SPORTSWIRE: Detroit beats Cowboys in overtime thriller, 20-17

Casillas signs with Jets; Grant inks deal with Magic; Baseball union to file grievances Casillas signs with Jets; Grant inks deal with Magic; Baseball union to file grievances IRVING, Texas -- Jason Hanson, who had two field goal attempts blocked by Leon Lett late in the game, made a 44-yarder with 27 seconds left in overtime last night to give the Detroit Lions a 20-17 victory over Dallas, ending the Cowboys' 10-game winning streak. Hanson made his second overtime field goal of the season. He had a 37-yarder against Atlanta in the season-opener. Detroit got the ball back with 1:55 left in overtime when Pat Swilling sacked Troy Aikman and Broderick Thomas recovered a fumble. After a 17-yard pass to Brett Perriman and three unsuccessful running plays, Hanson put the game-winner just inside the right goal post. Barry Sanders rushed 40 times for 194 yards and Emmitt Smith carried 29 times for 143 yards in a matchup of two of the NFL's most prolific backs. Scott Mitchell connected on 13 of 27 passes for 127 yards and two TDs, while Aikman hit 26 of 39 passes for 223 yards and one score. In the end, though, it came down to Detroit's kicking game and Lett's outstretched arms. At the end of regulation, Hanson's 57-yard attempt was blocked by Lett, and the lineman knocked down a 51-yard attempt 5 1/2 minutes into overtime. Lett was not in position to block the game-winner as it sailed over the other end of the Cowboys' defensive line. A tie game would have been the NFL's first since 1989, when Cleveland and Kansas City finished 10-10. · HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Tony Casillas, declared a free agent this summer after leaving the Kansas City Chiefs to be treated for hypertension, signed a one-year contract yesterday with the New York Jets. Jets general manager Dick Steinberg said the 30-year-old defensive tackle was expected to play Sunday night against Chicago. Casillas, who spent the last three seasons with Dallas, joined the Chiefs as a free agent last winter. He eventually returned his signing bonus and was declared a free agent again by NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, although the Jets had only about $100,000 available under the $34.6 million salary cap. Casillas, who also talked with Philadelphia and Washington, was expected to command around $650,000, plus bonuses and incentives. The Jets said they will announce a roster move today that will clear a space for Casillas. A possible option is cutting defensive end Coleman Rudolph, a 1993 second-round draft pick who has been inactive for all three games. ORLANDO, Fla. -- Horace Grant, his initial contract with Orlando struck down by the NBA, signed with the Magic for five years yesterday in a deal already approved by the league. The contract, with a two-year, early-release option clause, was signed exactly a week after a federal judge in Newark, N.J., ruled Grant's first offer from the franchise -- a $22.3 million contract with a one-year escape clause -- could violate the NBA salary cap. The NBA initially took the Orlando franchise to court, claiming the Magic's owners were trying to use the one-year escape clauses to skirt NBA rules. No further details were released on Grant's contract. John Gabriel, Orlando's vice president of basketball operations, emphasized the NBA backed the new contract. Grant said he and his agent, Jimmy Sexton, had not contacted any other NBA club after the original contract with the Magic was disallowed. The new contract followed a legal tussle between Orlando and the NBA over the Magic's original offer of a six-year contract. That first offer called for Grant to become a free agent after playing the first year at a salary of $2.125 million. That's the most the Magic can pay under the salary cap. NEW YORK -- The players' union intends to file grievances and default notices for about a dozen players by tomorrow in an effort to force clubs to pay them. The actions, which will be decided by arbitrator George Nicolau, will cover Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Randy Tomlin, Texas Rangers infielder Jeff Huson and others recalled from the minor leagues after the strike began Aug. 12. The union contends that clubs recalled players from the minor leagues just to avoid paying their salaries in the closing weeks of the season. By recalling Tomlin on Sept. 1, the Pirates hoped to save $170,491.80 of the pitcher's salary. In Milwaukee, acting commissioner Bud Selig said he will pick a committee to determine how teams will proceed in the offseason. Since owners announced last Wednesday that the season was over, general managers have wondered about what rules would be in effect regarding free agents, rosters, protected lists, contract tender dates and salary arbitration. Under current rules, players eligible for free agency can begin filing on Oct. 15, but the union expects owners to declare an impasse in bargaining and implement their salary cap, which would change many rules. NEW YORK -- NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is expected to respond to a tax plan proposed by the players when negotiations resume today on a new collective bargaining agreement. Bettman, who has said he doesn't want the NHL's labor trouble to go the way of baseball's season-ending strike, was presented with the plan Friday when he met with Bob Goodenow, executive director of the NHL Players Association. The plan, which players say would subsidize small-market teams, is similar to one baseball players proposed to their owners. That plan was rejected, and the owners canceled the rest of the season last Wednesday. Goodenow briefed players Sunday and yesterday on the latest offer and outlined reasons why a rookie salary cap, or a salary cap of any kind, is unacceptable to the union. ''Caps create distortions,'' Goodenow said yesterday after meeting with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. ''It is a dangerous precedent.'' The NHL and NHLPA have been without a collective bargaining agreement for more than a year. Players expect the NHL to lock them out if a contract is not signed by Oct. 1, when the season is to begin. · Rangers 8, Penguins 3 NEW YORK -- Petr Nedved, Sergei Nemchinov and Brian Noonan each scored two goals and Alexei Kovalev had a goal and three assists in the New York Rangers' 8-3 exhibition victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night. Nedved, acquired from St. Louis in the offseason trade, recorded his second straight two-goal game and added two assists to complete a four-point night. Kovalev and Noonan scored power-play goals and Nemchinov and Stephane Matteau also scored in the first period for New York (3-1). Penguins goalie Ken Wregget allowed five goals on 22 shots in 31 minutes before being replaced by Olie Sundstrom. Jaromir Jagr scored his team-leading third goal of the preseason, Joe Mullen had a shorthanded goal and Tomas Sandstrom added a power-play goal for the Penguins (2-3). · Capitals 2, Lightning 1 (OT) TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Jim Johnson scored with 16 seconds left in overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 2-1 exhibition victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning last night. Tampa Bay's Jason Wiemer opened the scoring at 13:53 of the first period and Kelly Miller tied it at 10:17 of the second. Olaf Kolzig made 19 saves for the Capitals (3-1). J.C. Bergeron stopped 15 shots and Daren Puppa followed with 18 saves for the Lightning (0-2). · Blues 5, Red Wings 3 DETROIT -- Kevin Miller beat Mike Vernon at 6:47 of the third period and Rick Zombo added an empty-net goal with 30 seconds left in the St. Louis Blues' 5-3 exhibition victory over the Detroit Red Wings last night. Miller, who assisted on Dennis Chase's trying goal with 3:55 left in the second period, took the puck from Vernon and easily scored into an empty net. Guy Carbonneau opened the scoring on a breakaway 34 seconds into the game and Ian Laperriere took advantage of Vernon's mistake behind the goal to give the Blues (4-1-1) a 2-0 lead at 13:09. Detroit star Sergei Fedorov scored his third goal of the preseason at 14:00 of the first and Vyacheslav Kozlov and Keith Primeau gave the Red Wings (1-2-1) a 3-2 lead in the second.