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PHOENIX - Domestic violence. Questionable discipline. Player safety. Confusing officiating. Deflated footballs.The disturbing headlines that began last February never slowed down for the NFL this season. The problems — most of them made worse by the ineffectual handling — mushroomed into an imperfect storm that hurt the leagues credibility and turned the lead-up to Sundays Super Bowl into a time for damage control, not celebration.It never ceases, said Orin Starn, a Duke professor who studies sports in society. It was one crisis and PR challenge after another and I didnt envy Roger Goodell at all.At the commissioners contentious news conference Friday — Goodell fielded one question about whether he thought he should be fired and another about taking a pay cut — he was hit with a barrage of questions that spoke to the wide range of problems that punctured the leagues integrity, though not its popularity.On the one hand, youve got a league thats never been more profitable, never been more popular, agent Leigh Steinberg said. On the other hand, there was less-than-deft handling and anticipation of some major issues that have hit the third rail. Theyve transcended the hardcore football fans to become household issues.Its a tribute to Americas obsession with football that what feels like a trivial tale about flatter-than-normal footballs hasnt abated as the weeks top story, even with a looming matchup between New England and Seattle. The Patriots were accused of providing under-inflated footballs for their AFC championship win, and an investigation will be concluded after the title game. That was the lead story on all three major-network news broadcasts one evening.Another story that wont end: Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynchs refusal to play nice with the media and the NFLs uncertainty about how, or whether, to enforce rules that compel players to do interviews.I did 35 radio interviews this week, Steinberg said. Thats all anyone wanted to talk about.But its issues such as Deflategate, the confusing rules and the competence of the NFLs officials that could damage the league most.Theres a general assumption, Steinberg said, that the contests are performed with equal rules, equal officiating and the games turn on coaching and players who play on the field.Any suggestion that something else is happening, that there may be cheating or unfair enforcement, is an existential threat to the NFL, he said.The domestic violence crisis that exploded when Ray Rice — the former Baltimore Ravens running back — punched his fiancee and Adrian Peterson — the Minnesota Vikings star — whipped his son with a tree branch has been treated mostly in general terms this week.Goodell used the words domestic violence only once during his nearly 50-minute news conference, instead referring to it more than once as part of a set of complex issues.Domestic violence accusations against players garnered as much attention for the NFLs handling of them — most notably, Rices two-game suspension that was made indefinite when video of the punch surfaced, then overturned by an arbitrator — as the charges themselves.That doesnt thrill people on the front lines in fighting domestic abuse, though they do give the NFL credit for pumping money into increasing awareness. The NFL is footing the bill for a 30-second public-service announcement during the Super Bowl (half-minute spots are selling for around $4.5 million) about domestic violence that will reach tens of millions.Id call it the first step of the NFL taking this conversation to the next level, said Ruth Glenn, the executive director for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.Neither the domestic violence crisis, nor the ongoing murder trial of former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, nor any other off-field issue deterred fans or sponsors — who foot much of the bill for a $9 billion business that Goodell hopes to grow by more than double over the next decade. NFL games accounted for 45 of the 50 most-watched shows from Labour Day to the end of 2014. The Super Bowl, as always, is a near lock to be among the most-watched programs of all time.Its not guaranteed to last forever, said George Daly, a Georgetown professor of management who consulted the NFL decades ago.All these things are risky, Daly said. If you look back to, say, 1950, the NFL title game brought in less money than the Rose Bowl. Things can change.The health and safety of the leagues players poses another long-term threat. While the NFL used the week to tout a 25-per cent decrease in concussions recorded this season, another study spelling out the dangers football presents to children made headlines, as well. So did an Associated Press report detailing flaws in about three-fifths of state youth concussion laws passed in all 50 states since 2009 at the urging of the league.News about overuse of painkillers, the leagues implementation of a human growth hormone testing program that isnt as effective as it could be and the efficacy of the leagues penalties for marijuana also made headlines.All this comes against the backdrop of lawsuits. Most notably, the NFL is waiting for final resolution of a lawsuit by former players who accused the league of hiding what it knew about brain injuries so they would stay on the field. The proposed settlement is worth an estimated $1 billion.Its money the league can afford.But this season exposed some unseemly chinks in the NFLs armour —forcing leaders to rethink the way they do business. Already, theyve revamped their investigative process, are considering changes among their officiating crews and announced theyll hire a new chief medical officer.They have to look and say, What are the threats and what are the opportunities? Daly said. From what I see, there are real threats out there.___Follow Eddie Pells on Twitter at http://twitter.com/epels___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Cheap Hornets Jerseys Authentic .C. -- Steve Spurrier was much happier about South Carolinas improved performance than about his lastest career milestone. Muggsy Bogues Jersey . When the next inning rolled around Wednesday, though, Nationals manager Matt Williams sent Strasburg to the mound to face the top of the Dodgers order in what would become a 3-2 victory for Washington, the first time this season the No. http://www.cheaphornetsjerseys.com/ . Saltalamacchia has agreed to a $21 million, three-year deal with the Miami Marlins, two people familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday. Percy Miller Jersey .Y. - His opponent couldnt stop him, and LeBron James didnt quite know what to think when his coach tried. Cheap NBA Jerseys . You can watch the game live on TSN and TSN GO at 3pm et/Noon pt. The Thunder reclaimed the home-court advantage LA took with a Game 1 win on Friday night with a 118-112 road win in Game 3.Paris, France (SportsNetwork.com) - Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer were among the third-round winners Friday at the French Open. Neither advanced easily, though, as both needed four sets. Djokovic came away with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4 victory over Croatias Marin Cilic and Federer earned a 7-5, 6-7 (7-9), 6-2, 6-4 triumph over Russian Dmitry Tursunov. The second-seeded Djokovic won his eighth straight match. He entered the years second Grand Slam after capturing the Italian Masters, which included a victory over Rafael Nadal in the final, and won each of his first two matches this week in straight sets. Cilic, it appeared, would meet the same fate after the first two sets, but he dominated the third-set tiebreaker. Djokovic then earned an early break for a 2-0 edge in the fourth before Cilic battled back with a break and evened the set at 4-4. Djokovic held again and Cilic was ahead in the next game before the Serb won the last three points, the final one coming on a Cilic double fault. "First two sets and beginning of the third I had some chances to break him and kind of get the job done in straight sets, but he started playing a little bit better," said Djokovic. "He played great, the end of the third, especially in the tiebreak. I complicated my own life there in the fourth. But generally it was a difficult match from different aspects." Djokovic improved to 9-0 all-time against Cilic and will next play French crowd favorite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The 13th seed cruised to a 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 win over Polands Jerzy Janowicz to reach the fourth round for the fifth time in the last six years. Tsonga was a semifinalist last year, losing to David Ferrer. Federer, meanwhile, also won his first two matches in straight sets this week before a test from Tursunov on Friday. The Moscow native fought off 17-of-21 break-point chances before finally falling. The third-round exit tied his best finish in 11 appearances at the French Open. The fourth-seeded Federer, the only French mens champion in the draw outsiide of eight-time winner Nadal, also beat Tursunov earlier this year in the third round at Indian Wells and advanced to a fourth-round meeting with Latvias Ernests Gulbis.dddddddddddd "Im pleased to be through," said Federer, the 2009 champion. "Like expected, it was not a straight-forward, easy match. I knew that Dmitry was going to try different things, play aggressive, serve well and then take big cuts at the ball. Thats kind of how it went." Gulbis, coming off a win last week at the French Open tune-up in Nice, eased past Czech veteran Radek Stepanek, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5, to reach the fourth round for the second time at Roland Garros. He made the quarterfinals in 2008 before falling to Djokovic. Sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych needed four sets to dispose of Spains Roberto Bautista Agut, claiming a 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 triumph to reach the fourth round for only the fourth time in 11 appearances at Roland Garros. The Czechs best finish was a run to the semifinals in 2010. American John Isner is next for Berdych. The 10th seed went more than three hours to complete a 7-6 (15-13), 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (5-7), 7-5 victory over Spains Tommy Robredo. Isner had never beaten a Spaniard in a Grand Slam in five previous attempts and became the first American since Robby Ginepri in 2010 to reach the round of 16 in Paris. Eighth-seeded Milos Raonic outlasted Frenchman Gilles Simon in five sets, rallying for a 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory. Raonic became the first Canadian to reach the fourth round in the French capital and will next play the winner between Spains Marcel Granollers and Slovakias Martin Klizan. Darkness nearly stopped Raonic and did halt the Granollers-Klizan match after three sets. It will resume Saturday with Granollers holding a 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) advantage. Saturdays third-round action also includes the top-seeded Nadal against Argentinas Leonardo Mayer, the fifth-seeded Ferrer against Italys Andreas Seppi and seventh-seeded Andy Murray against Germanys Philipp Kohlschreiber. 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