Marino Offered Starting Job by Vikings’ Coach Green

Dan Marino was offered Minnesota’s starting quarterback job last week in talks with Viking Coach Dennis Green, according to broadcast reports.

ESPN and Fox Sports Net, citing unidentified sources, said Sunday night that Green assured the former Miami Dolphin star that he would be the starter. Marino, who has not attracted much interest from other teams, also is considering retirement.

The 38-year-old quarterback became a free agent last month after voiding his contract with Miami. The Dolphins then signed free-agent quarterback Jay Fiedler.

ESPN said Marino’s agent, Marvin Demoff, has had discussions with the Vikings on a contract that would fit within the club’s salary-cap structure.

A telephone message left for Demoff by the Associated Press was not returned, and attempts to reach Viking officials were unsuccessful.

Minnesota has decided not to re-sign starter Jeff George, and plans to release Randall Cunningham. By releasing Cunningham after June 1, the Vikings will free more room under the salary cap.

Dolphin President Eddie Jones was surprised by the reports.

“I’m just flabbergasted,” Jones said. “I have no idea about Dan Marino and any report about him going anyplace. I know nothing about where Dan’s head is at or what he plans to do.”

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The Cleveland Browns reportedly have agreed to terms with offensive tackle Roman Oben on a three-year contract worth $10.8 million that includes a $3.2-million signing bonus.

A team spokesman could not confirm Oben had agreed to the deal, but several published reports said the sides came to an agreement late Saturday night.

Winter Sports

Daron Rahlves’ streak on Lillehammer’s Olympic course ended when he finished fifth in a super-G won by Kristian Ghedina of Italy.

Rahlves, from Truckee, Calif., won downhills the previous two days at Kvitfjell, Norway. Those were his first two victories on the World Cup circuit and the first by an American man in any discipline since Kyle Rasmussen won on the same course in 1995.

Hermann Maier of Austria finished .38 seconds behind Ghedina in second place to clinch the World Cup super-G title.

Corinne Imlig of Switzerland, rookie on the World Cup tour, won a downhill at Lenzerheide, Switzerland, for her first victory on the circuit.

Competing in only her sixth World Cup race, Imlig was timed in 1 minute 48.66 seconds.

Petra Haltmayer of Germany was second in 1:48.69. Renate Goetschl of Austria, the defending World Cup downhill champion, shared third with Russia’s Olesja Alieva. They were timed in 1:48.99.

Tennis

A winter storm at Scottsdale, Ariz., washed out the State Farm Women’s Classic final between top-ranked Martina Hingis and No. 2 Lindsay Davenport.

The latest showdown between the top two players in the world was rescheduled for today.

Stefan Koubek of Austria earned his first ATP hardcourt title, beating qualifier Alex Calatrava of Spain, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, to win the Citrix Championships at Delray Beach, Fla.

Unseeded Andreas Vinciguerra, a 19-year-old Swede, overcame his nervousness and beat compatriot Magnus Larsson, 6-3, 7-6 (5), in the final of the Copenhagen Open for his first ATP tournament victory.

Miscellany

The Southland fishing community, much of which is assembled this weekend at the annual Fred Hall Fishing Tackle and Boat Show in Long Beach, is mourning the death of the show’s founder.

Promoter Fred Hall died Saturday morning after complications stemming from heart surgery a day earlier at Ventura Community Memorial Hospital. He was 80. Tens of thousands of anglers annually attend the show, which is in its 54th year.

Hall is survived by his wife, Lois, and three children, including his oldest son, Bart.

Services will be held Friday at a yet undetermined time at Padre Serra Church in Camarillo. Instead of flowers, the Halls ask that donations be sent to the conservation group, United Anglers of Southern California. Details: (714) 840-0227.

Rodney Jack and Alwyn Guy scored three goals each as St. Vincent and the Grenadines routed the visiting U.S. Virgin Islands, 9-0, in a first-round qualifier for the 2002 World Cup.

Anguilla, the nation with the worst FIFA rating among the 198 who entered the tournament, lost, 3-1, to the Bahamas.

The UCLA gymnastics team scored a meet record 197.575 points to win its fourth consecutive Bruin Classic team title at John Wooden Center. Michigan placed second with 196.975 and Illinois Chicago third with 192.50.

World champion Rifat Yildiz of Germany beat American Dennis Hall, 4-0, to win the 127.75-pound title in the Greco-Roman Olympic qualification tournament at Colorado Springs, Colo.

In the 138.75-pound final, Andras Horvath of Hungary defeated Shon Lewis of the U.S., 3-2.