NEW YORK -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell appointed predecessor Paul Tagliabue to hear the appeals of four players suspended in the Saints bounty scandal. Goodell said Friday he notified Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Scott Fujita and Anthony Hargrove, as well as the players union, that Tagliabue would be the hearing officer to "decide the appeals and bring the matter to a prompt and fair conclusion." The union and the four players had asked Goodell to recuse himself, contending he could not fairly rule. Their second set of appeals will be heard Oct. 30. "Any time we move towards a fair evaluation of the evidence it is a positive development," said Peter Ginsberg, Vilmas attorney. "Commissioner Goodells belated recognition that he cannot possibly serve as an impartial and unbiased arbitrator is certainly a positive development. And we have enormous respect for Paul Tagliabue. "Having said that, we now need to learn whether Commissioner Tagliabue plans to provide to us the fundamental rights that Commissioner Goodell ignored, including the right to examine the accusers and to see the evidence, and also we need to consider that Commissioner Tagliabue is counsel to the law firm representing Commissioner Goodell in Jonathans defamation lawsuit, as well as representing the NFL in Jonathans challenge to the entire process in this matter." Vilma was suspended for the 2012 season and Smith was banned four games for his role in the bounties program. Fujita, now with the Browns, was barred three games, since reduced to one. Hargrove is a free agent whose suspension was reduced from eight games to seven. "I have held two hearings to date and have modified the discipline in several respects based on my recent meetings with the players," Goodell said. "I will have no role in the upcoming hearings or in Mr. Tagliabues decisions." "Paul Tagliabue is a genuine football authority whose tenure as commissioner was marked by his thorough and judicious approach to all matters," he added. "He has many years of experience in NFL collective bargaining matters and an impeccable reputation for integrity." Tagliabue was NFL commissioner from 1989-2006 and is a lawyer. For part of that time, Goodell was the leagues general counsel. Goodell said he consulted with NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith before asking Tagliabue to hear these appeals. The collective bargaining agreement with the union that was reached to end the lockout in August 2011 gave Goodell exclusive authority to hear appeals of discipline for conduct detrimental or to appoint someone to hear and decide an appeal. Goodell periodically has appointed others to hear appeals for club fines, personal conduct suspensions and for matters concerning drug and steroid policy. "To be clear, I have not consulted with Paul Tagliabue at any point about the Saints matter, nor has he been any part of the process," Goodell said. "Furthermore, under our process the hearing officer has full authority and complete independence to decide the appeal and determine any procedural issues regarding the hearings." Goodell handed down the suspension in May and they took effect in July after initial appeals were rejected by Goodell. Those suspensions lasted through training camp before being vacated by a three-member appeals panel that instructed Goodell to start the disciplinary process again and clarify his reasons for suspending the players. The suspensions were reissued by the NFL last week and promptly appealed by all four players. None of the suspensions is currently in effect because they were appealed within the framework of the NFLs labour agreement. But all four players have asked U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan to throw out Goodells disciplinary rulings on the grounds he has demonstrated bias against the players in his handling the bounty investigation. The players say Goodell violated due process rights. In a recent court filing, the union said: "It is only a neutral (arbitrator) of unquestioned integrity who can restore public confidence in this process and mitigate the damage which the NFLs handling of bounty-gate has inflicted upon the game." Cheap Jerseys NFL . The world No. 1 Djokovic recovered from his five-set marathon in the fourth round and claimed a 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over former Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych after the fourth-seeded Ferrer had rallied from a two-set and a break deficit to stave off fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 for his 500th career match win. Jerseys From China . It sure took a while. Cook went six innings for his first victory of the season, and Dexter Fowler and Mark Ellis each had three hits and drove in a run as the Colorado Rockies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-4 on Friday night. http://www.bizcheapjerseys.com/ . -- Christian Watford had only come off the bench once in his Indiana career. cheap nfl jerseys china . TSNs coverage of Euro 2012 is underway NOW with both games kicking off at the same time. Czech Republic vs. Wholesale Jerseys from china . -- Kendrys Morales has started 63 games for the Los Angeles Angels as their designated hitter and another six at first base.VANCOUVER - Travis Lulay turned the low point of his season into the first stepping stone in his climb towards becoming the CFLs most outstanding player. Lulay was benched in a 30-17 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Aug. 13. He was yanked late in the third quarter after completing just 12 of 23 passes for 103 yards, then watched from the sidelines as the Lions dropped to 1-6. For a young quarterback in his first season as a starter, being pulled could have resulted in Lulays confidence deflating like a punctured balloon. Wide receiver Akeem Foster remembers Lulay at practice the next day. "Travis didnt blink an eye," Foster said Friday after the Lions practised for Sundays Grey Cup game against the Bombers at BC Place Stadium. "He didnt pout. He watched the film and moved on." Slotback Geroy Simon said the loss "was rock bottom for everybody." "We decided as a team the losing stops." The Lions pounded the Edmonton Eskimos 36-1 in their next game. Lulay threw for 343 yards and four touchdowns. B.C. won 10 of its next 11 games to finish first in the West with a 11-7 record. During that stretch Lulay threw 25 touchdowns passes and only five interceptions. Lulay finished the year completing 342 of 583 passes for 4,815 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His ability to make the big play and show a veterans poise in only his third season in the CFL resulted in him being named the leagues most valuable player at an awards banquet Thursday night. Resilience and determination, combined with athleticism and a desire to learn, have always been Lulays strongest traits. Wally Buono, the Lions coach and general manager, said he spoke with the 28-year-old from Salem, Ore., after the Aug. 13 game. "I said to him . . . pulling him wasnt a reflection on what we thought about him," Buono said. "It was a reflection of what was going on around him. "At times you pull the quarterback to take the pressure off him and make everybody else around him realize the quarterback is affected by the play of the players around him." For Lulay it was another learning experience. "It didnt change his demeanour," said Buono. "It didnt change his focus. "He wasnt angry about anything. He didnt have a chip on his shoulder. He understood it. He went out and worked hard. From there it was easy to start the process of climbing the mountain." Instead of a blow to his ego, Lulay took being benched as a kick in the pants. "Any time something like that happens . . . you want to bounce back," he said. "It makes you hungry to get back on the field and have another opportunity to prove yourself better than the last game. "I knew at that point I hadnt been making as many plays with my feet ass I had in the past.dddddddddddd There were probably three or four plays in the Edmonton game when I escaped the pocket and made a play with my feet. It kept going from there." B.C.s bad start was a true team effort. The defence gave up big plays. Lulay was guilty of missing open receivers, but he also saw some very good throws dropped. If he was frustrated, Lulay hid it well. There was no finger pointing, just extra time spent working with his receivers. "Since I have been here Travis has been the same," said Foster, a native of Ajax, Ont., in his second full year with the Lions. "Hes a student of the game. Hes a class act on and off the field. At the beginning of the year we werent playing the same. We werent doing the things we should be doing to be successful." Lulay has learned to be patient. He will pick defences apart with short passes, then heave a long ball down the field. At six-foot-two and 216 pounds he has the size and speed to take off and run. Lulay scored on a 61-yard run against Edmonton in the West Final. Winnipeg coach Paul LaPolice said Lulays game has improved with experience. "The biggest thing is he hadnt seen a lot of football games," said LaPolice. "He hadnt seen everything yet. "I think the game has probably slowed down for him a little bit." Bomber quarterback Buck Pierce and Lulay spent the 2009 season together on the Lions roster. Pierce said facing adversity has made Lulay stronger mentally and physically. "It hasnt been easy for Travis this year," said Pierce. "Hes had to fight through things. "Thats what makes him the player he is. People look up to him." Simon is impressed by how Lulay has remained grounded while elevating his status as one of the leagues best quarterbacks. "Through all of his success hes stayed the same person," said Simon. "He still works as hard as anybody I have seen at the quarterback position. "He is very humble. He is willing to put in the work to be a great player. Even though he has had success he is willing to put in that work to be a great player." The Lions team that Winnipeg will face in the 99th Grey Cup is a more confident, proficient group than the club that lost twice to the Bombers early in the season. "There might be thoughts in the other locker-room . . . this is the same team," said Simon. "We are a totally different team. "We have totally different weapons and a totally different mind set." Foster said one of the biggest differences is the respect Lulay now commands. "This team is only going to go as far as Travis Lulay carries us," said Foster. "Its a pleasure having him as my quarterback. I will run through a wall for that guy." ' ' '