Vikings: Birk to miss up to four months
The News
Vikings' center Matt Birk underwent hip surgery on Tuesday that could sideline him for all of training camp and even a portion of the regular season. Birk, who underwent three previous operations for sports hernias, had his labrum repaired during his most recent procedure. "This is all a function of having tried to compensate for (the hernias)," Birk told the ESPN website. "When they checked on the hernia, to see how it was progressing, they found this thing. Hopefully, this will take care of it." Birk has now undergone four surgeries over the last nine months.
Our View
Losing Birk for any length of time would be a big blow to the Vikings' offensive line. He is widely regarded as the team's top lineman, and his absence would be felt by everyone from quarterback Daunte Culpepper to running back Michael Bennett. If Birk misses playing time, he would likely be replaced in the starting lineup by six-year veteran Cory Withrow.

May 31, 2005 12:58 PM ET
Colts: Jackson faces lawsuit
The News
First-round pick Marlin Jackson joined the array of Colts making an appearance on the offseason legal blotter when a $10 million civil lawsuit was filed against him May 24. The lawsuit stems from a 2003 incident in which Jackson, then a student-athlete at Michigan, was charged with felonious aggravated assault for striking Shahin Farokhrany. Jackson pled guilty to a misdemeanor in August 2003 and completed community service and a one-year probation. At the time of Jackson's sentencing, Farokhrany told reporters that he didn't suffer any permanent damage to his vision and would not pursue civil action, adding that he wanted to move past the incident. Farkhrany's new lawsuit claims Farkhrany has suffered permanent vision loss, mental and physical anguish, and "general damages in the millions of dollars," according to the Indianapolis Star.
Our View
Funny how seeing the guy who kicked your tail land a fat NFL contract makes those bumps and bruises become lifelong debilitating scars, at least according to your ambulance-chasing attorney. Odds are Jackson will adhere to the time-honored tradition of making the lawsuit go away by paying the claimant some undeserved cash. Welcome to the NFL, Marlin. The incident is unlikely to impact Jackson's quest for a starting spot in the Indy secondary.