FOOTBALL

Saints’ appeals to be heard Thursday by NFL Commissioner Goodell

Saints Coach Sean Payton, GM Mickey Loomis and assistant head coach Joe Vitt are set to have their NFL appeals heard Thursday regarding the punishment they’ve received for their roles in New Orleans’ bounty system.

League spokesman Greg Aiello said former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who has since taken a job as defensive coordinator with the St. Louis Rams, did not appeal his indefinite suspension.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Payton for all of next season. Loomis was suspended for eight games, Vitt for six, and the Saints were fined $500,000 and docked two second-round draft picks.

• The Saints agreed to terms on a five-year contract with free-agent linebacker David Hawthorne, who spent the past four seasons with Seattle.

• Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin will have minor shoulder surgery soon to address a nagging injury he played with last season.

• The Giants signed free-agent safety Stevie Brown, who played eight games with the Colts last season.

SOCCER

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: With another record-setting performance by Lionel Messi, Barcelona advanced to the semifinals for the fifth straight season.

Messi converted a pair of penalty kicks in the first half and the defending champions beat AC Milan 3-1 at Barcelona, Spain, following a 0-0 tie in the first leg last week in Italy.

In Munich, host Bayern beat Marseille 2-0 on goals by Ivica Olic in the 13th and 37th minutes for a 4-0 aggregate win.

TENNIS

FAMILY CIRCLE CUP: Venus Williams beat qualifier Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-3 at Charleston, S.C., bouncing back from her quarterfinal loss at Key Biscayne.

Her sister, Serena, beat Elena Vesnina of Russia, 6-3, 6-4. The Williams sisters could meet in Saturday’s semifinals.

BOXING

JURISPRUDENCE: Former champion boxer Hector “Macho” Camacho, 49, is facing a felony count of child abuse and turned himself in to Florida authorities this week on a warrant filed late last year. He posted a $5,000 bond at the Orange County Jail in Orlando, Fla., and was released.

GOLF

MASTERS: Dustin Johnson withdrew from the Masters because of a lingering back injury that he aggravated while lifting a jet ski last week, his agent said.

Johnson, a five-time PGA Tour winner who is No. 12 in the world, described the injury as a “tweaked back” on Twitter.

WRESTLING

PRO: Hall of Famer Chief Jay Strongbow died at age 83, according to prowrestling.net.

Strongbow, whose real name is Joe Scarpa, was a top attraction in the WWE in the 1970s and early 80s.