McKay Accepts Six-Year Deal to Stay in Tampa Bay

Embattled Tampa Bay General Manager Rich McKay decided to remain with the team Thursday, mending his fractured relationship with Buccaneer ownership and accepting a six-year contract.

McKay, the Buccaneer general manager for the last seven seasons, had been contemplating leaving the club since the sons of owner Malcolm Glazer vetoed his plan to hire former Baltimore Raven assistant Marvin Lewis as the team’s new coach two weeks ago.

Although the general manager led the team’s initial effort to lure Jon Gruden away from the Oakland Raiders, the Glazers finished the deal and hired Gruden this week without input from McKay.

McKay, who had a year left on his contract, interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons’ vacant general manager job last week.

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Adam Vinatieri, who kicked the winning field goal in New England’s Super Bowl victory after making the tying and winning kicks in a playoff win over Oakland, was designated the Patriots’ “franchise” player.

Another kicker, Jason Elam of Denver, also received the designation on the final day to protect players with “franchise” and “transition” tags for free agency.

Both are guaranteed $1.24 million, the average of the salary of the five top-paid kickers in the NFL. In addition to the two kickers, those getting “franchise” tags also included tight end Tony Gonzalez of Kansas City, middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter of Philadelphia, offensive tackles Tarik Glenn of Indianapolis and Walter Jones of Seattle, free safety Kwamie Lassiter of Arizona and all-pro linebacker Jason Gildon of Pittsburgh.

The New York Jets re-signed their most important free-agent-to-be, left tackle Jason Fabini.

A number of other veterans were released so teams could get under the $71.8-million salary cap.

Bill Romanowski, the Denver Broncos’ 35-year-old linebacker, left the team after being told he would have to compete for a starting job in training camp. Minnesota cut safety Orlando Thomas and linebacker Ed McDaniel.

Tight end Ken Dilger of the Colts also was on the cut list along with two of Indianapolis’ starting defensive backs, Jeff Burris and Chad Cota. Denver’s Leon Lett, who won three Super Bowl rings in Dallas, also was cut.

Golf

Michael Allen, a PGA Tour regular for the first time since 1995, shot an eight-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Tucson Open.

Fred Funk, Loren Roberts and Brandel Chamblee shot 65s, and Andrew Magee, the 1994 winner at Tucson National, was two strokes back along with David Berganio Jr., John Huston and Bob Heintz.

Tennis

Andy Roddick rallied from a four-game deficit in the second set to beat Brazilian Andre Sa, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, in the second round of the Kroger St. Jude tournament at Memphis, Tenn.

The second-seeded Roddick will play Sargis Sargsian of Armenia in the quarterfinals today. Sargsian upset sixth-seeded Jonas Bjorkman, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8).

On the women’s side, fourth-seeded Alexandra Stevenson beat Silvija Talaja, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, to reach her first semifinal since 1999 at Wimbledon. She will play Alina Jidkova, a 7-6 (5), 6-2 winner over Jana Nejedly.

Venus Williams defeated Anastasia Myskina, 6-0, 3-6, 6-4, to advance to the semifinals of the Dubai Women’s Open in the United Arab Emirates.

In another quarterfinal, second-seeded Monica Seles defeated No. 7 Angeles Montolio of Spain, 6-0, 6-2.

Thomas Enqvist of Sweden withdrew from the ABN/AMRO World Tennis indoor tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, because of flu, giving Roger Federer of Switzerland a walkover in the second round.

In other action, second-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia was ousted by Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3.

Miscellany

Al Unser Jr., out of work since the Galles Racing team folded in November, signed a three-year contract to drive in the Indy Racing League for Kelley Racing.

The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and two-time CART champion will take the spot of former IRL champion Greg Ray, who could not come up with a major sponsor.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series crew chief Bob Keselowski, team owner Key Keselowski and driver Terry Cook were penalized for a technical violation discovered after the season-opener at Daytona Beach, Fla.

The crew chief was fined $10,000, while the owner and driver were each hit with the loss of 100 championship points. Cook finished sixth in the race, accumulating 160 points.

UCLA will play host to No. 18 USC today in the first game of a three-game nonconference baseball series at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Both teams were swept in their last series. UCLA (7-6) lost three games at Hawaii. USC (2-5) fell from sixth to 18th in the Baseball America poll after losing three games against then-No. 25 Baylor at Dodger Stadium.

Trina Tinti, the women’s gymnastics coach at California and a former UCLA All-American, has resigned as school officials look into complaints about a high level of injuries in the program.

Galaxy newcomers Carlos Ruiz and Chris Albright each had a goal and an assist in a 2-2 tie against Chilean first division club Colo Colo in Santiago. It was the second game of the team’s five-game exhibition tour.

Passings

Willie Thrower, the NFL’s first black quarterback, died of a heart attack at his home on Wednesday in New Kensington, Pa. He was 71. See story, B12.

Former Texas A&M; wide receiver Cornelius Patterson has died while awaiting a kidney transplant. He was 32.... Gene Sullivan, a former DePaul athletic director and Loyola of Chicago basketball coach, died Thursday of an undisclosed illness. He was 70.... Bill Wazevich, a leading receiver for Columbia’s football team in the 1960s, died Thursday at his home in Cleveland. He was 54.