BRIEFLY\Ohio fights to keep Browns.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

The governor of Ohio and mayor of Cleveland urged NFL owners to block the Browns from moving and signaled that a "mutually satisfactory resolution" could be reached by mid-February.

But Browns owner Art Modell gave no sign of giving up his plans to move the team to Baltimore, saying neither he "nor his property would be held hostage by a mayor (Michael White) who for two years broke every promise to help the team."

The polarity between the warring factions was summed up by Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen: "It's amazing to me how both sides of the story can be so different. They are absolutely opposite."

The owners, who are meeting in Atlanta, seemed more concerned about the perception of the NFL, which lost both of its Los Angeles teams last year and is considering the proposed move of the Oilers from Houston to Nashville, Tenn. In addition, there were reports of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers negotiating to fill the void in Cleveland if the Browns leave.

Mayor Bob Lanier had hoped Oilers ownerBud Adams would use his influence with the NFL to help attract another team should Adams take his club to Tennessee as expected.

Not likely. Adams, chairman of the NFL's finance committee, says he doesn't trust Lanier.

"I'm not dealing with the mayor, I don't trust the mayor," Adams said. "I wouldn't deal with him as long as he's in office."

Adams, who has lived in Houston a half century, says he really doesn't want to leave for Nashville but that Lanier is forcing him out by rejecting his plan for a domed stadium in the downtown area.

Tennessee has extended football coach Phillip Fulmer's contract through the 2000 season and gave him a $45,000-a-year raise. Athletic director Doug Dickey said Fulmer's total package is now worth $470,000 a year.

Miami Dolphins defensive line coach Joe Greene will be replaced by Carolina Panthers assistant Cary Godette, one of three assistants the club has hired.

The Dolphins also hired former Oklahoma State coach Pat Jones to coach tight ends and former Georgia Tech coach Bill Lewis as a defensive coach. Greene, who spent the past four years with the Dolphins, said new coach Jimmy Johnson was gracious in giving him the news that he won't be retained.

Three Texas football players have been ruled academically ineligible for the spring semester and have been dismissed from school.

Texas coach John Mackovic announced that sophomores Dwight Kirkpatrick and Darrell Wilson and redshirt freshman Kenny Lewis will attend junior colleges and be re-evaluated for eligibility before the 1996 football season. Last season, Kirkpatrick and Lewis are linebackers, Wilson a running back.

BASEBALL

Outfielder Derrick May and the Houston Astros have agreed to a $750,000, one-year contract, more than double his 1995 base salary of $325,000. May, 27, came to Houston on June 20 from Milwaukee. In 78 games with the Astros, he hit .301 with eight homers and 41 RBI.

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired reserve catcher Kelly Stinnett from the New York Mets for minor-league pitcher Cory Lidle.

Stinnett, 25, played in 77 games for the Mets last season, hitting .219 with four homers and 18 RBI. He split time at catcher with Todd Hundley. Lidle, 23, was 5-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 45 games - nine of them starts - with El Paso of the Double-A Texas League last season. He had two saves and represented El Paso in the Texas League All-Star game.

BASKETBALL

Eight basketball players in Israel, reportedly including some Americans, were being investigated for trying to throw games for gamblers.

"The phenomenon is spreading," said Arieh Zeif, chairman of Israel's Gambling Board.

"Players and dubious elements in society" were involved and "police action" was expected soon, he told The Associated Press.

ETC.

Jessica Foschi, the 15-year-old swimmer placed on probation for failing a drug test, facesT a hearing Feb. 11-12 that could result in a ban from competition for two years. U.S. Swimming, the sport's domestic governing body, said the hearing will be held in Orlando, Fla., following the Phillips 66 National Swimming Championships. . . .

Olympian John Bauer of Champlin, Minn., who came to Lake Placid, N.Y., hoping for a good result in the 50-kilometer ski race, got what he wanted, not to mention his fourth gold medal and U.S. title in eight days. Bauer, a 1992 Olympic skier, breezed through the three-lap race at Mount Van Hoevenberg in 2 hours, 40 minutes, 58.9 seconds, overcoming soft snow from an overnight rain to win by 5 minutes. . . .

The Olympic Auditorium boxing card featuring Jorge Paez against Paris Alexander on Jan. 25 has been canceled because Paez suffered a deep cut on a finger on Tuesday. Promoters are hoping to reschedule the card for Feb. 15.

F. Don Miller, who helped the U.S. Olympic Committee emerge from the turmoil of Cold War confrontation to become a multimillion-dollar sports giant, died after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 75.

Miller, a leader of the U.S. Olympic movement for three decades, was executive director of the USOC from 1973-84.

Miller received the Olympic Order, the highest honor given by the International Olympic Committee, and was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. . . .

Marion Pericin, who coached high-scoring Portland State basketball teams in the 1960s, has died. He was 65. Pericin had surgery to remove a brain tumor on Oct. 6.

His teams frequently surpassed the 100-point mark, drawing many big crowds to the school.