Arrington defends banished ex-agent

A day after equating the NFL Players Assn. to organized crime, New York Giants linebacker LaVar Arrington on Thursday told a House subcommittee that his former agent had done nothing to merit a union-sanctioned suspension at the end of the 2003 season.

Arrington was one of four witnesses to testify during a House Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law hearing on the NFLPA’s relationship with player agents.

NFLPA General Counsel Richard Berthelsen testified that the union followed generally accepted arbitration rules when it suspended Carl Poston, the player agent who had represented Arrington. Berthelsen said that the union’s rules have withstood legal challenges made by a handful of disgruntled player agents. But Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) suggested that “we’re looking at a situation that begs for legislative relief.” Lee, who could end up in a leadership position on the subcommittee when Democrats take control of Congress next year, described the union’s power over agents as an “unfair system.”

The panel also heard from an attorney representing Steve Weinberg, another player agent who has been prohibited from representing players. Weinberg recently sued the union for $36.7 million in a civil lawsuit that alleges the union illegally stripped him of his right to represent players.

-- Greg Johnson

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Chicago Bears standout defensive tackle Tommie Harris could miss the rest of the season because of a severe hamstring injury, the team said.

Harris left Sunday’s game against Minnesota in the third quarter because of what was originally announced as a sprained left knee, with Coach Lovie Smith saying Monday that the injury was not considered season-ending.

But Smith said Thursday that the hamstring injury was more severe than the knee sprain and that Harris was scheduled to travel to Dallas to see a specialist. He added that Harris, who had already been ruled out of Monday’s game against St. Louis, could miss the remaining four regular-season games and perhaps the playoffs.

“No one else in the league has a player like Tommie Harris,” Smith said of the player who anchors the Bears’ No. 2-ranked defense. “Now I see us being like everyone else. Everyone else has played without a dominant player like that. Does it change the dynamics of our team, the defensive line? Yes, for sure.”

Ian Scott will probably replace Harris.

The Bears clinched the NFC North on Sunday.

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Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme missed practice again because of ligament damage in the thumb on his throwing hand, increasing the chance backup Chris Weinke will start Sunday against the New York Giants.

Delhomme said he may try to practice today.

Delhomme was injured when his hand hit Philadelphia defensive tackle Darwin Walker’s helmet on a touchdown pass Sunday.

Meanwhile, running back DeShaun Foster, who has missed the last two games because of a hyper-extended elbow, practiced and remains probable.