PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : Nashville Trying to Land Oilers

The Houston Oilers and the city of Nashville, Tenn., will be meeting over the next two months to try to bring the NFL team to Nashville, Mayor Phil Bredesen said. An agreement signed between Bredesen and Oiler owner Bud Adams forbids Nashville to pursue other NFL teams. More significantly for Nashville, the deal precludes the Oilers from negotiating with other cities, including Houston.

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Unable to narrow their differences on a signing bonus, the Pittsburgh Steelers and safety Darren Perry have broken off talks on a long-term contract. If the Steelers don’t sign Perry to a new contract by the end of the season, they risk losing their 1994 interceptions leader to free agency.

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NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has rebuked Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones for the 10-year, $40 million deal with Pepsi-Cola that Jones announced last week.

The arrangement circumvented the spirit of a league contract with Coca-Cola for exclusive marketing and promotional rights.

“The success of the league has really been to operate as a partnership,” Tagliabue told the Dallas Morning News.

“That is what distinguishes us from baseball and some of the other leagues. Once people start doing things that are self-serving and shortsighted, you have some serious problems,” Tagliabue said.

Coke began fighting back Friday by announcing an endorsement deal with Cowboy quarterback Troy Aikman. Coke has sponsored Aikman’s charity golf tournament the last four years.

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The Atlanta Falcons signed a two-year deal with seven-year veteran offensive lineman Dave Richards. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Richards, from UCLA, began his career with San Diego.

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Friday’s exhibition games:

Dan Marino was 0 of 7 in 1 1/2 quarters before giving way to Bernie Kosar, and the Miami Dolphins lost at Atlanta, 37-0. Marino had never been blanked in any kind of game since high school. . . . Trent Dilfer threw two long touchdown passes to lead Tampa Bay to a 31-7 exhibition victory at Cincinnati. Dilfer was 11 of 16 for 182 yards. . . . The New York Giants beat the New Orleans Saints, 14-13, at East Rutherford, N.J., but lost two starters in the offensive line, center Brian Williams and left guard Scott Davis. Davis is out of the season because of a knee injury and Williams suffered a severely sprained right ankle. . . . Larry Centers scored on a four-yard run with 1:02 left to lead the Arizona Cardinals to a 22-17 victory over Kansas City at Tempe.