Football
NEW 'BAMA COACH: Alabama hired Texas Christian football coach Dennis Franchione to turn around the Crimson Tide, opting for someone with no ties to the school.
Franchione said he and Alabama athletic director Mal Moore agreed Friday to a seven-year deal worth between $1.2 million and $1.4 million a year. Franchione said specifics still need to be worked out.
Franchione replaces Mike DuBose, who resigned Nov. 1 but finished out the season. The Crimson Tide finished 3-8, its worst record in 45 years.
SALARY CAP WOES: Cleveland Browns president Carmen Policy and team vice president Dwight Clark agreed to pay $600,000 Friday for violating the NFL salary cap while with the San Francisco 49ers.
The settlement calls for Policy to pay $400,000 and Clark $200,000.
SAN ANTONIO VIKINGS? Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs plans to meet with San Antonio officials to discuss a proposal to move the team to Texas. McCombs, who is from San Antonio, said he would give the proposal his full attention, though he indicated that his primary interest is to keep the Vikings in Minnesota.
BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP: They have no guarantees of a Bowl Championship Series slot — although that seems a certainty no matter what happens in Saturday night's Big 12 title game against Kansas State. However, the upside is huge. A win against the Wildcats at Arrowhead Stadium will land the Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl Jan. 3 to face Florida State in the BCS title game.
Tennis
MASTERS CUP: Pete Sampras defeated Marat Safin 6-3, 6-2, earning a semifinal meeting against Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten in the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup. Kuerten claimed his place in the final four with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Russia's Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
Safin guaranteed his semifinal berth on Thursday and will face American Andre Agassi, who routed Sweden's Magnus Norman 6-3, 6-2 and finished the round-robin portion as the only unbeaten player in the tournament.
Basketball
NBA NEWS: Nets forward Kenyon Martin was named NBA Rookie of the Month for November . . . The league fined Kings guard Jason Williams $10,000 for directing profanity and obscene gestures toward fans in San Antonio . . . Raptors forward Charles Oakley was suspended for three games without pay and fined $15,000 for punching Clippers guard Jeff McInnis during the morning shootaround Friday . . . Phoenix Mercury coach and general manager Cheryl Miller resigned after four seasons with the club.
Baseball
TURK STAYING PUT: Turk Wendell was disappointed with one aspect of his new contract with the New York Mets: He won't get to play a year for free. "That's still definitely in my hopes and dreams," the wacky reliever said Friday after agreeing on a three-year contract worth a penny short of $9.4 million.
HAMPTON MOVING ON: Worried his former team might not return to prominence soon, free agent pitching ace Mike Hampton, who lives in Houston, has ruled out returning to the Houston Astros next season.