Ex-Dolphin Sammie Smith Faces Life for Cocaine Charge

Sammie Smith, former Miami Dolphin running back, was charged Friday with intent to distribute cocaine after a raid in an Orlando neighborhood where he was considered a hometown hero.

Smith, a record-breaking running back at Florida State, could face life in prison, if convicted. Smith, 28, had about 15 pounds of cocaine in his car when about 100 law enforcement officials in cars, helicopters and SWAT vehicles moved in Thursday evening, sheriff Kevin Beary said.

“Nothing surprises me anymore. But I sure hate to see this,” said Florida State’s Bobby Bowden, who coached Smith from 1985 to 1988.

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Warren Moon’s arraignment on charges of assaulting his wife was postponed until Oct 24. The Minnesota Viking quarterback is charged with slapping and choking his wife, Felicia, during an argument outside their home in Missouri City, a Houston suburb.

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Florida Marlin outfielder Andre Dawson has been arrested after a late-night altercation with a valet at a downtown hotel in Denver. Dawson, 41, was released on bond after he was booked for investigation of assault and disturbing the peace, police confirmed.

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Charges against Denver Bronco defensive end Dan Williams that stemmed from threats he allegedly made in a phone call to a woman have been dropped. Williams, 25, was arrested Aug. 21 at Mile High Stadium after an exhibition game against Dallas. He was jailed overnight and released on $500 bond after pleading innocent to charges of disturbing the peace, making threats to injure a person or damage property and disturbance by use of the telephone.

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Pro football brothers Brian and Bennie Blades have been blamed in a wrongful-death suit for the shooting death of their cousin. Seattle Seahawk receiver Brian Blades faces a criminal manslaughter charge in the death of Charles Blades, 34, at the player’s townhouse. Detroit Lion safety Bennie Blades had left the Plantation home a short time before the shooting.

Golf

Jay Williamson bogeyed his final hole after hitting his drive into the water, settling for a 68 that dropped him back into a five-way tie for the lead midway through the $1-million B.C. Open in Endicott, N.Y. Williamson, first-round co-leader Skip Kendall, Brad Faxon, Guy Boros and Jeff Leonard were bunched atop the leader board at seven-under-par 135 after two rounds over the par-71 En-Joie Golf Course.

Ray Floyd shot a seven-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the seniors’ Brickyard Crossing Championship in Indianapolis.

John Paul Cain, Jim Dent and Larry Laoretti opened with 66s on the Brickyard Crossing course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Lee Trevino, Bob Murphy, Bob Charles and qualifier Bob Carson were at 67.

Patty Sheehan, who says this will be her last tournament this year, shot a seven-under-par 65 and set a tournament record for 36 holes in taking a four-shot lead in the $500,000 Safeco Classic at Kent, Wash.

Sheehan’s two-day total of 133 broke her own record of 134, set in 1990 on the 6,234-yard Meridian Valley Country Club course.

First-round leader Mitzi Edge was four strokes back along with Liselotte Neumann.

Sam Torrance, at 42 the oldest member of Europe’s team in next week’s Ryder Cup, shot a six-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead in the British Masters in Northampton, England. Torrance has a 133 total for 36 holes.

Basketball

Dennis Rodman says he no longer wants to play for the San Antonio Spurs and will sit out the season if necessary to accomplish that objective.

“San Antonio has been screwing me for the last two years,” Rodman said on the syndicated TV show “The Entertainers.” “So I said the hell with it. I want to be out now. If they won’t give me my just due, then get me out now.

“I’m not going to camp. I’ll sit out for a year. I don’t care.”

Auto Racing

Rick Mast came up with his first pole of the season and the third of his Winston Cup career at Dover Downs International Speedway in Dover, Del., taking the top qualifying spot for Sunday’s MBNA 500. He turned a lap of 153.446 m.p.h., breaking the event record of 152.840 set in 1994 by Geoff Bodine, but came up short of the track record of 153.669 set in June by Jeff Gordon.

Scott Kalitta (top fuel), Cruz Pedregon (funny car) and Warren Johnson (pro stock) and John Myers (pro stock motorcycle) led their respective pro categories after the second round of qualifying for the NHRA Pioneer Electronics Keystone Nationals at Mohnton, Pa.

Tennis

Top-seeded Goran Ivanisevic was ousted, 6-3, 6-1, by Jakob Hlasek in the quarterfinals of the $400,000 Passing Shot tournament in Bordeaux, France. . . . Sandor Noszaly of Hungary upset third-seeded Sergi Bruguera of Spain, 6-4, 6-2, in the quarterfinals of the Romanian Open at Bucharest.

Miscellany

Sprinter Michael Johnson, who hasn’t lost a 200-meter race since July 1994, edged Frank Fredericks of Namibia in a track meet in Tokyo in 20.06 seconds. . . . Coach Lou Holtz, who underwent back surgery earlier this week, is expected to be released from the Mayo Clinic today and return to South Bend, Ind., but he will not be at Notre Dame’s home game against Vanderbilt. . . . Pedro Julio Nolasco, 33, the only Dominican boxer to win an Olympic medal, was shot and killed by a robber inside his Santo Domingo home. . . . The U.S. women’s volleyball team beat Cuba for the first time this year at the World Grand Prix championships in Shanghai, China. . . . A small group of investors led by Dallas businessman John Spano is buying 50% of the NHL’s Dallas Stars from Norm Green for more than $40 million.