Novacek Possible for the Cowboys

There’s a chance tight end Jay Novacek, who hasn’t played in the regular season because of a bad back, will be available to the Dallas Cowboys for the playoffs.

“He told some of our assistant coaches that his back has felt the best it has felt in a long time and is optimistic that he may play in the playoffs,” Coach Barry Switzer said Tuesday in Irving, Texas. “That would be a tremendous lift for our team. I’ll just wait for Jay to come to me and tell me when he’s ready.”

Since Novacek came to Dallas six years ago, no tight end has caught more passes (339) and only two had more receiving yards (3,576).

Eric Bjornson, groomed to be Novacek’s successor, has been hobbled because of injuries since training camp, hampering a sputtering Dallas offense that ranks 24th in the NFL and 18th in passing.

The Cowboys have carried Novacek on their 53-man roster instead of placing him on the injured reserve list in hopes he could be ready for the playoffs.

Dallas also has defensive end Charles Haley, who had back surgery last month but is now pain free, still on the active roster.

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Chuck Smith was suspended by Atlanta Falcon Coach June Jones after the defensive end complained about the team’s leadership.

Smith was suspended for “conduct detrimental to the team” one day after defiantly calling for change on the team, especially at the top.

Smith’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, did not return a call.

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The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum board has voted to go out of business over problems in selling personal seat licenses to finance the return of the Raiders.

Board members announced they will turn over control to county and city officials next month.

License sales are at least 9,000 short of the amount needed to break even and there is a possibility tax money will be needed as early as June to cover interest payments on $198 million in bonds issued to pay for the move and Coliseum renovation.

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Armed with a new four-year contract as the Cincinnati Bengals’ coach, and given free rein to put together a coaching staff, Bruce Coslet fired all but one of his defensive assistants.

Coslet fired defensive coordinator Larry Peccatiello, linebackers coach Joe Pascale, secondary coach Ron Meeks and offensive-defensive assistant Bobby DePaul. He spared Tim Krumrie, the former Bengal lineman.

Meanwhile, Bengal fans will have to pay between $300 and $1,500 for personal seat licenses to buy season tickets in the team’s new stadium.

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The San Diego Chargers’ leading rusher, Leonard Russell, underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee, the team said. Russell, who gained 713 yards in 219 carries, was hurt in Saturday’s loss at Chicago. . . . Promising to give voters the final say on taxes needed to build a stadium, prospective Seattle Seahawk owner Paul Allen received a package of Kingdome lease concessions from the King County Council, including a move to boost the team’s bottom line by more than $8 million over the next three years and to cut the expiration of the Kingdome lease from 2005 to 1999.