Green Bay Loses 2 More Players to Free Agency

The Green Bay Packers lost two free agents Friday, veteran defensive back Eugene Robinson and offensive lineman Aaron Taylor.

Robinson, a safety who has made the Pro Bowl twice, signed with the Atlanta Falcons, Taylor with the San Diego Chargers.

Robinson, 34, the NFL’s active leader in interceptions, agreed to a two-year contract with Atlanta. He started every game the last two Super Bowl seasons for Green Bay.

Six Packers have signed elsewhere as free agents this off-season, cornerback Doug Evans, defensive end Gabe Wilkins, running back Edgar Bennett and punter Craig Hentrich having left earlier.

The 1998 Super Bowl-winning Denver Broncos also lost a free agent. Brian Habib, a key player in the offensive line, agreed to a three-year deal with Seattle.

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Eddie DeBartolo, who shares ownership of the San Francisco 49ers with his sister, will give up any claim to the rest of the family’s business empire if she will sell him her share in the football team, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

According to the newspaper, DeBartolo, who is under scrutiny in a gambling investigation in Louisiana, offered his sister, Denise DeBartolo York, as much as $125 million for her 45% share of the 49ers.

Published reports say DeBartolo already owes his sister and the family corporation $75 million. The newspaper said he would raise the buyout money either by taking out a loan against the value of the five-time Super Bowl champions, estimated at $250 million, and then would bring in other investors.

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Free-agent fullback William Floyd left the 49ers and signed a four-year contract with the Carolina Panthers worth $6.2 million. . . . Defensive end Clyde Simmons, one of football’s leading pass rushers and an integral part of Jacksonville’s impressive playoff run in 1996, was released by the Jaguars. . . . Running back Mario Bates, who played the last four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, agreed to a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals. . . . Wide receiver Andre Hastings agreed to a three-year contract to stay with the Saints.

Auto Racing

Pontiacs driven by John Andretti and surprising Todd Bodine took the front-row positions in qualifying for Sunday’s PrimeStar 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga.

Andretti won the pole with a 192.956-mph lap.

After Ford drivers took the top seven spots last Sunday in the Las Vegas 400, NASCAR chopped a quarter of an inch off the rear spoiler of the Taurus for this week’s race.

Fords still swept the third through seventh spots.

Steve Park, 30, a rookie who drives for NASCAR Winston Cup star Dale Earnhardt, received multiple fractures in a hard crash during practice for the PrimeStar 500.

Finland’s Mika Hakkinen won a thrilling qualifying duel with McLaren teammate David Coulthard to claim his the pole position for the Australian Grand Prix.

Hakkinen’s best lap of the 3.274-mile layout in Albert Park in Melbourne was 130.945 mph. Coulthard was only .043 seconds slower than his teammate.

Tennis

Australian Patrick Rafter and Britain’s Greg Rusedski, the two biggest stars of the ABN AMRO indoor tournament, were upset in quarterfinal matches at Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Top-seeded Rafter lost to Jan Siemerink of the Netherlands, 6-4, 6-4. Siemerink will face fifth-seeded Richard Krajicek in the semifinals. Krajicek rallied to beat Rusedski, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-3).

Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands overcame swirling winds to upset second-seeded Albert Costa of Spain, 6-3, 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the Franklin Templeton Classic at Scottsdale, Ariz. Andre Agassi was leading Jan-Michael Gambill, 4-3, when rain halted the match.

Miscellany

A judge dismissed charges of assault and disorderly conduct against retired fighter Michael Carbajal, who was accused of beating up an off-duty police officer last year at Chandler, Ariz. Municipal Court Judge Michael Morales ruled there was not enough evidence to prosecute Carbajal.

It was bad judgment, not an NCAA violation, for a dozen Notre Dame football players to accept gifts from a woman suspected of embezzling as much as $750,000 from a local business, Athletic Director Mike Wadsworth said.

Kimberly Ann Dunbar, 28, who has a child with former Irish free safety Jarvis Edison, gave jewelry, clothing and trips to 12 former and current players from 1993-98, a university investigation found.

Patrick Augusta’s power-play goal for the Ice Dogs at 16:05 of the first period gave Long Beach a 1-0 International Hockey League victory at Milwaukee. Goaltender Kay Whitmore made 27 saves for Long Beach (42-17-8).

The City of Long Beach will hold a rally for the Long Beach StingRays today at 2 p.m. at Belmont Shore. The StingRays will play the Columbus Quest in the ABL championship series starting Sunday at the Pyramid.