Panthers Get Barry Foster From Steelers

Barry Foster, the former Pro Bowl running back whose big contract and lack of durability made him expendable, was traded Monday by the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Carolina Panthers for future considerations.

The Steelers, who shopped Foster for months, are expected to receive two mid- to low-round draft picks for their all-time single-season rushing leader.

Foster’s departure has been expected since the Steelers signed former 1,000-yard running back Erric Pegram a month ago to complement 1994 rookie star Bam Morris.

*

Ickey Woods, 29, former star running back of the Cincinnati Bengals, signed with the Birmingham Barracudas of the CFL.

Basketball

University of Massachusetts Coach John Calipari interviewed for the Miami Heat coaching job, the Palm Beach Post reported.

The NBA and Top Rank of Louisiana have settled lawsuits against each other stemming from Top Rank’s failed bid to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves and move the team to New Orleans.

UCLA men’s basketball assistant coach Steve Lavin interviewed with Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski in Durham, N.C., for a possible opening on the Blue Devil staff.

Rejecting last-minute bids by Benetton Treviso and other Italian clubs, center Stefano Rusconi, 27, said that he’ll join the Phoenix Suns to become the first native Italian to play in the NBA.

A 1994 assault charge filed in San Antonio against idled Houston guard Vernon Maxwell will be dismissed, authorities said.

Thieves broke into a laundry room adjacent to the Clipper locker room at the Sports Arena over the Memorial Day weekend, stealing several pairs of practice shorts and socks and two cases of soft drinks.

Hockey

The Philadelphia Flyers will be without left winger Brent Fedyk for the rest of the playoffs because of a chipped vertebra at the top of his spine. Fedyk suffered the injury in Friday’s 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers.

The NHL’s two top scorers, Jaromir Jagr of Pittsburgh and Eric Lindros of Philadelphia, and goaltender Dominik Hasek of Buffalo were nominated for the league’s MVP trophy. Paul Kariya of the Mighty Ducks is one of three nominees for rookie of the year.

Miscellany

Ray Evernham, crew chief for NASCAR star Jeff Gordon, was fined a record $60,000 for using improper suspension parts during last weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.

UC Riverside outfielder Andy Owen was named the NCAA Division II player of the year by the American Baseball Coaches Assn. He batted .400 with seven home runs and 49 runs batted in.

Czech world javelin champion Jan Zelezny (297 feet 11 inches) and Irish distance runner Sonia O’Sullivan (8 minutes 45.50 seconds for 3,000 meters) established world seasonal bests at the Slovnaft track and field meet at Bratislava, Slovakia. Roger Kingdom equaled the season’s best mark in the 110 hurdles, 13.30 seconds.

Soccer’s 1998 World Cup in France will be extended two days to a total of 33, with the final on July 12 in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, FIFA officials said.

Aris Vovos, driving a Lancia HF Integrale, became the first Greek driver in 40 years to win the Acropolis rally at Athens.