NFL Notebook | Roger Goodell, senator to meet today

NEW YORK — Commissioner Roger Goodell and Sen. Arlen Specter are to meet today to discuss the "Spygate" case involving the New England Patriots.

League officials said Tuesday the afternoon meeting will take place in Specter's office in Washington. The Pennsylvania Republican has asked Goodell to explain his decision to destroy the tapes and notes from the case, which went back to 2002.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 and the team was fined $250,000. The Patriots also forfeited a first-round draft pick.

Specter's challenge to Goodell came two days before the Super Bowl, a game the Patriots lost 17-14 to the New York Giants on Feb. 3.

The top-ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee questioned the quality of the league's investigation after New England's illegal taping of the New York Jets' defensive signals in the opening week of the 2007 season, as well as the commissioner's decision to destroy video evidence.

Specter has raised the possibility of congressional hearings if he wasn't satisfied with Goodell's answers.

In defending the destruction of the notes, Goodell said, "There was no purpose to them at all." Specter said Goodell's response "didn't make any sense at all" and also questioned whether there might have been illegal acts by the Patriots before the 2005 Super Bowl, when they beat the Philadelphia Eagles.

The punishment went beyond the confiscated Jets tapes. The tapes and notes dated as far back as 2002 and league officials said in October that Belichick acknowledged to Goodell that there had been spying since he became New England's coach in 2000.

Source: Udeze

has form of leukemia

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Minnesota defensive end Kenechi Udeze has a form of leukemia, which is cancer of the blood and bone marrow, a person with the team confirmed.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. Vikings officials declined to comment, but they issued a statement from coach Brad Childress that didn't specifically address Udeze's condition.

"We respect the privacy of Kenechi. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Minnesota Vikings organization are with Kenechi and his family," the statement read.

Former USC standout Udeze, 24, who was drafted in the first round in 2004, started 15 games last year for the Vikings and tied his career high with five sacks.

Notes

• Minnesota safety Dwight Smith, 29, pleaded guilty to obstructing traffic; a charge of possessing marijuana was dismissed.

Smith's attorney, David Valentini, said the player paid a $200 fine after pleading guilty to the petty misdemeanor Jan. 31.

• Sherman Smith, Tennessee Titans assistant head coach-offense, began interviewing for the offensive-coordinator position with the Washington franchise.

Smith, 53, reportedly is the top choice of new coach Jim Zorn, 54. They are former Seahawks teammates — Smith was a running back, Zorn a quarterback.

Smith is well versed in the West Coast offense, which Zorn plans to implement, and eager for a promotion as he tries to advance his career, league sources said.

• Punter Jeff Feagles signed a two-year contract to stay with the New York Giants, a little more than a week after becoming the oldest player to compete in a Super Bowl.

Feagles, who turns 42 next month, represented himself in negotiations with assistant general manager Kevin Abrams. Feagles declined to say how much money he would earn, but he made $1 million last year in the final season of a five-year deal.

Feagles is the league's career leader for punts (1,585), yards (65,793) and punts inside the 20 (508). He has a career gross average of 41.5. Feagles was the Seahawks' punter from 1998 through the 2002 season.

• New England signed linebacker T.J. Slaughter, 30, who has played seven seasons in the league but missed all of last season with a torn tendon in a finger.

He was placed on injured reserve by San Francisco in November 2006 because of the injury.

• A lawyer for a sports marketer who is suing running back Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints said he and his client walked out of a deposition in San Diego, alleging that a bodyguard for Bush's attorney opened his jacket to expose a pistol.

"He made sure we saw it," said attorney Brian Watkins, who represents sports marketer Lloyd Lake.

Lake, 34, is suing Bush and the player's parents to recoup nearly $300,000 in cash and gifts they allegedly accepted when Bush was a sophomore and junior at USC. Bush, 22, won the 2005 Heisman Trophy.

• Sunday's Pro Bowl on Fox drew its best rating, a 6.3, in eight years. The rating up is 37 percent from last year's 4.6. The 2000 Pro Bowl had an 8.6 rating.

• Electronic Arts will continue to produce exclusive video games through the 2012 season after it extended its contracts with the league and the players' association.

EA produces the Madden NFL line of games.