Sports in brief: Vobora back from suspension

Football: St. Louis Rams linebacker David Vobora took the majority of snaps with the first string Wednesday in his first practice since a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

The second-year player from the University of Idaho said he did nothing wrong and plans to file a lawsuit over the matter.

“The system is difficult because I made every move I possibly could to check on certain supplements, got it checked out a number of times through the NFL hotline, and they told me there was nothing that could possibly trigger positive tests,” Vobora said.

Vobora said he’s spoken to players who have used the same supplement without getting suspended.

He said he would advise teammates that you can never be too careful.

“If you call the hotline and say, ‘I’ve got a broccoli supplement,’ they’re going to say, ‘Well, there’s nothing in broccoli that would test positive, but you still take it at your own risk.’ ”

Vobora, the final pick of the 2008 draft, thanked the Rams for supporting him after he explained the situation to coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney.

Associated Press

Bat company held liable

Baseball: A Montana jury in Helena has found the maker of Louisville Slugger baseball bats failed to adequately warn about the dangers the product can pose, awarding a family $850,000 for the 2003 death of their son in a baseball game.

The jury awarded a total of $850,000 in damages against Hillerich & Bradsby for failure to place warnings on the product.

However, the jury decided the product was not defective.

Brandon Patch’s family argued that aluminum baseball bats are dangerous because they cause the ball to travel at a greater speed.

They argued their 18-year-old son did not have enough time to react to the ball being struck before it hit him in the head while he was pitching in an American Legion baseball game in Helena in 2003.

Associated Press