Judge: NFL Can’t Force Lawsuit Into Arbitration

A judge ruled Monday that the NFL cannot force a $200-million lawsuit into arbitration by saying that a union contract governs a player’s claim that his career was ruined when his eye was hit by a referee’s penalty flag.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Gerard E. Lynch in Manhattan moves the case brought by former Cleveland Brown offensive tackle Orlando Brown from federal to state court.

Lynch rejected arguments from the NFL that the case should be out of the courts altogether, decided instead by an arbitrator according to the terms of a collective bargaining agreement between players and teams.

Brown brought the lawsuit against the NFL after referee Jeff Triplette threw his penalty flag and it hit Brown’s right eye during a Dec. 19, 1999, game against Jacksonville.

Brown never played again and was cut by the Browns in September 2000. At the time, he had a $27-million, six-year contract, from which he collected a $7.5-million signing bonus.

Brown has said he still feels pain and sees white flashes whenever he exerts himself, and that he didn’t learn of nerve damage and damage to the viscous in his right eye until doctors in New York examined him.

Qadry Ismail, who led Baltimore in receiving last season with a career-high 74 catches for 1,059 yards but became a victim of the league’s salary cap, agreed to terms with Indianapolis. Terms were not disclosed.

Oakland hired former quarterback Jim Harbaugh as an assistant offensive coach.

Harbaugh played 15 seasons with Chicago, Indianapolis, Baltimore, San Diego and Carolina, passing for 26,288 yards and 129 touchdowns.

The Bears’ first-round pick out of Michigan in 1987, Harbaugh started 140 NFL games. He joined the Panthers midway through last season, but the team didn’t invite him back for next season.

Harbaugh, 38, probably will replace Marc Trestman, who is the leading candidate to be new Coach Bill Callahan’s offensive coordinator.

Former USC and San Diego State coach Ted Tollner was hired by San Francisco as quarterbacks coach.

Tollner had a 43-48 record the last eight years at San Diego State. He resigned in November after the Aztecs’ third consecutive losing season.

Washington Coach Steve Spurrier snagged another former Florida Gator, receiver Jacquez Green, who signed a $4.3-million, three-year contract. Green played four seasons with Tampa Bay, which tried to re-sign him.

Soccer

Javier Aguirre, coach of Mexico’s national team, soon will name the 23 players he intends to take to the World Cup in Japan and South Korea this summer.

As soon as he does, he will bring them to a 45-day training camp and their Mexican league club teams no longer will have access to them.

Chances are that tonight’s 7:30 game at the Coliseum between Chivas of Guadalajara and UNAM Pumas of Mexico City will be the last time Los Angeles fans will be able to see many of those players in person, at least in their club colors, until after the May 31-June 30 World Cup.

Chivas features such standouts as Oswaldo Sanchez, Ramon Morales and Joel Sanchez, and Pumas feature the likes of Jorge Campos and Emerson Dos Santos.

Motor Racing

Jeff Gordon confirmed that his wife has filed for divorce after seven years of marriage.

Brooke Gordon filed for divorce Friday in Palm Beach County, Fla., saying the marriage is “irretrievably broken.” They have no children.

Jennifer Brooke Sealey was a Miss Winston when she met Gordon in victory lane after a race at Daytona International Speedway. Because she was forbidden to date drivers under her contract, the two met secretly for a year.

Tony Stewart was released from a hospital at Florence, S.C., a day after hurting his back in a crash during the Carolina Dodge Sealers 400 at Darlington Raceway.

Miscellany

Representatives of Mike Tyson and heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis met with officials of The Pyramid in Memphis, Tenn., to discuss a possible title bout June 8 at the arena.

Tennessee had granted Tyson a boxing license before Washington did likewise last week.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Geneva said six Norwegian athletes, Canada’s Beckie Scott, and the Norwegian and Canadian Olympic associations are demanding that medals be stripped from cross-country skiers accused of using banned drugs at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Some of those who filed would receive gold medals if the complaints are upheld.

Also, Spain’s Johann Muehlegg appealed his disqualification from the 50-kilometer event, in which he finished first. Russians Olga Danilova and Larissa Lazutina also have appealed.