Lions Win in Sanders Ruling

The Detroit Lions were awarded some--but not all--of the money they wanted returned from retired running back Barry Sanders.

An NFL arbitrator ruled Tuesday that Sanders must pay back $1.833 million, or one-sixth of his $11-million signing bonus. For the Lions to get the remaining three years, they’ll have to wait--and Sanders must stay retired.

The Lions wanted Sanders to return $5.5 million of the bonus he got in 1997. He played two years of a six-year contract before startling the NFL by leaving football on the eve of training camp.

Sanders was only 1,458 yards shy of breaking Walter Payton’s NFL rushing record of 16,726 yards.

Kagel ruled that Sanders owed the Lions only one-sixth of the $11-million bonus he received in 1997 because he has missed only one season so far.

Sanders has offered to pay back half, or $5.5 million, if the Lions will release him and allow him to play elsewhere.

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Derrick Thomas was remembered as a great linebacker who taught children to read, lived life to the fullest and might save lives by the way he died at a memorial service in Kansas City, Mo.

Several thousand people, including current and former players, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and baseball Hall of Famer George Brett, gathered for the service in Kemper Arena.

Thomas, 33, died Feb. 8 of complications from an accident Jan. 23 that killed his best friend and left the Kansas City Chief linebacker paralyzed.

The Minnesota Vikings have advised quarterback Jeff George to begin testing the free-agent market. Coach Dennis Green is believed to favor pushing up the timetable for first-round draft choice Daunte Culpepper to start. . . . Former Viking center Jeff Christy signed a five-year contract with Tampa Bay worth about $3.5 million a season. . . . The Chicago Bears signed free-agent defensive end Chris Mims to a one-year contract. Mims played in San Diego last season. . . . The Chargers announced the retirements of starting left guard Aaron Taylor, 27, and reserve cornerback Charles Dimry, clearing room under the salary cap. . . . The Cleveland Browns agreed to a contract with offensive lineman Everett Lindsay. . . . Free-agent tight end Shannon Sharpe visited the Baltimore Ravens.

Jurisprudence

Baltimore Raven linebacker Ray Lewis was released from an Atlanta jail on $1-million bond.

“Thank God to be out!” said Lewis, free for the first time since Jan. 31, when he was charged with murdering two men after a Super Bowl party.

About 90 minutes before Lewis’ release, another defendant, Reginald Oakley, arrived to surrender.

With former Carolina Panther receiver Rae Carruth and his mother in court in Charlotte, N.C, the prosecution officially said special circumstances warrant the death penalty for Carruth in the murder of his girlfriend.

Soccer

Saying it has raised $40 million from cable television companies and has the support of the U.S. World Cup champions, a group said in New York that it plans to start a women’s soccer league of eight to 10 teams in April 2001.

Salaries in the proposed Women’s Uniter Soccer Assn. would average $40,000 for a five-month season starting in April. The cities would be selected from among a pool of 15 the group is considering, and the projected average attendance is 6,500.

Major League Soccer, however, said it also may submit a plan to the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Miscellany

CART team owner Tony Bettenhausen was at the controls of the plane that crashed Monday near Lexington, Ky., killing him, his wife and two business associates, said Brad Stevens, an executive with Bettenhausen Motorsports in Indianapolis. Meanwhile, National Transportation Safety Board investigator David Muzio said the pilot told air traffic control that he had ice on his wings and windshield.

Playing for the first time this year after an extended injury layoff, Greg Rusedski of Britain overwhelmed Karol Kucera of Slovakia, 6-2, 7-5, to advance to the second round of the ABN-AMRO tennis tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Rusedski is coming off foot surgery. . . . Fourth-seeded Chris Woodruff was pushed to three sets before defeating Mark Woodforde of Australia, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, in the Kroger St. Jude tournament at Memphis, Tenn.

Glenn McDonald, women’s basketball coach at Long Beach State in 1991-95, is expected to be named a Spark assistant coach under Michael Cooper today. McDonald, who played three seasons in the NBA, had a 54-58 record at Long Beach. . . . The International Olympic Committee and the Australian Government agreed to a doping control program which clears the way for out-of-competition testing before the Sydney 2000 Olympics.