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NFL

Report: Jones wants sit-down over Goodell deal

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has asked for a special league meeting with NFL owners to talk about commissioner Roger Goodell’s contract extension negotiations, but an ownership source told ESPN’s Jim Trotter that owners currently have no plans to act on Jones’ request.

Jones’ request was made to ownership in a letter, the contents of which were reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.

Jones suggested a meeting for Nov. 28 in New York, the letter said. The league has a regularly scheduled committee members meeting Dec. 13 in Irving, Texas. A source told Trotter that Jones is expected to be given an opportunity to discuss the negotiations at that time if he wishes.

According to Jones’ letter, he wants the Nov. 28 sit-down in order to discuss the negotiations, oversight of the compensation committee handling Goodell’s deal and the date of a vote on the extension.

In the letter, Jones wrote that the league “has undergone unprecedented upheaval in the last two years, including a significant decline in television ratings, increased advertiser discontent, high-profile litigation concerning player suspensions, and decreasing ticket sales.”

“This is not the time for the League to undertake massive contractual obligations which are inconsistent with the League’s performance,” the letter says.

Jones’ letter also cites “severe threats of retaliation” made against him because he has questioned the negotiations over Goodell’s contract.

Jones has threatened to sue the league if the committee approves an extension for Goodell, saying it should be reviewed and approved by all owners.

Earlier Wednesday, The Associated Press obtained a letter written for the NFL’s compensation committee in which Jones is accused of sabotaging the negotiations.

Soccer

Klopp: Oxlade-Chamberlain 'is like dynamite'

After seven substitute appearances in the league amounting to the equivalent of under two full matches, Jurgen Klopp has declared Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain “is like dynamite” every time he’s introduced for Liverpool.

The Reds parted with up to £40 million to sign the versatile Englishman from Arsenal in the summer, despite his contract in north London expiring at the end of the 2017-18 term. He inked what was believed to be a five-year deal on Merseyside, but is yet to play regular minutes in the central midfield role he apparently craved.

Still, following no assists, goals, and just one completed dribble in Premier League play for Liverpool, Klopp is impressed after Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cameo in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Huddersfield Town.

“He has shown his class each and every time he has had the opportunity on the pitch and the weekend was another example of this,” Klopp wrote in This is Anfield. “He is like dynamite when he comes on. Aggressive in the most positive way. Front foot always. Looking to attack and create. These performances come because of how good his attitude is in training at Melwood. He has the highest quality in everything he does; sometimes I think he is the last to realise this.”

At Arsenal, Oxlade-Chamberlain was more regularly deployed as a speedy winger, but Arsene Wenger’s change to a 3-4-3 shape saw the Southampton product crop up in a greater variety of positions. He appeared a natural fit as a wing-back, but is believed to have been most fond of playing in the middle of the park. He also played as a right-back in the Gunners’ opening day defeat of Leicester City.

With next summer’s World Cup in Russia looming, Oxlade-Chamberlain will be desperate for more game time soon. He’s squabbling for minutes in a midfield three with Jordan Henderson, Emre Can, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, and Marko Grujic. Competition will be increased further when Adam Lallana, England’s Player of the Year for 2016, returns from injury sometime after November’s international break.

“I am sure he is greedy for more starting selections and of course that opportunity will come,” Klopp continued. “He is very much in the infancy of his Liverpool life, but the ‘world’ in 2017 doesn’t always allow for patience. He is doing everything right in this moment and because of this I know he will be a big success for us.”

Liverpool faces Maribor at Anfield on Wednesday. The Reds were rampant in the reverse fixture two weeks ago, running out 7-0 winners in Slovenia to claim a slender advantage atop Champions League Group E.