Police seize $81,000 belonging to Jones

A topless-dancer promoter took a bag full of $81,000 in cash belonging to Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones and fled a Las Vegas strip club early Monday, leading to a shooting that injured three people, one of them critically, according to a search warrant obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Jones was showering more than 40 strippers onstage with cash “intended as a visual effect,” the warrant said. But a scuffle broke out after Houston promoter Chris Mitchell ordered strippers to pick up the money. Mitchell then took the bag containing the rest of Jones’ money and fled with a male associate.

Police recovered the money and two watches inside a safe at Mitchell’s hotel room Monday. According to the newspaper, Mitchell told detectives he took Jones’ money because he thought it was for the dancers.

Jones’ lawyer, Worrick Robinson, has said his client did not know anyone involved in the shooting and was interviewed by authorities as a witness, not as a suspect. Police have not said Jones is a person of interest in the case.

TENNIS

Williams advances

at Memphis event

Venus Williams, playing her first tournament since October after recovering from a left wrist injury, advanced to the semifinals of the Memphis (Tenn.) WTA Tour event, beating Laura Granville, 7-6 (2), 6-4.

In men’s play, defending champion Tommy Haas advanced to the Regions Morgan Keegan quarterfinals, beating Amer Delic, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5).

Defending champion Justine Henin routed Eleni Daniilidou, 6-0, 6-2, and advanced to the semifinals of the Dubai Open in the United Arab Emirates.

Second-seed Amelie Mauresmo stopped Daniela Hantuchova, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, and Marina Hingis lost, 7-6 (3), 6-2, to Jelena Jankovic.

PRO FOOTBALL

Raiders, Brooks

go separate ways

The Oakland Raiders cut ties with Aaron Brooks, declining to pick up the option on the quarterback’s contract after one season.

Brooks would have been due a $5-million bonus if he had stayed on the roster.

Coach Lovie Smith’s negotiations for a new contract with the Chicago Bears are at a stalemate, according to Smith’s agent, Frank Bauer. Smith is entering the last season of his contract with the team.

The Washington Redskins released safety Troy Vincent, the first of what is expected to be several cap-saving measures.

MISCELLANY

Santa Anita still

deciding on surface

Santa Anita has yet to make a decision on which synthetic surface it will install, but track President Ron Charles said one would be in place before Oak Tree begins in the fall.

Track consultants for Magna Entertainment Corp., which owns Santa Anita, have been observing the effects of synthetic surfaces at other tracks, including some in England. Santa Anita, where temperatures can exceed 100 degrees, needs a surface that holds up to heat.

The California Horse Racing Board mandated all thoroughbred tracks that race more than four weeks a year have a synthetic surface in place by 2007.

-- Bob Mieszerski

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said he has received a commitment from the Federal Communications Commission to investigate a proposed seven-year, $700-million exclusive deal between Major League Baseball and DirecTV involving the Extra Innings out-of-market pay package.

If the deal goes through, the package would not be available to cable and Dish Network satellite subscribers.

The Paralysis Project of America will stage its annual Sports Legends Awards dinner Saturday night at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. This year’s award winners include Dodgers announcer Vin Scully, soccer’s Cobi Jones, swimmer Diana Nyad, jockey Ron Turcotte and baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield. Information: (310) 930-1858 or paralysisproject.org.

-- Larry Stewart

New Mexico announced that basketball Coach Ritchie McKay’s contract will be terminated at the end of the season.

Gabriela Marginean scored a school-record 47 points and Drexel beat Northeastern, 98-90, in five overtimes at Philadelphia in the longest game in NCAA women’s basketball history.

Former World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison, 38, stopped John Castle in the second round at Chester, W.Va., in his return to the ring 11 years after testing positive for the virus that causes AIDS.

The Detroit Shock traded Ruth Riley, the 2003 WNBA Finals MVP, to the San Antonio Silver Stars for Katie Feenstra.