Dein erstes Forum » s said point guard Tarik Phillip (nine points,

The NFL is continuing to pursue an investigation of players named in an Al-Jazeera report on performance-enhancing drugs and remains at odds with its players association over its right to do so.NFL executive Adolpho Birch sent a letter to the NFLPA on Thursday -- in response to letters the NFLPA sent Tuesday -- asserting the leagues right to investigate its players based on the Al-Jazeera report. Birch disputed the unions claim that the NFL must meet a standard of credible evidence before players James Harrison, Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers and Mike Neal submit to interviews with league investigators.The NFLPAs position ... is fundamentally at odds with the CBA, the Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances and basic tenets of labor law, Birch, the NFLs senior vice president for labor policy, wrote in Thursdays letter, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN.As explained in my June 3 letter, the report that prompted this investigation depicted what appeared to be a network of businesses and persons describing an intricate scheme to provide athletes in several sports with performance-enhancing and other substances. There can be no rational question that a nationally aired documentary report with potential impact on public confidence in the game of football is a sufficient basis upon which to investigate the totality of those claims, including those pertaining to the NFL players.One of the unions stronger arguments against allowing the investigation is the fact that pharmacist Charlie Sly -- the source for the Al-Jazeera report that implicated the four aforementioned players, retired quarterback Peyton Manning and athletes from other sports -- has since recanted his remarks. Birch disputes the relevance of that argument.The fact that statements aired in the report may have been since recanted, while potentially relevant to any ultimate conclusions reached, does not extinguish our need to investigate, Birch wrote. And it is hardly remarkable or dispositive that an individual would publicly disavow statements for which he may be subject to criminal or civil sanctions.Birchs Thursday letter asserts that NFL players have the obligation to cooperate with league investigations and could face discipline for failing to do so -- a point sure to be contested by the other side as this dispute progresses.Notably, none of the letters the union sent earlier this week were on behalf of Manning, who is a former player and could decide to cooperate with the league investigation even as the union defends its current players from having to do so. The NFLPA has been in contact with Manning, whose cooperation could conceivably put the other four players in a difficult position from a public relations standpoint. Some people familiar with his thinking believe he will cooperate.This dispute came to a head earlier this week when Harrison, who has a history of public arguments with the league over discipline matters, said commissioner Roger Goodell would have to go to his house if he wanted to interview him.Vincent Taylor Jersey . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. Eric Rowe Jersey .C. -- Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said after all of these years in the NBA hes still amazed at some of the things LeBron James does. http://www.wholesaledolphinsjerseys.com/?tag=youth-t-j-mcdonald-jersey . 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The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference.MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Hard-to-please coach Bob Huggins showed his grumpy side after No. 20 West Virginia won its season opener by 28 points.On Monday night, the Mountaineers (1-0) get a chance to show progress during another nonconference tuneup against Mississippi Valley State (0-1).I thought our effort sucked, Huggins said after Fridays 87-59 blowout of Mount St. Marys. I think most people would say the effort was OK, but not for the way were trying to play and for what we have to get done.Though Press Virginia forced 21 turnovers with its full-court defense, Huggins didnt see enough defenders challenging passing lanes or intensity on traps.We play in spurts. We dont play with a lot of consistency yet, he said. That in all honesty is as poor a performance weve had in pressure in three years.Senior forward Nathan Adrian had 13 points and junior guard Jevon Carter added 10 as 11 players scored for West Virginia. Freshman forward Sagaba Konate -- with 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks in only 12 minutes -- made an impressive debut.Junior gguard Daxter Miles, a two-year starter and key defender, sat out with an illness and his status remains uncertain for Monday.ddddddddddddHuggins said point guard Tarik Phillip (nine points, two assists, three turnovers) played with a sprained knee against Mount St. Marys and forward Esa Ahmad (eight points) had a sprained ankle.Mississippi Valley State absorbed a 94-63 beating at Northwestern in its opener, trailing by double digits after seven minutes.I didnt like the way we played defense at the start of the game, Mississippi Valley coach Andre Payne said. We got after it a little better in the second half, but that start set us back.The Delta Devils, picked to finish sixth in the 10-team SWAC, start five seniors but have posted a 14-52 record the past two seasons under Payne.Guard Marcus Romains 16 points were offset by six turnovers during the loss. Junior forward Amos Given scored 11 points in a reserve role. ' ' '