Chiefs Release Lowery but Hope to Re-Sign Kicker

The most accurate kicker in NFL history is out of work.

In a salary-cap move, the Kansas City Chiefs released Nick Lowery on Wednesday, hoping to re-sign him for lower pay as a free agent. Lowery, 38, will be asked to take a cut from his scheduled base salary of $675,000. Bonuses and incentive clauses could have raised the figure to $771,000.

Lowery said last month that if he were cut, he would be curious about his market value. Kicker Pete Stoyanovich signed a $4.25-million contract with the Miami Dolphins in February.

The Chiefs had approached Lowery about taking a pay cut last April, but he declined.

Kansas City has signed free-agent kicker Lin Elliott.

Lowery was 23 for 29 last season. Four of the misses were from farther than 40 yards and one was blocked. He is 329 for 411 in his career, the NFL leader at 80%.

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Unless an agreement is reached soon, All-Pro cornerback Deion Sanders will not play for the Atlanta Falcons next season.

The Falcons are offering Sanders, who also plays baseball and was recently traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Cincinnati Reds, a one-year contract for $2.88 million, pro-rated according to the number of games he plays. Sanders is demanding a three-year contract.

If Sanders rejects the latest overtures, the Falcons are expected to sign linebacker Clay Matthews, an unrestricted free agent formerly with the Cleveland Browns. Falcon Coach June Jones said the team could not afford to sign both.

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The Detroit Lions signed wide receiver Anthony Carter, formerly with the Minnesota Vikings. His contract is reportedly for one season at $1.2 million. . . . The Green Bay Packers signed Steve McMichael, longtime defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears.

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Notre Dame football players Michael Miller and Tracy Graham will face only minor penalties after a theft investigation, but that doesn’t mean they will be back on the team, Coach Lou Holtz said.

Although Miller told the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune he expects to play this season, Holtz said no decision has been made.

Olympic Games

Gay rights activists say they will use this weekend’s annual Gay Pride march in Atlanta to focus attention on efforts to move the 1996 Olympic volleyball competition from suburban Cobb County, whose officials condemned the gay lifestyle last August.

Olympic organizers, who tried and failed to obtain a compromise between the county and gay organizations, have said they are considering alternative sites but none has been chosen.

Tennis

Struggling to regain his pre-French Open consistency, Pete Sampras defeated Jonas Bjorkman, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, to advance to the third round of the Queen’s Club grass-court tournament in London.

Jared Palmer and Richey Reneberg will play doubles for the U.S. Davis Cup team next month in its second-round match against the Netherlands, American captain Tom Gullikson said.

Track and Field

Johnny Gray of the United States, 1992 Olympic bronze medalist, easily won the 800 meters in the year’s best time of 1 minute 43.76 seconds at the IAAF Mobil Grand Prix Golden Gala meet in Rome.

The Santa Monica Track Club, anchored by Carl Lewis, won the 400-meter relay but its time of 38.31 seconds was disappointing.

Miscellany

Mike Scyphers, suspended baseball coach at Simi Valley High, broke no laws and will not be prosecuted for allegations of improper conduct, the Ventura County District Attorney’s office said. Schyphers was suspended May 3 for allowing players to paddle other players for violating team rules and for cashing a $700 check for a field rental fee from the National Adult Baseball Assn. and distributing it to his assistant coaches.

Organizers of last summer’s World University Games in Buffalo, N.Y., can’t pay nearly $3 million owed to companies that provided food, transportation, laundry and other services. Officials had hoped that the New York budget would include enough money to bail them out, but the state funds fell short.

Patrick Delofe and Florent Rupert, imprisoned crewmen of the French yacht in the Whitbread round-the-world race, were freed on bail after 10 weeks in jail in Montevideo, Uruguay, after being arrested with others from the crew for allegedly beating a burglar who had broken into their room.

Right wing Rick Tocchet of the Pittsburgh Penguins has undergone back surgery but should be ready for training camp.