NFC West

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A scandal in which U.S. football players got rewarded for injuring opponents could have legal consequences, with prosecutors, players and even fans getting in on the judicial action.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A scandal in which U.S. football players got rewarded for injuring opponents could have legal consequences, with prosecutors, players and even fans getting in on the judicial action.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The San Francisco 49ers' planned move to a new billion-dollar stadium in suburban Santa Clara faces what could be its final hurdle on Monday when a judge hears arguments on whether a complex financing deal should be subject to voter approval.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The San Francisco 49ers' planned move to a new billion-dollar stadium in suburban Santa Clara faces what could be its final hurdle on Monday when a judge hears arguments on whether a complex financing deal should be subject to voter approval.

(Reuters) - The National Football League's (NFL) "bounty" scandal spread on Saturday with media reports that Washington Redskins players also had a cash scheme to reward individuals who injured opponents and forced them to leave games.

An NFL probe has found up to 27 New Orleans Saints defenders involved in a "pay for performance" scheme that included "bounty" payments to those who injured opponents.

(Reuters) - New Orleans Saints players were involved in an illegal "bounty" system that rewarded individuals for injuring opponents, the National Football League (NFL) said on Friday.

An NFL probe has found up to 27 New Orleans Saints defenders involved in a "pay for performance" scheme that included "bounty" payments to those who injured opponents.

(Reuters) - The Pittsburgh Steelers plan to release former Super Bowl most valuable player Hines Ward before the start of the 2012 National Football League (NFL) season, the team said on Wednesday.

(Reuters) - The San Francisco 49ers have kept one of the best linebacker units in the NFL intact by signing Ahmad Brooks to a six-year contract extension, the team announced on Tuesday.

SANTA CLARA, California (Reuters) - Santa Clara approved a 40-year lease for a new $1 billion stadium on Tuesday that brings the Silicon Valley city another step closer to becoming the new home of the San Francisco 49ers.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hedge-fund billionaire Steve Cohen, St Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke and a group that includes media executive Leo Hindery and Los Angeles investor Tom Barrick are among seven parties who advanced to the next round of bids for the Los Angeles Dodgers, two people with knowledge of the bidding said on Monday.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso and former Dodgers manager Joe Torre have withdrawn their joint bid to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, a person familiar to the bidding process said on Thursday, the day that second-round bids were due.

PHOENIX (Reuters) - The former chief of college football's Fiesta Bowl pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges stemming from a scheme to funnel nearly $50,000 from bowl employees to political campaigns, prosecutors said.

SEATTLE (Reuters) - A wealthy San Francisco investor has proposed building a new sports arena in Seattle and buying a pro basketball franchise to play there under a $700 million private-public financing deal with local authorities, municipal officials said on Thursday.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The second round of bids for the highly sought after Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team is due around February 23, according to several people familiar with the process.

Madonna's gala half-time show at Super Bowl 46 on Sunday will stretch the mid-game break to 30 minutes for NFL players who typically have only 12 minutes of rest between halves.

Madonna's gala half-time show at Super Bowl 46 on Sunday will stretch the mid-game break to 30 minutes for NFL players who typically have only 12 minutes of rest between halves.

NFL players union leaders raised concerns on Thursday over a plan by the league for the St. Louis Rams to play one game in England for each of the next three seasons.

New England's Tom Brady and New York Giants star Eli Manning are back in key Super Bowl roles just as they were in 2008 when the Giants denied the Patriots an unbeaten championship season.