hard time handling the frustration of another tough defeat.We just have to find ways to win football games, he said.He did his best to reverse the slide, throwing for 322 yards and two touchdowns. He then ran 2 yards to bring the Panthers within 38-36 with 2:58 remaining before connecting with Devin Funchess on a tying 2-point conversion.But he had to watch from the sideline as Drew Brees, who threw for 465 yards, guided the Saints to a winning 52-yard field goal with 11 seconds left.He (Newton) did great, said tight end Greg Olsen, who had a team-high 94 yards on six catches. We scored 38 points and should have had 50.Aside from acknowledging a miscommunication on an interception he threw in the end zone wwhen the Panthers trailed 21-0, Newton was in no mood to talk, He answered eight questions with a total of 51 words and responded to several inquiries by saying, Next question.ddddddddddddTeammates spoke for him.Hes a warrior, said tight end Ed Dickson, who caught Newtons second touchdown pass. Whenever No. 1 is on the field, we have a chance to win.Newton, who returned to practice on Wednesday and was cleared to play Saturday, ran only twice but completed several passes when he scrambled out of the pocket.Cam was not limited at all in his mobility, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. He made some really good decisions. When you score 38 points, you need to give yourself more of a chance to win.Heading into their bye week, the Panthers are running out of chances to turn around their season. Although Newton played well, Carolina bore little resemblance to the team that won its first 14 games of 2015 on the way to the Super Bowl.This is not the team from last year, wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. said. Thats what everybody was expecting, but its not. Were still finding ourselves.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '