WASHINGTON — The top spokesman for NFL players said the union and league were not very close to agreeing to a new labor deal last week.

George Atallah said in a conference call with reporters Monday: “The perception is that we were really, really close. The reality is: We really, really weren't.”

Negotiations broke off Friday. The union dissolved itself and players sued the league in federal court; owners imposed a lockout.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees says the owners' final proposal Friday “was all a show, with no real intent to get a deal done.”

The two main sticking points: how much money owners would get up front before dividing the rest of $9 billion in annual revenues with players, and the union's demand for full financial disclosure.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — An autopsy performed on Rick Martin has determined that former Buffalo Sabres star forward died of hypertensive heart disease.New York State Police issued the findings of the autopsy performed Monday, a day after Martin was found unresponsive after the car he was driving left the road and struck a utility pole in suburban Buffalo.Dr. Diane Vertes conducted the autopsy at Buffalo's Erie County Medical Center, and ruled the cause of death to be Hypertensive Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, which is related to high blood pressure and clogged arteries.The 59-year-old Martin was a member of the Sabres' famed French Connection line in the 1970s.

New York Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter apologized for Twitter postings over the weekend about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.Pondexter tweeted on Saturday: “What if God was tired of the way they treated their own people in there own country! Idk guys he makes no mistakes.”She later tweeted: “u just never knw! They did pearl harbor so u can’t expect anything less.”Pondexter posted an apology Monday:“I wanna apologize to anyone I may hurt or offended during this tragic time,” the tweet said. “I didn’t realize that my words could be interpreted in the manner which they were”