Chargers Sign ‘Franchise Player’ Tony Martin

Pro Bowl wide receiver Tony Martin, designated as a franchise player by the San Diego Chargers, signed a one-year contract with the team Friday.

Terms were not disclosed, but a club that designates a free agent as a franchise player must automatically tender the player a one-year contract worth the average of the five highest salaries at his position.

Martin, 31, signed a contract worth at least $2.77 million.

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The Seattle Seahawks swapped picks with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL draft to move up on the list and will select third.

Seattle also gets Atlanta’s third-round choice--the 63rd overall. Seattle gave up one of its first-round choices--the 11th overall--plus a second-round choice (41st overall), third-round choice (70th) and fourth-round choice (100th).

Jurisprudence

A Salt Lake City woman has appealed the dismissal of her lawsuit against Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls for allegedly pinching her on the buttocks.

U.S. District Court Judge David Sam ruled Feb. 28 that the claim of battery brought by Lavon P. Ankers was filed too late and was barred by the statute of limitations.

Ankers appealed Sam’s ruling to the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.

Rodman was accused of pinching Ankers, who was an usher at the Delta Center, during a May 5, 1994, game between the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs.

A Marion County Sheriff’s Department deputy acted properly when he did not ticket rookie center Erick Dampier of the Indiana Pacers for speeding, a police spokesman said.

Deputy Randy Elliott stopped Dampier about 1:30 p.m. Thursday for traveling more than 75 mph on Interstate 465 on Indianapolis’ north side. The speed limit is 55 mph.

Elliott gave Dampier a verbal warning.

A prosecutor in Beavercreek, Ohio, said he will not attempt a second trial of former Wright State basketball coach Ralph Underhill on allegations that he shoplifted vitamins worth $38 from a store.

The jury for Underhill’s first trial was unable to agree on a verdict March 14 and the judge declared a mistrial.

Auto Racing

Rain washed out qualifying for the NASCAR Busch Grand National series Galaxy Foods 300 at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina, giving Busch points leader Todd Bodine the pole for today’s 300-lap event.

A total of 31 entries were sorted out on the basis of owner points in the Busch series and the postmark on entries.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen of Germany and Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, both of the Williams Renault team, had the two best times in practice for Sunday’s Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix at Sao Paulo, Brazil. . . . Josie Van Neumann, the first woman licensed by the U.S. Auto Club to race professionally, died March 19 in Ojai.

Winter Sports

Maria Guarnieri of Mahopac, N.Y., returned from a back injury and won her first acro-skiing national title at Carrabassett Valley, Maine.

Guarnieri, 24, competed in the season-opening World Cup event in France but returned home with a herniated disk. She was unable to ski until last week.

Canadian Marc Gagnon won the 1,500 meters at the world short-track speedskating championships at Nagano, Japan.

Gagnon, defending world champion, was timed at 2:21.322 seconds, beating runner-up Orazio Fagone of Italy, at 2:21.617.

U.S. men’s Alpine Coach Thomas Karlsson resigned over differences in how the program is run. A replacement has not been named.

Miscellany

Boston University and North Dakota meet today in the NCAA hockey championship game at Milwaukee. Boston University (26-8-6) advanced after upsetting defending champion Michigan, 3-2, in the semifinals Thursday. North Dakota (30-10-2) defeated Colorado College, 6-2, in the other semifinal.

Brendan Morrison, Michigan’s center and captain, was selected as the winner of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, presented each year to the nation’s top college hockey player.

Citing limited budget and escalating costs, USA Track & Field has canceled the international Grand Prix meet scheduled for June 1 at New Orleans.