Buccaneer Owner Culverhouse, 75, Dies

Hugh Culverhouse, a millionaire tax attorney who ran the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a frugality that made for sound business but frustrating football, died Thursday after a 20-month battle with lung cancer.

Culverhouse, 75, died in New Orleans, where he had been undergoing treatment since last week.

Culverhouse paid $16 million for one of two expansion teams that began play in 1976. He was the only owner in club history and resisted the temptation to move the franchise when attendance dipped or to sell to parties wanting to relocate the team.

Jurisprudence

San Mateo County Commissioner George Taylor, who last week asked for Barry Bonds’ autograph after reducing the outfielder’s family support payments, has written a letter of apology.

Taylor sent the letter to attorneys on both sides of the case and Superior Court presiding judge Aram Serverian, conveying “the court’s sincerest regrets of impropriety. . . . In retrospect, it was the wrong thing to do and I simply won’t make excuses.”

Superior Court Judge Patricia Gifford has granted a request by boxer Mike Tyson’s attorneys to move a court hearing in Indianapolis back two months so they have more time to prepare. The hearing was moved from Sept. 12 to Nov. 14. There was no objection from prosecutors. Tyson’s attorneys have asked the judge to consider throwing out his rape conviction and holding a new trial.

Pro Basketball

Moses Malone, three-time NBA most valuable player, signed with the San Antonio Spurs. Malone, 39, played for the Philadelphia 76ers last season.

A trade that would send Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls to the Miami Heat for Rony Seikaly and Glen Rice or Steve Smith is being discussed, according to the Miami Herald.

Hockey

The Edmonton Oilers matched the Kings’ offer to free-agent forward Scott Thornton. Thornton, 23, received a three-year deal worth $425,000 the first season, $450,000 the second and $500,000 in the final year.

Tennis

Pete Sampras, who has not played in more than a month because of an inflamed ankle, will open defense of his U.S. Open title against a qualifier and will face other easy opponents in the early rounds next week, according to Thursday’s draw. Defending women’s champion Steffi Graf will open against novice Anne Hall.

Ivan Lendl was ousted from the OTB International Open at Schenectady, N.Y., losing to Chuck Adams, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4. Mats Wilander also lost, falling to Younas El Aynaoui of Morocco, 7-6 (7-4), 1-6, 6-2, and top-seeded Sergi Bruguera was beaten, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, by Jonas Bjorkman.

Third-seeded Michael Chang beat qualifier Ignacio Martinez of Mexico, 6-2, 6-1, to advance to the quarterfinals of the Waldbaum’s Hamlet Cup in Commack, N.Y.

Names in the News

Karen Kurreck of Cupertino, Calif., who had never won a time trial much less an international race, became world champion in the time trial competition at the World Cycling Championships in Catania, Sicily.

Michael Andretti was released from a hospital 24 hours after sustaining a concussion during an Indy car test session at Nazareth, Pa.

Jerode (Smokey) Banks, 20, a promising forward on the Baylor basketball team, was killed when his car struck a highway overpass support on Interstate 35 in Texas.

Scott Keswick, 24, of UCLA, fell off the high bar in the fifth event but still went on to win the men’s all-around competition at the National Gymnastics Championships in Nashville, Tenn., ahead of Temple’s Bill Roth and Steve McCain of UCLA.

The British Athletic Federation confirmed that six athletes have tested positive for drugs this summer, including Paul Edwards, a shotputter; Diane Modahl, the defending Commonwealth Games champion in the women’s 800 meters; 200-meter runner Solomon Wariso and three others whose names were not immediately disclosed. All six face suspensions of up to four years.