Scott Mitchell Signs With the Lions

Scott Mitchell, the backup quarterback to Miami’s Dan Marino the last four seasons, signed Sunday with the Detroit Lions.

The Lions declined to disclose terms. However, radio station WWJ-AM reported that Mitchell signed a three-year, $11-million contract.

The only quarterback on Detroit’s roster before Mitchell’s signing was Chuck Long, who didn’t play last year. Erik Kramer signed with the Chicago Bears, and Rodney Peete and Andre Ware are free agents and aren’t expected to return.

The 6-foot-5 Mitchell hadn’t started an NFL game until Marino was sidelined last season because of a torn Achilles’ tendon. Mitchell started seven games, completing 133 of 233 passes for 1,773 yards, 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His efficiency rating of 84.2 ranked fifth in the AFC.

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The Washington Redskins made their first dip into the NFL free-agent pool, signing linebacker Ken Harvey, who had been with the Phoenix Cardinals. Harvey got a four-year contract believed to be worth $11 million, including a $3-million signing bonus.

Tennis

Steffi Graf, yet to lose a set this year, defeated Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, 6-3, 7-5, to win the Virginia Slims of Florida at Delray Beach for the third consecutive year. Graf is 22-0 this year and has won 45 consecutive sets.

Miscellany

Colin Jackson of Britain set a world indoor record for the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.30 seconds in a meet at Sindelfingen, Germany. He trimmed .06 seconds off his finish at Glasgow on Feb. 12, when he tied the record set in 1987 by Greg Foster.

Fredrik Nyberg of Sweden scored his second World Cup victory of the year on by winning the Aspen World Cup giant slalom.

Kelly Slater of Cocoa Beach, Fla., the 1992 world surfing champion, won the Body Glove Open at Cardiff. He was was followed by Rob Machado of Cardiff, Richie Collins of Newport Beach and Joey Jenkins of North Hollywood. Ted Robinson of Manhattan Beach won the longboard event and Harry Antipala of La Jolla won the bodyboard title.

Rick Swenson, the first musher on the trail at the Willow restart of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, was the first racer into the Yentna checkpoint Sunday.

Intrum Justitia, skippered by Britain’s Lawrie Smith, was the first yacht in the Whitbread Round the World race to round Cape Horn.