Daily Sports Capsule

*Index*
FOOTBALL	BASKETBALL	BASEBALL
AUTO RACING	SOCCER

FOOTBALL

New York Jets coach Bill Parcells had a visitor yesterday who wanted to talk about Curtis Martin's contract. The visitor, a representative from the NFL's management council, is trying to determine whether there was any collusion between Parcells and Martin's agent in creating a contract that the New England Patriots, Martin's previous team, declined to match. In landing Martin, the Jets were very creative. They gave Martin two options: he could sign a one-year, $4million deal with the Jets after which he would be a free agent, or he could agree to a six-year agreement with a value of $36 million. Martin has not said which of those options he will choose, although he has to make a decision by April 15.

BASKETBALL

Rob Evans is leaving Mississippi to become the basketball coach at Arizona State, The Associated Press learned last night. Arizona State scheduled a news conference today in Tempe to officially announce the hiring of the 51-year-old Evans. Evans, who has been coaching Arizona State athletic director Kevin White's son at Ole Miss, replaces Don Newman, the interim coach who took over after Bill Frieder resigned under pressure last September. Newman guided the Sun Devils to an 18-14 record this past season and an appearance in the NIT. ... The most successful era in Iona basketball history was when Jeff Ruland was its star player. Now Ruland gets a chance to leave his imprint again. Yesterday, Ruland, who has no experience as a head coach, was elevated to replace Tim Welsh, who left last week to coach Providence. The 6-foot-11 Ruland, who played for the Gaels from 1977-80 and spent nine years in the NBA, had been an assistant to Welsh for three seasons. The Gaels are coming off a 27-6 season in which they won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title and appeared in their first NCAA tournament since 1985. ... Alonzo Mourning hopes to return to action tonight and put a scare into the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Heat center, who missed the last two games after surgery to replace a fractured left cheekbone, took part in practice yesterday wearing a clear, plastic mask that covers almost his entire face. ... Jayson Williams doesn't care what the doctors say about his broken thumb. He plans on playing again as soon as possible. "I would like to play a couple of games before (the playoffs)," Williams said yesterday, pointing to a return on April 17 against Orlando, two games before the end of the season. He broke the thumb on March 28 against Boston. ... BJ McKie will return for his senior season at South Carolina rather than declare early for the NBA draft. McKie announced his decision yesterday, nearly four weeks after the Gamecocks were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year.

BASEBALL

Even though they lost the World Series, the Cleveland Indians won on the bottom line. The Indians made an $8.2 million operating profit last year on revenue of $140 million, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Cleveland's revenue is among the the highest in the majors, at a level reached only by Baltimore, Colorado and the New York Yankees. ... A crowd of 50,000 is expected today when Hank Aaron throws out the ceremonial first pitch for the Milwaukee Brewers' first National League game in County Stadium. The Brewers will play the Montreal Expos. Baseball's home run king spent the first 12 years of his career in Milwaukee, helping the Braves capture two league titles and a World Series before the team moved to Atlanta in 1966. ... Mariano Rivera, who saved 43 games as the New York Yankees' closer last season, was placed on the 15-day disabled list yesterday because of a strained right groin. The Yankees recalled right-hander Mike Buddie from Triple-A Columbus to take Rivera's place on their roster. Mike Stanton and Jeff Nelson will share New York's closing role until Rivera gets back. ... Kirby Puckett, who retired from baseball after glaucoma left him blind in one eye, returned home yesterday following a weekend car crash in which he was hospitalized with cuts on his arm and head. Puckett was held for observation at Fairview-Southdale Hospital in Edina, Minn., and released yesterday morning. ... St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire, who tied a National League record with four home runs in his first four games of the season, is the NL's player of the week. Seattle's David Segui, who also hit four home runs in the first week of the season, and Tampa Bay's Quinton McCracken, who had 14 hits, tied for American League player of the week honors.

AUTO RACING

When Bruton Smith spent $130 million to build Texas Motor Speedway, he hoped NASCAR would want to run two Winston Cup races a year at his track in Fort Worth. The way things are going, he may not have any. A series of problems with the year-old racing surface overshadowed Sunday's Texas 500 and forced Smith and track officials to immediately begin looking into what needs to be done. Their first concern is figuring out how to stop water from rising to the asphalt in turn one. Officials are also considering redesigning turn four, which drivers say is too tight. NASCAR president Bill France Jr. said the problems better be fixed soon or he'll consider scrubbing the Craftsman Truck race that is scheduled to be run at the speedway the night of June 5.

SOCCER

Eric Wynalda, the primary goal-scoring threat on the U.S. national team, will be sidelined four-to-six weeks because of sprained ligaments below his left knee. Wynalda, who has a U.S. record 32 international goals, was injured Sunday playing for the San Jose Clash of Major League Soccer. The U.S. Soccer Federation said Wynalda's next game probably will be May 16, when the United States plays Macedonia and the Clash play the Miami Fusion as part of a doubleheader at San Jose, Calif. The World Cup opener for the United States is on June 15 against Germany.

-- COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS