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1B Sports Wednesday January 22, 2014 Players wanted A-Rod out of union NEW YORK (AP) — Several angry major league players wanted Alex Rodriguez kicked out of their union after he sued it last week, but staff lawyers told them expulsion was not allowed. The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrator's decision suspending him for the 2014 season and postseason. Details were first reported Tuesday by Yahoo Sports and later confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the call. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized. The union and Rodriguez spokesman Ron Berkowitz declined comment. All players in the major leagues are members of the union and pay $65 daily in dues, or $11,895 if a player is in the big leagues for a full season. Baseball's labor contract specifies the union is ''the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for all major league players.'' The union will incur costs of defending the lawsuit by the New York Yankees third baseman, who claimed in the suit it ''breached its duty of fair representation to Mr. Rodriguez.'' The union retained Michael Rubin and Barbara J. Chisholm of the San Francisco firm Altshuler Berzon to defend it, according to a court filing Tuesday. Rodriguez was suspended for 211 games by baseball Commissioner Bud Selig on Aug. 5, and the union filed a grievance contending the discipline was without ''just cause.'' The penalty was reduced to 162 games plus the 2014 postseason by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz, who concluded Rodriguez violated baseball's drug agreement each year from 2010-12 and twice obstructed MLB's investigation in violation of the sport's labor contract. Rodriguez agreed to a $275 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees after the 2007 season. Horowitz's decision cost Rodriguez $22.13 million of his $25 million salary this year; the three-time AL MVP is owed $61 million by the Yankees from 2015-17. NOTES: MLB and the union have agreed to follow their previous methodology for luxury tax payrolls in dealing with Rodriguez's suspension. He will count as $3,155,738 this year for the Yankees, which is 21-183rds of the $27.5 million average annual value he would have been listed at. Horowitz ruled Rodriguez loses 162 days' pay over the 183day season. Goodell suggests ditching PAT kick (AP) — Roger Goodell doesn't want to stand pat with the PAT. He's suggesting potential changes in the extra point that, well, might have some legs. The NFL commissioner says the extra point kick after touchdowns, which had a success rate of nearly 100 percent, is too automatic. Sure is. And with few teams attempting 2-point conversion plays until desperation hits late in games, the old 1-pointer from 20 yards is the way coaches go. All that does is draw yawns. So Goodell wonders if the league can add excitement by making some major adjustments to the extra point, suggesting perhaps making a touchdown worth seven points instead of six, with teams having the option to run a play for another point. But failing on that play would cost them a point. Gimmicky, for sure. But if Goodell likes the idea ... A look at how changes to the extra point would affect football: HOW AND WHO? Passing any changes to the playing rules in the NFL is, unlike the extra point kick, no snap. The competition committee meets with the players' union at the NFL combine in February, where any new proposals or ideas are discussed. It's not unusual for the players to have input in potential adjustments, as they did recently on defenseless player penalties. The powerful committee, chaired by Atlanta Falcons President Rich McKay, meets for about a week in early March and comes up with any proposals, whether from the teams or union or, yes, the big boss. At the league meetings later in March, the committee presents potential changes for discussion by all 32 owners, who can either vote on them or table them. McKay said Tuesday: ''We do anticipate the topic being discussed.'' Tehama Tracker Today's schedule BOYS BASKETBALL Red Bluff at Oroville, 7:30 p.m. BOYS SOCCER Red Bluff at Enterprise, 4:30 p.m. GIRLS SOCCER Enterprise at Red Bluff, 6 p.m. NBA Sacramento at Houston, 5 p.m. AP photo San Francisco 49ers safety Donte Whitner pulls a bag as he exits a locker room at an NFL training facility in Santa Clara on Monday. The 49ers lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. 49ers move on after falling short SANTA CLARA (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers took months last year to get over the sting of a three-point Super Bowl loss to Baltimore. It won't be much different as they head into the offseason now, again left to ponder how close they were to competing for another championship. Except this time, they have the added frustration of being forced to watch the rival Seattle Seahawks head to the Super Bowl next week instead. Three years under coach Jim Harbaugh, three near misses. Yet this is exactly where the franchise wants to be: in the mix for a Super Bowl each year. ''I don't think this is heartbreaking,'' safety Donte Whitner said. ''I played in Buffalo, N.Y., for five years. We're playing in the cold, and we're playing for nothing at the end of the year. Here we're playing for championships, each and every year. We're playing a lot of big games, lot of nationally televised games that we win.'' What hurt perhaps more than packing up two weeks prematurely was seeing All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman go down with a serious knee injury during Sunday's 23-17 NFC championship loss at Seattle. Everybody is hopeful of Bowman returning for the 2014 season. ''I absolutely believe he can. I really do,'' Harbaugh said Tuesday. ''He's got healing ahead, he's got grueling rehab ahead. That is not the way that you would've foreseen his offseason to be after coming off what many have talked about, and deservedly so, a Defensive Player of the Year-type of performance. Great ningham. That means general manager Trent Baalke and Harbaugh have lots to ponder in the next two months ahead of the NFL's March free agency period. ''Today, it's Tuesday, you're back to work, you find other ways to compete,'' Harbaugh said. ''It's not as enjoyable as it was a week ago. You're not still playing, you're not still competing on the field and getting ready for practice today and tomorrow. You can find other ways to compete. That's definitely one of the ways, fight to keep our players, fight for our players not to be taken away from us. It will be a competitive fight.'' CEO Jed York recently expressed he is eager to sit down with Harbaugh to discuss the future. The coach, the first in modern NFL history to lead his team to the NFC championship in each of his first three seasons, has two years remaining on a $25 million, five-year contract signed when he joined the franchise in January 2011. Whether he expects to meet with York about a new deal, Harbaugh wouldn't say. ''I don't ever talk about contracts in public,'' he said. ''If that principle changes, I'll let you know.'' In addition to Bowman's injury and a broken left ankle suffered by left guard Mike Iupati, running back Frank Gore broke his right ring finger Sunday and left tackle Joe Staley played with a dislocated thumb. ''The game itself was one of the best games I've ever witnessed as a coach or a player because the players played their (tails) off,'' Harbaugh said. ''It was a great year of football with a capital 'G.''' Rice picks Brees, Quinn to Pro Bowl team HONOLULU (AP) — NFL great Jerry Rice is already bucking conventional fantasy football wisdom in a new Pro Bowl format inspired by the popular hobby. Rice picked New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and St. Louis defensive end Robert Quinn as the anchors of his Pro Bowl team on Tuesday, opting for a passer over a runner. Rice made the selections in Hawaii after winning a coin toss against Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders. Rice called tails. The decision left Sanders with Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles and Houston defensive end J.J. Watt for Sunday's game. ''Don't think we forget Jerry picked them first,'' Watt said when asked whether the new schoolyard-style format would leave players with bruised egos. The toss and selections start a new process for the NFL in selecting this year's Pro Bowl teams. Rice and Sanders are serving as captains and general managers in charge of divvying up the NFL stars. ''I'm so pumped — I'm ready to run some routes,'' Rice said at a news conference after winning the toss, picking his players and embracing them as active player captains. ''That's exactly how I thought it was going to go,'' Sanders said. The toss gave Sanders and Rice another chance for good-natured trash talk in a game that's become as much about showcasing their personalities as celebrating the accomplishments of the NFL's best. NFL officials are hoping the new format is a recipe for a more competitive game on the field and higher ratings as the bulk of league fans look toward the Super Bowl on Feb. 2. Brees said players know how to balance the demands of playing hard and avoiding injury. ''What it comes down to is just pride — pride in your effort and your performance,'' Brees said. Rice and Sanders planned to select 11 players each on Tuesday among offensive and defensive linemen, punters, fullbacks and special teamers. The rest of the players will be picked Wednesday during a draft aired live on the NFL Network. PREP ROUNDUP Sports on TV MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 4 p.m. ESPNU — Louisville at USF 4:30 p.m. ESPN2 — Duke at Miami 6 p.m. ESPNU — TCU at Oklahoma 8 p.m. ESPNU — California at Southern Cal NBA BASKETBALL 5 p.m. ESPN — Oklahoma City at San Antonio 7:30 p.m. ESPN — Indiana at Phoenix NHL HOCKEY 5 p.m. NBCSN — Chicago at Detroit TENNIS 6:30 p.m. ESPN2 — Australian Open, women's semifinals, at Melbourne, Australia 12:30 a.m. ESPN — Australian Open, men's semifinal, at Melbourne, Australia year by NaVorro. But facts are stubborn things. That's what lies ahead of him.'' And, regardless of what changes take place with the roster, Harbaugh was ready to get back to work building for another playoff run a year from now. Getting back to the NFL's big stage this year seemed like a daunting task when the season began without top 2012 wide receiver Michael Crabtree and again once star pass rusher Aldon Smith checked into rehab for substance abuse in September and missed five weeks. At 14-5, the 49ers had their twoyear reign as division champions end but still overachieved in the minds of many critics who figured a tougher schedule — not to mention challenge as a Super Bowl team — would be too much for this group. Now, many of the Niners are curious what the team might look like come minicamps and other offseason activities — and how the roster will shape up as the team moves into the new $1.2 billion Levi's Stadium next season hoping to regain control in the NFC West in what should be another year of great matchups with Seattle. ''It's tough to keep teams together. You have windows of opportunities with certain players, so hopefully there are ways to work around that and keep guys here, but until we hear anything, you really don't know,'' said center Jonathan Goodwin, who will ponder retirement. Wideout Anquan Boldin, Whitner and place kicker Phil Dawson are unrestricted free agents, along with Goodwin, cornerback Eric Wright and receiver Mario Man- GIRLS BASKETBALL Courtesy photo by Larry Long Payten McKerras The Red Bluff Lady Spartans (14-4, 1-0 Sac River League) defeated Las Plumas (11-6), 5342 on the road Monday. Red Bluff's Payten McKerras recorded her first career triple-double in the win, finishing with 24 points, 14 rebounds and 13 blocks. McKerras, a sophomore, is averaging about 12.4 points per and has been on a hot streak lately. She is averaging 17.6 points in her last five games. Chelsey Bushnell tal- lied 10 points and four steals, Abby Brown had seven points, and Emily Gallagher notched six points. Allison Winning added six points and six assists on the night. The Spartans host West Valley (10-7) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.