Cowboys Top Forbes List; Were Dodgers Overpriced?

The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable franchise in North American sports and the Dodgers are only the eighth-most valuable in baseball, according to estimates by Forbes.

While the Dodgers were sold by Peter O’Malley and his family this year for about $350 million, Forbes says the team is worth $236 million.

Dallas is worth $413 million, the magazine says in its Dec. 14 issue, which was released Sunday. The Washington Redskins are worth $403 million, the Carolina Panthers $365 million and the New York Yankees $362 million.

The Forbes’ value of the Yankees is far below the reported $600 million to $1 billion that, according to a various reports, Cablevision Systems Inc. and George Steinbrenner have discussed in their sales talks.

The Chicago Bulls ($303 million) top NBA teams on the list at $303 million, followed by the New York Knicks ($296 million) and Lakers ($268 million). The New York Rangers ($195 million) top the NHL.

Baltimore is ranked second in baseball at $323 million, followed by Cleveland ($322 million) and Colorado ($303 million), Atlanta ($299 million), Texas ($254 million) and Seattle ($251 million).

Estimates are based on 1997 revenue and expenses for baseball and NFL teams, and 1997-98 revenue and expenses for NBA and NHL teams.

Golf

Tiger Woods, in his debut on the Japan PGA Tour at Ibusuki, Japan, finished tied for 15th in the $1.25-million Casio World Open, after a final-round, two-under 70 gave him a 284 total.

Brian Watts won the event, beating Japan’s Toshimitsu Izawa on the second hole of a playoff. They had finished regulation play at 14-under 274 after shooting 68s in the final round.

Australia’s Stephen Leaney made a six-foot par putt on the first hole of a playoff with Corey Pavin to win the ANZ Players Championship at Brisbane, Australia.

Leaney closed with a five-under 68, to match Pavin at 17-under 275.

Australia’s Graham Marsh won the Japan Senior Open, ending Isao Aoki’s bid for a record fifth straight title.

Marsh shot a two-under 70 for a 14-under 274 total at Sadohara, Japan. Toru Nakayama of Japan fired a 68 and finished second at 278. Aoki shot a 70 and was third at 279.

Winter Sports

Alexandra Meissnitzer won a World Cup super-giant slalom race to complete an Austrian gold-medal sweep of the three women’s events at Lake Louise, Canada.

Meissnitzer, who came into the race with two previous World Cup super-G wins, flashed down the slick course in 1 minute 17.32 seconds to claim the gold.

Austrian Renate Goetschl, who won downhills Friday and Saturday, failed to finish the super-G when she missed a gate in an area near the end of the course known as Double Trouble. Goetschl was ahead of Meissnitzer’s pace at the time.

Martin Schmitt of Germany won his second straight World Cup ski-jumping competition with 239.9 points, 16.4 points ahead of Finland’s Janne Ahonen at Lillehammer, Norway.

Also at Lillehammer, World Cup leader Hannu Manninen of Finland won the Nordic combined sprint competition.

Italy’s Armin Zoeggeler won the men’s singles luge World Cup race at Alternberg, Germany, with a time of 1 minute 51.484 seconds for two heats, as the powerful Germans were shut out of the medals.

Per Elofsson passed Tor Arne Hetland of Norway during the final kilometer, giving Sweden victory in the season’s first cross-country World Cup ski relay at Muonio, Finland.

Miscellany

The USC and UCLA women’s volleyball teams received bids to the NCAA Division I tournament. The No. 9 Trojans (22-5) will play host to Maryland-Baltimore County (22-6) Friday, while the No. 15 Bruins (15-11) meet Virginia (26-7) Saturday at UC Santa Barbara.

Tom Bilello, associate athletic director at Troy (Ala.) State, died Saturday at 34 after collapsing at the wheel while driving home from his school’s football game. The cause of death has not been determined.

Mike Campbell’s goal in injury time gave Ohio Wesleyan a 2-1 victory over Greensboro in the championship game of the NCAA Division III soccer tournament at Delaware, Ohio.

Italy became the first men’s team to win three straight world volleyball titles, defeating Yugoslavia, 15-12, 15-5, 15-10, at Tokyo in the World Championships.

Portugal’s Alcidio Costa won the Discoveries Marathon at Lisbon, defeating favored William Musyoki of Kenya in 2 hours 16 minutes 5 seconds. France’s Christine Mallo took the women’s title in 2:33:46.