NFL wants indefinite ban for Watson

The NFL and Deshaun Watson’s legal team presented their arguments before a disciplinary officer for a second day Wednesday, with both sides holding firm as the hearing is scheduled to continue in Delaware on Thursday.

The league is insisting on an indefinite suspension and Watson’s side is arguing there’s no basis for a punishment that significant, The AP reported.

Former U.S. District Judge Sue Robinson, who was jointly appointed by the league and the NFL Players’ Association, is tasked with determining whether Watson violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy and whether to impose discipline.

If either the union or league appeals Robinson’s decision, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell or his designee will issue a written decision that will constitute final disposition of the dispute..

Watson agreed to settle 20 of 24 civil lawsuits for sexual misconduct. His side expects a suspension but wants the threetime Pro Bowl quarterback to play for the Browns at some point this season.

Two separate Texas grand juries declined to indict Watson on criminal complaints stemming from the allegations.

College basketball: Roy Williams, Jim Calhoun, John Beilein and Lon Kruger headline a star-studded class who will be inducted into the National College Basketball Hall of Fame in November. Another longtime coach, Jerry Krause of Eastern Washington, will join the quartet along with players Richard Hamilton of UConn, Larry Miller of North Carolina, Frank Selvy of Furman and Jimmy Walker of Providence. Williams retired in 2021 after leading two of college basketball’s bluebloods, Kansas and UNC, to a combined 903 wins — the third most for a D-I coach — and nine Final Four appearances. He spent his first 15 seasons with the Jayhawks before returning to his alma mater in 2003, where he led the Tar Heels to three national championships in 18 seasons. Calhoun won three national championships at UConn, the first of them with Hamilton, who was voted the Final Four’s MVP after the Huskies beat Duke for the 1999 title. Calhoun’s other championships came in 2004 and 2011, making him one of six coaches in Division I history with at least three national titles. Calhoun won 920 games with UConn, Northeastern and Division III Saint Joseph, where he finished his career in 2021. Beilein won 829 games between stops at Erie Community College, Nazareth, Le Moyne, Canisius, Richmond, West Virginia and Michigan. The latter is where he became school’s winningest coach and had a pair of Final Four appearances. Kruger also made two Final Four trips, first with Florida and then with Oklahoma, while leading five programs to the NCAA Tournament. Krause spent 17 seasons at Eastern Washington, ushering the program from NAIA status to the Division I level. ... Emoni Bates, one of the top recruits in the 2021 recruiting class, is transferring from Memphis to play at his hometown Eastern Michigan. Bates averaged 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game his freshman season and started 13 of 18 games. He missed 15 games because of a back injury.

Soccer: Romelu Lukaku will return to Inter Milan on a one-year loan deal, just 10 months after joining Chelsea for $135 million.