Players Association ordered to pay retirees $28.1m

A federal jury in San Francisco yesterday ordered the NFL Players Association to pay $28.1 million to retired players after finding the union failed to properly market their images.

The figure includes $21 million in punitive damages, just short of the $21.9 million award the players' lawyer had asked of the jury to reflect roughly 10 percent of the union's net worth at the start of the year.

A union lawyer had urged the jury to award a far lesser amount so as not to damage the union's ability to represent its members.

Hall of Fame cornerback Herb Adderley filed the lawsuit last year on behalf of 2,056 retired players who contend the union failed to actively pursue marketing deals on their behalf with video games, trading cards, and others sports products.

Lawyers representing Adderley and the retired players told the jury during the nearly three-week trial that the union actively sought to cut them out of licensing deals so active players could receive bigger royalty payments.

Yesterday, the retirees' lawyer, Ronald Katz, urged the jury to punish the union to "change their conduct."

Katz said longtime union chief Gene Upshaw and his deputy "betrayed the trust of their members" by neglecting the retired players, who pay $50 a year to keep their union membership. Upshaw died of cancer in August.

Hasselbeck set to start

Matt Hasselbeck is ready to make his first start in six weeks Sunday when the Seahawks play first-place Arizona. There's no indication that another top-flight quarterback, the Bengals' Carson Palmer, will play again this season.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said Hasselbeck, his three-time Pro Bowler, will practice with the starting offense and that he plans on him starting at home against the Cardinals, who own a commanding lead in the NFC West.

It would be Hasselbeck's first game since he hyperextended his right knee in a loss at the Giants Oct. 5. A surgeon in Los Angeles found that a bulging disk in Hasselbeck's back was affecting a nerve and weakening the knee.

With seven games left for the Bengals, the team acknowledged yesterday that Palmer will miss his fifth straight game because of an injured passing elbow. Ryan Fitzpatrick will start against the Eagles Sunday.

Palmer hurt the elbow during a 26-23 overtime loss to the Giants in the third week of the season and played in only one more game. He has been doing rehabilitation work to try to get the elbow healthy enough to play again this season. During the team's bye weekend, Palmer went back to California and had the elbow checked. He said through a team spokesman yesterday that nothing had changed.

Barnett, McKenzie done

Defensive starters Nick Barnett of Green Bay and Mike McKenzie of New Orleans will miss the rest of the season with knee injuries.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said yesterday that linebacker Barnett tore a right knee ligament in Sunday's game against the Vikings, which the Packers lost, 28-27.

It's a major blow to an already-suspect defense that gave up 192 yards rushing to Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

McKenzie fractured his right kneecap Sunday and Saints coach Sean Payton said he will have surgery this week and be placed on injured reserve. The Saints claimed recently released Washington corner Leigh Torrence off waivers.

Portis 50-50 for Sunday

Redskins running back Clinton Portis was unable to practice because of a sprained knee, and coach Jim Zorn said Portis is "50-50" for Sunday night's game vs. Dallas. Portis bruised his knee on the final play of the first quarter of last week's 23-6 loss to the Steelers but returned for the next series and finished the game. The pain got worse, however, and Zorn said yesterday Portis has a bone bruise on the femur as well as a sprain . . . Next in line in the Broncos' battered backfield is free agent Alex Haynes, who signed after rookie Ryan Torain was placed on IR with a knee injury. Torain is the team's third tailback lost for the season in the last week. Michael Pittman (spinal cord) and Andre Hall (hand) were placed on IR last week, joining Anthony Alridge (leg), who was hurt in the preseason. Torain tore his left ACL in Denver's 34-30 win at Cleveland Thursday night.

Blackstock back

The Bengals added linebacker Darryl Blackstock to the roster, after Blackstock served a four-game suspension for using a nutritional supplement that contained a substance banned by the NFL . . . Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, Tampa Bay's fourth-year running back, feels he's "good to go" after being sidelined more than 13 months with a knee injury. The Buccaneers have until tomorrow to decide whether Williams, who began the season on the physically unable to perform list, will be activated . . . Another member of the Browns said some teammates quit during the Thursday night loss to the Broncos. Following the game, running back Jamal Lewis accused unnamed teammates of giving up. Leading by 13 points, the Browns (3-6) allowed three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and lost, 34-30. Yesterday, return specialist Joshua Cribbs said, "We can't figure out what's in everyone's head or in their minds, but that's what it looked like - that some guys quit."

Plea by Collier suspect

A man accused of shooting Jaguars offensive lineman Richard Collier 14 times pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Jacksonville and was being held without bond. The public defender for Tyrone Romaro Hartsfield, 32, entered pleas of not guilty to charges of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Hartsfield is accused of shooting Collier Sept. 2. Collier was paralyzed below the waist and had to have his left leg amputated below the knee. The judge set a pretrial hearing for Dec. 1 . . . A woman filed a lawsuit yesterday against Chiefs running back Larry Johnson a month after saying he spit a drink in her face at a bar and threatened to kill her and her boyfriend. The lawsuit by Ashley N. Stewart accuses the two-time Pro Bowler of negligence, assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent infliction of emotional distress and seeks punitive damages. Johnson was charged last month with simple assault for the Oct. 10 incident at Kansas City's Club Blonde . . . In Bel Air, Md., former Ravens wide receiver Javin Hunter was sentenced to six months in jail for a fatal hit-and-run accident last year. Hunter was given a total of five years with all but six months suspended. He pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the accident July 17, 2007. Ellis George Spencer Jr., 53, was struck from behind while riding a scooter and died hours later.