Court issues January date to hear jeweler's lawsuit vs. Bryant

Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant received a Jan. 9, 2012 court date, according to The Dallas Morning News, in a civil lawsuit that he claimed in June was "done."

Eleow Hunt, a jeweler and ticket broker in Colleyville, Texas, filed suit in Tarrant County in September 2010, alleging Bryant and his confidante, David Wells, didn't pay him for about $600,000 in jewelry, sports tickets and loans given to the receiver before the Cowboys selected him in the first round of last year's NFL draft.

It was the second civil suit filed against Bryant within the past year. He settled with a New York jeweler in April over a $267,000 debt.

In addition to the lawsuits, Bryant had a well-publicized run-in with a Dallas-area mall's security staff this offseason. Those problems overshadowed what Bryant did on the field last season, when he had 45 receptions for 561 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie.

Bryant acknowledged in a recent interview that he's had to change the way he does some things.

"Of course there were problems (in the past), and there was some stuff I didn't understand that could have been a problem that I understand now," Bryant said earlier this month on KESN-FM. "I feel like I'm mature as a man and I've got my priorities straight."

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Unhappy Titans fans pepper Goodell on lockout, other issues

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the lockout to some unhappy Tennessee Titans fans and said the league doesn't have a "drop-dead date" to end the impasse with the players and play the 2011 season.

"We're going to work to try to get this done and try to avoid having lost anything more of the NFL than we've already lost," Goodell said.

Debate: When will NFL's lockout end? Soon? Sometime in July? Will the 2011 season even start on time? Our experts try to provide the answer that fans -- and Commissioner Roger Goodell -- want to know. More ...

Goodell held his latest conference call with season ticket-holders Thursday, spending about 36 minutes on the telephone with Titans fans. They asked Goodell if the 2011 season will be wiped out and about an 18-game schedule, having a team in Los Angeles and how ticket prices are set.

Most of the fans the commissioner heard from weren't happy about the situation.

Lee from Joelton wanted to know why NFL owners won't open their books to the players. John from Lafayette asked how far apart owners and players really are on a collective bargaining agreement. Phillip from Nashville didn't have a question but warned the commissioner that upset fans will take out their anger on the NFL.

"Get everybody to sit down and stay until they work out some agreement and get this thing behind them before the NFL loses all credibility," said Phillip, who shares eight season tickets with his son.

William from San Ramon, Calif., flies to Nashville for three games per season, and he reminded Goodell of Major League Baseball's struggles to regain fans after a strike wiped out the 1994 World Series.

"It's like Rome's a great empire, so's the NFL," William said. "But if it's not supported by the fans, it won't be a great empire."

Goodell calmly answered each question, defending the lockout as a tool to force negotiations. He said he understands fans' frustration and anger directed at the NFL.

"I think all of us will bear the responsibility for it if we're not able to come up with solutions," Goodell said.

The commissioner also defended owners not opening the books, saying that won't solve the issue. Goodell said players have the league's revenue "down to a penny" and know costs are rising faster than revenues. He said NFL economics have dramatically changed over the last 10 to 15 years.

"These are serious issues that need to be addressed, and this is the time to do it and not kick the can down the street here," Goodell said. "The owners have been responsive to putting a fair proposal on the table. We now need the players to engage rather than litigate and to get back to trying to solve the problems, which as you point out are at the core economic issues."

Goodell also said the NFL intends to play the full season. But he noted the league had to cancel its annual rookie symposium in June, with the start of training camps dangerously close.

"We don't have a drop-dead date," Goodell said.

The commissioner said negotiations, not lawsuits, will settle this labor dispute.

"There are obviously issues that we disagree on, but there are certainly solutions to those disagreements," Goodell said. "I think it's going to come down to everyone realizing we're better off working together to find solutions than fighting. That's in the best interest of growing the game and will be in the best interest of all parties going forward."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Chargers LB English hopes second surgery fixes foot issues

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Vikings DE Griffen wants to put offseason issues behind him

Everson Griffen won't deny that his offseason has been unacceptable. Now the Minnesota Vikings defensive end is trying to show his team that he's back on the right track.

Griffen was arrested twice in the Los Angeles area in January, but he relocated to Minnesota last month to focus on training for a new season, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Saturday.

"I had a little rough stretch," said Griffen, who works out daily with linebacker E.J. Henderson, linebacker Jasper Brinkley and quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. "Coaches want me back, and that's the place for me to be. ... I'm just trying to make changes. I've got big years coming up. I'm just trying to show the Minnesota Vikings I'm here for good."

Griffen was arrested for allegedly being drunk in public and resisting arrest over the course of one week (the charges were later dropped, he said). When the 23-year-old later announced that he was hosting a Facebook-advertised party in Las Vegas, Vikings coach Leslie Frazier intervened. The party was called off after Frazier delivered a clear message on what's expected from Griffen both on and off the field.

"He said, 'Know what you're here for,' " Griffen said. "I'm here to play football. I'm here to represent the Minnesota Vikings, and I want to represent them in a good way, not a bad way."

Griffen was a fourth-round draft pick by the Vikings last year after skipping his senior season at USC, and the team acknowledged his penchant for inconsistent play. But Griffen saw more playing time toward the end of his rookie season and finished with 11 tackles, also playing on special teams. The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder in line to compete for a more significant role in 2011 with starter Ray Edwards on the verge of free agency.

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Steelers great Bradshaw, QB Roethlisberger talk out issues

Terry Bradshaw repeatedly criticized Ben Roethlisberger during an offseason of trouble for the Pittsburgh Steelers' current quarterback.

Now, they say, it's all water under the bridge.

Roethlisberger revealed Tuesday that he and Bradshaw, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, mended their relationship after a recent sit-down. Bradshaw is in Texas to help FOX broadcast Super Bowl XLV, in which the Steelers will face the Green Bay Packers, and had a 25-minute interview with Roethlisberger for the network.

"We had a private talk before the interview," said Roethlisberger, who added that Bradshaw might have spoken a little too soon about the quarterback's situation. "A good talk. Everything's good."

Everything wasn't so good before the season, when Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a Georgia college student following a night of drinking in a Milledgeville, Ga., bar on March 5. Roethlisberger wasn't charged by Georgia authorities, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell handed the quarterback a six-game suspension for violating the league's personal-conduct policy.

Before Goodell reduced the ban to four games, Bradshaw said he hoped the suspension would be upheld.

"Going to bars -- treating women like that; oh my God," Bradshaw told The Shreveport Times in September. "I pray they don't cut (his NFL suspension) to four games. I hope they leave it at six. There is no excuse for that. The egos get out of hand."

Those comments followed Bradshaw's April criticism of Roethlisberger, in which he ended: "Now he hates me forever."

What a difference time makes. Bradshaw told NFL Network's "NFL Total Access" on Tuesday that he and Roethlisberger -- the only Steelers quarterbacks to win Super Bowl titles -- had a "great" chat that lasted about 10 minutes before the interview.

"It was important that he know and the things that I say and why I say them," said Bradshaw, who has four Super Bowl rings compared to Roethlisberger's two. "It's important that we have a good relationship. I'm glad."

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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NFLPA head Smith addresses player safety, other issues

In the wake of the NFL's crackdown on illegal hits, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith issued the following statement Saturday:

"The issue of player safety is bigger than just hits on Sunday. Players understand the difference between aggressive, split-second actions and dangerous play. In addition to this sudden new emphasis on player safety, players call on the NFL to fulfill its obligation to healthcare in a lockout, end nasty litigation against nearly 300 players' workers compensation cases and stop saying 'no' to the disability benefits of NFL legends.

"While there are a range of punishments available as part of the on-field discipline system, the NFLPA will ensure the NFL strictly adhere to the existing rules and disciplinary process. We will also enforce the return-to-play guidelines and safety protocols and practices that occur out of the public eye. Our mission is to remain aggressive on player safety both on and off the field."

The league swiftly addressed illegal hits following three tackles in last week's games with large fines. The NFL warned players that starting this weekend, even first-time offenders will be subject to suspensions for delivering flagrant hits to the head and neck area of defenseless opponents.

Players say they understand the need for safety, but some suggested this escalation in punishment might ultimately have a detrimental effect on a game that is, after all, predicated on collisions.

Cornelius Bennett, a five-time Pro Bowl linebacker who played from 1987 to 2000 with the Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts, addressed the issue of player safety with the following statement Saturday.

"This is a former as well as a current player issue. Of course this issue is bigger than just Sunday hits and fines. The overall health, safety and retirement issue is one that every former player should be supporting and challenging the NFL on today. You can slap yourself on the back about fines while you continue to ignore disability claims and sue players over workers compensation."

For more NFL labor news, visit http://NFLLabor.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Financing issues delay opening of 49ers' stadium to 2015

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers are pushing back the expected opening date of their planned $1 billion stadium in Santa Clara.

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Team president Jed York said Wednesday the stadium wouldn't open until at least 2015 because of problems securing financing. The team had expected to open the stadium in 2014.

York said the 49ers wouldn't be able to secure needed funding for the stadium from the NFL and other investors until the players' union and league agree on a new contract.

Santa Clara residents voted in June to lease land to the 49ers for a new stadium next to the Great America theme park. The vote allowed the team to move forward with its plans to leave San Francisco.

San Francisco officials said the 49ers wouldn't encounter the same financing problems if it chose to stay in the city.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Pats move on without Moss; Belichick denies any issues

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Wes Welker might become more of a leader. Vince Wilfork doesn't know if the team will be better or worse. Bill Belichick says he has confidence in all his players.

The New England Patriots moved on without Randy Moss on Thursday when they practiced for the first time since one of the NFL's best receivers was traded to the Minnesota Vikings.

Some players were concerned that a friend was gone, but they noted that football is a business. Others chatted and joked as if it were a typical day. And Belichick spoke positively about the player who said he didn't expect to be with the Patriots once his contract expired after this season.

Tom Brady says he has come to terms with Randy Moss' trade to the Vikings, telling the Pats' official website, "Randy really knows how I feel about him, I love him as a guy, as a person, as a player." More ...

"Randy was really a pleasure to coach. I enjoyed having him on our team," Belichick said. "It was a difficult decision but one that I feel was in the best interests of the football team. ... I wish Randy the absolute best."

Several factors contributed to Wednesday's trade, Belichick said, but the coach didn't specify them.

"I would say there was never any incident or discipline problem with Randy," he said. "There never has been one with me in four years, and it certainly wasn't about contract and money."

Belichick did send Moss and three other players home last year when they showed up late for team meetings during a snowstorm that had traffic backed up on Dec. 9.

Now that Moss is "back home" in Minnesota, as the receiver said at a news conference Thursday, how will the Patriots' offense respond?

"I have a lot of confidence in our total team, all of our players," Belichick said.

Welker is New England's only proven receiver. Brandon Tate, a third-round draft pick last year, steps into a starting spot. Rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez has the speed and shiftiness of a wide receiver but lacks experience.

So how can the Patriots, who received two draft picks for Moss, be better this season without him?

"I'm not going to sit here and say 'no' or 'yeah.' Time will tell," said Wilfork, a nose tackle. "I'm happy with this team, with everybody that's around here, young and old. ... We're getting ready for Baltimore. We'll see what happens without Randy.

"We never had problems with Randy."

The Patriots are 3-1 and tied for the AFC East lead. They have a bye week and play their next game Oct. 17 at home against the Baltimore Ravens (2-2).

That's when Welker should see how defenses guard him without a deep threat like Moss drawing plenty of attention. They joined the Patriots together in 2007 and, in the first three years, Welker led the NFL with 346 receptions.

"Things may change a little bit, but we have some fast guys that can definitely go deep and stretch the field," Welker said. "Obviously, Randy was one of the best in the game to do it."

Without Moss, 33, the Patriots' most experienced receiver is Welker, who acknowledged that he could play "maybe more of a leadership role as far as the receivers (go)."

"I'm the older guy in there now and just trying to bring these guys along," he said.

After the first game of the season, Moss had his agent, Joel Segal, ask Belichick for a trade, the Boston Herald reported Tuesday.

"That was kind of the difficult thing just because he was the guy always giving pep talks before the game, halftime, after the game," Welker said, "but, at the same time, he's doing what's best for him. It's a business and you've just got to just kind of roll with it. We have a sign that says, 'If you don't want to be here, you don't have to be here.' And I guess, I'm not really sure the scenario or anything like that, but it's kind of the way things worked out."

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Belichick said that when he spoke with Moss on Wednesday, the conversation was "honest, open, very forthright," just as their discussions had been since the receiver joined the team.

"There was no one thing (that led to the trade)," Belichick said. "Part of it was just the personal relationship with Randy. And in talking to him, some of the feelings and things that he expressed that he and I talked openly about, when all was said and done and it all was put together, I felt like that was the best thing."

At his news conference in Eden Prairie, Minn., Moss was asked if he had wanted to be traded.

"I don't know what the answer is," he said. "All I can say is there's no other place I'd rather get traded to besides Minnesota."

Moss praised Belichick for bringing him to New England and said the experience "is just something that I'll never forget. We did some magical things up there, but the show must go on, and it is a business."

Moss' former teammates might miss him, but they're confident they can keep winning.

"We all in this locker room love Randy," tight end Alge Crumpler said. "There's nothing we can do to bring him back. All we've got to do is focus on playing and staying together."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Cutler practices while Bears try to solve protection issues

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was hitting receivers in stride, and for once, no defenders were near him. Of course, it was only a practice drill.

Cutler was back at it on a limited basis Wednesday, three days after a brutal 17-3 loss to the New York Giants in which he was sacked nine times in the first half and left with a concussion.

For that, Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz took the blame.

"I just tried to do way too much in a short week with these guys," he said. "Whatever went wrong in that game was my responsibility."

Cutler's status for this weekend's game at Carolina was unclear. NFL guidelines say Cutler should receive clearance from an "independent neurological consultant" before playing again.

Martz said Cutler had "a meeting" after practice, presumably with a doctor, although he didn't specify. Bears coach Lovie Smith said Cutler would meet with an independent doctor, but he wouldn't say when.

Martz said Todd Collins, who left Sunday's game with a stinger, would start against the Panthers if Cutler isn't available.

Cutler didn't address the media as he usually does before practices Wednesday. That was pushed back at least until Thursday, but seeing Cutler in uniform and hitting receivers had to be encouraging for a Chicago team that saw much of the goodwill created by a 3-0 start squashed by an avalanche of sacks.

Besides leaving Cutler woozy, that barrage also placed Martz under the microscope and renewed the debate whether the personnel fits his system.

Martz's system is heavy at times on seven-step drops, an approach that welcomes pressure and can result in a beating for quarterbacks even on a team with a decent offensive line. Considering Chicago's blockers have struggled in recent years, that was one reason Martz's hiring raised some eyebrows during the offseason.

Martz's teams ranked among the top six in sacks allowed in each of his previous seven seasons as a head coach and coordinator. Yet the Bears hoped the rewards would outweigh the risks after watching Cutler be sacked 35 times while throwing a league-leading 26 interceptions last season.

Things were mostly clicking through the first three games, although there were issues in protection and the run game. Now the Bears lead the league with 18 sacks after that performance against the Giants.

Does the system need to be adjusted?

"You're talking to the wrong guy," said Martz, who added the seven-step drops are a small part of the offense. "I think we all believe in the system. Like I said, it's not what we're doing, it's just how well we're doing it. And it's new to everybody. And we've got guys who are learning how to just play, on top of it, in a highly competitive situation. We've just got to grind through it. If we're doing something we don't believe in or are suspicious about, certainly we wouldn't do it."

Martz said he's not worried about confidence after a game like that, adding, "You start worrying about confidence, you have the wrong guys. And we don't have the wrong guys. We do not have that. I promise you we don't. It's a coaching issue, period."

The Giants didn't blitz that much Sunday. They often had a clear path to the quarterback, and as the first half wore on, the Bears tried to protect Cutler with seven or eight blockers.

Not that it made much of a difference.

"It was mental, man," center Olin Kreutz said. "There was a little bit of everything really, but most of them were those guys just beating us. That's not acceptable really. We've got to go back to work, and hopefully, we can rectify it this week in Carolina."

Cutler didn't help himself, either, by hanging onto the ball and at times not seeing open receivers, although he might have been dazed even if Smith said the Bears didn't notice any symptoms until after the ninth sack.

That came on the second-to-last play of the half, when Cutler's head banged the turf while being taken down by Aaron Ross. Cutler had absorbed more than his share of hits by then.

There was a big one early in the second quarter, when Osi Umenyiora ran through tight end Greg Olsen and blasted Cutler from behind, the ball popping out and into the arms of Kreutz. Cutler got up and took a few steps toward the wrong sideline.

"They beat us time after time, and we've got to get in front of guys and get them blocked," Kreutz said.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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