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

In-Your-Face Spike Is A Message From Grbac To Mayor

Associated Press

While the Denver Broncos were making a case for the AFC, Elvis Grbac was striking a blow for football over politics. Or, perhaps, for “humankind.”

“That’s the first time I’ve ever spiked the ball,” an uncharacteristically ebullient Grbac said Sunday after he did just that with 16 seconds left, capping San Francisco’s 38-20 win over Baltimore with a 1-yard dive into the end zone.

It was a fitting end to a bizarre and troubling week for Grbac, who for two years has been a full-time backup to Steve Young.

Grbac had to face the indignity of being called an “embarrassment to humankind” by San Francisco mayor Willie Brown after throwing an interception that cost the 49ers the game against Dallas. On top of that, was the worry over his 9-month-old son, who recently underwent spinal surgery.

The quarterback paid back Brown by going 26 of 31 for 268 yards, albeit against one of the NFL’s more porous defenses.

“Anybody know if the mayor was here today?” Grbac asked after the game.

He wasn’t, but one Bay Area columnist suggested Brown might turn the affair to his advantage, running on the slogan: “He turned the 49ers around.”

Giants to sign troubled player

The New York Giants said they will sign Christian Peter, the troubled defensive tackle from Nebraska.

Peter was drafted by New England and then let go a few days later. The Patriots said then they were unaware of his history of run-ins with the law, including a no contest plea to a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace in an incident involving a 21-year-old woman.

On the surface, it seems an unlikely mix.

Wellington Mara, the Giants’ co-owner, said the team took Peter off its draft board when it became aware of his history. And the Giants have generally avoided players with off-field troubles, although Lawrence Taylor was an exception.

On the other hand, Mara and general manager George Young have a reputation for not treating their players like interchangeable parts. That makes the Giants a better fit for Peter.

So far, the political reaction has been muted. At least one women’s group says it isn’t opposed to granting second chances in such cases.

Job insurance

Dennis Green won on two counts Sunday night when his Vikings beat the Raiders 16-13 in overtime.

On the one hand, the Vikings stopped a 1-5 slide and remain, at 6-5, in the NFC playoff picture.

On the other, the Raiders lost their third straight and slid to 4-7, making coach Mike White’s job a little shakier. And while Green denies it, he has told friends he might be coaching in Oakland next season, returning to the area where he was head coach at Stanford and an assistant with the 49ers.

Broncomania

Denver’s 34-8 romp over New England on Sunday has vaulted the Broncos to the top of the NFL and given rise again to speculation that an AFC team might win a Super Bowl for the first time in 13 seasons.

That’s particularly so because of the relative struggles of the 49ers and Cowboys and the injury problems of the Packers, the three teams that entered the season considered the class of the NFL.

Odomes hurt, charged after accident

For two years, former Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Odomes struggled to overcome a pair of serious knee injuries. Then, just when his once-promising career appeared back on course, he took another setback.

Odomes was charged with drunken driving after an early-morning crash in which his Porsche sports car slammed into a tree in the suburbs north of Atlanta.

The Falcons said Odomes was treated and released. His most serious injury was a concussion, along with multiple contusions and abrasions.

Odomes faces legal trouble after being charged with DUI, pending a blood test to determine his alcohol level, and three traffic violations.

Jaguars release Rison

Andre Rison, signed by Jacksonville in July to provide big plays, was released Monday for what coach Tom Coughlin said was a lack of performance.

Rison, a four-time Pro Bowl receiver when he played in the run-and-shoot offense at Atlanta, never delivered the kind of game the Jaguars hoped for.

Raiders’ Larry Brown out

Cornerback Larry Brown, signed to a $12 million free agent contract by the Oakland Raiders in February, will miss the rest of the year because of a foot injury that has severely limited his effectiveness all season.