弃踢员托德·沙尔博（Todd Sauerbrun）在与新英格兰爱国者队的纠纷中获胜，并且如愿成为一名自由球员。

　　这名拥有13年职业生涯的老将有望加盟丹佛野马队，他于本月早些时候与该队签订了为期一年的合同，然而爱国者队却利用此前与沙尔博签订的合同中的一项条款对此提出反对。沙尔博于去年12月与爱国队者签约，并且代表该队参加了季后赛。

　　在NFL球员协会的帮助下，沙尔博指出这项条款并不恰当，因为该条款没有以书面形式独立于合同之外。波士顿的一名专业人士随后判定爱国者队错误，沙尔博最终获得了自由身。

　　沙尔博与野马的合同价值超过139.5万美元，他原本应在去年将这笔报酬收入囊中。他于2006赛季加盟野马，但因违禁使用麻黄属药物而受到禁赛四场的处罚，在此期间失去了工作。

　　沙尔博在职业生涯中平均每场比赛弃踢44码，绝对平均数达36码。2001至2003赛季，他效力于卡罗来纳黑豹队期间曾连续三次入选全明星阵容。

　　沙尔博表示他去年夏天服用了一种直销的减肥产品，当时他强烈怀疑该产品中含有麻黄属。在明尼苏达维京人队的攻击绊锋克瑞·斯特林格（Korey Stringer ）于2001赛季的训练营去世之后，NFL就将麻黄属列为违禁物品。此后球员必须接受随机抽查，并且在首次犯规后即有可能受到禁赛处罚。

　　沙尔博的行为激怒了野马队的教练迈克·沙纳汗（Mike Shanahan），他表示沙尔博是该队唯一体重达到极限的球员。

　　身高5英尺10英寸的沙尔博体重高达215磅，在因为饮食过量而遭到黑豹队弃用之后，体重问题一直令他感到头疼。

　　沙尔博同时表示他尤其为令沙纳汗失望而感到抱歉，在被黑豹解雇之后，是沙纳汗给了他一个全新的开始。他希望有朝一日能够与沙纳汗达成和解。他有可能很快实现这一愿望。

　　<b>原文</b>

　　BOSTON （April 18， 2007） —— Punter Todd Sauerbrun won his grievance against the New England Patriots and is now a free agent.

　　The 13-year veteran is expected to join the Denver Broncos. He agreed to a one-year deal with them earlier this month， but the Patriots matched it through a clause in his contract with New England. Sauerbrun had signed with the Patriots last December and punted in the playoffs.

　　Sauerbrun， with the help of the NFL Players Association， contended that the clause was inappropriate because it was not written separately from the contract itself， a requirement for right-to-match deals. A special master in Boston ruled that the Patriots erred， thus freeing Sauerbrun.

　　His deal with Denver was worth more than the $1.395 million he was scheduled to make with the Broncos last year. Sauerbrun started the 2006 season with Denver， but lost his job while serving a four-game suspension for using the banned dietary supplement ephedra.

　　Sauerbrun has a career punting average of 44 yards， with a net average of 36. He made the Pro Bowl three straight times， between 2001 and 2003， when he was with the Carolina Panthers.

　　Sauerbrun said he knowingly took an over-the-counter weight loss product last summer that he strongly suspected contained ephedra， which the NFL banned after the death of Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Korey Stringer during training camp in 2001. Players are randomly tested and can be suspended after the first violation.

　　That drew the ire of Broncos coach Mike Shanahan， who said the punter is the only player on the team who can be fat as far as he was concerned.

　　Sauerbrun， who packs 215 pounds on his beefy 5-foot-10 frame and who was fined by the Panthers for eating too much， said at the time he worries about his weight all the time.

　　He also said he especially regretted letting down Shanahan， who gave him a fresh start after a trouble-filled stint in Carolina， and that he hoped he could make it up to him someday. He might get that chance soon.

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