Shell’s New Chapter Begins With Chiefs

Art Shell, fired last month as Raider coach, was hired Thursday as an assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs, a team he competed against for almost three decades.

The Hall of Fame offensive tackle, who spent 27 years in the Raider organization, will be the Chiefs’ offensive line coach in a move that had been widely expected.

Shell was 54-38 in five-plus seasons as the Raiders’ coach. Against the Chiefs, the Raiders’ longstanding AFC West rival, he was 2-10.

“I couldn’t figure out a way to beat him,” Shell said with a nod toward Chief Coach Marty Schottenheimer. “So I decided I’d better join him.”

Shell, 48, replaces Alex Gibbs, who went to the Denver Broncos after Kansas City finished the regular season 9-7 and lost to Miami in the first round of the playoffs.

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The New York Jets did not renew the contract of wide receiver Art Monk. Monk, 37, holds the NFL record for most catches with 934 and consecutive games with receptions at 180. Monk’s plans are unknown. As expected, the Jets also did not renew the contract of safety Ronnie Lott. Lott said he wants to continue playing.

Former Alabama running back Sherman Williams, sent home from the NFL combine workouts last week because of a possible enlarged heart, was cleared to play.

Tennis

Pete Sampras, his hold on the No. 1 ranking growing less secure, lost to Paul Haarhuis, 6-4, 6-4, in the second round of the Comcast U.S. Indoor at Philadelphia.

Sampras, seeded No. 1 and a two-time champion in the event, was beaten in 71 minutes, never able to find his rhythm. He complained of flu-like symptoms Wednesday but made no excuses.

“The spring was there in my legs,” he said. “I just didn’t play a good match. I never really felt too comfortable out there. It was just an off day against someone who has been playing good.”

The upset leaves an opening for Andre Agassi in his bid to move up from No. 2. Agassi has been climbing steadily in the rankings and has said it is his intent to overtake Sampras.

Billie Jean King was chosen as captain of the U.S. Federation Cup team that will face Austria at Miami April 22-23.

Boxing

The Nevada State Athletic Commission will vote on whether to relicense former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, who has been under medical suspension in the state since losing his titles to Michael Moorer last April in Las Vegas.

Holyfield, hospitalized because of a rare heart condition after his loss to Moorer, was pronounced fit at the Mayo Clinic last year.

Holyfield reportedly plans to resume his career with a May 22 bout against Ray Mercer in Atlantic City, N.J.

Jurisprudence

A witness testified in Santa Ana that Ram cornerback Darryl Henley said he needed more time to pay a $360,000 debt from an alleged failed drug deal because his “connection had gotten busted” and he was being watched by the “feds.”

The testimony from Alejandro Figueroa Cuevas came as federal prosecutors continued to press allegations of drug trafficking against Henley and four other men.

Cuevas, who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion in the case and said he hopes his cooperation with the government will gain him a lighter sentence, testified that Henley promised he would start paying the money back once he signed a new contract with the Rams.

Cuevas is the second person who has pleaded guilty in the case to testify against the defendants.

Earl Oliver, former captain of the Fresno State football team, is one of three suspects accused of a string of armed robberies in Madera, Fresno and Tulare counties to pay for tuition, authorities said.

James Toney, the former super-middleweight champion, was arraigned on a misdemeanor weapons charge in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Sailing

Rookie America’s Cup skipper Kevin Mahaney sailed Young America to a comeback victory over America 3in San Diego, assuring himself of no worse than a first-place tie after three rounds of the defender trials.

Young America, which had lost two in a row to Stars & Stripes, regained the lead in the defender series with 25 points. Stars & Stripes, with 21 points, could pull back into a first-place tie if it beats America 3in the round’s final race today.

Miscellany

South Korea’s Lee Kyung Chun set a world record for the women’s 1,500 meters in short-track speedskating at the Winter University Games in Jaca, Spain. Chun, 19, was timed in 2 minutes 27.38 seconds, beating the previous mark of 2:31.36 set by South Korean So Hee Kim last year.