Browns Sign Rypien as Testaverde Backup

The Cleveland Browns on Tuesday signed Mark Rypien, a former Super Bowl most valuable player, as a backup to quarterback Vinny Testaverde.

Rypien, 31, was cut by the Washington Redskins last month and was an unrestricted free agent.

*

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue is investigating the trade that sent quarterback Steve Bono from the San Francisco 49ers to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The 49ers cut Bono, who had a $1.55-million contract, on April 29, then re-signed him for $900,000 three days later and traded him to the Chiefs for a conditional draft pick.

*

Defensive end Robert Young agreed to terms on a three-year, $3.5-million contract with the Rams and expects to sign in the next few days. The Rams signed receiver Greg McMurtry to a one-year contract worth $500,000. McMurtry, a free agent, caught 22 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown last season for the New England Patriots.

Tennis

Top-seeded Pete Sampras extended his winning streak to 22 matches by defeating Aaron Krickstein at the Italian Open in Rome, 6-1, 7-6 (7-2). . . . Elena Makarova of Russia stunned Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), in the German Open at Berlin, sending the Spaniard to her earliest exit from a tournament in 3 1/2 years. . . . Jared Palmer beat Todd Martin for the second time in two days, defeating the top-seeded defending champion, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4, in the first round of the America’s Red Clay Championships at Coral Springs, Fla. On Sunday, Palmer beat Martin in the final of the USTA Clay Court Classic in Pinehurst, N.C.

Miscellany

At least seven members of Florida State’s national championship football team participated in a 90-minute shopping spree paid for by unlicensed sports agent recruiters, Sports Illustrated reported. In an article that will be available on newsstands today, the magazine also said at least six of the athletes received cash payments last season.

Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets was chosen NBA player of the year by the Sporting News. The publication also chose Chris Webber of the Golden State Warriors rookie of the year, Lenny Wilkens of the Atlanta Hawks coach of the year, and Bob Whitsitt of the Seattle SuperSonics executive of the year.

Valiant Nature won’t run in the Preakness, trainer Ron McAnally said in Louisville, Ky. Randy Winick, trainer of Brocco, said he hadn’t decided if they would go to Baltimore. . . . Irish jockey Declan Murphy, critically injured in a race May 2, was released from a hospital in Liverpool, England.

German star Michael Schumacher and other Formula One drivers are expected to provide key testimony in an investigation into the fatal crashes of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at the Imola track in Italy. . . . M. Wendall Smith, longtime football and track coach at Manual Arts High and Long Beach City College, died of heart disease Sunday in Riverside. He was 85.

World surfing champion Derek Ho is among those who will compete in an Assn. of Surfing Professionals event today and through Sunday at Huntington Beach. . . . Oscar Pellicioli of Italy won the sixth stage of the Tour DuPont bicycle race.

The World Boxing Organization’s junior welterweight title fight May 23 at the Forum between champion Vernal Phillips and Jaime Llanes has been rescheduled for July 22.