Lawrence Taylor Arrested for Trying to Buy Crack Cocaine

Lawrence Taylor, one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history, was arrested Friday night in Myrtle Beach, S.C., when he tried to buy $100 worth of crack cocaine from undercover agents.

Taylor, 37, was arrested along with 14 others in a reverse drug sting, said Hugh Munn, spokesman for the State Law Enforcement Division.

Taylor paid a surety bond of $5,000 and was released, Munn said. Taylor, of Williamsburg, Va., was in town for a celebrity golf tournament. The former New York Giant star retired after the 1993 season.

*

Linebacker Kevin Greene, a key member of the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense, agreed to a two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. Greene, 34, will be paid $1 million per season and will have a chance to earn about $600,000 more each year through on-field performance incentives.

*

The Houston Oilers agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent running back Ronnie Harmon, who played the last six seasons with the San Diego Chargers. . . . Wide receiver Mike Sherrard, who caught 97 passes over the last two seasons with the New York Giants, reached agreement with the Denver Broncos on a four-year deal. . . . Quarterback Dave Brown ended months of negotiation with the New York Giants by signing a new four-year contract.

Boxing

World Boxing Organization junior featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera (40-0, 28 knockouts) headlines a pay-per-view card at the Pond of Anaheim tonight by defending his title against former WBO junior featherweight champion Jesse Benavides (40-4-1, 25 knockouts).

The show includes three other title fights. Mark Johnson (28-1, 20 knockouts) and Francisco Tejedor (43-4, 31 knockouts) will battle for the vacant International Boxing Federation flyweight title, Intercontinental Boxing Council junior featherweight champion Junior Jones (40-2, 25 knockouts) will defend against John Lowey (22-1, 15 knockouts), and North American Boxing Organization junior featherweight titleholder Jesse Magana (17-4-2, eight knockouts) will face challenger Jose Ayala (15-2, six knockouts).

Golf

Mark Brooks got his first bogey in two days, but still shot 68 for a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Shell Houston Open on the Tournament Players Course at The Woodlands, Tex. . . . Brian Barnes shot a 6-under-par 66 to tie Graham Marsh for the first-round lead at the PaineWebber Invitational senior event at Charlotte, N.C. . . . Val Skinner’s second straight 67 at Daytona Beach was good enough for a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Sprint Titleholders Championship, the LPGA Tour’s richest event.

Tennis

Thomas Muster extended his winning streak on clay to 38 matches by outlasting Mark Philippoussis of Australia, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2, to reach the semifinals of the BMW Open at Munich, Germany.

Second-seeded Boris Becker also reached the semifinals.

Second-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia overpowered eighth-seeded Javier Sanchez of Spain, 6-1, 6-1, in the quarterfinals of the Skoda Czech Open at Prague, Czech Republic.

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez, the two top-seeded players, advanced to the semifinals of the Rexona Cup at Hamburg, Germany, while Mary Pierce ousted teen-age sensation Martina Hingis.

Cycling

Lance Armstrong obliterated the field and took a significant race lead by winning the second half of a double stage in the Tour DuPont at Raleigh, N.C.

Names in the News

Jermaine O’Neal, not yet academically eligible to play college ball, declared himself ready for the NBA draft. The 6-foot-11 O’Neal, a 17-year-old student from Eau Claire High School in South Carolina, said he would put that on hold if he gets his test scores high enough to qualify for college before the June 26 draft.. . . . Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, who guided the Lady Vols to their fourth national championship this year, was rewarded with a raise and two-year contract extension that will pay her a total compensation package of more than $230,000. . . . Former New York Yankee outfielder Dion James was arrested and charged with marijuana possession after police stopped the player’s car for a broken taillight, according to Hackensack, N.J. police.

Miscellany

Canada defeated Russia on a goal by Yanic Perreault in a tie-breaking shootout, and the Czech Republic overwhelmed the United States, 5-0, at Vienna in the semifinals of the World Ice Hockey Championships. . . . World soccer’s governing body ruled out the idea of Japan and South Korea co-hosting the 2002 World Cup, saying the logistical problems were too great. . . . The University of Nebraska reversed itself and renewed the athletic scholarship of a female basketball player who was assaulted by football player Lawrence Phillips. The announcement came two weeks after women’s basketball coach Angela Beck said Kate McEwen’s athletic scholarship was withdrawn because McEwen has not played well for the past two years. . . . Defending champion UCLA will host Hawaii in the NCAA volleyball championship match at Pauley Pavilion at 4 p.m. today.