Oilers Gain Right to Seek a New Temporary Home

The Tennessee Oilers are free to negotiate a deal to play next season in Nashville under an agreement approved Tuesday by Memphis officials.

The Memphis and Shelby County Sports Authority and the Memphis Parks Commission signed a deal calling for the Oilers to pay them $1.2 million to get out of a two-year contract to play in the Liberty Bowl. The city also won’t refund the $118,904 the team spent improving the stadium last year.

Under the agreement negotiated by the authority and the Oilers, the team has until April 30 to find another temporary stadium for this fall. If they don’t, they may play a second season in Memphis.

The team’s likely option for the 1998 season is Vanderbilt and its 41,448-seat stadium in Nashville, a few miles from the 67,000-seat stadium being built for the 1999 season.

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Minnesota Viking running back Robert Smith should be given the freedom to test the free-agent market, the NFL Players Assn. argued at a hearing in Washington. The NFL, however, said Smith is the Vikings’ franchise player. Special master Jack Friedenthal, the dean of the George Washington University Law School, held a two-hour hearing to determine whether to overturn the franchise designations placed on Smith and Buffalo nose tackle Ted Washington, rendering them free agents.

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Oakland Raider Coach Jon Gruden completed his staff by naming Gary Stevens, offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins for the last nine seasons, as quarterback coach. . . . The Dallas Cowboys released backup quarterback Wade Wilson to clear room under the salary cap but hinted he might be re-signed. . . . Unrestricted free-agent wide receiver Ricky Proehl signed a four-year contract worth $6 million that included a $1.6-million signing bonus with the St. Louis Rams.

Tennis

Xavier Malisse of Belgium, 17 years old and ranked 851st in the world, nearly turned his pro debut into one of tennis’ all-time upsets, pushing Pete Sampras to three sets before the world’s top-ranked player prevailed, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, at the Advanta Championships in Philadelphia.

Australian Open champion Petr Korda survived a slow start to defeat David Prinosil, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (7-2), 6-4, in his first match of the ATP Guardian Direct Open at London.

Venus Williams and her sister, Serena, cruised into the second round of the IGA Classic in Oklahoma City. Serena, 16, needed 44 minutes to defeat Katrina Adams, 6-2, 6-2, before Venus, 17, ousted Japan’s Nana Miyagi, 6-3, 6-2.

Lindsay Davenport, the second-ranked player in the world, was the first player selected by captain Billie Jean King for the U.S. Fed Cup team. King must select three more players from a pool of 10 candidates to play against the Netherlands at Kiawah Island, S.C., on April 18-19.

Jurisprudence

Toronto Raptor forward Gary Trent was sentenced in Lake Oswego, Ore., to five days in jail for violating terms of his probation stemming from a domestic violence incident involving his pregnant girlfriend last year.

Jasmine Nabwangu, 23, a topless dancer indicted with Cowboy receiver Michael Irvin on drug charges, was sentenced to one year in prison after violating her probation in Dallas.

University of Oregon quarterback Kabisa Akili Smith and running back Saladin McCullough were charged with assault, trespassing and harassment in connection with a fight outside a nightclub on Feb. 1 at Springfield, Ore.

Soccer

A three-goal salvo in three minutes took the Netherlands to a 3-2 victory over a depleted Mexico team at Miami’s Pro Player Stadium in a preview of their upcoming Group E clash in this summer’s World Cup in France.

Highly touted rookie midfielder Clint Mathis, who left the Los Angeles Galaxy last week to try out for a Dutch club, reversed his course again and signed with the Galaxy, the team announced.

The U.S. men’s soccer team plays Belgium tonight at Brussels, and the match completes a stretch of seven games in 33 days for the U.S. as it prepares for the World Cup.

Miscellany

Emmy-winning sportscaster Dick Enberg gave his signature “Oh, my!” as he received the 2,104th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Los Angeles City Council has asked city staff to prepare a report on staging a triathlon. The council asked staff to brief members within 30 days on how the L.A. Sports Council plans to raise money for the event.

Eddie Robinson, who retired after 57 seasons as Grambling’s football coach, will be honored with a lifetime achievement award Friday at the 25th “Unsung Heroes” dinner staged by the NFL Players Assn. in Washington.

Warren Woodson, the most successful coach in New Mexico State football history, has died of colon cancer at the age of 95.

Haile Gebrselassie, the 10,000-meter gold medalist at the Atlanta Olympics, is to receive track and field’s Jesse Owens International Trophy Award tonight in New York. The award honors athletic excellence and global goodwill.

Darlington Raceway, which opened Sept. 4, 1950, with the first Southern 500, was designated a historical site and recognized with a South Carolina historical marker. Darlington is NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway.

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Randy Harvey is on vacation.