Levens to Sign for One Year

Running back Dorsey Levens has agreed to sign a one-year “franchise tender” with the Green Bay Packers and end his contract holdout, according to published reports.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Levens had agreed Friday to the deal that would pay him $2.742 million for one year as the team’s franchise player and leave the door open for a long-term deal to be worked out later.

*

A New York real estate financier has offered $450 million for the Washington Redskins and Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, the first of what may be many offers as the trustees of the Cooke estate prepare to put the team on the market.

Sources familiar with the offer from Andrew Penson, 37, which would be the highest price ever paid for an NFL franchise, said the deal is for cash and the buyer would assume none of the stadium’s $161-million debt.

*

Linebacker Andre Royal says he told NFL investigators that he participated with some of his New Orleans Saint teammates in the hazing of rookies, but insisted he didn’t strike any of the players with a bag of coins.

Royal said he was interviewed Wednesday along numerous other Saint players about what happened Aug. 20. Royal admitted to striking players with his elbows and shoulders as they ran through a gantlet of about 25 to 30 players.

“I don’t even think a bag of coins was there,” Royal said. “I was at the end where they was throwing the water. I got soaking wet myself.”

*

Janet Elway, the wife of Denver Bronco quarterback John Elway, was in fair condition at Swedish Hospital in Denver over complications from colon surgery, a hospital spokeswoman said.

*

The NFL Players Assn. predicted it will earn$1 million a season by 2000 charging fantasy-game operators for using players’ names.

“I think it’s apparent that if there are people making money from names off the backs of players’ jerseys, the players should get a piece of that,” said Doug Allen, union assistant executive director.