Spellman Signed by Lions

Defensive lineman Alonzo Spellman, who played for the Dallas Cowboys the past two seasons after being treated for bipolar disorder, signed Sunday with the Detroit Lions.

The 28-year-old Spellman, a first-round draft pick from Ohio State by Chicago in 1992, played six seasons for the Bears.

He was released by the Bears after he refused to leave his publicist’s house for eight hoursand was finally taken away by police.

Two months later, Detroit police used pepper spray to subdue the 290-pounder after he went out of control while breaking up a fight between two female companions.

The NFL is ready to gather alternate officiating crews for exhibition and regular-season games if contract talks with referees fail to make progress.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said that Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and four league representatives met for four hours with the president of the NFL Referees Association and four others, with no progress made.

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Terry Glenn says he did not deserve his four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

The New England Patriot wide receiver was suspended for missing one of the drug tests he is required to take three times a week.

But in an interview with the Boston Globe, Glenn said he had informed officials at the substance abuse program that he would have to miss the test because he was going out of town.

“I told them where I was, so if they wanted to send someone to Texas to test me, fine,” he said. “I didn’t receive a call-back from them until two days later. And then I took the test and it was negative.”

But the NFL drug policy considers a missed test the same as a failed test.

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Two quarterbacks competing to be the Cincinnati Bengals’ starter have nagging injuries that will keep them from practicing for at least a few days.

Akili Smith did not practice Sunday because of a bruised right throwing shoulder and Jon Kitna complained of back spasms as the team’s workout concluded.

Smith won’t practice until midweek. Kitna is day-to-day but said he does not expect to practice today.