Vikings Sign Ball, Murray; Kicker Cut

Nose tackle Jerry Ball and kicker Eddie Murray, two unemployed former Pro Bowl players, got jobs with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings signed Ball to help solidify one of the NFL’s worst run defenses, and Murray to replace Davis, who was released after missing two field-goal attempts two weeks ago against Chicago and one from 22 yards in Sunday’s loss at Green Bay.

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Abe Gibron, the former Chicago Bear coach known for his sense of humor and his appetite, died Tuesday, a day after his 72nd birthday, at his home in Belle Aire, Florida. Gibron coached the Bears for three seasons, 1972-74. . . . The Bears placed running back Rashaan Salaam on the injured reserve list, a move that confirms he will miss the rest of the season. Salaam, the 1994 Heisman Trophy winner at Colorado, broke a bone in his left leg and sustained torn ligaments in his left ankle in a game Sept. 14 against Detroit. . . . There were no “ghost voters” in the city election that gave the go-ahead to the new San Francisco 49ers stadium, clerk of elections Germaine Wong said. “Contrary to headlines in both San Francisco daily newspapers, there were no fraudulent ‘ghost’ or dead voters in the June 3, 1997 election,” Wong said.