NFL players demand damages

NFL players asked Thursday that the league be slapped with $707 million in damages for cutting TV deals that would have paid owners $4 billion if the current lockout caused this season’s games to be canceled.

U.S. District Judge David Doty, who in March ruled that owners violated their agreement with the players by negotiating those provisions into their TV contracts, conducted a two-hour hearing on the case Thursday but isn’t expected to rule on damages until next week at the earliest.

“I’ll be honest with you. I didn’t think we would have to have this hearing, and I’m a bit disappointed we are having it,” said Doty to both sides in his opening remarks.

— Sam Farmer

BASKETBALL

Rose, James, Bryant on All-NBA team

Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls, the 2010-11 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, and LeBron James of the Miami Heat, winner of the two previous MVP awards, highlight the 2010-11 All-NBA First Team. James was the lone unanimous choice, receiving all 119 first-place votes. Joining James and Rose on the first team are Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

The Lakers’ Pau Gasol was named to the second team.

ETC.

Russia beats Canada in hockey semifinals

Russia has advanced to the semifinals at hockey’s world championships at Bratislava, Slovakia, defeating Canada, 2-1 on Ilya Kovalchuk’s winning goal in the third period. Russia will play Finland on Friday in the semis, and the Czech Republic will meet Sweden. Earlier, Jarkko Immonen scored twice to help Finland beat Norway, 4-1.

Russia topped Canada for the second straight year after winning 5-2 in the quarters at last year’s worlds. This was the first loss for Canada at this year’s tournament.

Jason Spezza

Alexei Kaigorodov

Roger Federer’s French Open preparation hit a roadblock with a 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4) loss to Richard Gasquet in the third round of the Italian Open at Rome.

Earlier, Rafael Nadal overcame a virus to beat fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, 6-4, 6-2.

To keep his No. 1 ranking for at least one more week, Nadal will need to beat Marin Cilic of Croatia in the quarterfinals. Otherwise, Novak Djokovic could claim the top spot by winning the tournament. Djokovic extended his unbeaten run to 34 matches this year with a 6-4 6-1 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka.

In women’s play Francesca Schiavone roused her home crowd by rallying past Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Alabama offensive lineman Aaron Douglas, a junior college transfer and onetime Tennessee starter, died in Florida at 21.

Gregory Bourdy shot a course-record seven-under 63 on to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Iberdrola Open at Son Severa, Spain.

England’s Danny Willett was second, and Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke and England’s Matthew Nixon opened with 65s.

The Galaxy will host FA Cup finalist Manchester City in an exhibition on July 24 at the Home Depot Center. … Major League Soccer suspended Chivas USA midfielder Marcos Mondaini four games and fined him $1,500 for a tackle that broke an ankle of Real Salt Lake midfielder Javier Morales in a May 7 game.

With the largest endowment gift ever received by USC’s athletic department, the school announced that the athletic director’s position will be endowed in perpetuity as the Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics’ Chair.

The sum of the gift from Chuck and Jessie Cale was not disclosed.

Chuck Cale received a master’s degree from the USC School of Law. He was a vice president of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee and also was involved in the 1988 Seoul Games and the 1992 Barcelona Games. He also was co-chairman and chief executive of World Cup USA 1994 and a member of the board of directors of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Jessie Cale received her bachelor’s degree from USC’s School of Journalism.

— Gary Klein

James Washington’s Shelter 37 Foundation will hold a free football clinic for youths from the fifth-to-eighth grades on Saturday at Los Angeles Southwest College.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

— Chris Foster

Former Citrus College offensive lineman Albert Cid says he will join UCLA’s football team. Cid, who is 6 feet 3, 325 pounds, has three years of eligibility remaining. He said he needs to still pass two summer school classes before he can be admitted into UCLA. … UCLA’s football game against Texas on Sept. 17 will be at 12:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.

— Chris Foster

Former Dallas Cowboys running back Ron Springs, who had been in a coma since losing oxygen during a 2007 operation to remove a cyst from his arm, died at 54.