Doctors: Brown May Have Permanent Eye Damage

Orlando Brown might have permanent damage in the eye that was hit by a referee’s weighted penalty flag during a game, doctors said Monday.

The Cleveland Brown tackle, who pushed referee Jeff Triplette to the ground after being struck by the flag, was being treated for impaired vision at the Cleveland Clinic.

Brown’s father lost his sight to glaucoma in 1993.

Triplette’s 3-ounce flag--weighted with BBs--struck Brown directly in his right eye Sunday in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“My actions yesterday were based upon an incredible amount of pain which affected my judgment,” Brown said in a statement. “This situation was very scary due to my father’s blindness and having to deal with that for many years.

“My injury and those facts still do not justify pushing an official. I regret what happened a great deal. Nothing like this will ever happen again.”

The NFL is considering disciplinary action, which could include a fine and suspension. The minimum fine for physical contact with an official is $10,000.

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Stephen Bisciotti will pay $250 million for 49% of the Baltimore Ravens and an option to buy the team in 2004, the Baltimore Sun reported. . . . Denver Bronco offensive tackle Tony Jones will undergo season-ending surgery on a triceps muscle. . . . Buffalo Bill cornerback Ken Irvin underwent season-ending surgery on his left foot. . . . New England Patriot receiver Terry Glenn is being sued by a woman who claims he touched her inappropriately outside a Saugus, Mass., nightclub early Thanksgiving morning. . . . X-rays on Jacksonville linebacker Kevin Hardy’s neck were negative and he’ll probably play this weekend. . . . Indianapolis Colt defensive end Shawn King has been suspended from the NFL for at least one year for violations of the league’s drug and alcohol policy. Colt defensive back Steve Muhammad, cleared by a coroner’s report in the death of his wife last month, faces a preliminary hearing today on three misdemeanor counts of domestic battery for a separate incident. . . . Joe Nedney, who kicked a 26-yard field goal and added several long kickoffs Sunday in Oakland’s victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, replaced Michael Husted as the Raiders’ No. 1 kicker. Nedney was signed last week after the Raiders tired of Husted’s inconsistency. Husted remains on the roster. . . . Denver cornerback Dale Carter will not be fined because the NFL could not determine by looking at a videotape whether he spit on Jacksonville tackle Tony Boselli in a Dec. 13 game.

NFC / Davis Appears Doubtful

Washington running back Stephen Davis is a “long shot” to play this weekend because of a sprained left ankle, Redskin Coach Norv Turner said. . . . After missing six starts because of an injured thumb, quarterback Charlie Batch will start for the Detroit Lions. . . . Sisters Nikki and Lisa DeBartolo, daughters of ousted owner Eddie DeBartolo, resigned their front-office positions with the San Francisco 49ers. The two sisters had been working under tense circumstances, caught in the middle of a bitter feud between DeBartolo and his sister, Denise DeBartolo York.