Marchibroda Back in Baltimore as Infante Takes Job With Colts

Ted Marchibroda signed a three-year contract Thursday as the coach of Art Modell’s NFL team in Baltimore, the former Cleveland Browns.

Marchibroda was coach of the Baltimore Colts from 1975 to 1979, the final glory days of a team that left town in 1984. He led Indianapolis to a 9-7 record and the AFC championship game last season, but left the organization after the Colts had offered him a one-year contract without a raise in pay.

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Lindy Infante, Marchibroda’s former offensive coordinator, was hired to succeed him as coach at Indianapolis.

The Colts also ensured the return of quarterback Jim Harbaugh by designating him their franchise player. Franchise players can’t switch teams if they are offered the average salary of the five highest-paid players at their position--currently about $4.1 million a year for quarterbacks.

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The Atlanta Falcons made quarterback Jeff George a transition player, which gives the team an opportunity to match any competing offer as long as the Falcons pay an average of the top 10 salaries at the position or give George a 20% raise, whichever is greater.

The Falcons also signed left tackle Bob Whitfield to a five-year, $15.5-million deal, making him the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman.

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The Dallas Cowboys made Darren Woodson the highest-paid safety in NFL history by signing him to a six-year deal worth $18 million, with a $5.4-million signing bonus. . . . Pro Bowl tight end Mark Chmura signed a three-year contract with the Green Bay Packers believed to be worth between $1.3 million and $1.5 million a year. . . . Phillippi Sparks, one of the best coverage cornerbacks in the league, agreed to a four-year, $9.6-million contract with the New York Giants that sources said included a club-record $3-million signing bonus. Rodney Hampton, the team’s all-time leader rushing, was designated as their transition player. . . . Defensive end Marvin Washington signed a four-year deal worth nearly $10 million with the New York Jets hours before he would have become a free agent. The Jets also changed the status of tight end Johnny Mitchell from transition player to franchise player. . . . Defensive tackle Ray Childress, an 11-year veteran of the Houston Oilers, was released to gain room under the salary cap. The team also released, among others, wide receiver Haywood Jeffires. . . . The San Diego Chargers signed defensive tackle Shawn Lee to a four-year deal worth about $8.5 million and added a year to linebacker Junior Seau’s contract as part of a restructuring. . . . The Arizona Cardinals made defensive tackle Eric Swann their first franchise player. . . . The Miami Dolphins waived running back Keith Byars and designated cornerback Troy Vincent and defensive end Marco Coleman as transition players. . . . Tampa Bay receiver Horace Copeland, passing up an opportunity to test his worth in free agency, re-signed with the Buccaneers. . . . Larry Beightol, the offensive line coach for the Oilers, told a Houston television station he has accepted an offer to become assistant head coach of the Dolphins.

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A federal judge in Minneapolis issued a temporary restraining order that set the NFL salary cap for 1996 at $40.8 million, about $2.1 million higher than the owners wanted.

Golf

Wayne Levi, who had to use his exemption based on career winnings to remain on the PGA Tour this year, shot a five-under-par 67 over a wind-blown Waialae Country Club course for a one-stroke lead over Scott Simpson and Jim Furyk after one round of the Hawaiian Open at Honolulu.

Jurisprudence

A scratched, bruised and tearful Felicia Moon told a detective last summer that her husband, Minnesota Viking quarterback Warren Moon, had attacked her during an argument at their suburban Houston home. However, the testimony in the spousal-abuse trial at Richmond, Texas, was rejected as hearsay. Moon is facing up to a year in jail and a fine of $4,000 if convicted of the misdemeanor assault charge.

A Nevada Las Vegas football player pleaded guilty to a false imprisonment charge in an incident involving a female student in a dorm room.

Arthur Turner Jr. faces up to a year in prison when sentenced April 3 after entering the plea as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

Tennis

Pete Sampras, trying to return to No. 1 in a hurry, defeated Portugal’s Nuno Marques, 6-1, 6-3, in the Sybase Open at San Jose. Sampras, ranked No. 2 in the world, can overtake No. 1 Thomas Muster by winning this tournament.

In other matches, Andre Agassi defeated Jonathan Stark, 6-4, 6-4, and Michael Chang shook off a first-set loss and beat Marcos Ondruska, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Top-seeded Iva Majoli made it into the quarterfinals of the Paris Open without playing a match. Majoli, of Croatia, had a first-round bye, then her opponent in the second round, Sandrine Testud of France, had to withdraw because of a strained groin muscle.

Boxing

Jorge Paez (55-10-4, 36 knockouts) stopped Paris Alexander (19-10-3) at 1:57 of the fifth round in their scheduled 10-round lightweight bout at the Grand Olympic Auditorium.

The British Boxing Board refused heavyweight Joe Bugner, 45, a license to fight in Britain.

Soccer

Major League Soccer, less than two months from beginning play, might use larger goals in its inaugural season. FIFA has suggested expanding the goal from its current height of 8 feet and width of 24 feet to 8-9 3/4 high and 25-7 1/2 wide.

Names in the News

Locke’s Fred Lee, the Times’ Central City football back of the year, signed a letter of intent to attend Washington State. . . . George Jefferson, UCLA’s first Olympic medal winner in track and field, died of heart problems, the school announced. Jefferson won a bronze in the pole vault in the 1932 Summer Games in Los Angeles.