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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. Rick Porcello Jersey . Ouellette, from Montreal, already has three Olympic gold medals since joining the team in 1999. Babe Ruth Jersey . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. http://www.officialredsoxfanstore.com/authentic-steven-wright-red-sox-jersey/ . The 27-year-old Scrivens will be joining his third NHL club since signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2010. The move also reunites with him with head coach Dallas Eakins from their time together with the American Hockey Leagues Toronto Marlies. Wade Boggs Red Sox Jersey . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Fred Lynn Jersey . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. NORMAL, Ill. -- Jake Kolbe threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns while Jamal Towns and DeMarco Corbin each topped 100 yards rushing to lead Illinois State past Missouri state 37-0 on Saturday.Towns had 134 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries and Corbin had 102 yards on 11 carries. Anthony Warrum had 133 yards receiving off eight receptions and a touchdown.Mitchell Brees and Dalton Keene each picked off the Bears Brodie Lambert once. Illinois State (6-5, 4-4 Missouri Valley) held Missouri Statee (4-6, 2-5) to 77 yards passing and 116 yards rushing, 44 of which came from Lambert.ddddddddddddIllinois State broke the game open in the second quarter when Kolbe threw a 38-yard TD to Warrum. Just more than two minutes later Kolbe connected with Christian Gibbs on a 35-yard score and Sean Slattery made his second field goal of the first half to make it 20-0 at half. ' ' '