McNair Might Make Kraft an Offer He Can’t Refuse

Houston billionaire Robert McNair said he has spoken with New England Patriot owner Robert Kraft about buying the team and moving it to Houston, the Boston Herald reported.

The Herald said McNair recently sent letters to nine NFL teams with stadium problems to let them know he’d be interested in making a deal to bring a team to Houston. The Patriots recently agreed to move from Foxboro, Mass., to a planned $350-million stadium in Hartford, Conn., beginning in the 2002 season.

In a television interview Tuesday with Houston’s KRIV-TV, McNair said he already had spoken with Kraft, and plans to speak with him again if Kraft is unable “to improve his stadium situation,” the Herald said.

Additional costs associated with the planned move to Hartford, including the possibility of relocating a power plant, could add $100 million to the tab, which may prevent the deal, the Herald said.

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Linebacker Lamont Hollinquest, who spent the last three seasons with the Green Bay Packers, agreed to terms with the Kansas City Chiefs on a two-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. . . . The Pittsburgh Steelers re-signed backup fullback Jon Witman to a three-year $3.2-million contract. . . . The Baltimore Ravens signed former New York Giant tight end Aaron Pierce to a two-year contract worth $1.7 million.

Winter Sports

After seven mostly disappointing years on the World Cup circuit, Chad Fleischer of Vail, Colo., finished second in the downhill in the World Cup finals at Sierra Nevada, Spain--trailing only the season’s best downhiller, Lasse Kjus of Norway.

Fleischer, 27, who had never finished better than 11th in any World Cup event, was timed in 1 minute 49.89 seconds, .16 behind Kjus.

The victory extended Kjus’ overall World Cup points lead to 42 over fellow Norwegian Kjetil Andre Aamodt and 88 ahead of last year’s overall champion, Hermann Maier of Austria.

Ann Battelle of Steamboat Springs, Colo., won the gold medal in moguls in the freestyle world championships at Meiringen, Switzerland. Battelle received 24.38 points. Kari Traa of Norway got the silver medal with 24.12 and Corinne Bodmer of Switzerland was third with 23.81. Finnish skiers swept the men’s moguls with Olympic silver medalist Janne Lahtela winning with 26.59 points. Lauri Lassila was second with 26.12 and Sami Mustonen third with 26.07. . . . Turner Sports announced that the first Winter Goodwill Games will be held at Lake Placid, N.Y., next Feb. 17-20. There will be competition in seven sports--bobsled, figure skating, luge, skiing, ski jumping, snowboarding and short-track speedskating.

Golf

Additional length on two holes and the addition of 20 pine trees down the right side of the 15th fairway won’t be the only significant changes at the Masters this year. Augusta National Golf Club finally will have some rough. Masters officials call it the “second cut.” Whatever the name, the grass beyond the fairway will be twice as high when the tournament starts next month--from five-eighths of an inch to 1 3/8 inches. . . . Hazeltine Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., site of the 2002 PGA Championship, also will host the 2009 event, and Sahalee Country Club in Redmond, Wash., site of the 1998 PGA Championship, will be the site of the 2010 event, the PGA announced.

Miscellany

Mike Tyson lost a round in a court battle involving refund demands from up to 2 million people who paid $49.95 to watch the pay-for-view television fight between Tyson and heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield in Las Vegas June 28, 1997, when Tyson was disqualified in the third round after twice biting Holyfield’s ears.

The Nevada Supreme Court ruled that a number of suits filed against Tyson and promoter Don King could go forward as a nationwide class-action suit in Clark County, Nev., District Court.

The NCAA has requested a stay of an order throwing out freshman eligibility requirements, saying the ruling would cause chaos at more than 300 college and university sports programs and the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. U.S. District Judge Ronald Buckwalter in Philadelphia will hear arguments Monday afternoon, a week after he ordered the NCAA to stop using minimum test scores in freshman eligibility requirements.

Forward Eric Wynalda of the San Jose Clash underwent surgery to repair torn knee ligaments and will miss most of the MLS 1999 season. Wynalda, 29, is expected to be sidelined for five to six months. . . . Rod Perry Jr., who decided to give up football at USC after knee surgery, has quit the Cal State Fullerton baseball team and plans to resume his college football career next season. . . . Jethro Franklin, defensive line coach at Fresno State the last eight years, has been hired to coach the interior defensive line at UCLA.

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Randy Harvey is on assignment.