Phillips Will Be Fined if He Returns to NFL

Lawrence Phillips, the troubled running back who revived his career in Europe, was told Wednesday by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue he will be fined for past misdeeds if he signs with an NFL team.

Phillips, who became the first running back to gain more than 1,000 yards in NFL Europe’s eight-game season, met for one hour with Tagliabue in New York.

“I worked hard to meet my responsibilities in NFL Europe this spring and I’m determined to do the same in the NFL starting this summer,” Phillips said after the meeting.

Phillips was cut by the Miami Dolphins at the beginning of last season after being arrested on battery charges. He pleaded guilty and received six months’ probation.

Among the teams reportedly interested in Phillips are Baltimore, Green Bay, San Francisco and Oakland.

Daniel Snyder’s record $800-million purchase of the NFL’s Washington Redskins was completed Wednesday.

The purchase price was the highest paid for a North American sports franchise, eclipsing the $530-million Alfred Lerner paid for the Cleveland Browns in September.

Basketball

Bob Hill, who coached the New York Knicks and two other NBA teams, is returning to New York--as coach of Fordham University.

Hill, fired by the San Antonio Spurs after a 3-15 start in 1997, signed a 10-year deal reportedly worth $4 million.

Fordham moved to the Atlantic 10 Conference from the Patriot League in 1995 and has lost 80 of 108 games in four seasons.

Hill was 257-212 in seven seasons with the Pacers, Spurs and Knicks.

He succeeds Nick Macarchuk, who resigned after 12 seasons to take a coaching position at Stony Brook, which is moving up to Division I next year.

Terry Holland, former basketball coach at Virginia and the school’s athletic director for four years, says he expects to decide by the weekend whether to become basketball coach at Minnesota.

In a copyright story for today’s editions, the Minneapolis Star Tribune said Holland was offered a seven-year contract that would pay him close to $1 million per year.

If he were to take the job, Holland would replace Clem Haskins, who resigned in wake of an academic-fraud scandal but got a $1.5-million buyout.

Forward Tom Gugliotta broke his nose and swingman Richard Hamilton sprained his ankle in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the U.S. Olympic qualifying team held its final practice in preparation for the Tournament of the Americas.

Both players are expected to be available today when the U.S. plays Uruguay.

North Carolina forward Vasco Evtimov, a native of Bulgaria, officially ended his collegiate career by signing a contract to play professionally in Greece.

Laurie Del Negro of San Antonio is suing NBA Properties Inc. for “substantial damages” over her May 29 arrest before a Spur playoff game for selling team caps.

NBA Properties, the marketing and licensing arm of the league, had accused Del Negro of counterfeiting the merchandise but has since dropped its complaint.

The Atlanta Hawks signed their two first-round draft choices--Jason Terry, the point guard from Arizona expected to replace the traded Mookie Blaylock, and little-known forward-center Cal Bowdler of Old Dominion.

Former Indiana basketball star Luke Recker, injured in a weekend traffic accident that killed one person, will be released from a hospital today but faces surgery for a broken wrist Friday in Indianapolis.

Kelly Craig, Recker’s girlfriend who suffered a spinal fracture and partial paralysis, remained in serious condition at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, Colo., while her brother, Jason Craig, was listed as critical with a head injury, a spokesman said.

Tennis

Marlene Weingartner of Germany upset top-seeded Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain, 6-4, 6-4, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Polish Open in Sopot.

Two-time winner Chanda Rubin beat last-minute replacement Jane Chi, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), in the quarterfinals of the A&P; Tennis Classic in Mahwah, N.J.

Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras was hired by Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks as its touring pro.

Croatian Mirjana Lucic, the first player in WTA Tour history to win her first tournament as a professional, and Alexandra Stevenson of San Diego have entered the Aug. 9-15 Acura Classic in Manhattan Beach.

Miscellany

Former world champion Damon Hill ended speculation of retirement and announced in Silverstone, England, he will finish the season racing for the Jordan Formula One team.

Hill, 38, had threatened to quit after crashing out of last month’s French Grand Prix.

* Randy Harvey is on vacation.