Irs Says Cowboys Owner Owes $8.3 Million

Uncle Sam wants Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones - to pay up.

The Internal Revenue Service claims Jones and his wife, Gene, owe $8.3 million in back taxes and penalties from 1992. The couple is contesting the matter in U.S. Tax Court, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Wednesday.

In a statement issued on behalf of the Jones family, a team spokesman said the dispute will have no impact on the Cowboys or Texas Stadium.

“This is a civil tax dispute with the IRS over the amount of personal income taxes due that year. They are confident that they will prevail,” the statement said.

The IRS told the Joneses in October they were liable for $12.8 million in total taxes in 1992, but said they paid less than $5.9 million.

The government agency said the Joneses understated their 1992 income by $23.4 million when they listed their earnings at $19 million.

Falcons hire Brooks

Rich Brooks, fired as coach of the St. Louis Rams after two losing seasons, was named defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons.

Brooks, 55, was fired by the Rams after going 7-9 in 1995 and 6-10 this season. Prior to that, he spent 18 years as coach at University of Oregon.

Kelly retirement on tap

Quarterback Jim Kelly is expected to announce his retirement Friday at a news conference called by the Buffalo Bills.

Sources have said since last week that Kelly, unable to reach agreement with the Bills on a new contract, will retire after 11 years with Buffalo. Kelly and Bills owner Ralph Wilson also have reportedly been working on a compensation deal for the 36-year-old quarterback to send him into retirement.

Shuler cuts bait

The Heath Shuler era with the Washington Redskins, which never really got started, has officially ended.

The former first-round draft choice, who lost the starting quarterback job to Gus Frerotte before last season, announced he was invoking a clause in his eight-year, $19 million contract that allows him to leave the team.

In a strategic response, the Redskins announced they will take the steps necessary to make Shuler a restricted free agent.

Sapolu has heart surgery

Jesse Sapolu, the San Francisco 49ers’ senior player and one of their most popular, underwent surgery earlier this week to replace a valve in his heart. Sapolu is reportedly making a fast recovery, but his 14-year NFL career probably is over.

Sapolu, who will be 36 in March, was the 49ers’ 11th-round draft choice in 1983. He was twice voted to the Pro Bowl and earned four Super Bowl rings, while starting a total of 170 regular-season and postseason games for the 49ers.

Team doctors apparently knew for years that Sapolu had a small leak in a valve in his heart since he was quite young. It was not considered threatening, but recently the leak began growing, so doctors felt it was necessary to replace the valve.