NFL owners, players hold labor talks in Boston

NFL owners and players met in the Boston area in the latest attempt to work out a new collective bargaining agreement, a person with knowledge of the talks told the Associated Press.

Commissioner Roger Goodell and members of his labor committee resumed negotiations with players’ association chief DeMaurice Smith and several players Wednesday. A day earlier, NFL owners were briefed on recent progress about a new CBA.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are confidential.

One NFL player told the AP that the NFLPA told him progress is being made, “but there’s still maybe two weeks to go” before a settlement is likely. The player also spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak for the union.

The main topic of discussion is the breakdown of total revenues. One person told the AP on Tuesday that the players’ share would approach the 50% the NFLPA has said it has received throughout the last decade. But the expense credits — about $1 billion last year — that the league takes off the top would disappear.

Also, there would no longer be “designated revenues” from which the players would share, the person said. Instead, the players would share from the entire pie, which they project will grow significantly over the course of the new CBA, which is expected to run anywhere from six to 10 years. So if they are taking 48% or more of a much higher revenue stream — without the initial NFL deduction for operating expenses — the players still would receive far more money than they got under the previous agreement.

A salary floor keeping teams within 90% of the cap also would be included.

Union officials said NBA players and owners are about $7 billion apart over a 10-year span in their most recent proposals, a significant gap to close to avoid a work stoppage.

The sides are so far apart in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement that union president Derek Fisher said when players are briefed on the state of the talks, they are in “total disbelief” and ask why they even bother having meetings.

“When we put our spreadsheets up, we put it on the board, we lay it out, everybody’s at a loss for how to even begin to close this gap,” the Lakers guard said.

ETC.

Woods won’t play in AT&T National

Tiger Woods said he will sit out another tournament — the AT&T National next week outside Philadelphia — as he recovers from injuries to his left leg.

“Doctor’s orders,” Woods posted on Twitter.

He said he plans to be at Aronimink to support the tournament, which benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. Woods said he is “feeling stronger,” but is still not 100%.

Woods, who has slipped to No. 17 in the world ranking, has not completed a tournament since he tied for fourth at the Masters. He said he hurt his left knee and Achilles’ hitting a shot on the 17th hole of the third round from an awkward stance in the pine straw.

He tried to compete in the Players Championship but withdrew after nine holes.

Woods did not mention whether he planned to play the British Open, which starts July 14 at Royal St. George’s in England.

Lon Babby, the Phoenix Suns’ president of basketball operations, emphatically said that two-time most valuable player Steve Nash is not going to be traded, and he added center Marcin Gortat to the untouchable list. The latest denial came after ESPN reported that the Suns were in talks with the Minnesota Timberwolves over trading Nash for the No. 2 pick in the draft Thursday. Earlier, the New York Post mentioned a possible trade to the Knicks for Chauncey Billups.

FIFA had “compelling” evidence that Mohamed bin Hammam and Jack Warner conspired to bribe voters in the organization’s presidential election before it suspended them from world soccer’s governing body.

FIFA’s ethics committee concluded that the allegations bin Hammam offered $40,000 cash payments to Caribbean officials “constitute prima facie an act of bribery.”

A report into Warner’s case, seen by the Associated Press, said the then-FIFA vice president was an accessory to bribery who offered “mere self-serving declarations” at a hearing last month.

The 17-page document was sent last week to Warner, a 28-year veteran of FIFA’s ruling executive committee who led the North, Central American and Caribbean regional body since 1990.

Days later, the Trinidad and Tobago government minister quit his soccer positions while insisting that he would have been “fully exonerated by any objective arbiter.”

U.S. forward DaMarcus Beasley has joined Mexican soccer club Puebla. The team confirmed Beasley’s signing on its Twitter feed. The 29-year-old American is coming off a season with German club Hannover 96 in which he saw little action. He also has played with Glasgow Rangers, Manchester City, PSV Eindhoven, the Chicago Fire and the Galaxy.

Connecticut basketball star Maya Moore, Penn State volleyball player Blair Brown and Villanova cross country and track standout Sheila Reid are the finalists for the Honda-Broderick Cup, given to the college female athlete of the year. They were chosen from among the 12 winners of the Honda Awards for excellence in academics and sports.

The Ducks will open their exhibition schedule with back-to-back games at Honda Center, against the Phoenix Coyotes on Sept. 20 and the San Jose Sharks on Sept. 21. After games at San Jose, Vancouver and the Kings from Sept. 23-25, the Ducks will play home games Sept. 28 against Vancouver and Sept. 30 against the Kings.

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano and New York Islanders owner Charles Wang announced a lease agreement that would keep the NHL team on Long Island if voters approve the replacement of aging Nassau Coliseum in an Aug. 1 vote. Construction costs for the arena are estimated at $350 million.

Harley Hotchkiss, a former part-owner of the Calgary Flames, has died at 83. The team confirmed the death of Hotchkiss, who had prostate cancer, on Wednesday. Hotchkiss was part of the group that bought the Atlanta Flames and moved them to Calgary in 1980. Hotchkiss, who served as chairman of the NHL’s board of governors from 1995 to 2007, sold his minority stake in the Flames this season. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006.