The NFL is continuing to pursue an investigation of players named in an Al-Jazeera report on performance-enhancing drugs and remains at odds with its players association over its right to do so.NFL executive Adolpho Birch sent a letter to the NFLPA on Thursday -- in response to letters the NFLPA sent Tuesday -- asserting the leagues right to investigate its players based on the Al-Jazeera report. Birch disputed the unions claim that the NFL must meet a standard of credible evidence before players James Harrison, Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers and Mike Neal submit to interviews with league investigators.The NFLPAs position ... is fundamentally at odds with the CBA, the Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances and basic tenets of labor law, Birch, the NFLs senior vice president for labor policy, wrote in Thursdays letter, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN.As explained in my June 3 letter, the report that prompted this investigation depicted what appeared to be a network of businesses and persons describing an intricate scheme to provide athletes in several sports with performance-enhancing and other substances. There can be no rational question that a nationally aired documentary report with potential impact on public confidence in the game of football is a sufficient basis upon which to investigate the totality of those claims, including those pertaining to the NFL players.One of the unions stronger arguments against allowing the investigation is the fact that pharmacist Charlie Sly -- the source for the Al-Jazeera report that implicated the four aforementioned players, retired quarterback Peyton Manning and athletes from other sports -- has since recanted his remarks. Birch disputes the relevance of that argument.The fact that statements aired in the report may have been since recanted, while potentially relevant to any ultimate conclusions reached, does not extinguish our need to investigate, Birch wrote. And it is hardly remarkable or dispositive that an individual would publicly disavow statements for which he may be subject to criminal or civil sanctions.Birchs Thursday letter asserts that NFL players have the obligation to cooperate with league investigations and could face discipline for failing to do so -- a point sure to be contested by the other side as this dispute progresses.Notably, none of the letters the union sent earlier this week were on behalf of Manning, who is a former player and could decide to cooperate with the league investigation even as the union defends its current players from having to do so. The NFLPA has been in contact with Manning, whose cooperation could conceivably put the other four players in a difficult position from a public relations standpoint. Some people familiar with his thinking believe he will cooperate.This dispute came to a head earlier this week when Harrison, who has a history of public arguments with the league over discipline matters, said commissioner Roger Goodell would have to go to his house if he wanted to interview him.Shoes Black Friday Deals 2020 . LOUIS -- Attorneys for the St. Wholesale Shoes Black Friday Free Shipping . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. https://www.cheapshoesblackfriday.com/ . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. Fake Shoes Black Friday . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. Wholesale Shoes Black Friday .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.Australian concerns about the readiness of their young batsmen to cope with Asian conditions have been underlined by the decision to send Travis Head to Sri Lanka ahead of the dead rubber third Test in Colombo, which starts from August 13.Head was initially omitted from the ODI squad to face Sri Lanka in limited-overs matches, but following Australias heavy defeats in consecutive Tests to surrender the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy, he will now train with the Test squad before remaining as part of the ODI team. This drastic change in plans emphasises the urgent nature of Australian worries about their substandard displays in this series.The coach and selector Darren Lehmann categorically ruled out the possibility of Head taking part in the Colombo Test, but admitted the panel could now see the very real need to give young players as much exposure to Asian conditions as possible. Head must now be considered a strong chance to be taken with the Test squad to go to India next year, provided he can maintain his upward curve of run-making in the Sheffield Shield as captain of South Australia.Well probably look at if there are any players who go home at the end of the Test series, but with Trav, we want him to come in for this prep for this Test, Lehmann said. Hes not going to play. Theres no doubt about that. We see him as a really exciting young player for the future ... give him as much experience around one our Test group, and two our one-day group as we possibly can. Weve been impressed with him. Thats why he has come in a bit early. Hes a young player who has thhe attributes we think are quite important here.dddddddddddd We want to give him as much experience, because hes a young guy who has had some success. He hasnt had enough international exposure and we think its a really good time to do that, with an eye on the future as well.Heads progress as a young player has been watched closely by the selectors for some time, as they are eager to get another young batsman into the Australian side across all formats with the prospect of forging a long career in the manner of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Steven Smith before him. Earlier this year he was withdrawn from the Australia A side to play a winter series at home in order to allow him to gain greater exposure to English conditions with Yorkshire.Youre always looking at those things, Lehmann said. When you havent had the success youd like, youve got to look at different things. Were really happy with the group. Obviously wed like different results. But we are just bringing him in for the experience more than anything else.Another factor in Heads selection is the desire to familiarise him with the Australian team set-up and players, ideally to form relationships that will help him when he does play. The left-arm spinner Jon Holland had a contrasting experience last week when he was thrust into the Test team without having spent much recent time around the national side, and without any of his Victoria team-mates having made the tour. ' ' '