JurisprudenceMike Asher, a limousine driver who picked...

Jurisprudence

Mike Asher, a limousine driver who picked up NFL players Brian and Bennie Blades, and their cousin Charles Blades last July 4, testified in a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., court that he took the three out for a round of partying--after the Blades family had spent the day at a beer-drinking picnic.

During Brian Blades’ manslaughter trial for the shooting death of Charles Blades, Asher said he picked up the threesome at 10:30 p.m. Around midnight, he said, arguing started and Brian threatened to get a gun and shoot Bennie.

Charles Blades, 34, clearly very drunk, followed Brian home, trying to make peace between his cousins, Asher said. Charles Blades died of a single gunshot wound suffered a short time later in a scuffle with Brian over a handgun.

Brian could face up to 10 years in prison, if convicted on the manslaughter charge.

A judge in Dallas refused to throw out Michael Irvin’s indictment on felony drug possession. The charges stem from a raid at a motel where the Dallas Cowboy receiver was celebrating his birthday.

Defense attorney Don Godwin pleaded for state District Judge Manny Alvarez to throw out the indictment against Irvin and two topless dancers, saying the grand jury had been improperly selected.

Alvarez rejected that argument but granted the defense seven other evidentiary and procedural motions, allowing the defense access to defendants’ statements to law officers and access to crime scene photos and other evidence.

After four decades of toying with boxing reform, Congress is finally on the verge of doing something to regulate the disjointed and corruption-prone sport. But not much.

Two House subcommittees held hearings on the Professional Boxing Safety Act. The act’s major plank is designed to prevent boxers from fighting in one state after being suspended in another.

Boxers would be required to obtain identification cards, and states would be required to report fight results and suspensions within 48 hours of a bout.

“This bill would affect only about 2% of boxing matches in America,” said Rep. Pat Williams (D-Mont.).

University of Massachusetts administrators met to discuss allegations that former center Marcus Camby accepted gifts from agents while playing for the Minutemen. The university expects to finish its investigation by the end of the summer and submit a report to the NCAA.

Camby, 22, who declared for the NBA draft after winning college player-of-the-year honors last season, has admitted accepting cash from one agent and jewelry that another agent bought.

Miscellany

Pepperdine baseball coach Pat Harrison resigned to accept a similar position with the University of Mississippi. In two seasons, Harrison’s teams posted an 89-39-1 record and won the West Coast Conference championship in his first season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed running back Leonard Green, a free agent from USC. Green, 24, began last season as the Trojans’ starting tailback, but he missed most of the year after suffering an ankle sprain in his third game.

Two goals by surprise starter Pierluigi Casiraghi led Italy to a 2-1 soccer victory over Russia in the European Championships at London. In another game, Goran Vlaovic scored with five minutes left to give Croatia a 1-0 victory over Turkey.

Less than three weeks after a devastating crash that almost cost him his left foot, Alessandro Zampedri is talking about resuming his career as a race driver. Zampedri was injured in a crash involving three cars on the final turn of the final lap of the Indianapolis 500.

His left foot was literally crushed. He lost three toes, and it took a vein transfer, muscle transplant and five operations to avoid amputation of the entire foot.

“I just want to take my time, heal 100% and start racing again,” the 26-year-old Italian said.

Action in the 32nd annual Pontiac Excitement Nationals drag races, postponed last week by rain in Hebron, Ohio, will resume Friday at National Trail Raceway.

A valiant comeback by unseeded Hicham Arazi of Morocco knocked second-seeded Spaniard Alberto Costa out of the Heineken Open grass-court tennis tournament in the Netherlands, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (9-7).

Former Philadelphia Phillies’ outfielder Wes Chamberlain and Florida Marlins’ outfielder Darrell Whitmore have signed one-year contracts with the Lotte Marines of Chiba, Japan. Also in Japan, the Hanshin Tigers released Glenn Davis, who last played in the majors for the Baltimore Orioles, and Scott Coolbaugh, who had played for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Stanford, UC Davis, Williams College and Pacific Lutheran each received Sears Directors Cups in recognition of their overall athletic superiority. The cup is awarded to the school in each division which has the most points in all intercollegiate sports competition, both for men and and women.

Stanford won in NCAA Division I, UC Davis in Division II, Williams in Division III and Pacific Lutheran in NAIA competition.