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NEW YORK -- The NFL players union sent an open letter to team owners calling for an end to the lockout of on-field officials and hinting that its a violation of the contract between the players and the league. Dashon Goldson Jersey . The players were locked out for 4 1/2 months last year, and they emphasized in the letter, posted Sunday on the unions website, that a lack of a safe working environment exists with replacement officials working the games. Domonique Foxworth, president of the NFL Players Association, Drew Brees and Scott Fujita are among the union members who signed it. "Your decision to lock out officials with more than 1,500 years of collective NFL experience has led to a deterioration of order, safety and integrity," the NFL Players Association wrote. "This affirmative decision has not only resulted in poor calls, missed calls and bad game management, but the combination of those deficiencies will only continue to jeopardize player health and safety and the integrity of the game that has taken decades to build." The NFL did not respond to a request from The Associated Press for comment. In the letter signed by 12 current or former players, the players also ask why Commissioner Roger Goodell issues suspensions and fines "in the name of player health and safety" while the regular officials the league entrusts to maintain health and safety are locked out. "As players, we see this game as more than the product you reference at times," the letter said. "You cannot simply switch to a group of cheaper officials and fulfil your legal, moral, and duty obligations to us and our fans. You need to end the lockout and bring back the officials immediately." The NFL locked out the officials in June after their contact expired. It has used replacements for the first time since 2001, when the regular officials missed only the first week of action. But those replacements had experience at the highest levels of college football, and the current replacements come from lower college levels or from other leagues such as Arena Football. There have been numerous complaints by players and coaches about the officiating -- certainly more than when the regular officials work -- and Sunday was no different. In one particularly embarrassing episode an official was removed from working a New Orleans game because he posted photos of himself in Saints gear on Facebook. "The removal of the veteran officials from regular-season games left a group of your replacements who have proved to be incapable of keeping pace with the speed of the game," the players wrote. "Coaches and players have complained of numerous errors and failures including: erratic and missed calls on egregious holds and hits, increased skirmishes between players and confusion about game rules. Many replacements have lost control of games due to inexperience and unfamiliarity with players and rules." Browns linebacker Fujita was suspended for three games by Goodell for his role in the Saints bounties scandal, a suspension that was temporarily placed on hold by an appeals panel. Among others signing the letter were Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, Packers centre Jeff Saturday and former star safety Brian Dawkins, now retired. Frank Gore Game Jersey . -- NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says formal negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement with the players association havent started. A.J. Jenkins Jersey . The right-hander went on the disabled list earlier this month for the same problem, which has apparently hampered him all year. http://www.shopthe49ersjersey.com/carlos-rogers-jersey . The Ottawa Senators forward has signed on with Rapperswil-Jona for the duration of the NHL lockout, joining fellow Canadians Logan Couture (Geneva-Servette) and Rick Nash and Joe Thornton (HC Davos) in the Swiss A League. Colin Kaepernick Elite Jersey . Regardless of the outcome, the hearing gave Vilma and several current and former teammates, as well as Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt, a chance to explain why they believe NFL investigators "misconstrued" evidence gathered in their bounty investigation and incorrectly concluded that the Saints had a program in place that offered cash bonuses for tackles that injured opponents. Kyle Williams Jersey . Goran Dragic had 13 points and six assists for the Suns, who won two of their last three. Jordan Hamilton scored 15 points and Kenneth Faried added 12 for the Nuggets, who were without starters Danilo Gallinari and Andre Iguodala. MIAMI -- For the Miami Heat, one nearly perfect quarter was more than enough to help stop a two-game slide. Dwyane Wade scored 26 points, LeBron James finished with 24 points and seven assists, and the Heat shot a season-best 58 per cent on the way to topping the New Orleans Hornets 106-90 on Saturday night. Chris Bosh scored 13, and Ray Allen and Shane Battier each added 11 for Miami, which took control by outscoring the Hornets 33-10 over the final 11 minutes of the second quarter. New Orleans started the game 10 for 12 from the floor, then shot 9 for 31 over the rest of the half. "Weve got to defend. Its that simple," James said. "When we defend, the games that much easier for us." Ryan Anderson scored 24 for New Orleans, which got 20 from Robin Lopez and 12 from Jason Smith. The Hornets turned the ball over 19 times, and Miami converted the miscues into 22 points. New Orleans outscored Miami by one point in the first quarter, and one point over the course of the second half. The Hornets only got to the foul line 13 times, compared with 24 for the Heat. "When theyre grabbing you like they grab you, without a foul, its hard to control the ball," Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "Our guys are getting fouled on jump shots and its hard to not get frustrated. Im out there fighting for our guys, but thats something thats really frustrating. Its hard to be able to go to the basket when somebody has both hands on you." James has scored at least 20 points in all 18 Miami games this season. He tied a Heat record by scoring 20 in 23 straight regular-season games (going back to last season) and 39 consecutive games overall, including playoffs. He made 10 of his first 11 shots on Saturday. The Heat have been plagued by defensive issues at times this season, especially lately, and they looked to have returned in the early going on Saturday. The Hornets ran out to a 25-18 lead by the time this game was 7 minutes old, playing almost flawlessly in the early going. It didnt last much longer. Not only did Miami soon clamp down on the defensive end, the Heat offence began really clicking as well. "Better activity tonight," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "You could see the motor was better. We didnt do everything right. We still had a handful of breakdowns. But the commmitment on the defensive end was better than the past two games. Patrick Willis Camo Jersey. " Take away Smiths 5-of-7 effort in the second quarter, and the rest of the Hornets shot 2 for 13 in those 12 minutes when the game turned. Miami outscored New Orleans 33-15 in the quarter -- James, Bosh and Wade outscored the Hornets by three -- and seven different Heat players had at least one assist in that period alone. New Orleans starters were 1 for 2 in the pivotal second quarter, both of those shots by Lopez. Anderson was limited to 31 seconds of time on the court in the second because of foul trouble, and the other three Hornets starters besides Lopez failed to get a shot off in more than 12 combined minutes. "The positive that we can take away is that in the second half I think we held them to 40 or 42 points," Lopez said. "Imagine if we had come out with that effort from the get-go. It could have been a different game for us." By halftime, Miamis lead was 64-47, and the Heat werent in much trouble again -- though they had to work in the final minutes to finish off the team with the worst record so far in the Western Conference. Anderson and Greivis Vasquez made consecutive 3-pointers to get the Hornets within nine late in the third quarter. And with 4:40 left, Lopezs three-point play helped New Orleans close to 95-87. That was the last gasp for New Orleans. Battier took a pass from James and made a 3-pointer from the right corner with just under 3 minutes left, giving the Heat a 101-87 lead, and Wade sealed it with a jumper on the next Miami possession, part of what became an 11-0 game-deciding run. "We just want to work on consistency now," Bosh said. "Our antennas are up about it." NOTES: Bosh missed three dunk attempts in the game, including two on one possession in the third quarter, and predictably was teased in the locker room about it postgame. ... Allen is now five points shy of tying Adrian Dantley (23,177) for 22nd on the NBAs career scoring list. ... Miami improved to 9-1 at home. ... Since a 3-2 start, New Orleans has dropped 12 of 14. ... The Hornets played without injured rookie Anthony Davis, the No. 1 pick in this years draft, for the 11th straight game. He was on the court for a pregame workout and Williams said he hopes to get Davis back in the lineup sometime in the next few days. ' ' '