6-4, 6-2, and the 20th-seeded Monfils thumped American Jare

IRVING, Texas - NFL owners unanimously approved changes to the league personal conduct policy Wednesday, but Commissioner Roger Goodell will retain authority to rule on appeals.A special counsel for investigations and conduct will oversee initial discipline, Goodell said.This will be a highly qualified individual with a criminal justice background hired as soon as possible for the newly created position, Goodell said. The person will oversee our investigations and decide the discipline for violations of the policy.The commissioner also may appoint a panel of independent experts to participate in appeals.After the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson cases, a more extensive list of prohibited conduct will be included in the policy, as well as specific criteria for paid leave for anyone charged with a violent crime.A suspension of six games without pay for violations involving assault, sexual assault, battery, domestic violence, child abuse and other forms of family violence will be in effect, but with consideration given to mitigating or aggravating circumstances.The policy is comprehensive. It is strong. It is tough. And it better for everyone associated with the NFL, Goodell said.The players union has sought negotiations with the NFL on any revamping of the policy, and said Tuesday it would reserve the right to take any and all actions should the owners act unilaterally. The union could consider Wednesdays vote by the owners as a violation of the collective bargaining agreement reached in 2011.Among the unions options is pursuing a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board. The players could argue this policy is a change in terms and conditions of employment; the NLRB Act says such changes in unionized situations are subject to collective bargaining.The union also could consider filing an unfair labour practice charge with the NLRB.We expected todays vote by the NFL owners from before Thanksgiving, NFL Players Association spokesman George Atallah said on Twitter. Our union has not seen their new policy.That new policy will include a conduct committee made up of several team owners that will review the policy at least annually and recommend appropriate changes. That committee will seek advice from outside experts, the NFL said.Members of the committee will be Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill as the chairman; Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank; Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt; Dee Haslam, the wife of Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam; Dallas Cowboys executive vice-president Charlotte Jones Anderson, chairwoman of the NFL Foundation; Chicago Bears owner George McCaskey; Houston Texans owner Robert McNair; and two former NFL players who have a stake in NFL team ownership, Warrick Dunn of the Falcons and John Stallworth of the Steelers.NFL general counsel Jeff Pash said Wednesday in a conference call that it was a mistake in the past to rely solely on the criminal justice system for looking into legal issues. And he said the commissioners role in handing out discipline is not subject to collective bargaining.Last month, an arbitrator threw out Rices indefinite suspension by the NFL for hitting his then-fiancee in a hotel elevator, freeing him to play again.Former U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones said Goodells decision in September to change Rices original suspension from two games to indefinite was arbitrary and an abuse of discretion.After noting the two-game suspension given to Rice was insufficient, Goodell had changed the minimum punishment under the personal conduct policy to six games. After a video of the punch became public, Rice was released by the Ravens and Goodell suspended him indefinitely.Rice and the union contended he was essentially sentenced twice, and Jones agreed, saying Rice did not lie to or mislead the NFL.Petersons appeal of a league suspension lasting until next April 15 was heard by Harold Henderson last week. Henderson, a former NFL executive, was appointed by Goodell to rule on the appeal and is expected to do so soon.Peterson is seeking reinstatement, something Goodell said he would not consider before April 15.The 2012 NFL MVP hasnt played for the Minnesota Vikings since Week 1 after he was charged with child abuse in Texas. He was placed on paid leave while the legal process played out, and he pleaded no contest Nov. 4 to misdemeanour reckless assault for injuring his 4-year-old son with a wooden switch.___AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner and Sports Writers Simmi Buttar and Ronald Blum contributed to this story.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Zapatillas Nike Baratas China . Keenum will make his first appearance in a regular-season game against the rugged defence of the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, where the fans just set a Guinness record as the noisiest outdoor stadium in the world. Ofertas Zapatillas Nike Outlet . - Even with a new coach, the Denver Nuggets still love to push the basketball. http://www.zapatillasbaratasnike.es/ .com) - Mikko Korhonen carded a 5-under 67 on Thursday to claim medalist honors at the European Tours Final Qualifying Stage tournament. Comprar Zapatillas Nike Rebajas . -- Marty Havlat scored three goals for the first time in nearly nine years, and the San Jose Sharks prevented Colorado from clinching the Central Division title with a 5-1 victory over the Avalanche on Friday night. Zapatillas Nike Baratas Online China . 1 status and was unable to prevent a late season collapse, James Reimer said he wants to put the past behind him and is looking forward to spending the next two years in a Maple Leaf uniform.Flushing Meadows, NY - Roger Federer had little trouble in his first-round match Tuesday at the U.S. Open, while Spains David Ferrer also advanced. Federer, the five-time champion at Flushing Meadows, eased past Australias Marinko Matosevic, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), to start the night session at Ashe Stadium. The second-seeded Swiss superstar hasnt reached the final at the U.S. Open since 2009 and hasnt won the title since the last of his five straight in 2008. Last years surprising fourth-round loss to Tommy Robredo was his earliest exit since 2003. Federer has had a resurgent year after not reaching a Grand Slam final in 2013. He reached the final at Wimbledon earlier this summer, losing to Novak Djokovic in a stellar five-set title match at the All England Club, then prepped for the U.S. Open with a couple of strong hardcourt events. He lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Toronto final and beat Ferrer for the Cincinnati crown. The solid play continued Tuesday. Federer broke serve once in each of the first two sets and never had his own serve threatened. He dropped a mere four points on serve in a dominant second set. After another break early in the third, Matosevic finally dented Federers serve to event the set at 4-4. It went to a tiebreaker and Federer won six of the last seven points after falling behind 3-1. "Hes got big shots and a big game, especially on the return," said Federer about Matosevic in an on-court interview after the match. "Im happy Im through. It was a bit more difficult in the third set than I wanted it to be. He put up a good fight." Next up for Federer will be another Australian in the second round, as Sam Groth advanced with a three-set win over Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain. The fourth-seeded Ferrer needed four sets to best Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ferrer, twice a semifinalist in 11 previous trips to the U.S. Open, claimed a 6-1, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 triumph and will next play Australias Bernard Tomic in round two. Other seeded winners Tuesday included Japans Kei Nishikori, American John Isner, Frenchman Richard Gasquet, Italys Fabio Fognini and Gael Monfils of France. The 10th-seeded Nishikori stifled American journeyman Wayne Odesnik, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. Nishikori, who became the first-ever Japanese player to crack the Top 10 earlier this year, missed the U.S. Open tuune-up events in Toronto and Cincinnati because of a toe injury.dddddddddddd "Its been pretty good," said Nishikori about the injury. "I fell a couple of times, but otherwise, almost perfect. Didnt affect my game. So its been feeling really well." Odesnik received a wild card into the Open, his first appearance here in five years, after serving a year-long ban for getting caught with human growth hormone. The 13th-seeded Isner launched 26 aces in a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) victory over fellow American Marcos Giron. Isner has reached just one quarterfinal in his seven previous trips to the USTA National Tennis Center. "I played a great second set," said Isner. "I wish the third set would have been easier. I had a lot of chances. So if theres one disappointing thing from today its not converting on those chances, especially in the third set. I had some in the first set, as well. But all in all, Im happy with it in straight sets." Meanwhile, the 12th-seeded Gasquet got past Uzbekistans Denis Istomin, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, the 15th-seeded Fognini foiled Kazakhstans Andrey Golubev, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, and the 20th-seeded Monfils thumped American Jared Donaldson, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. In other play involving seeds, No. 17 Roberto Bautista Agut got past Andreas Haider-Maurer, 5-7, 7-6 (7-1), 1-6, 7-5, 6-foot-10 No. 25 Croat Ivo Karlovic fired 24 aces in beating Finnish veteran Jarkko Nieminen, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; No. 26 Frenchman Gilles Simon rolled past Radu Albot of Moldova, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; No. 28 Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez topped Taiwans Yen-Hsun Lu, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2; and 17-year-old Croat Borna Coric took out No. 29 Czech Lukas Rosol, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. Rosol was fresh off his hardcourt title last week in North Carolina. In other matches featuring Americans, Sam Querrey outlasted Argentine Maximo Gonzalez, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, and Spaniard Pablo Andujar was leading Jack Sock, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, when Sock retired with an injury. The first round concludes Wednesday with 16 more matches and the second round also begins. First-round action will include sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych against 2001 U.S. Open champ Lleyton Hewitt and seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov against American Ryan Harrison. Australian Open champ Stan Wawrinka will face Brazils Thomaz Bellucci in one of two second-round tilts. ' ' '