NFL: League says fight won't disrupt season

Associated Press
Posted: May 03, 2011

With its players again barred from work, the NFL told a federal appeals court Monday the fight over whether the lockout is legal won't get in the way of the 2011 season.

The rest of the labor fight? That's anyone's guess.

The league filed an 18-page brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis, arguing that the lockout should remain in effect permanently while appeals play out.

The appeals court put U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson's order lifting the 45-day lockout on hold temporarily last week. The owners reinstated the lockout a few hours later, and they want a more permanent stay of Nelson's order so they can argue that it should be overturned altogether.

A decision from the appeals court is expected soon.

The players have argued there is no guarantee appeals can be wrapped up in time for the regular season, but the NFL said the process - thanks to a request for an expedited hearing - is more a matter of weeks than months.

The players have a federal antitrust lawsuit against the NFL pending before Nelson. But the legality of the lockout has essentially become the fight for now.

Duerson had brain damage. Dave Duerson, a former NFL player who committed suicide in February, had "moderately advanced" brain damage related to blows to the head, according to the researcher who made the diagnosis.

"It's indisputable" that Duerson had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disorder linked to repeated brain trauma, Dr. Ann McKee said.

The findings were announced as part of an effort conducted by the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University's School of Medicine.

Duerson played safety in the NFL for 11 seasons, seven with the Chicago Bears, and was chosen for four Pro Bowls before retiring in 1993.

Titans' Simms heads to trial. Tennessee Titans backup quarterback Chris Simms is headed for trial on charges of driving while high on marijuana in New York City.

Simms, 30, was pulled over at a police sobriety checkpoint July 1. An officer said Simms was like a "zombie" and said he'd been smoking marijuana in the car.

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