Football
ELVIS PROMISES RETURN: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Elvis Grbac, out with a broken collarbone, said he's confident he will play again this season.
"I'll be back (this season)," Grbac told The Kansas City Star in today's editions. "I've just got to be patient and let the process happen and the bone heal."
"I'd like to be back in four or five weeks," Grbac said. "I'll just see where I am then. If I'm healing just fine, then we'll see what the doctors say."
The right-handed Grbac broke his left collarbone in Monday night's victory over Pittsburgh.
TECH BOWS OUT OF BOWL: Attempting to brighten its NCAA-clouded future, Texas Tech has sacrificed the present.
Tech announced Thursday it won't accept a possible bowl bid or a berth in the Big 12 football championship, citing recent allegations of widespread NCAA rules violations.
The decision came four days after Tech released a 57-page NCAA letter detailing alleged multiple rules violations in 18 areas. NCAA enforcement director David Berst termed the charges "major in nature."
NO NEW NAME FOR OILERS: If the Tennessee Oilers get a new name, it won't be anytime soon.
That's the way team owner Bud Adams and NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue see it.
Adams said Thursday that he'll finance public opinion polls to see if Tennessee residents want a new name, but any change is unlikely before the Oilers begin play at their new stadium in Nashville in 1999.
PACKERS EXTEND BUTLER'S DEAL: The Green Bay Packers signed Pro Bowl safety LeRoy Butler to a five-year contract extension through the 2002 season.
Butler, 29, is second in the National Football Conference with five interceptions, one behind Ryan McNeil of the St. Louis Rams. He's fourth on the team with 58 tackles and has one sack.
"This pretty much ensures that I'll retire with the Packers," Butler said.
FINES IMPOSED: The NFL on Thursday imposed fines of $54,500 on seven Carolina Panthers players and six members of the Oakland Raiders for fighting late in Sunday's game.
"I can't say I'm proud of what I did," said Carolina center Frank Garcia, whose $7,500 fine was the largest levied on the Panthers. "But I came to the defense of a teammate, and that's more important than money to me. I'd do it again."
The fight began when Carolina's Fred Lane, who rushed for franchise records of 147 yards and three touchdowns in the Panthers' 38-14 victory, was squirming for extra yards on a sweep with 2:36 remaining. An official blew the whistle after Lane appeared to have been stopped along the sideline, but Oakland's Russell Maryland tackled Lane.
Garcia charged Maryland, setting off a series of fights.