European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 4, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday october 4, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 25hunt begins for nil franchises new York apr Baltimore which lost the Colts to Indianapolis in 1984, is so anxious to get an nil expansion franchise that it has three different groups in the sweepstakes. Groups from seven other cities submitted applications and the $100,000 fee required to go with them when the deadline passed tuesday. Groups that done to get franchises which will be awarded next fall and Start play in 1994, will get Back $50,000. In addition to the three from Baltimore two other cities that lost franchises a Oakland and St. Louis a also applied along with Memphis Tenn. Charlotte . Jacksonville Fla. Sacramento calif., and san Antonio. Two of the groups include former nil stars Walter Payton in St. Louis and Willie Davis in Memphis. Payton the a Fly a leading ground gainer has been part of the St. Louis group for two years. Davis a Hall of Fame defensive end who played for Green Bay in the 1960s, was added recently to the Memphis group. Another former nil player Jerry Richardson who played for the Colts Heads the Charlotte group. Nashville Tenn., Raleigh Durham ., and Honolulu which showed preliminary interest did no to follow through with the $100,000 fee and the final application. Raleigh Durham is still trying to get an ownership a at a presi Steflik Graf makes Quick work of Petra Langova in a second round match wednesday at the Volkswagen cup in Leipzig Germany. A a they re falling behind a nil spokesman Greg Aiello said. A we Haven to extended any deadlines. They just said a if we submit it later will you take a look at it a. If they get their group together next week i think it would be unreasonable for the nil to say a forget it you missed our deadline last  we just said Well consider that at the time that its  the two new cities Are expected to be chosen in a year from among the finalists to be picked next March in Phoenix. The three Baltimore applications Are the Baltimore professional football limited partnership headed by writer Tom Clancy a group headed by Malcolm Glazer and Baltimore football  breezes in her 500th singles win Leipzig Germany up Germany a Steffi Graf needed Only 38 minutes to earn her 500th singles Victory As a professional thrashing Petra Langova 6-0, 6-1, wednesday in the second round of the $225,000 Volkswagen cup. A this is an absolute Milestone a look Back on my career a said Graf ranked no. 2 in the world. A it would have been nicer for the crowd to witness a tighter  Graf at the age of 22 years and three months is the youngest player to reach the 500 victories Milestone. On thursday Graf battled her Way past Austria a Judith Wiesner 6-1,7-6 7-1 for career win no. 501 and a spot in the semifinals. A sellout crowd of 5,500 saw an inspired performance by the defending Champion in the first set As pics Ncry a Surprise serve and Volley tactic backfired. The austrian had no answer to grass pinpoint passing shots and gave away the first set in 25 minutes dropping her serve in the second and sixth games. Wisner improved in the second and after two Breaks each forced Graf into the tiebreaker. But in the decisive tiebreak the world no. 2 pulled out several of her feared forehand to cruise through 7-1 for her 501st career Victory. . Davis cup team gets 92 court Edge London apr even if the United states does no twin the Davis cup final this year the americans will be getting a Home court advantage in 1992. The . Squad which must travel to France for the final series of matches on nov. 29-dec. 1 in Tennis Premier team event could possibly reach the championship round next year without leaving Home. The . Team will play Host to Argentina in the first round on Jan. 31-feb. 2 at a site to be selected. The americans have a 7-3 record against Argentina which has trouble on surfaces other than Clay and won their last encounter in 1988 in Buenos a res. The americans then would play either Czechoslovakia or Belgium at Home in the second round on March 27-29. The . Team Defeated Czechoslovakia in Prague in 1990 and has never lost to Belgium. The probable semifinal opponent for the . Squad would be either Sweden or Australia. Sweden which Defeated the . Team in the 1984 final would travel to the United states for the semifinals. Australia which lost to the americans in last years final in St. Petersburg Fla., would play Host to the . Team in the semifinals. Other first round matches in the world group next year have Britain at France Switzerland at the Netherlands Germany at Brazil Spain at Italy Australia at Yugoslavia Sweden at Canada and Belgium at Czechoslovakia. International Tennis federation officials said australians match at Yugoslavia May be moved based on the situation in that War torn country. Even though Yugoslavia was a semifinalist this year the it decided not to seed that nation because of its current problems and because it fielded a weak team in its semifinal loss to France. The nations top two players Goran Ivanisevic and Goran Prpic Are croatian and have refused to play for Yugoslavia. Next years Davis cup will feature a record 93 teams. The it also announced that it had conditionally readmitted South Africa which would return to Davis cup play next year for he i St to me so nce 78. The South africans would play in a special round Robin tournament of six african nations in Tunisia in late april. South Africa last played in International Competition in 1978, four years after it won the Davis cup when India refused to play in the final. Mcaa begins probe of Auburn program Montgomery Ala. A the Mcaa has launched an investigation of allegations that a former Auburn football player received illegal payments and other benefits from coaches and alumni. Mcaa investigators were at the school on tuesday according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity. A the University has launched its own probe of a newspaper report last week m which Eric Ramsey a defensive Back at Auburn from 1987-90, claimed he received payments and an unsecured Bank loan in violation of Mcaa rules. He also said he had tapes of secretly recorded conversations to support his allegations. University officials have declined to discuss the Case citing a policy which prevents any school employee from commenting on an ongoing investigation. Mcaa officials have cited a similar Rule in refusing comment specifically on the Auburn Case. Spartans Duck penalties East Lansing Mich. A the Mcaa says it wont penalize Michigan state for what it considers minor rules violations in the schools football program that were described in two books. The Mcaa told Michigan state on wednesday that the University a response and internal investigation were sufficient University spokesman Terry Denbow said at a news conference thursday. The University also said it asked a Michigan state Booster and sports agent Charles Tucker to avoid Contact with Michigan state athletes. That was in response to allegations that Tucker let athletes charge sporting goods in his name at an East Lansing store