NFL
Cowboys cut linebacker Ellis; NHL owner eyes buying Rams
The Dallas Cowboys released Greg Ellis, who was with the team for 11 seasons and recorded the eighth-most sacks in club history. The announcement was no surprise. A week before, team owner Jerry Jones said the club was planning to cut Ellis if he couldn't be traded. The Cowboys bypassed Randy Moss to take Ellis with the eighth overall pick in the 1998 draft. He had 77 sacks and 634 tackles over 162 games and led the team in sacks six times. Ellis was a defensive end for most of that time, then moved to linebacker when Bill Parcells changed to a 3-4 defense. He grumbled at first, then tore his Achilles' tendon. He returned in 2007 and had his best season with 12 1/2 sacks in 13 games, earning NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.
Rams: : St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts is heading a group seeking to buy the NFL's Rams and keep the team in St. Louis. On Monday, the Rams announced that the family of former owner Georgia Frontiere has hired the investment firm of Goldman Sachs to review the assets of her estate, including the NFL team. The move was seen as potentially expediting a sale of the franchise.
Vikings: : A judge said he'll move quickly and carefully to resolve a lawsuit by Minnesota's Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, who are fighting their four-game suspensions for their use of a banned substance. With the legal fight moving from federal court to state court, Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson asked for and got assurances from NFL attorneys Joseph Schmitt and Dan Nash that no immediate action will be taken against the Williamses ahead of the season.
Broncos: : Brandon Marshall won't face disciplinary action from the NFL over his latest arrest in a domestic dispute. League spokesman Greg Aiello said the Denver Pro Bowl wide receiver has been notified that no punishment is forthcoming as the result of his arrest in Atlanta on March 1 that stemmed from a fight with his new fiance. Charges were dropped the next day when Marshall and his fiance, Michi Leshase Nogami-Campbell, refused to testify against each other.
Burress: : Former Giants star wide receiver Plaxico Burress can toss four traffic tickets he received in suburban Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A magistrate has dismissed them. Burress was ticketed March 1 on accusations of speeding and illegal lane change, improperly displaying a car tag and having tinted windows. His attorney, Bradford Cohen, said the tickets were dismissed Friday because the officer who wrote them didn't supply information on how to pay the tickets. Burress was released by the Giants on April 3.
