The decision vacates a December ruling by arbitrator Harold Henderson.

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A judge paved the way for Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson's reinstatement on Thursday by ruling in favor of the National Football League Players Association's lawsuit against the NFL.

Peterson was suspended in November for his involvement in a child abuse case. Peterson appealed NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell's decision but a month later arbitrator Harold Henderson upheld the league's suspension. The NFLPA argued Henderson was biased in favor of the NFL because he is a longtime league executive.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge David Doty ruled that Henderson "simply disregarded the law of the shop and in doing so failed to meet his duty under the [collective bargaining agreement]." The decision vacates Henderson's December ruling.

It's not clear what will happen next for the star running back. The case will go back to the arbitrator "for further proceedings consistent with the rules of he collective bargaining agreement," according to ESPN.

"This is a victory for the rule of law, due process and fairness," NFLPA's Executive Director Demaurice Smith said in a statement. "Our collective bargaining agreement has rules for implementation of the personal conduct policy and when those rules are violated, our union always stands up to protect our players' rights. This is yet another example why neutral arbitration is good for our players, good for the owners and good for our game."

In his investigation, Henderson concluded the NFL's new policy on domestic violence personal conduct was basically the same as the old, therefore upholding Peterson's suspension handed down by Goodell in November.

Judge Doty disagreed, writing, "Henderson's conclusion that the New Policy is consistent with the previous Policy is contradicted by the Commissioner's own statements in which he acknowledged that the New Policy included "changes" to the Policy."

This is the second time the NFLPA successfully overturned an NFL suspension claiming the league's commissioner, Roger Goodell, acted outside his authority. In November, a judge overruled Ray Rice's indefinite suspension, claiming Goodell punished Rice twice for the same crime.

It is unclear if Peterson will return to the Vikings. In recent interviews he expressed reluctance to return to Minnesota. According to ESPN, Peterson will earn a base salary of $12.75 million and count $15.4 million against the salary cap in 2015. He has said that he doesn't think he should have to take a pay cut.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport said the NFL will review the judge's decision.

Read the full ruling:

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Travis Kvapil’s car was stolen outside his hotel Friday morning, the day before the race. Police estimate the total value of the stolen items is between $350,000–400,000.

Kvapil and his Team Xtreme Racing were scheduled to compete in the Sprint Cup Series this Saturday in Atlanta, and had until 5:45 p.m. on Friday to register the vehicle. Team Xtreme owner, John Cohen, told USA Today Sports that they hope to enter the Sprint Cup next week.

The Nascar team was staying at the Drury Inn in Morrow, and the trailer was in the parking lot.

Oglesby said the stolen truck connected to the trailer was a black Ford truck with New Jersey license plates.

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Shots, fired.

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The Daily Show host has finally confronted the WWE superstar on WWE Raw.

And it didn't take long for Stewart to make fun of Rollins.

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Which didn't go down too well.

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Luckily Randy Orton came out to calm the two down.

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He was seeking over $3.5 million.

Ray Rice received a $1.588 million settlement for his wrongful termination grievance against the Baltimore Ravens, the Baltimore Sun reported.

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Rice was looking to receive $3.529 million, the amount he would have made had he played the 14 games after his original two-game suspension. The grievance was settled in January.

He was reinstated to the NFL in November after a judge ruled he had been punished twice by the league. He is now an available free agent, and told the Baltimore Sun he "really want[s] to get back out there for [his] pride and to be able to leave the game with dignity."

During the Ravens' State of the Franchise press conference last week, team executives said there were no hard feelings left with Rice, but that they recognize they must be careful to avoid bringing in players with known histories of domestic violence.

Jordyn Leopold’s letter never reached the team, but her wish still came true.

Before the deal was made, Leopold's 11-year-old daughter, Jordyn, wrote a letter to the coaches of the Wild because she wanted them to help him come home.

Leopold played college hockey at the University of Minnesota, and his wife and four children still live there.

The Star via Leopold Family / Via thestar.com

"It has been since November and we can not take it anymore," she wrote.

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said that the letter was not the reason he traded Leopold, as the deal was already done when he saw it. However, he said the team knew Leopold was looking to be closer to home.

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The 16-time world champion talked to BuzzFeed via phone about NXT, the state of women’s wrestling, and Roman Reigns.

So, this is "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair:

While there are many great names in the world of professional wrestling, few hold the legendary status of Ric Flair. With a successful wrestling career that has lasted more than 40 years, Flair has wrestled all over the world and in almost every major wrestling company in the United States including World Championship Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and WWE. He's a 16-time world champion and a WWE Hall of Famer. This man is, without question, a wrestling legend.

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On Tuesday, Flair talked to BuzzFeed over the phone and gave his thoughts on what's happening in the world of WWE.

Flair speaks at the Delta Passport to Madison Square Garden event in New York City, on behalf of WWE to commemorate the entertainment landmark.

Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images

He believes that Roman Reigns is "most definitely" the right guy to headline WrestleMania:

"I think he's awesome. He's a very classy kid, a great athlete, great amateur background; he played [football] for Georgia Tech, I mean, give me a break. He's a great kid. He comes from a great [wrestling] family … I couldn't be prouder to know somebody [like him]. I think he's going to be a great asset to the WWE for a long time."

Facebook: karanveer.bhora.58

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The Delaware Department of Justice said there was not enough evidence for charges.

NASCAR driver Kurt Busch will not face criminal charges for his alleged assault of his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll, the Delaware Attorney General's office announced.

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It is more likely than not that on Sept. 26, 2014, (Busch) committed an act of abuse against (Driscoll) by manually strangling (Driscoll) with his left hand on her throat while placing his right hand against her chin and face, causing her head to forcefully strike the interior wall of (Busch's) motor home, thereby recklessly causing physical injury to (Driscoll).

After a thorough consideration of all of the available information about the case, it is determined that the admissible evidence and available witnesses would likely be insufficient to meet the burden of establishing beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Busch committed a crime during the September 26th incident," the statement said.

Likelihood of meeting that high burden of proof is the standard for prosecutors in bringing a case. For this reason, the Department of Justice will not pursue criminal charges in this case.

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The NCAA imposed a handful of sanctions – including 108 vacated basketball wins – against Syracuse’s athletic program following a multi-year investigation that found people completing players coursework for players and an “unwritten rules” policy on banned substances.

Syracuse University has been hit with a number of major sanctions to its athletic program after an NCAA investigation found that the university did not "control and monitor its athletics programs."

Coach Jim Boeheim, who was suspended for nine games.

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*Between 2005 and 2007, an academic tutor reported to the university that three football players had completed internship obligations, but the NCAA says the tutor "had limited knowledge of activities completed."

*In 2012, a basketball receptionist "completed coursework" for a player who had been deemed academically ineligible. When evidence of this incident became known to Syracuse's Director of Basketball Activities, whose primary role was in overseeing the academic lives of players, he failed to report the incident and allowed the receptionist to continue working with student on the coursework.

*The same basketball receptionist was found to have extensively worked with another university tutor to assist players with their coursework. However, "the school determined academic misconduct did not occur, the panel noted revising or writing academic coursework for students was not a part of, or the intent of, the student-athlete support services provided by the school and exceeded the type of support generally available through the program."

*Syracuse reportedly followed an "unwritten rules" policy on banned substances, and failed to make players sit out basketball activities after testing positive for banned substances.

A school booster paid five student-athletes – three football, two basketball – $8,000 in exchange for working at the local YMCA. The NCAA is very clear that students can't be compensated for being an athlete. The violation occurred when "the staff members did not report the payments to the school as outside income or supplemental pay, as NCAA rules require."

According to the NCAA report, "Students and staff committed violations freely or did not know that their conduct violated NCAA rules."

Men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim has also been suspended for nine conference games.

They will also "vacate all wins in which ineligible men's basketball students played in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2010-11 and 2011-12 and ineligible football students played in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07." The full report does not specify the number of wins, but Syracuse said it is about 108.

In addition to vacated wins, the school will be fined $500 for each game in which an "ineligible student" was found to have participated. Again, the report does not specify the number of games or total amount.

The school will lose three athletic scholarships per year for the next four seasons.

A one-year ban from 2014-15 post-season competition for men's basketball;
A voluntary, two-year term of probation for the Department of Athletics;

Elimination of one scholarship for men's basketball for the 2015-2016 season;

Elimination of a men's basketball off-campus recruiter for six months during 2015-2016;

Vacation of 24 men's basketball wins (15 in 2004-05 and 9 in 2011-12); and
Vacation of 11 football wins: (6 in 2004-05; 1 in 2005-06; 4 in 2006-07).

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Despite getting a $2 million signing bonus with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Daniel Norris is one of Major League Baseball's top prospects. When the left-handed pitcher joined the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011, he scored a $2 million signing bonus.

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Norris spent three weeks driving from his home in Tennessee to Dunedin, Florida, for spring training.

"I think the simplicity of it all was the most appealing," he told GrindTV. "I grew up with a simple lifestyle, and I knew going into professional baseball that would be tested. In my mind there’s no need for luxury, or at least society’s sense of the word."

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Anyone who has a roommate will understand.

Late Thursday, the Raiders and Chargers released a joint statement saying they've proposed a shared stadium in Carson, California, just outside of Los Angeles.

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We are pursuing this stadium option in Carson for one straightforward reason: If we cannot find a permanent solution in our home markets, we have no alternative but to preserve other options to guarantee the future economic viability of our franchises.

Via chargers.com

The Raiders have been famously searching to get out of O.co Coliseum in Oakland, which they share with the Oakland A's. The Chargers have also been seeking a new stadium in San Diego without much luck.

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That is, if all of these deals go through. Teams have long used the prospect of a move to Los Angeles as leverage against their current host cities when seeking a new stadium.

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They’re also tweaking their newly-implemented instant replay rules.

MLB and the MLB Players Association have announced a plan to speed up the pace of games. In 2014, games averaged 3.13 hours.

Rick Scuteri / AP Photo

● Batters must keep at least one foot inside the batter's box during at-bats.

● There will be clocks installed to enforce a return to game play sooner after commercial breaks. "Immediately following the third out of each half-inning, the timer will count down from 2:25 for locally televised games and from 2:45 for nationally televised games." Pitchers will be allowed to throw warm-up pitches up until there are 30 seconds left on the clock, and batters should be in the batter's box with at least 20 second left.

Players found in violation of these rules will be subject to warnings and fines, but MLB does not intend to use added strikes & balls to the pitch count as a form of punishment.

● Managers will now remain in the dugout for replay challenges. Last season, during MLB's first season with instant replay, fans grew used to watching managers slowly pace out to the mound to discuss whether or not to challenge a call. Now, MLB says, "managers may hold play from the top step of the dugout by signaling to players and the home plate umpire that he is considering a challenge."

Other tweaks to the instant replay system are included in the MLB/MLBPA statement:

● A manager will retain his challenge after every call that is overturned. Last year, a manager retained his challenge only after the first overturned call.

● During Postseason games, regular season tiebreaker games and the All-Star Game, managers will now have two challenges per game.

These changes represent a step forward in our efforts to streamline the pace of play. The most fundamental starting point for improving the pace of the average game involves getting into and out of breaks seamlessly. In addition, the batter's box rule will help speed up a basic action of the game.

Via m.mlb.com

The Players believe that enforcing the rules that currently exist regarding between inning breaks and plate appearances is the best way to address the issue of pace of play. We're confident that today's announcements will have a positive impact on the pace of the game without jeopardizing the integrity of the competition.

Via m.mlb.com

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Ugh, love. Gross.

Just when you thought Valentine's Day was over and you didn't have to see anymore adorable public displays of affection, swimming superstar (and occasional drunk driver) Michael Phelps posted this engagement photo on Instagram.

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His bride-to-be is Nicole Johnson, who was Miss California in 2010. Here the pair can be seen celebrating their love/reminding you how single you are.

It's been a long, cold winter for you, hasn't it?

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Phelps will be back in the pool on March 6 at the end of a six-month suspension from USA Swimming over his second drunk-driving arrest, after which he went into rehab.

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Congrats to the happy couple on ~taking the plunge~.

I'll show myself out.

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The 27-year-old fullback was arrested on Thursday in Santa Clara.

Forty-Niners fullback Bruce Miller was arrested Thursday night in Santa Clara, Calif., on suspicion of domestic battery.

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Spousal battery in California is defined as a misdemeanor and punishment could include a fine or up to one year in jail.

Miller has been engaged since August 2014.

Under the NFL's recently passed personal conduct policy, the league allows a player to be suspended with pay until the conclusion of their legal proceedings. Then, the team and league are able to judge whether to (and to what extent) punish a player.

Miller has played for the team since he was drafted in 2011.

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The Patriots were one of three teams to sign a brief that calls for marriage equality.

Former New England Patriots running back and United States Senate hopeful Craig James told a radio host that the Patriots' support of same-sex marriage is "Satan working on us."

Facebook: TexansForCraigJames

Our successes depend upon the welfare and morale of all employees, without distinction. The burden imposed by inconsistent and discriminatory state laws of having to administer complicated schemes to account for differential treatment of similarly situated employees breeds unnecessary confusion, tension, and diminished employee morale.

I have to say that ... the thought of me filing something in the Supreme Court on behalf of players, I had pause. I'll run through a wall with you guys [but] ... if I were a current player in that locker room and my livelihood depended on me being quiet or losing it because of my belief system, I worry, I wonder. So, that's Satan working on us.

Via outsports.com

It's OK for Michael Sam to have the shot and to give him the opportunity and for the choice that he's made in his life. But don't tell the other players in that locker room that they've got to bow down, be quiet and suppress and oppress these guys. That's my real concern.

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The university maintains they followed proper procedure when handling a student’s 2012 rape allegation against the football player.

Florida State on Monday filed a motion to dismiss a Title IX lawsuit filed against the school by the woman who has accused football player Jameis Winston of raping her in December 2012.

Jeff Gross / Getty Images

For the next eleven months, FSU did nothing to investigate Plaintiff's report of rape while the FSU Athletics Department continued to keep the incident a secret.

Despite Plaintiff's report to the FSU Police and the FSU Athletics Department's knowledge of the suspect's identity, no one at FSU conducted any investigation into the matter.

Winston, meanwhile, was named starting quarterback of the football team and, in the fall of 2013, led FSU in the pursuit of a national championship.

"FSU is not liable for any alleged harassment caused by Kinsman's having to be on campus with Winston."

Florida State claims that no one at the university other than her confidential victim advocate knew about the alleged assault before the media broke the story nearly a year after the alleged incident took place.

The alleged victim reported the incident immediately to Tallahassee Police Det. Scott Angulo and self-identified Winston nearly a month later when she learned his name on the first day of a "Race and Ethnicity" class.

Florida State, however, says the university Police Chief David Perry received the report of the Winston investigation on Nov. 8, 2013.

FSU claims it is not responsible for the student feeling harassed as a result of her alleged attacker remaining on campus because neither of the people she reported the allegations to were liable school officials.

In her lawsuit, the student claims she discussed her position with her victim advocate, and decided to continue trying to attend classes because she was not told of any other accommodations that could be made for her. FSU's motion to dismiss claims the school is not liable for the alleged victim's discomfort because she did not explicitly ask for other accommodations.

"FSU is not liable for any harassment caused by alleged social media threats directed at [the alleged victim]."

Florida State claims that the alleged victim was harassed as a result of the media reporting on her accusations against Winston, and that they could not possibly control the "Internet nor the vicious trolls who allegedly used it to harass" the student.

"FSU is not liable for [the victim's] alleged exclusion from school."

Florida State cites a letter from the alleged victim's attorney that states: "It is hard to envision any scenario where any result of a disciplinary action could eliminate the hostile education environment [...] In fact, if Mr. Winston were found by a conduct board to have sexually assaulted [the alleged victim], and he were ultimately suspended or expelled, [the alleged victim] would likely be in greater danger than if the conduct board ruled against her."

Presumably, the attorney's letter suggests Florida State football fans would be more agitated by any course of action that resulted in his involuntary removal from the school, and the team.

Florida State argues that the alleged victim left the school only "24 hours" after her allegations against Winston became public, and did not allow the school time to properly investigate the already year-old accusations.

In her Title IX lawsuit, the student claims that just after the alleged incident, her friend came over to her dorm and called the FSU Police.

Winston's accuser says FSU Police Officer Dinorah Harris arrived at her dorm and took her to the hospital to undergo a rape kit. In the Title IX lawsuit against FSU, the alleged victim claims that "After December 7, 2012, FSU Police made no further effort to investigate Plaintiff's rape."

Angulo and the Tallahassee Police Department's reluctance to investigate Winston was first reported by the New York Times in April 2014:

After the accuser identified Mr. Winston as her assailant, the police did not even attempt to interview him for nearly two weeks and never obtained his DNA.

The detective handling the case waited two months to write his first report and then prematurely suspended his inquiry without informing the accuser. By the time the prosecutor got the case, important evidence had disappeared, including the video of the sexual act.

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He allegedly told players to “get horny with the puck.” This is the fourth Ohio State coach to be fired for sexual harassment since 2013.

Ohio State Women's Hockey Head Coach Nate Handrahan has resigned in the wake of an investigation by the university into multiple complaints about sexual harassment, The Columbus Dispatch reports.

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Allegations against Handrahan include using sexually suggestive metaphors while coaching, including telling the women to "get horny for the puck."

The Dispatch reports that Handrahan was initially investigated for "smelling of alcohol and acting unprofessionally" upon showing up to an airport after an away game.

Handrahan is the fourth Ohio State team coach to be fired for sexual harassment since 2013.

In November 2013, two assistant cheerleading coaches were found to have sexually harassed male and female cheerleaders. They were then fired.

In 2014, the school's marching band director was fired for failing to report or resolve hazing traditions that largely consisted of sexual harassment.

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Little League has elected to re-allocate the six Chicago teams in Illinois District 4 instead of finding new league leadership. The teams that will be affected are looking into severing their Little League affiliation.

The fallout from Jackie Robinson West recruiting players from outside their designated boundaries continues a month after the team was stripped of their title as U.S. Little League World Series Champions.

Pool / Getty Images

In the aftermath of Little League's investigation into the recruiting practices, District 4 leader Mike Kelley was removed from his position. Team president Anne Haley and treasurer Bill Haley were also removed from their positions.

Four teams, including Jackie Robinson West, could be relegated to a district that includes teams on the North and West sides of Chicago, while the remaining two teams would be relegated to another district on the city's South Side.

In a statement, Little League spokesman Brian McClintock said:

This decision allows the local Little League programs in the area to continue with their operations under veteran, established district leadership and to continue to provide quality Little League experiences for the children in their communities.

However, DNAinfo Chicago reports that Bill Haley is looking into transitioning the Jackie Robinson West team out of Little League into nearby Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth leagues. DNAinfo also spoke with another District 4 team, Roseland, whose president Maurice Johnson said, "If they split us up, Roseland is no longer with Little League."

The Ripken and Ruth leagues are less strict with their recruiting boundaries, and DNA info Chicago reports that if Jackie Robinson West is approved by either of these youth leagues, Haley would be at a strong advantage for recruiting players from the South Side.

An attorney for Jackie Robinson West, Victor Henderson, who did not respond to a BuzzFeed News request for comment, told the Chicago Tribune that the team felt disrespected by Little League's decision to announce the vacation of the team's World Series wins to the media without informing them first.

He continued, "This insensitive act by Little League International is a critical factor affecting JRW's decision to explore other opportunities."

LINK: Little League Champion Team Stripped Of Title For Recruitment Violations

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Jurors for the former New England Patriots player this week were shown a list found on his Blackberry.

For the last two days, attorneys on both sides in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial have questioned Kyle Aspinwall, who works for Glock, in an attempt to identify an object seen on Hernandez's surveillance camera the night Odin Lloyd was killed.

Steven Senne / Reuters

Because the Glock .45 used to murder Odin Lloyd was never recovered, prosecutors are relying on Aspinwall to identify the object Hernandez was holding.

Aspinwall testified that it does appear to be a Glock pistol, but Hernandez's attorneys have presented the notion that it could be a replica or a knock-off meant to resemble the popular pistol.

Boston Globe

Pool / Reuters

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Clay Shank is an American hero. Via Jenkem Magazine.

Jenkem Magazine recently interviewed skateboarder and documentarian Clay Shank about his 700-mile skate trip from San Francisco to Tijuana.

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He survived mainly on peanut butter, bread, canned fish, and McDonald's.

vimeo.com / Via Clay Shank

And slept in a sleeping bag on a tarp on the ground for most of the trip.

vimeo.com / Via Clay Shank

But got to see some pretty dope shit along the way.

vimeo.com / Via Clay Shank

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