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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Niners Dust Off Torretta

From Wire Reports

The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday signed quarterback Gino Torretta, the 1992 Heisman Trophy winner, who has never thrown a pass in an NFL game.

Torretta, the University of Miami’s career passing leader with 7,690 yards, was waived by the Detroit Lions this September. He tried out with the 49ers last week.

The 49ers are without starting quarterback Steve Young, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder and is expected to miss four weeks.

Young, however, said he would start throwing again today and hinted that he wanted to play in Miami on Monday night.

Elvis Grbac, who threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns in San Francisco’s 38-20 upset of Dallas on Sunday, will remain the 49ers’ starting quarterback until Young can return.

Torretta grew up in the small town of Pinole in the San Francisco bay area.

Sanders unleashed

Deion Sanders’ hamstring is healing fast and the Dallas Cowboys plan to use him on both sides of the ball on Sunday against the Raiders.

Coach Barry Switzer said the Cowboys spent more than 9 hours studying film of last Sunday’s game and how Sanders could have been used differently. Switzer said the Cowboys will use other schemes against teams that put their best receiver in the slot. Sanders also will play more offense and likely be on the kicking teams against Oakland.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he will have a counterproposal “within the next 48 hours” on how he would like Sanders’ contract to count toward the NFL salary cap.

Richard Berthelsen, general counsel for the NFL Players Association, said Jones “will lose” if he fights the league to have Sanders’ contract restructured.

The league charged Jones an extra $1.644 million toward the salary cap over the next four years on Sanders’ seven-year, $35 million contract. The contract includes a league-record $12.99 million signing bonus.

On the move

Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen said he needs political and fan support from Memphis to convince the Houston Oilers to move to Nashville.

Bredesen emphasized how significant that support could be in convincing the Tennessee Legislature to approve $55 million in state money.

The proposal, to build a stadium in Nashville and finance the Oilers’ move, would cost more than $290 million. It would be funded primarily through a bond issue, the sale of luxury seats and the rights to buy season tickets. The city council in Nashville must also give its approval.

Cleveland pleaded its give-us-back-our-Browns case on Capitol Hill - and came away with promises of legislation, from Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio, and Rep. Martin Hoke, R-Ohio, that would limit the movement of sports franchises.

In addition to meeting with the Ohio officials, White wanted to make contact with Justice Department representatives.

Around the league

Cornerback Clayton Holmes filed a lawsuit challenging his suspension from the Cowboys for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. … Denver’s Mike Pritchard pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges stemming from a car accident last month in which he had been drinking and injured two women.