Probert’s Problems Mounting

Bob Probert of the Chicago Blackhawks had cocaine in his system when he crashed his motorcycle last month, a television station in Southfield, Mich., reported Wednesday.

Probert also had a blood-alcohol level of 0.31, more than three times the legal limit, the report said.

He has been charged with drunken driving in the July 15 accident and is free on $10,000 bond. He crashed his motorcycle into a car about 2 p.m. and was taken to a hospital, where he spent the night.

The Detroit Red Wings released Probert shortly after the crash, saying they’d had enough of his off-ice behavior.

He later signed a $6-million deal with the Blackhawks.

But Probert’s status in the NHL and the United States could be in jeopardy. He had been playing for the Red Wings under a waiver from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

The waiver was necessary because the Canadian-born player has a felony drug conviction for trying to smuggle cocaine across the U.S.-Canadian border in 1989.

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Robert Schwartz, district attorney in Albuquerque, N.M., said his office will appeal a judge’s decision to drop charges against three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser.

Charges of battery, resisting arrest and careless driving were filed against Unser in connection with an alleged confrontation involving an Albuquerque airport police officer on May 16.

Metropolitan Judge Joanne Birge dismissed the charges with prejudice Friday, meaning they cannot be refiled. If the appeal is unsuccessful, then “it’s over,” Schwartz said. Birge originally dismissed the charges due to technical problems and the charges were refiled.

Tennis

Top-seeded Sergi Bruguera of Spain defeated Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic, 6-7 (7-0), 6-1, 6-1, in the first round of the Czech Open at Prague.

Second-seeded Thomas Muster of Austria defeated unseeded Lou Gloria of the United States, 6-3, 6-7 (7-2), 6-1, in the second round of the EA Generali Open at Kitzbuehel, Austria.

Miscellany

Former Clipper Michael Cage, a 10-year NBA veteran who played for the Seattle SuperSonics the past six seasons, agreed to a three-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Andre Ware of the Minnesota Vikings, a Heisman Trophy winner, said he was interviewed by NCAA investigators about the University of Houston’s summer workout policy under former coach John Jenkins.

Italian soccer star Roberto Baggio, whose missed penalty kick proved decisive in the World Cup final against Brazil last month, said shootouts should be eliminated.

Instead, he said, World Cup games that end in ties should be replayed three or four days later.

Point guard Belefia Parks was dropped from the DePaul basketball team for disciplinary reasons.

Coach Joey Meyer did not say what Parks had done. Parks, a senior, was suspended last year for the final two regular-season games as a discipline measure.

California’s Julie Foudy scored a third-minute goal and the defending world champion United States women’s soccer team held on to record a 1-0 victory over China in a Chiquita Cup tournament match at Piscataway, N.J.

Jeremy Williams suffered a broken left hand in the fourth round of a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout against Mark Wills on Tuesday and will be unable to fight for three months.