Lynch Finished as Buccaneer

Five-time Pro Bowl safety John Lynch won’t return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Although the Buccaneers had not officially released him, Lynch said Thursday he was given permission to talk to other teams after General Manager Bruce Allen turned down his request to restructure a contract that would have paid him $4.1 million in 2004 and $5 million in 2005.

Lynch, 32, said the Buccaneers never made him an offer and that Allen made it clear “it wasn’t an option” to return.

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Defensive end Marcellus Wiley signed a four-year, $16-million deal with the Dallas Cowboys, which includes a $4.5-million signing bonus.... Running back Amos Zereoue was waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers.... The Denver Broncos signed free-agent defensive end Marco Coleman who played for Philadelphia last season. ... Safety Donovin Darius signed a $4.1-million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars as their franchise player.

College Sports

Dave Berst, chairman of an NCAA task force reviewing recruiting rules, told Congress that his group was ready to deal with reports of sex and alcohol-fueled parties to entice high school players.

The ban on university-funded recruitment visits -- instead, athletes would have to pick up the costs -- is the most severe change under consideration. A final decision is expected in the next several weeks, Berst said.

The task force includes athletic directors, administrators and student athletes.

Brigham Young kicked one player off the football team, suspended three others until the spring of 2005 and placed two on probation for violating the school’s strict honor code. The actions apparently resulted from a Jan. 16 rape allegation that was later recanted.

Jurisprudence

Testimony resumed in the Jayson Williams manslaughter trial as forensic scientist Henry Lee said in Somerville, N.J., that the shotgun that killed limousine driver Costas “Gus” Christofi in the former basketball player’s bedroom in February 2002 was less than two feet from the victim’s chest when the fatal shot was fired.

Lightweight boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. missed a court date in Las Vegas on a charge of hitting the mother of three of his children, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He now faces a felony charge.

Winter Sports

Austria’s Hermann Maier won the final super giant slalom in 1 minute 18.73 seconds at Sestriere, Italy, increasing his overall lead over countryman Stephan Eberharter to 42 points in the World Cup standings.

In the women’s super-G, Nadia Styger earned her first career World Cup victory in 1:25.53, but Renate Goetschl claimed the super-G overall title.

Miscellany

Because of a severe hand sprain suffered during training, former featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera was forced to withdraw from his March 19 bout against Ivan Alvarez.... Soccer gold medalist Julie Foudy and Indiana Supreme Court Justice Theodore Boehm were among four people chosen to nominate the new governing board of the scandal-plagued U.S. Olympic Committee. Also chosen were Dr. Samuel Guillory of New York and Robert Rollo, vice chairman of a Los Angeles-based executive search firm.... The WNBA will hold its 2004 draft April 17.