Phillips Gets Released; Leaf Reaches Terms

Talented but troubled running back Lawrence Phillips was waived by the Miami Dolphins on Saturday, four days into training camp and four weeks after his latest brush with the law.

“I just feel like he’s not going to fit into our plans,” Coach Jimmy Johnson said.

Published reports in Florida said Phillips sealed his fate by missing a team meeting Friday night. Phillips, who has avoided the media throughout the off-season, was not available for comment.

Cut by St. Louis less than two seasons after the Rams made him the No. 6 pick of the 1996 draft, Phillips joined the Dolphins in the hope of bolstering a running game that ranked next-to-last in 1997.

Police still are investigating allegations Phillips hit a woman at a lounge in Plantation, Fla., on June 27.

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Quarterback Ryan Leaf and the San Diego Chargers agreed to a contract that includes an $11.25-million signing bonus, the largest ever for a rookie.

The bonus is part of a complex deal that could pay Leaf, who led Washington State to the Rose Bowl last season and was the second pick in the April draft, $31.25 million over five seasons. The previous highest bonus for a rookie was the $7.125 million Ki-Jana Carter got from the Cincinnati Bengals in 1995.

Leaf is expected to practice Monday. Quarterback Peyton Manning, taken by the Indianapolis Colts with the first pick in the draft, remains unsigned.

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Center Brian Williams, 32, was put on the physically unable to perform list by the New York Giants because of an eye injury suffered early in training camp last year. The Giants also removed running back LeShon Johnson, who is being treated for lymphoma, from the active roster. . . . Linebackers Takeo Spikes and Brian Simmons, both 1998 first-round draft choices, agreed to five-year contracts with Cincinnati. ESPN reported that Simmons received a $3.2-million signing bonus. Spikes agreed to a five-year, $7.53-million contract.

Tennis

Monica Seles defeated Conchita Martinez, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, to give the United States a 1-1 tie with Spain in their Fed Cup semifinal at Madrid. Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez Vicario beat Lisa Raymond, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-0, in the opening match.

The best-of-five competition will be decided today with the reverse singles and the doubles. The winner will play for the Fed Cup title against defending champion France or Switzerland, which leads that semifinal, 2-0.

Second-seeded Andre Agassi needed only 43 minutes to blow past third-seeded Wayne Ferreira of South Africa, 6-1, 6-0, in the semifinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic at Washington. Today, Agassi plays 14th-seeded Scott Draper of Australia, who reached the final when top-seeded Michael Chang pulled out of the match after re-injuring his left wrist. . . . Chile’s Marcelo Rios, who needed to beat Karol Kucera in the semifinals of the Mercedes Cup at Stuttgart, Germany, to replace Pete Sampras as the world’s No. 1 player, fought off seven match points and received a court-side injection to treat his allergies, but lost, 6-1, 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, to the Slovak. In the other semifinal, Brazil’s Gustavo Kuerten ousted Spain’s Carlos Moya, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.

Golf

Willie Wood eagled the 578-yard 18th hole and tied Dave Stockton Jr. for the third-round lead in the CVS Charity Classic at Sutton, Mass. The leaders are at 12-under-par 201, one stroke ahead of Steve Pate. . . . Veteran Dottie Pepper stole the thunder of rookie Se Ri Pak, matching the course record with an eight-under 64 to take a two-stroke lead over Pak and two other players heading into the final round of the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic at Howland, Ohio. The 64, after an opening 67, left Pepper at 13-under 131 in the 54-hole event. . . . James Oh, 16, of Lakewood defeated Aaron Bradley of Australia, one up, to win the 1988 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at the Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Ill.

Miscellany

World-record holder Donovan Bailey of Canada inched ahead of Davidson Ezinwa of Nigeria to win the 100 meters in 10.27 seconds at the Barcelona international track meet. . . . The United States defeated South Africa, 12-0, and Denmark, 14-0, to remain unbeaten in Group One of the Women’s World Softball Championships at Fujinomiya, Japan. . . . The United States defeated Russia, 10-0, to remain alive in the bid for a quarterfinal berth in the Baseball World Championships at Rome. . .The world governing body of swimming suspended Briton Michael Fibbens for one year because he tested positive for the banned stimulant Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. . . . The Harlem Globetrotters will face Hoop Mecca in the championship game of the Fila Summer Pro League tonight at 5 at the Pyramid at Long Beach State.