NFL wins arbitration ruling; may use replacement officials

NEW YORK — An arbitrator ruled Monday that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has the authority to discipline New Orleans Saints players for their role in a bounty system.

The NFL Players Association challenged Goodell's power to impose penalties for what the league says was a three-year bounty program that targeted specific players. Stephen Burbank, a University of Pennsylvania law professor, took only five days to determine that Goodell has the power to punish the players under the collective bargaining agreement reached last August to end the lockout.

Goodell suspended Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma for the entire 2012 season and teammate Will Smith for four games. Former Saints defensive end Anthony Hargrove, now with Green Bay, was suspended for eight games, while linebacker Scott Fujita, now with Cleveland, was docked three games.

Those players have appealed the suspensions. And the players' union said Monday it expects to appeal Burbank's decision because it believes salary cap violations are involved in the payment. That would give Burbank the authority to rule on penalizing any players involved.

Burbank did, however, retain temporary jurisdiction on Hargrove's role and asked Goodell for more information on Hargrove's "alleged participation."

Burbank "invited the commissioner to clarify the precise basis for his discipline of Mr. Hargrove who, among other things, was found to have lied to the league's investigators and obstructed their investigation," the NFL said in a statement.

REPLACEMENT OFFICIALS: The NFL will start hiring and training possible replacement officials with a deal not yet completed with the NFL Referees Association.

Talks between the league and the officials broke down after two mediation sessions that followed nine bargaining negotiations since October. Both sides have said they expect a new collective bargaining agreement in time for the upcoming season.

But that optimism has disappeared.

A session was held Sunday under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, and the NFLRA said the league "terminated negotiations" on Monday.

The NFL said new demands made by the officials led to the end of talks.

"In yesterday's session, the NFLRA ... abandoned positions that it had previously taken with both us and the mediators, and made economic demands totaling millions of additional dollars that they had agreed to drop at earlier sessions," league spokesman Greg Aiello said.

The league said that regional training sessions for replacement officials would begin this month "to ensure that there is no disruption to NFL games this season."

"Our goal is to maintain the highest quality of officiating for our teams, players, and fans, including proper enforcement of the playing rules and efficient management of our games," the league said in a statement.

BLACKMON IN COURT: Jacksonville Jaguars first-round draft pick Justin Blackmon appeared in an Oklahoma courtroom Monday for the first time since his weekend arrest for suspicion of drunken driving.

The former Oklahoma State star wide receiver's attorney entered a not guilty plea for him to a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence. Blackmon was allowed to remain free on $1,000 bond.

Police arrested Blackmon during a traffic stop in Stillwater early Sunday after a breath test allegedly showed his blood alcohol content to be three times the legal limit.