USFL and Players Near Agreement on First Contract

The principals were close to an agreement Monday that would avert a threatened walkout by United States Football League players.

“I would say we are pretty close, that a settlement is within reach,” said Paul Martha, chief negotiator for the 3-year-old league. “Basically, the substantive terms have been agreed upon. The problem is that this is our first agreement and we have to articulate in writing what it is. Both sides are being very cautious on the language.”

Said Doug Allen, executive director of the players’ association: “With some minor resolutions, an agreement is possible. Hopefully it will be simple to resolve it and get in place,”

No formal bargaining sessions are planned, but both sides say they are attempting to reach agreement by the season opener Feb. 23. As a contingency, however, union officials are canvassing the league’s 14 teams seeking a strike authorization vote.

The USFL also announced that it will continue to experiment with taped TV replays of controversial officiating calls, despite objections from ABC and ESPN, the two networks that televise their games.

“We stated . . . that we thought there should be a clear difference between our responsibility as a broadcaster and any role we might have in game decisions,” said Jim Spence, senior vice president of ABC Sports. “Although our involvement would be indirect, we didn’t feel that was a proper role for us as a broadcaster.”

The San Francisco 49ers’ 38-16 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the 1985 Super Bowl was the most watched Super Bowl game in history, according to Neilsen’s total audience ratings. Those figures showed that 115,930,000 tuned in to some portion of the game Jan. 20, which was televised by ABC. Previous high was 110,230,000 for the 1982 Super Bowl between San Francisco and Cincinnati.

Mary Decker Slaney will be sidelined for three to six weeks with a muscle tear in her right calf, Dick Brown, coach of the middle distance runner, said in Eugene, Ore. Slaney was injured in the women’s 1,500-meter race in the U.S. Olympic Invitational track and field meet Saturday in East Rutherford, N.J.

Names in the News

Center Kelly Kisio of the Detroit Red Wings has been suspended for five games as the result of a high-sticking incident with Quebec’s Dale Hunter, the National Hockey League announced.

Laker forward Jamaal Wilkes, who suffered torn ligaments in his left knee Feb. 1, has been put on the team’s injured list. That leaves the Lakers with 11 players on the active roster, one under the limit.

Tackle Fred Miller, a captain of Knute Rockne’s team at Notre Dame in the 1920s, is among four deceased players named o the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame. Also named were, Don Holleder, an end-quarterback at Army from 1953-55; James (Monk) Moscrip, an end with Stanford in 1934 and 1935, and Steve Suhey, a Penn State guard from 1945-47.

Scond baseman Alan Wiggins has signed a four-year contract with the San Diego Padres. Terms were not disclosed. Wiggins was seeking $560,000 this season. The Padres had offered $425,000.