Raiders Select Gruden

The Oakland Raiders have hired Jon Gruden, the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles to be their third coach since 1995.

The hiring, expected for the past few days, was announced late Thursday afternoon. Gruden, who will fill the vacancy created by the firing of Joe Bugel on Jan. 6, is scheduled to appear at a news conference in Oakland on Tuesday.

Gruden, 34, became the NFL’s youngest offensive coordinator when he was hired by Eagles coach Ray Rhodes in 1995.

Before joining the Eagles, Gruden worked for three seasons with the Green Bay Packers under coach Mike Holmgren. He was an offensive assistant for the San Francisco 49ers in 1990, when Holmgren was offensive coordinator there.

Seahawks still searching for GM

Will Green Bay coach Mike Holmgren consider an offer to become coach and general manager of the Seattle Seahawks?

Will Ron Wolf, the Packers’ general manager, take the same job with the Seahawks?

Bob Whitsitt, the Seahawks president, shed no further light on this week’s hot topic Thursday.

“I don’t know where the journey’s going to take us,” Whitsitt said. “I won’t even mention the words ‘Green Bay’ or ‘Denver.”’

Whitsitt said the Seahawks may retain coach Dennis Erickson for at least another season and said of Holmgren and Wolf: “You’re talking about guys who are under contract with another team. We just want to evaluate ways to get better.”

Seifert meets with Cowboys owner

Dallas owner Jerry Jones met with former San Francisco 49ers coach George Seifert for several hours Thursday to discuss the Cowboys’ head coaching vacancy.

Also on Jones’ list is Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis, but NFL rules bar interviews with coaches on Super Bowl teams until after the game.

Aikman man of the year

Troy Aikman’s job is to get the football into the end zone. The Dallas quarterback was honored Thursday as the NFL’s man of the year because he’s taken the end zone to hospitalized children.

Aikman’s foundation provides financial support for high-tech, football-themed playrooms - “End Zones” - for disabled and other hospitalized youths.

Owners like sound of billions

NFL owners unanimously approved the new TV deal that will bring in nearly $18 billion during the next eight years. League sources say it could increase the salary cap by as much as a third - from $41.5 million to between $53 million and $55 million next season.

A super night out

San Diego police arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly posing as Denver safety Tyrone Braxton, romancing an unsuspecting woman and buying rounds of drinks for strangers in a hotel bar.

Police said Rodney Johnson of Ohio, using a stolen credit card number, checked into a room at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla, where the Broncos are staying during Super Bowl week.

Forget the El Nino factor

Super Bowl Sunday may start out cloudy, but forecasters predict warm temperatures and sunny skies by the 3:18 p.m. PST kickoff.

Beebe will sit

Green Bay Packers receiver Don Beebe will miss the Super Bowl. Beebe, who’s been on six Super Bowl teams, has been bothered by a strained hamstring since the final week of the regular season.