This Time, Tobin Follows Ryan at Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals hired Vince Tobin as coach on Wednesday, the second time he has been hired as a replacement for Buddy Ryan. Tobin, the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive coordinator last season, is the Cardinals’ fifth coach since the team moved to Arizona from St. Louis in 1988.

Tobin, 52, replaced Ryan, who was fired Dec. 26 after two seasons and a 12-20 record. Tobin replaced Ryan in 1986 as defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears when Ryan became coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

The new coach said he was optimistic about putting together a winning team quickly.

“I think the nucleus of this team is such that we can put together an excellent team in a very short period,” he said.

Tobin demurred when asked if he was saying there was “a winner in town,” the now infamous way Ryan described himself when he was hired Feb. 3, 1994.

“I’ve never gone into a game or a season thinking we couldn’t win,” Tobin said. “Now, is that a goal? I don’t know, but the only purpose of coaching or playing in the National Football League is to win, is to want to get to the Super Bowl.”

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The board of directors of Northwest Indiana-Chicagoland Entertainment Inc. voted to withdraw its proposal to build a stadium for the Chicago Bears in Lake County, Ind. The group also voted to dissolve the organization. . . . More than 125,000 screaming fans lined a downtown parade route to hail the Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys, who glided by on silver and blue floats. . . . Calgary Stampeder quarterback Doug Flutie has been given permission by the Canadian Football League to sign with the Toronto Argonauts.

Baseball

In what would be the first trade between American and Japanese major league teams, the Boston Red Sox are discussing a deal to acquire pitcher Robinson Checo from the Hiroshima Toyo Carp after the 1996 season for a player to be named and perhaps some cash.

First baseman David Segui agreed to a $3.1-million, two-year deal with the Montreal Expos, avoiding an arbitration hearing scheduled earlier in the day in Chicago. . . . In the first arbitration hearing of the year, Houston catcher Rick Wilkins asked arbitrator Morton Mitchnick for $1.55 million, a $75,000 raise from his salary in 1995. The Astros argued for a cut to $1.25 million. . . . The Chicago Cubs came to terms with the last of their arbitration-eligible players, agreeing to a $1.6-million, one-year contract with pitcher Frank Castillo. . . . The New York Yankees signed reliever Jeff Nelson to a two-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration with the right-hander.

Benji Gil homered and Mexico defeated Puerto Rico, 9-6, in 11 innings at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to move into first place in the Caribbean Series.

Swimming

For Brooke Bennett, one of the United States’ best distance swimmers, the Phillips 66 spring national championships this week in Orlando, Fla., are nothing more than another workout.

And that’s the way it will be for many of the more than 500 competitors at the meet starting today and ending Sunday.

With the U.S. Olympic trials scheduled March 6-12, the spring nationals have been relegated to a training session. Bennett, who won two gold medals at last summer’s Pan Pacific championships in Atlanta, said Wednesday she simply wants to test herself before the trials.

Soccer

Among the players chosen by the Los Angeles Galaxy on the second day of the Major League Soccer draft were UCLA midfielder John O’Brien, a Splash defender from Upland, forward Adan Villalvazo of Compton, Cal State Fullerton midfielder Brad Wilson of Lake Forest and University of San Diego midfielder David Beall of Glendale.

Two other Splash defenders also were selected: Denis Hamlett, in the second round, by Colorado; and Sean Bowers, third round, by Kansas City.

Miscellany

Randall Evans won the 50-meter sprint in 5.7 seconds at a meet in Moscow. Fellow American Andre Cason finished third in 5.75. . . . Namibia’s Frank Fredericks won the 60-200 sprint double in 6.52 and 20.37 seconds at the Coke indoor meet in Ghent, Belgium.

Europe’s most powerful soccer clubs backed away from a super league and threw their support behind the European governing body’s planned changes for three club competitions.

In a meeting with the owners of 33 clubs, UEFA President Lennart Johansson said the idea of a super league, suggested by Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein, wasn’t that warmly received.