Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome testified under oath Thursday that he heard suspended running back Ray Rice tell NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell he struck his then-fiancee in a casino elevator in February, according to ESPN. Bryan Trottier Jersey . Newsomes testimony on the second and final day of Rices appeal hearing would seem to contradict what the NFL commissioner has previously said the running back told him during a disciplinary hearing on June 16. Goodell has said Rice was ambiguous about what happened in the elevator at the Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. The commissioner, who testified on Wednesday, suspended Rice indefinitely on Sept. 8 after video of him striking the woman who is now his wife was posted online by TMZ. Rice was released by the Ravens on the same day. Goodell originally suspended Rice for two games after their meeting in June, but later said he didnt get it right. Rice argues that the league violated labor laws by increasing his punishment after the video surfaced. He and his wife testified on Thursday. Former U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones presided over the appeal hearing and will now decide whether or not Rice is reinstated. It was the first time an NFL disciplinary hearing was conducted with a neutral arbitrator, something the NFL Players Association said enhances the credibility and integrity of our business and is the due process that every athlete deserves. Custom Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys . He, the 25-year-old Toronto backup net-minder and Manitoba native, would be making just his fourth start in the past 16 games against the Jets the following evening. It was the word of opportunity for Reimer, who has fallen into the role of backup, outmatched in recent weeks by Jonathan Bernier, his Quebec counterpart. Paul Coffey Jersey . Huntelaar also had a penalty saved by Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio. The two goals brought Huntelaars total for the season to 18, level with Bayern Munichs Mario Gomez for most in the league. http://www.hockeypenguins.com/ . -- Martin Kaymer never lost sight of opportunity even amid so much evidence of trouble in the closing stretch Sunday at The Players Championship.Liverpool has swapped out one controversial striker for another, filling the offensive void left by Luis Suarez with the enigmatic Mario Balotelli. TSN Soccer Analyst Kristian Jack provides three things we learned from the Italian strikers move to Anfield. 1. Fenway Sports Group conducts its business away from the public eye. John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino leaned on Theo Epstein. As the Boston Red Sox moved from lovable losers to winners on the field, their dealings off the field were equally as professional. Of course, their budget helped, but a desire to keep all of their dealings in-house was not something the Fenway Sports Group wanted. It was something they demanded. Their pursuit of star shortstop Alex Rodriguez, then of the Texas Rangers, in 2003, made recently into a short film by ESPN, showed the lengths Epstein and his assistant Jed Hoyer went to try and land A-Rod. How they failed ultimately had nothing to do with their strategic pursuit. FSG have brought that method to Liverpool. This is no longer a club regularly linked with players for weeks before they sign them. Their business is done behind closed doors and the news only breaks when the transfer is a formality. The latest acquisition of Mario Balotelli highlights this attitude and also provides the exact reasons for such a strategy. Balotelli is arguably the most polarizing footballer on the planet. Any long, drawn-out pursuit of such a player can be mentally exhausting for any organization. Liverpool conducted their search the right way and the moment it became public no one could question whether the Reds should get the Italian, as it was already a done deal. 2. Liverpool continue to shop at a realistic level when pursuing players. They do not have the budget of Manchester City or the pull geographically of Chelsea or Arsenal. They cannot afford to sign genuine world class stars on some of the sports largest contracts. However, that doesnt mean Liverpool cannot attract good players. When they sold Fernando Torres to Chelsea they want shopping at the cheaper, Dutch Erevidisie, store and brought in Luis Suarez. With Suarez at Barcelona, Liverpool went on a search to find his replacement. They were linked with Edinson Cavani and Radamel Falcao but they were never realistically in their price range. Those are in the elite class of centre-forwards, a class Liverpool shouldnt waste their time looking at. Instead, Liverpool have landed on a player with incredible potential, a player who they could help graduate to such a class within the next couple of years. It represents great business for manager Brendan Rodgers and CEO Ian Ayre who get a player with experience at the top level but who has underperformed during his career so far. It sends a messagee to the other players in the squad that the club is serious about maintaining their current level as contenders for Champions League spots each season.