BRIEFLY : BRONCOS FANS THRONG TO HONOR THEIR HEROES.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

Thousands of cheering Denver Broncos fans, including some clinging to traffic lights and others on rooftops, paid homage to the Super Bowl champions Tuesday during a parade and rally that nearly brought downtown to a standstill.

The fans, estimated by city officials at 650,000 strong, stood five deep along the mile-plus parade route, waving homemade signs and pennants or tossing confetti and rolls of toilet paper high into the air as the Broncos traveled slowly past in fire trucks and buses with open windows.

City officials stopped the entourage at times when fans swarmed the buses, blocking the street. The players leaned out the bus windows to high-five fans and sign autographs, delaying the start of the rally for more than an hour.

By the time the players reached Civic Center Park, the orange-and-blue throng began cheering ``Elway! Elway! Elway!''

Quarterback John Elway raised his arms with forefingers pointing skyward and then held up the Vince Lombardi Trophy and gestured to his teammates to join him at the front of the stage.

Gilbert Brown held up three beefy fingers and thousands of loyal Green Bay Packers fans in Lambeau Field roared with delight in recognizing the sign.

``We are going to do it again. Three Super Bowls,'' said Brown, the Packers' 345-pound defensive lineman, during an hourlong homecoming lovefest in which players, coaches and team executives praised their fans as the best in the NFL.

Police said at least 35,000 fans, most wearing the team's green-and-gold colors, honored the Packers.

HOCKEY: Jaromir Jagr, the Pittsburgh Penguins' brightest star now that Mario Lemieux has retired, agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $38 million that will at least temporarily make him the NHL's highest-paid player.

The NHL suspended San Jose Sharks forward Tony Granato for two games and fined him $1,000 for high-sticking and tripping Edmonton Oilers defenseman Dan McGillis.

BASEBALL: JackMcDowell, 32, continued his comeback from right-elbow surgery with a brief workout at Stanford's Sunken Diamond in front of officials from at least 15 major-league teams, including the Giants.

``It was kind of weird with 100 people watching,'' said an amused McDowell, the 1993 American League Cy Young Award winner who was 3-3 with a 5.09 ERA with Cleveland last season, when he pitched in only eight games because of elbow pain.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: USC forward Gary Williams was released from the hospital Tuesday and is expected to play limited minutes in Thursday's game against Washington.

Williams spent five days in the hospital with a colon infection, and has lost 10 pounds.

Williams was originally listed as doubtful for the game, but Williams participated in a portion of Tuesday's practice and USC coach Henry Bibby said he would play against the Huskies.

- Scott Wolf