Allen Buys Seahawks, Cuts Ticket Prices

Billionaire Paul G. Allen on Monday exercised his option to buy the Seattle Seahawks and cut ticket prices for the cheapest seats at the Kingdome to $10, lowest in the NFL.

The price cut took effect with the signing of two documents: a letter notifying Seahawk owner Ken Behring that Allen would go through with the $200-million deal and a letter of intent between Football Northwest and King County to build a new stadium.

Approval by other NFL owners is expected this summer, said Bob Whitsitt, president of the Football Northwest group Allen formed in his bid to buy the team.

Hockey

Buffalo Sabre Coach Ted Nolan, recently honored as the NHL’s top coach, said he won’t be returning to the team he led to the division title last season.

Nolan said Darcy Regier, the new general manager, flew to Nolan’s home in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, to tell him that the team’s latest contract offer was no longer on the table. Nolan is out as of today.

John Pickett’s sale of the New York Islanders to Dallas businessman John Spano has hit a snag, and Pickett has asked NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman for an arbitration hearing because Spano failed to make payments required for the purchase of the Islanders, “and other matters.”

The Colorado Avalanche signed defenseman Jon Klemm and goalie Craig Billington to new contracts. Terms were not released.

College basketball

Steve Robinson, who signed a seven-year contract with Tulsa three months ago, resigned to succeed Pat Kennedy as basketball coach at Florida State.

Robinson becomes Florida State’s first black coach and the only black head basketball coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

His deal is reportedly for five years and worth $500,000 annually.

Pro basketball

Scottie Pippen says his decade of “hard work” for the Chicago Bulls has gone unappreciated, and he doesn’t expect to play for the five-time NBA champions after next season.

The all-star forward told the Chicago Sun-Times that management’s conduct makes him feel that his years with the team “ain’t worth a damn.”

Motor racing

Scott Sharp, who suffered a brain hemorrhage in a crash at the Indy Racing League’s Samsonite 200 Sunday at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo., was reported improving but still in serious condition.

Jim Guthrie, who crashed in practice Saturday, was released from the hospital. He injured his back and is expected to be sidelined six weeks.

Miscellany

The Galaxy released midfielders John Jones and Brad Wilson and former UCLA forward Ante Razov in a movement “to bring in some new blood,” interim Coach Octavio Zambrano said.

Golfer John Daly, who walked off the course during the second round of the U.S. Open, completed a five-day stay at a sports psychology and nutrition center, but it was undetermined when he would return to competition.

Southland Report

USC catcher Eric Munson and UCLA outfielder Eric Valent will play for the U.S. national baseball team against Korea in a two-game series at USC’s Dedeaux Field tonight and Wednesday at 7.

Salsipuedes, sailed by Fred Frye of San Diego, held a 27-mile lead over Endeavor II in the cruising division of the 39th Transpacific yacht race to Honolulu.