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MINNEAPOLIS -- A $4 billion lawsuit from the players union accusing NFL team owners of setting a secret salary cap in 2010 was kept alive by a federal appeals court Friday as the sniping between the two sides persists long after the end of the lockout. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis partially reversed a federal judges order that had rejected the unions collusion claim, sending the case back to U.S. District Judge David Doty for further proceedings. The three-judge appeals court panel that heard oral arguments in January disagreed with Doty on one of the unions two arguments for pursuing damages despite the 2011 collective bargaining agreement that was supposed to relinquish the unions right to sue for alleged breaches of the old CBA. The NFL called the appeals court decision "entirely procedural in nature" and said its "far from validating" the claims of the NFL Players Association. "The Court specifically highlighted the heavy burden that the NFLPA faces in establishing this claim, and we remain highly confident that the claim will be dismissed yet again," the NFL said in a written statement. The league, however, could be forced to make public otherwise-confidential financial and strategic information in court, which the union has pushed for all along. "We are pleased that the Eighth Circuit ruled that players have the opportunity to proceed with their claims," the NFLPA said. "Through discovery and a hearing, we can understand how collusion took place. We have notified the NFL of its obligations to preserve all relevant documents and communications." The collusion claim seeking at least $4 billion in relief for the players was originally filed in May 2012, less than a year after the new CBA was implemented following a five-month lockout. The final year of the prior CBA was supposed to be "uncapped," but the union cited public references by New York Giants owner John Mara and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as evidence that a salary cap existed and claimed a loss of $1 billion in cumulative compensation. Dallas and Washington were penalized for overloading contracts in that 2010 season despite league warnings, and the NFL in 2012 penalized them by taking away $10 million in cap space from the Cowboys and $36 million from the Redskins. Dotys oversight of the 1993 Reggie White class-action settlement was marked by mostly player-friendly rulings. The league lost enough key decisions under his jurisdiction that it twice tried to have him removed from his role as the sports legal referee, alleging impartiality. But in December 2012 he handed the union a rare defeat, pointing to the new CBA language that dismissed all prior claims and prevented the players from reopening the White settlement that served as the backbone for the old CBA to sue. The NFLPA appealed soon after. The 8th Circuit panel -- chief judge William Riley and circuit judges Roger Wollman and Bobby Shepherd -- has traditionally tilted pro-business, but this was a win for labour. The appeals court sided with Doty in ruling the alleged collusion did not invalidate the 2011 dismissal of claims because the settlement has been treated more like a contract than a true class action. However, the appeals judges disagreed with Doty on this: Under a federal rule authorizing relief in exceptional cases where the party being sued disingenuously reached the settlement, the union should be allowed to argue the merit of its lawsuit despite the 2011 dismissal. "The Association bears a heavy burden in attempting to convince the district court that the dismissal was fraudulently procured," the judges wrote. "We hold only that the Association should be given the opportunity to meet this burden." Alessandro Guarnone Jersey . He just didnt expect them to be this good. Darrun Hilliard scored 19 points to lead No. 6 Villanova to a dominating 77-59 victory over Georgetown on Saturday, preserving the Wildcats hopes of a No. Alessandro Plizzari Jersey .35 million. The right-hander had agreed last February to a deal that pays him $3.775 million this year and allows him to earn an additional $225,000 in bonuses based on games finished. http://www.authenticshopacmilan.com/c-48...-fc-jersey.aspx. Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Wild team that has a nice mix of proven veterans along with young, inexpensive talent on the rise. When the Wild signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, making a big splash in the summer of 2012, it set the franchise on a path to being more competitive, but a big reason that they have been so competitive is the contributions of young players who still have more to give. Mario Pasalic Jersey .That is precisely what they got Sunday.The Ravens trailed at halftime and never built a comfortable lead against lowly Jacksonville, yet did just enough to squeeze out a 20-12 win to stay in the thick of the AFC playoff race. Nikola Kalinic Jersey . Golden States second straight road win wasnt painless. David Lee scored a season-high 29 points -- 13 in the fourth quarter -- and Nate Robinson added 17 points, leading the Warriors to a 105-95 win Tuesday night over the road-worn Cleveland Cavaliers.ARLINGTON, Texas - Josh Reddick drove in three runs, Scott Kazmir won for the first time in seven starts and the Oakland Athletics moved oh so close to finally clinching their third consecutive playoff berth.After snapping a three-game skid with a 6-2 victory Friday night at Texas, the As needed only one more win a€” or a loss by the Seattle Mariners a€” to clinch an American League wild card. Kansas City clinched earlier in the evening.When the As finished their game, they gathered in the visitors clubhouse to watch Seattle play at home against the AL West champion Los Angeles Angels. But Seattle won 4-3, pushing Oakland to its 161st of 162 games still without a spot in the playoffs.Were just going to go out there and play these last couple of games and hopefully make it in there, Kazmir said.Reddick led off the fourth with his 12th homer, and an inning later added a two-run single to make it 6-1.Adam Dunn, the big designated hitter batting in the No. 2 spot for the first time since June 2008, had a two-run double in the third for Oakland (87-73). Dunn, in his 14th major league season, was acquired by the As on Aug. 31 and is looking to get to the playoffs for the first time.The As were a season-best 28 games over .500 and had a four-game lead in the AL West on Aug. 10. But they lost 29 of their next 43 games before Friday night.Weve been saying all weve got to do is get in and these last two months weve forgotten, Reddick said. Thats all we got to worry about now.Texas had its five-game winning streak snapped. Only their second loss in 14 games assured the Rangers (66-94) will finish fifth in the AL West after Houston (70-90) won at the New York Mets on Friday night.Nick Tepesch (5-11) allowed six runs and six hits, with four walks, in 4 1-3 innings.Kazmir (15-9) struck out five without a walk while limiting the Rangers to two runs (one earned) and four hits over seven innings.Its been a long time coming it feels like, Kazmir said. Just feels good.The lefty was 0-4 with an 8.58 ERA his previous six starts since his last win Aug. 19. The 15 wins are a career high, but only four of those have comee since the All-Star break.ddddddddddddTexas led 1-0 right away, when Leonys Martin had a leadoff single, stole second and scored on Ryan Ruas double. But Kazmir then retired 10 in a row, and the Rangers didnt score again until an unearned run in the fifth.Martins RBI grounder drove in Rougned Odour, who reached after first baseman Brandon Moss error when he threw behind Kazmir, who was going to cover first baseJOLTED JOSHAs 3B Josh Donaldson landed hard on his left knee trying to make a backhanded stab of a grounder by Elvis Andrus that went foul in the third inning. After falling on his stomach and rolling over, Donaldson grabbed the back of his knee and hopped around momentarily when getting to his feet.I didnt hear anything pop, which is good, he said. I tried to get back up and walk everything off, but it was just kind of, at the time, just pain.Donaldson sat back on the ground while being tended to by a trainer, and eventually got up and played the rest of the game. He was clearly not running full speed when he singled and eventually scored in the fifth inning.With the hamstring thing Ive been having too, the toughest part about running is just trying to push off that leg. So with the knee on top of that, the left leg just wasnt really working, he said. If I can move, Im going to try to be out there.UP NEXTAthletics: RHP Jeff Samardzija, another midseason addition, is set to start the potential playoff-clinching game. He is 2-2 in his past six starts despite a 1.40 ERA.Rangers: LHP Derek Holland (2-0) makes his sixth and final start after missing the first five months of the season rehabbing from microfracture surgery on his left knee.TRAINERS ROOMAthletics: OF Craig Gentry, who hasnt played since sustaining a concussion in a game Sept. 9, felt good a day after watching some pitches in the bullpen and getting on the field.Rangers: Interim manager Tim Bogar would like to get OF Jim Adduci in a game this weekend. Just make sure that hes mentally OK with everything before he leaves here, Bogar said. Adduci sustained a concussion Aug. 28 and is still dealing with a pinkie issue. ' ' '