NEW YORK, N.Y. - former U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones has been appointed to hear Ray Rices appeal of the indefinite suspension handed down by the NFL.Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the appointment Thursday after consulting with DeMaurice Smith, the players union executive director.Rice was suspended indefinitely Sept. 8 for violating the NFLs personal conduct policy after a video of Rice hitting his then-fiancee in an elevator was released publicly. Goodell originally had suspended Rice for two games.Jones served in the Southern District of New York from 1996-2013. She also has been an attorney in the Department of Justice and currently is a partner in the law firm of Zuckerman Spaeder.We are grateful to Judge Jones for taking on this role, Goodell said in a release. She will have our full co-operation as she hears and decides this appeal.A month after Rice was initially suspended for two games, Goodell admitted he didnt get it right and announced tougher penalties for future domestic violence incidents. First-time domestic violence offenders would face a six-game suspension, and repeat offenders would be suspended indefinitely.The policy didnt apply to Rice, who had already received his penalty.But once the video became public, the Baltimore Ravens cut the star running back, and the league banned him indefinitely. The league considered the video to be new evidence, giving Goodell the authority to further suspend Rice.The union appealed Sept. 16, saying Rice should not be punished twice.The NFLPA appeal is based on supporting facts that reveal a lack of a fair and impartial process, including the role of the office of the commissioner of the NFL, the NFL Players Association said in a statement when it filed the appeal. We have asked that a neutral and jointly selected arbitrator hear this case as the commissioner and his staff will be essential witnesses in the proceeding and thus cannot serve as impartial arbitrators.Now that Jones is in place, a hearing is expected to take place shortly.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Wholesale Jerseys . Toronto hasnt led a playoff series since 2001 and has been fighting an uphill battle with the Nets from the moment Game 1 tipped off last weekend. Cheap Jerseys .H. -- Kyle MacKinnons first-period goal held up as the winner as the visiting St. http://www.cheapJerseyswholesaleauthentic.us.com/ . Abdelkader was suspended three games for a check to the head and neck area of Czech player Vladimir Sobotka in the quarterfinals. Antropov checked Swiss forward Kevin Romy to the head and neck area in the preliminary roundand was handed an automatic one-game suspension that was served during the tournament. NFL Jerseys Cheap Authentic . Desharnais scored at 1:43 of overtime to give the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Desharnais stripped the puck from defenceman Mattias Ekholm along the left boards, skated to the left faceoff dot and put a slap shot over goalie Carter Huttons left shoulder. Cheap Jerseys  Wholesale . Bach spoke at a ceremony in the athletes village to urge compliance with the "Olympic Truce," a symbolic resolution urging warring parties to cease hostilities during the games. "We remember and grieve for the innocent victims of conflict, and especially the recent victims in Volgograd," Bach said. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Jon Beason is going be back in the middle of the New York Giants defence, and he is going to have help at the linebacker spot. The Giants confirmed Friday that they re-signed Beason and later said they also signed former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain. The team did not disclose contract details, but reports said Beason got $19 million over three years. Terms of McClains deal were not immediately available. The moves shore up the linebacking position with the team having already given a tender to restricted free agent Spencer Paysinger, the weakside linebacker. The Giants also announced they re-signed fullback Henry Hynoski. Beason came to the Giants in a midseason trade with the Carolina Panthers and stabilized the defence. The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker had 98 tackles after joining the team in the sixth game of the season. New Yorks defence finished eighth in the league overall after being near the bottom. "You know how when you pick up a good book and its good because they develop a character and theres always some type of turmoil, something bad happens," Beason said. "And then the character has to come out and overcome it and then its like, Man, that was a really good read. For me, I think it just made my career story better, having to overcome some things. "You come out, you get drafted high, you start making Pro Bowls and become the highest-paid player, All-Pro and all that stuff. Thats a boring book. For me, I feel like its prepared me for whats still to come. If youre going to lead men, especially at this level, you have to be battle-tested." Undrafted after college, McLain has played in 87 regular-season games with 55 starts and in nine post-season games with three starts. In six seasons with Baltimore, McClain had 338 tackles (214 solo), 4 1/2 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries. He also had 60 special teams tackles. "Its an opportunity," McClain said. "I believe in opportunity and I believe that everything happens for a reason. Now I get a chance to re-create myself. I get a chance to re-create my own identity without being placed with any label. No disrespect to anything that Ive been through or anybody anywhere else, but when you get into this position you have to choose the best for your family, the best for your career, the best for your longevity. This was one of those circumstances for me where I could come here and create myself and compete and be the pllayer that I want to be or the player that I can be.dddddddddddd Beason was limited to five games in 2011 and 12 because of injuries and he was relegated to a backup role after three games in 2013. The Panthers were willing to take a seventh-round draft pick from the Giants for Beason, who was the 25th pick overall in the 2007 draft. "You go through some stuff, you feel like youre getting dragged through the mud and all of a sudden you just keep fighting, fighting. And then you come out clean on the other side," Beason said. "For me, a fresh start was great. But obviously I know who I am and what Ive already accomplished, so why cant I continue to do that? I feel like Im just scratching the surface." McClain is familiar with injuries. He started the first 13 games of the 2012 season before injuring his neck at Washington on Dec. 9. He was inactive the following week, sitting out for the first time in his career and snapping a streak of 77 consecutive games played. He was sidelined for the Ravens four-game post-season run in 2012, including their victory in Super Bowl XLVII, because he was on injured reserve with a spinal cord contusion. "I missed that, so I really dont have a ring," he said. "I feel I have a chance to win one with his organization. Winning is everything. If youre in this game, you should only be playing to win and to compete. Without that, what are we left with? A bunch of numbers on the board? It really doesnt mean anything. I play this game to win, I play this game for respect and this organization does that at the highest level. Im happy to be a part of it." McClain missed the start of last season recovering from his injury. He started all 10 games in which he played and had 50 tackles (27 solo) and a forced fumble. Hynoski, who suffered a knee injury in an off-season team activity in May, missed most of last season after a shoulder injury in third regular-season game. "Im finally 100 per cent healthy now," Hynoski said. "Im ready to go. Im just extremely anxious to get back on the field. It was a humbling year." Hynoski will have to compete with John Conner for the fullback job. Conner started seven of the 13 games. "This is where I was comfortable, and luckily everything worked out," said Hynoski, who made the Giants as a free agent in 2011. "The Giants had a mutual feeling, the same feeling I had about them. They wanted me back, I wanted to be back here and Im glad it worked out." cheap nfl Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys cheap nfl Jerseys wholesale Jerseys ' ' '