Raiders Reportedly to Sign Howard

The Oakland Raiders apparently believe that if they keep signing the most valuable player in the Super Bowl, they will return there someday.

The Raiders, who signed cornerback Larry Brown after last year’s Super Bowl, reportedly have reached agreement with free-agent kick returner Desmond Howard on a multiyear contract worth $1.5 million a season.

ESPN, citing NFL sources, said the deal will run four or five years. The Raiders have called a news conference today.

Howard’s 99-yard kickoff return with 3:10 left in the third quarter of the Super Bowl turned the momentum in Green Bay’s favor against New England.

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Quarterback Peyton Manning will announce at a news conference today whether he intends to return to Tennessee or enter the NFL draft.

Various sources, including agents and NFL officials, said they believe Manning is likely to remain at Tennessee.

If he comes out, Manning is likely to be the first pick in the April 19 draft, either by the New York Jets, who have that choice, or in a deal with Atlanta or New Orleans, who covet him.

Indications are it would be the Jets.

The other likely No. 1 is offensive tackle Orlando Pace of Ohio State. Jet Coach Bill Parcells has indicated he is satisfied with left tackle Jumbo Elliott, whom he coached with the New York Giants.

Manning, son of former NFL and Mississippi quarterback Archie Manning, did not have to declare his intention to enter the draft on Jan. 10, the deadline for most undergraduates, because he is scheduled to graduate this spring. That gives him until April 4 to make himself eligible for the draft.

Manning holds Tennessee records for career passing yardage, touchdowns, completions, attempts, completion percentage and numerous single-season marks. He has not discussed his plans since the Volunteers’ 48-28 victory over Northwestern in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day.

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The St. Louis Rams agreed to terms with running back Craig “Ironhead” Heyward on a four-year, $5.8-million contract. Heyward, 30, gained 321 yards for Atlanta last season after gaining 1,083 in 1995. . . . Despite a second-half collapse that cost them a playoff berth, the Washington Redskins have extended the contract of Coach Norv Turner through 2001.

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Steve Marshall, offensive line coach at UCLA for one season, has accepted a job as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M.; The Bruins will be looking for their sixth line coach in six seasons. . . . Mike Barry, USC’s offensive line coach since 1993, has been promoted to assistant head coach. . . . The NCAA will announce today its decision on allegations of recruiting violations by Georgia’s football program.

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Louisiana State starting safety Greg Hill, 20, suspended last month amid reports that he and other players used a coach’s long distance telephone code, has been arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison for “access device fraud” the school said.

Motor Sports

Roger Reiman, who won the first Daytona 200 motorcycle race, died after crashing during practice for the BMW Battle of the Legends racing series. He was 58.

The Harley-Davidson dealer from Kewanee, Ill., crashed on the infield of the Daytona Speedway’s 3 1/2-mile road course.

One rider partially lost control of his motorcycle, and bikes behind him slowed down, causing a chain-reaction collision involving at least five bikes, said a track spokesman.

Reiman won the inaugural Daytona 200 in 1961 and repeated in 1964 and 1965 to become one of only five racers to win the famed motorcycle race three times in its 55-year history. He also won the AMA Grand National Championship in 1964.

The Legends race for motorcycle racing greats was scheduled for later in the day but was canceled. Instead, Reiman’s bike was parked at the pole position, and participants rode a three-lap tribute.

Winston Cup driver Chad Little was fined $10,000 and Robby Gordon was fined $5,000 by NASCAR for rough driving at the end of Sunday’s race at Richmond International Raceway.

Miscellany

Federal investigators have reportedly concluded a three-year probe into possible point-shaving in two 1994 Arizona State basketball games.

ESPN reported that search warrants have been prepared in the case, which focuses on games against Washington and Washington State in which the favored Sun Devils failed to cover the point spread. Betting was so heavy and unusual in the games that most Las Vegas bookies stopped taking bets.

Byron Black of Zimbabwe upset top-seeded Marcelo Rios, 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) in the Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic at Scottsdale, Ariz. In other matches, Albert Costa beat Marc Goellner of Germany, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), and Richey Reneberg beat Vincent Spadea, 7-6 (7-1), 0-6, 6-1.

Pete Arbogast, former USC football and basketball play-by-play radio announcer, has been hired by the Cincinnati Bengals. Arbogast, 42, was at KNX from 1983-95.

Rhonda Windham, general manager of the Los Angeles Sparks, has obtained permission from California to speak with former USC women’s coach Marianne Stanley about coaching the Women’s NBA team. “We’re interested in several coaches, and Marianne is on that list,” said Windham.

Stanley is finishing her first season as Cal’s head coach after co-coaching Stanford to the women’s Final Four last year.

Arizona State scored 139.5 points and four first places to win the Pac-10 team wrestling championship.

Two-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion and current leader Martin Buser is on a record pace and was the first across the treacherous Farewell Burn and into the small village of Nikolai, Alaska. He leads by nearly three hours.

Sidney Green, who played for the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks, resigned as basketball coach at Southampton College to spend more time with his family. In two seasons, Green had a 29-27 record.