BCS director explains

system to Dept. of Justice

NEW YORK (AP) — Called in by the Department of Justice to explain how major college football crowns a champion, the head of the Bowl Championship Series spent an hour and a half making a case for the much-criticized system.

BCS executive director Bill Hancock met Thursday with 10 officials from the department’s antitrust division in Washington.

Hancock said the tone of the meeting was friendly and that justice officials asked about how the BCS operates, how teams qualify to play in college football’s five most lucrative bowl games, and its finances and history.

Cavaliers trade Jamison

to Kings for Casspi, draft pick

CLEVELAND (AP) — J.J. Hickson’s athleticism and potential made him a budding NBA star. His inconsistency made him maddening and expendable.

On Thursday, the Cleveland Cavaliers decided it was time to move on without him.

Clearing out a logjam at power forward, they traded the enigmatic Hickson to the Sacramento Kings for forward Omri Casspi and a future first-round pick.

Hickson spent three mostly productive seasons in Cleveland, but his days were numbered when the club drafted Texas forward Tristan Thompson with the No. 4 overall pick last week. Hickson was part of the Cavs’ core when they won more than 60 regular

Group of players, owners

join Goodell, Smith in talks

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Joined by a handful of owners and players, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith resumed talks Thursday aimed at ending the lockout with a new collective bargaining agreement.

The group met at a Minneapolis law firm with U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan. The participants, including New York Giants owner John Mara and Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday, declined comment as they arrived. The meetings were expected to continue Friday.

The latest round of negotiations between the two sides — the fifth since they began hopping from city to city for clandestine meetings — kicked off Tuesday with Goodell, Smith, their attorneys and staffs but no owners or players.

Ex-NBA player arrested

on drugs, gun charges

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Former NBA player Jose Ortiz has been arrested in Puerto Rico after federal agents say they seized 218 marijuana plants and 40 rounds of assault-rifle ammunition at his house.

He is accused of possession with intent to distribute marijuana plants and faces a minimum of five years in prison if found guilty, U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez said.

“This should send a message,” she said.

The 47-year-old Ortiz, among the best basketball players the island has produced, appeared in court Thursday and agreed to enter a drug rehabilitation program. He will remain at the undisclosed institution until his next hearing July 26.

MRI shows Marlins’ pitcher

has no structural damage

MIAMI (AP) — An MRI exam shows Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson has no structural damage in his ailing right shoulder.

Johnson has been out since May 16. His agent, Matt Sosnick, says the right-hander had an MRI on Wednesday and was examined by Dr. James Andrews at his office in Birmingham, Ala.

Johnson received a cortisone shot and won’t throw for 10 days. He’s expected to rejoin the rotation sometime after the All-Star break.

The star pitcher was 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA before being sidelined. In his absence, the Marlins have gone into a June swoon that sank them to last place in the NL East.