Gordon hires attorney for NFL appeal hearing

BEREA (AP) — A person familiar with the decision says Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has hired attorney Maurice Suh to represent him at his appeal hearing with the NFL.

Suh, who helped Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman win an appeal for a suspension in 2012, will be with Gordon in New York on Friday, said the person who spoke Tuesday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the talks.

Gordon is facing an indefinite ban under the league’s substance abuse policy. While he awaits his hearing, the Pro Bowler has been at training camp with the Browns. He has declined interview requests.

Gordon was suspended for two games last season, but led the league in yards receiving. He reportedly checked into rehab following a recent DWI arrest in Raleigh, North Carolina..

 

Husband arrested in death of NBA player’s aunt

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Police say they have arrested a man wanted in the slaying of the aunt of Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes.

Officer Michele Gigante says a Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy found 51-year-old Michael Williams on Tuesday.

Police say Williams is suspected of fatally stabbing his wife, 48-year-old Tanganyika (Tan-gah-NEE-kah) Williams, whose body was found July 8 on a Sacramento street.

Barnes pleaded for help from the public, using his Twitter and Instagram accounts to publicize the manhunt. Gigante says Williams was found after a tip from a citizen who saw his description in news coverage.

Police say Williams was transient and thought to be hiding in south Sacramento. He was arrested less than five miles from the crime scene.

 

Player gets nearly $1M in Offerman bat attack case

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — A lawyer says a Connecticut minor league baseball player hit by former major leaguer Jose Offerman in a 2007 baseball bat attack has won nearly $1 million in a lawsuit.

A jury Tuesday awarded $940,000 to Bridgeport Bluefish catcher Johnathan Nathans, who wanted $4.8 million. Nathans’ lawyer Josh Koskoff says he’s still affected by a head injury he suffered in the attack.

Offerman’s lawyer Frank Riccio II says the jury found Offerman committed an assault but not battery. He says he may challenge the award.

Offerman testified he didn’t swing his bat at Nathans and another player during the game in Bridgeport. He was playing for the Long Island Ducks in a major league comeback bid.

Offerman played for the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and other teams during a 15-year career that ended in 2005.

 

NCAA settles head-injury suit, will change rules

CHICAGO (AP) — The NCAA agreed on Tuesday to help athletes with head injuries in a proposed settlement of a class-action lawsuit that college sports’ governing body touted as a major step forward but that critics say doesn’t go nearly far enough.

The deal, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, calls for the NCAA to toughen return-to-play rules for players who receive head blows and create a $70 million fund to pay for thousands of current and former athletes to undergo testing to determine whether they suffered brain trauma while playing football and other contact sports.

A lead attorney for the plaintiffs who spearheaded nearly a year of talks culminating in the agreement said the provisions would ultimately improve players’ safety and leave open the possibility of damage payments later.

One plaintiffs’ attorney not involved in the negotiations called it a “terrible deal” that lets the NCAA off the hook far too easily. Jay Edelson called the agreement “window dressing,” saying the NCAA will be able to settle one-off suits for several thousand each. He estimated that single, class-action damages settlement could have been worth $2 billion to players.