Off the wire

LITTLE ROCK — FOOTBALL

Sides agree to mediation

Two weeks before a potential lockout, the NFL and its players’ union are asking for help in their stalled negotiations. Both sides agreed Thursday to mediation as they discuss a new collective bargaining agreement. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, an independent U.S. government agency, will oversee talks in Washington beginning today. After holding separate discussions with representatives from the league and the union, FMCS Director George H. Cohen said both sides agreed to have the agency mediate. Mediation is not binding. Negotiations broke down last week, leading to the cancellation of one planned session. The players are expecting the owners to lock them out if the CBA expires March 3 without a new agreement. The league also switched an owners meeting from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on March 3, to Chantilly, Va., on March 2-3. Cohen said in a statement that the negotiations will be conducted “under my auspices.” He is no stranger to sports mediation. He was involved in Major League Soccer talks with its players’ union and a work stoppage was avoided last year. Cohen also has worked with the players’ associations for Major League Baseball, helping end the 1994-95 strike as a consulting attorney, and the NBA, and was an advisor to the NHL players’ union before joining the FMCS. News of mediation could be a positive sign after several months of infrequent negotiations. It also comes only days after the NFL filed an unfair labor practice charge against the NFLPA with the National Labor Relations Board. Monday’s filing said the union “consistently has failed to confer in good faith” during negotiations for a new contract and the union’s “conduct amounts to surface bargaining and an anticipatory refusal to bargain.” The biggest issue separating the sides is how to divide about $9 billion in annual revenues. Among the other significant points in negotiations: the owners’ push to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18 while reducing the preseason by two games; a rookie wage scale, and benefits for retired players.

Special teams coordinator Joe Robinson has resigned from the LSU coaching staff to pursue an opportunity at another school. Coach Les Miles confirmed the resignation Thursday and wished Robinson success in his future endeavors. He did not provide any details. Robinson, who also helped with the defensive line, just completed his third season with the Tigers.

The Tennessee Titans have hired former Houston Texans defensive coordinator Frank Bush as their new linebackers coach, with Dave McGinnis moving from that job to a new spot as senior assistant coach. The Titans announced the moves Thursday. Bush spent the past four seasons with Houston, the past two as the defensive coordinator.

The NCAA has reversed its ruling that North Carolina’s Devon Ramsay is permanently ineligible and has cleared the fullback to return next season. In a release, the school said Thursday night that the NCAA has determined Ramsay committed no violation of NCAA rules. Former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Robert Orr had been advising the Ramsay family and says the focus of the case was revisions made by a tutor to a short paper Ramsay had written more than two years ago. Ramsay played the first four games before he was held out by the school while the NCAA looked into agent-related benefits and possible academic misconduct in the football program.

GOLF

Six players share lead

Australian Robert Allenby, a playoff winner at the Northern Trust Open 10 years ago, opened with a bogey-free round of 4-under-par 67 under mild sunshine in Los Angeles to share the lead with five other players among the early starters. He was part of a strong Australian influence atop the leaderboard, with John Senden and Aaron Baddeley also at 67. They were joined by Martin Laird, Spencer Levin and PGA Tour rookie Ben Martin. Stuart Appleby was in the lead until a double bogey at the turn, while Geoff Ogilvy was at 69. Bryce Molder (Conway) opened with a 72 while defending champion Steve Stricker shot a 73.

South Korea’s In-Kyung Kim tied a course record with a 9-underpar 63 to take the lead after the first round of the season-opening LPGA Thailand in Pattaya, Thailand. Kim, ranked No. 7, started with a birdie and went on to pick up nine more. She matched the course record set by 2007 winner Suzann Pettersen of Norway, Stacy Prammanasudh (Conway) in 2008 and defending champion Ai Miyazato of Japan in 2010. Top-ranked Yani Tseng and Juli Inkster each shot 66 and were three shots behind Kim. Also near the top was Catriona Matthew (67) and Pettersen (68), followed by Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie and Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks), who all had 69s.

Robert-Jan Derksen shot a 6-under-par 66 to take the lead in the suspended first round of the PGA European Avantha Masters in New Delhi. The 37-year-old Dutchman leads Julio Zapata and Mark Foster by one stroke. None of the 66 players who teed off in the afternoon finished his round because of darkness at theDLF Golf and Country Club. Fog had delayed the start of morning play.

HOCKEY

Coach remains hospitalized

Chicago Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville remained hospitalized Thursday because of gastrointestinal bleeding that was brought on by a small ulcer. Team physician Dr. Michael Terry said Quenneville is expected to make a full recovery and be released in the next few days. The doctor said aspirin caused the problem. Assistant coach Mike Haviland said Quenneville “was in really good spirits” when they spoke after Wednesday’s 3-1 victory over Minnesota.

TENNIS

Wozniacki beats Morita

Caroline Wozniacki moved within one victory of regaining the No. 1 ranking after beating Japan’s Ayumi Morita 6-1, 6-0 Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Wozniacki, who lost the top spot to Kim Clijsters on Monday, was never seriously challenged by the 57th-ranked Japanesequalifier. She now must beat Shahar Peer of Israel to return to No. 1. In earlier matches, U.S. Open finalist Vera Zvonareva and French Open champion Francesca Schiavone were both eliminated in the third round. Alisa Kleybanova beat Russian teammate Zvonareva 6-3, 6-2, while Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Schiavone 1-6, 6-0, 7-5.

Top-seed Andy Roddick and defending champion Sam Querrey advanced Thursday to the quarterfinals at the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis with straight-set victories. Roddick, a twotime Memphis champion, defeated Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic, 6-1, 7-6(8) and Querrey won 6-3, 7-6(3) over Brian Dabul to reach the quarterfinals for the fourth time in five Memphis appearances.