Reports: Gruden Is Not Headed for Tampa Bay

Unable to work out a deal for Oakland Coach Jon Gruden, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are close to hiring Baltimore defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis, according to Web site reports.

CNNSI.com and ESPN.com, citing unidentified NFL sources, reported Wednesday night that Buccaneer General Manager Rich McKay could offer the job to Lewis as soon as today.

“I expect to talk to Rich again in the morning, one way or another,” Lewis told CNNSI.com. “I haven’t been told yet that I have the job, but there are those who say I’m Rich’s choice.”

Neither the Buccaneers nor Lewis’ agent, Ray Anderson, return telephone messages from Associated Press.

The Buccaneers began discussions Monday with the Raiders about the possibility of hiring Gruden, who has one year remaining on his contract. McKay was believed to be offering draft picks, players, cash of a combination of the three as compensation.

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The agent for Buffalo Bill cornerback Antoine Winfield said U.S. News and World Report misquoted the player about accepting gifts from an agent while at Ohio State.

Peter Schaffer of All Pro Sports said Wednesday that Winfield’s interview with the magazine involved how much money he lost under former agent Dunyasha Mon Yetts.

“He never told them at any time that he took money illegally because it never happened,” Schaffer said.

Schaffer said Winfield would not comment on the report.

“We stand by the quotes attributed to Mr. Winfield,” U.S. News and World Report spokesman Ken Frydman said.

The magazine reported Winfield said he violated NCAA rules by accepting cash, trips to the Bahamas and Las Vegas, suits valued at $1,500 and Ohio State tickets that he resold for profit.

“We knew it was wrong,” the magazine quoted Winfield as saying. “If you got caught, you would be in trouble.”

Schaffer said Winfield did say he knew Yetts while in college and that he went with Yetts to Las Vegas after the 1999 draft, but the trip was legal because it was after Winfield had completed his eligibility. Violations would have made Winfield ineligible for the 1998 season.

Ohio State Athletic Director Andy Geiger said he was not aware of the allegations until he read the magazine. Geiger said he did not know whether there would be any penalties if the allegations are true.

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Philadelphia Eagle safety Damon Moore had surgery Tuesday for a torn knee ligament....Miami Dolphin receiver Oronde Gadsden had surgery to repair his right rotator cuff....Ollie Wilson was hired by the Atlanta Falcons as running backs coach. He held the same post with the San Diego Chargers the last five seasons.

Tennis

Venus Williams, ranked No. 2 in the world, had six aces in a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Meilen Tu, and Monica Seles, ranked 10th, needed only 55 minutes in a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Barbara Schett in second-round matches of the Gaz de France at Paris. Eighth-ranked Amelie Mauresmo defeated Anna Kournikova, 6-3, 7-5.

Baseball

Major league team owners have asked U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III to stay his decision ordering them to rehire nine of the 22 umpires who lost their jobs after a failed mass resignation two years ago. Owners don’t want to rehire any of the 22 and the Major League Umpires Assn. wants all of them reinstated....Former Baltimore Oriole star Cal Ripken Jr. has purchased the Utica (N.Y.) Blue Sox of the Class A short-season New York-Penn League and will move the team to his hometown of Aberdeen, Md., where 6,000-seat Ripken Stadium is under construction....The Houston Astros agreed to a one-year contract with reliever Chuck McElroy, 34, and invited him to spring training as a nonroster player....The Arizona Diamondbacks and outfielder David Dellucci agreed to a $775,000, one-year contract.

Soccer

The United States will play Uruguay on May 12 at Washington, Jamaica, on May 16 at East Rutherford, N.J., and Netherlands on May 19 at Foxboro, Mass., in exhibition games leading to this summer’s World Cup at Japan and South Korea.

Former Brazil national team coach Mario Zagallo cast doubt on the authenticity of a Pele jersey that Christie’s plans to sell at auction next month, Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported.

The jersey, supposedly worn by Pele in Brazil’s 1970 World Cup final victory over Italy at Mexico, is estimated to be worth at least $42,000.

Zagallo, who coached the team that year, told O Globo he had the jersey Pele wore during the first half and trainer Admildo Chirol had the jersey Pele wore during the second half.

O Globo said Pele didn’t remember what he did with the jersey.

Miscellany

Svetlana Feofanova of Russia broke her indoor world record in the pole vault, clearing 15 feet 53/4 in the Globen Galan meet at Stockholm.

Feofanova had set the record of 15-51/2 on Sunday.

Boxer Andrew Golota, arrested Monday by Illinois State Police at Joliet, Ill., after allegedly showing an officer a badge and claiming he was a New Jersey police officer, was charged with impersonating a police officer and was freed on bail.

Three-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and nine U.S. Postal Service teammates did not answer a summons to appear Tuesday in Paris, where investigators are seeking information on whether the team used doping products during the 2000 Tour.

The Ice Dogs lost to the Fresno Falcons, 4-1, at Fresno.

Passings

Ruth S. Fraser, one of a handful of women licensed as a professional boxing promoter in California, has died of cancer at Toluca Lake. She was 71.

Along with her husband, Don, she began staging boxing cards in 1985. She was selected person of the year in 1992 by the Golden State Boxers Assn.

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T.J. Simers has the day off.