RIO DE JANEIRO -- Nearly 2-plus months after the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, hundreds of workers still havent been paid and are planning to sue the local organizing committee to get their money.Among those late getting paid are about 100 freelance contractors who worked as stadium announcers, show producers and DJs, and several hundred others who worked for the Olympic News Service, which produced written summaries about the sports and athletes at the Olympics and subsequent Paralympics.Im working with a legal firm that is already representing someone involved with Rio 2016, so they have a pretty good handle what is going on, Rocky Bester, a South African freelance show producer, told The Associated Press in an interview.Bester, a spokesman for the 100 contractors, said hes never experienced such problems at previous Olympics. This was his seventh, and he said all hes received from Rio organizers is silence and excuses.Weve had robust conversations at other Olympics about payments, but its always been an open conversation, Bester said. What is happening here is that no one is talking back. Were sitting in the dark. Were mushrooms at the moment.He termed it a basic lack of respect.Rio Olympic officials blamed the delays on late payments from their own sponsors, the Rio city hall and the International Olympic Committee.We are paying, but not all the money we need to have for payments has been received, Rio spokesman Mario Andrada told The Associated Press. We are struggling a bit in making the ends meet.Cash-flow problems, budget cuts and cost overruns dogged organizers throughout the run-up to the Olympics. As the games opened on Aug. 5, organizers needed millions in a bailout from the city and federal governments, breaking a promise to use only private money to fund the $2.8 billion operating budget.The amounts owed the freelancers are relatively modest. Bester declined to offer figures but said hed been paid about half of what he was owed, but said others have received nothing. He said many are living off credit cards, running up high-interest debt.The guys who are suffering are the youngsters, Bester said. Its their first Olympic Games, its a prestigious thing. The last thing that is going to enter their head is they are not going to get paid.Bester said some contractors were asked to buy their own air tickets, and many have not been reimbursed.Andrada, the Rio organizing committee spokesman, said several first-class international sponsors owe organizers, but he declined to name them.Some of the payment delays were due to a monthlong strike at Brazilian banks, which ended Oct. 7, Andrada said. Reports that organizers were slow to pay bills created a herd movement with creditors putting pressure on us, he added.Andrada estimated that Rio organizers owed creditors in the area of 100 million Brazilian reals ($32 million).He said the organizing committee had downsized from 5,000 employees when the games opened to about 400. The entity will be dissolved next year with only lawyers remaining to settle any disputed claims.Others have blamed some problems on outgoing Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, who was credited by the IOC with driving the games. He seems to have moved on from Olympic problems.Paes office said he is headed to New Yorks Columbia University on a short-term teaching assignment when he leaves office at the end of the year. His hand-picked candidate to succeed him -- Pedro Paulo -- was badly beaten in an October election.Paes committed a reserve fund of 150 million reals ($47 million) to help pay organizing committee debts. Now he appears to have backed off.Well meet our obligations as long as we have the resources, and they are really needed. To do this, the organizing committee needs to show us their audited expenses, Paes told the Rio newspaper O Globo.The newspaper Folha de S.Paulo has also reported that thousands of fans have yet to receive payments for ticket refunds. Some who have been reimbursed say the amounts dont match what they believe they are owed.Everybody will be paid, Andrada said. The trouble is the delay. We will pay the money.Marc Gasol Jersey . 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LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end.NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- With the Nashville Predators struggling to generate offense, Calle Jarnkrok delivered at just the right time.Jarnkrok scored twice to lead the Predators over the St. Louis Blues 3-1 on Thursday night.James Neal also scored and Pekka Rinne made 23 saves for Nashville, which has won two straight for its first winning streak of the season.Ive been feeling good, Rinne said. I always put a lot of pressure on myself, but at the same time this year, I try to focus on the things that I can control and not to get frustrated at what the game throws at you. I just try to focus on doing my job.Jaden Schwartz had the lone goal and Carter Hutton made 25 saves for the Blues.Schwartz scored the games first goal at 3:59 of the opening period.From the right corner, Vladimir Tarasenko found Schwartz in the lower part of the right faceoff circle, where he beat Rinne on the short side with a wrist shot just inside the post.Nashville drew even at 18:26 of the second on Jarnkroks second goal of the season.In the right corner, Colin Wilsons spinning backhand pass glanced off the skate of Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester and landed on Jarnkroks stick in the slot. Jarnkrok double-clutched and then beat Hutton high to the glove side.Hutton spent the last three years as Rinnes backup in Nashville before signing with the Blues in the offseason.Jarnkroks goal came just minutes after Nashville failed to convert on a two-man advantage that lasted 1 minute, 17 seconds.It was such a timely goal, Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. To leave that 5-on-3 and still not get one, for him to get one after that to send us into the break at a tie score, it was just a real big difference in the game. It gave us a little bit of energy.Nashville finished 0 for 5 on the power play.For the second night in a row, the Blues were perfect on the penalty kkill.dddddddddddd In their home game Wednesday night against Chicago, they killed off all six Blackhawks power plays. But spending all that time short-handed took a toll in back-to-back games.When you are looking for offense and for goals, and those players are spending 5, 6 minutes a night on the PK, especially our D, its tough, Blues forward Scottie Upshall said. Weve got to be better, stay out of the box.Neal gave Nashville a 2-1 lead at 3:44 of the third.Skating down the left side, Mike Ribeiro sent a cross-ice pass to Neal at the right post, where he beat Hutton for his fourth of the season.I think after a while, you start living on one goal, youre not going to win many games, St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said. I didnt think we had any energy in the third period at all.Jarnkrok scored his second of the game 1:06 later with another wrist shot from the slot. It was the Swedes third career two-goal game.Thats kind of my spot, Jarnkrok said. Im always there trying to be the high F-3. I got a great pass from (Wilson) that first time and a good pass from (Mike Fisher) that second time, so that was nice.Jarnkrok had a chance for his first career hat trick with 1:45 remaining. With the Blues on a power play and Hutton pulled in favor of an extra attacker, Jarnkroks long-range attempt at the empty net sailed high over the crossbar.Game notesFisher returned to the lineup after missing three games with an upper-body injury. ... Predators LW Pontus Aberg had an assist for the Swedes first NHL point. ... Blues RW Nail Yakupov returned after being a healthy scratch for three consecutive games.UP NEXTBlues: Play at Columbus on Saturday.Predators: Conclude their five-game homestand Saturday against Anaheim. ' ' '