N.Y. Giants, Eyeing NFL Salary Cap, Drop Simms

Phil Simms, who set nearly every New York Giants passing record and led the team to a Super Bowl victory in 1987, was released today.

Apparently, the 38-year-old quarterback, the team's No. 1 draft choice in 1979, was cut because his $2.5 million salary would not fit in under the new NFL salary cap. The announcement was by the Giants at an afternoon news conference.

His departure leaves the Giants with third-year quarterbacks Dave Brown and Kent Graham. Neith has much game experience.

-- The Dallas Cowboys hope to add a third uniform this season to be worn for special occasions, such as the Thanksgiving game or the playoffs. The new jersey would feature angled stars on the shoulders with points sticking down into the front and back, and the numbers would be navy blue instead of royal blue.

-- The Washington Redskins signed running back Ricky Ervins, a restricted free agent, to a one-year deal worth $649,000.

Track and field

Dan O'Brien began the USA-Mobil national championships yesterday with a 10.31-second 100-meter run and stayed hot the rest of the day, piling up a record 4,738 points in five events in Knoxville, Tenn.

That broke the previous first-day mark of 4,720 he set en route to his world record of 8,891 points in 1992.

Local notes

Lisa Gozley has been hired as women's soccer coach at Washington State University. Gozley, who worked as an assistant coach at Minnesota, Massachusetts and Central Florida, replaces Lisa Fraser, who resigned to take over at Arizona.

-- Three players from Washington and one from Washington State were named to the Pac-10 Conference Northern Division all-academic baseball team. Named from UW were juniors Joe Trippy (3.06 grade-point average) and Tim Campbell (3.27) and sophomore Christian Shewey (3.24). WSU was represented by Kevin Brunstad (3.27).

-- Washington's Jim Nevelle (football) and Jeannine Jensen (soccer) and Washington State's Kim Lynass (soccer) and Matt Shaffer (track and field) were named Pac-10 medal winners, given to seniors for their achievements in class and on the field. Oregon's Kelly Blair, from Prosser, was named that school's female winner of the medal.

-- Gymnasts Deni Boswell of Lynnwood's Meadowdale High School and Kathy Siwek of South Kitsap in Port Orchard have signed national letters of intent with Seattle Pacific University.

-- Frank Draper of Seattle shot a 1-under-par 71 to take the first-round lead at the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Senior Amatuer tournament in Florence, Ore. The tournament continued today and ends tomorrow. Hall of Fame bowler Earl Anthony, now living in Cornelius, Ore., was second at 72.

-- Olympic gold medalist Janet Evans will swim the 1,500 meters in the Senior Seattle Open July 10 at Colman Pool in West Seattle. Olympic champion Matt Biondi will make an appearance at the age-group meet July 17, also at Colman Pool.

Baseball

The Colorado Silver Bullets women's professional team will have eight open tryouts across the country to help select players for next year's team including one Aug. 27 at Everett Memorial Stadium.

Colleges

-- Champlain College in Burlington, Vt., and longtime basketball coach Bob Tipson paid students with work-study money to practice, play basketball and go to class, federal officials said. Tipson was expected to plead guilty today in U.S. District Court to misappropriating federal-education funds.

-- Avondre Jones, a 6-foot-11 center who was a reserve as a freshman last season, is transferring from USC.

Boxing

Ex-heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield was scheduled to take a medical test on a heart condition that forced his retirement from boxing. Holyfield claims a Christian evangelist cured his heart ailment so he can return to boxing.

Bowling

Anne Marie Duggan held a 13-pin lead after four rounds of the LPBT $50,000 Rocket City Challenge in Huntsville, Ala.

Tennis

Marc Goellner upset Andrei Medvedev of the Ukraine, last year's finalist, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8) in the opening round of the Halle (Germany) Grand Prix.

-- Martina Navratilova recorded a 6-3, 6-3 victory over German Christina Singer to advance to the the third round of the Eastbourne (England) grass court tournament.

- Seattle Times news services