49ers Suspend Phillips for ‘Detrimental Conduct’

Troubled running back Lawrence Phillips was suspended Friday by the San Francisco 49ers for what the club said was conduct detrimental to the team.

In a terse press release, Coach Steve Mariucci said that Phillips would not make the trip to New Orleans, where the 49ers will play the Saints on Sunday.

It was unclear what the former Baldwin Park High star did to prompt the suspension. The 49ers were flying to New Orleans on Friday night, and Mariucci was unavailable for further comment.

“We will reevaluate his status next week,” Mariucci said in the statement.

Phillips had washed out with the St. Louis Rams and the Miami Dolphins after repeated disciplinary problems and run-ins with the law.

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Coach Brian Billick of the Baltimore Ravens was fined $10,000 for saying that officials probably wouldn’t give his team any close calls in its game last Sunday against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland.

Sunday was the first time the Ravens, whom owner Art Modell moved out of Cleveland four seasons ago, returned to the city to play the expansion Browns.

“I know darn well we’re not going to get a call no way, no shape no how,” Billick said before his team’s 41-9 victory over the Browns. “The league would really like to see Cleveland beat us.”

Carmen Policy, president of the Browns, complained to the league about Billick’s comments.

The league said it fined Billick because he called the officials’ integrity into question, whether he meant to or not. Billick said he won’t appeal the fine.

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Gus Frerotte, who came off the bench last Sunday and led the Detroit Lions to a dramatic win over the Rams, will start at quarterback for the injured Charlie Batch on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Batch suffered a sprained right thumb early in the third quarter of last Sunday’s game and was unable to participate in practice this week. It will be a game-time decision as to whether he will be available as a backup.

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Wide receiver Curtis Conway and quarterback Shane Matthews of the Chicago Bears will sit out Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. So will quarterback Cade McNown, unless starter Jim Miller is injured.

Conway will sit out his fifth game because of a sprained ankle and Matthews will sit out one more game because of a pulled hamstring, Coach Dick Jauron said.

McNown, who has a sprained knee, will be the No. 2 quarterback, but he won’t play unless Miller gets hurt, Jauron said. McNown will wear a brace.

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The NFL has withdrawn a TV ad after concerns were raised about a rap song used on the soundtrack.

The song, “Hi, My Name Is . . .” by Eminem, refers to teen suicide, drugs, rape, assault and drunk driving. But the league’s promotional ad, “My Name Is Joe,” does not include that material.

When the league learned that the full lyrics of the song could be considered offensive, Sara Levinson, president of NFL Properties, ordered the ad withdrawn.

“There was never any intent for association between a harmless spot back to the lyrics of this song,” said Chris Widmaier, an NFL spokesman. “I don’t believe anybody knew all the lyrics.”

The ad, one of four NFL spots using popular music, features quick cuts from a number of football personalities named Joe, including Namath, Gibbs, Montana and Greene. It appeared four or five times during game broadcasts.