Dolphins Safety Tackles Reporter For No Gain

Miami Dolphins safety Gene Atkins, angered by a recent newspaper column, body-slammed the reporter who wrote the article and later grabbed him by the throat in the locker room Wednesday.

Atkins said he unintentionally bumped into the writer, Jason Cole of the Sun-Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale. Atkins acknowledged being upset by Cole’s column Sunday.

“We just had a misunderstanding,” said Atkins, who apologized to Cole.

Dolphins coach Don Shula also apologized and fined Atkins an undisclosed amount. Cole, who was unhurt, declined to comment.

Cole wrote that some Dolphins are grousing about Atkins’ contract, which was restructured in May and included a $1.8 million signing bonus.

The confrontation occurred after the media were admitted to the locker room for mid-day interviews. With a running start, Atkins slammed chest-to-chest into Cole, who landed on his back, feet in the air.

Cole, who has been covering the Dolphins since 1992, is 5-foot-11 and weighs 242 pounds. Atkins is 5-11, 201.

Stunned, Cole rose slowly and followed Atkins to his locker, seeking explanation. When Cole put his hand on Atkins’ shoulder, Atkins grabbed Cole by the throat with his left hand and pushed him away. “Get your hands off me,” Atkins said twice.

A team public relations official then separated Atkins and Cole.

“My friendly reporter came to my locker and pretty much touched me on my shoulder,” Atkins said. “It wasn’t in a forceful way or anything like that. I just turned around and kind of thought about the article that was wrote for Sunday.”

Atkins said he ran into Cole while playfully being chased by teammate Chris Singleton.

“We was in the locker room horsing around, and I’m running from Chris, and I happened to bump into a reporter,” Atkins said. “If it was intentional, I don’t think the reporter would have got up.”

Shula, when asked about the incident, jokingly grabbed the inquiring reporter by the throat and said, “What’d you say?!”

Hawks lose Spitulski for year

Linebacker Bob Spitulski and cornerback Nate Odomes were placed on the season-long injured reserve list by the Seahawks. Not only have the Seahawks lost their services for the season, but their $2.332 million salaries will count against the team’s salary cap.

Doctors in Florida had determined that a cyst problem within Spitulski’s right patella tendon required major surgery. What was originally scheduled to be an eight- to 10-week injury will require 16 weeks of rehabilitation. In four years, Spitulski has had surgeries on each knee and one shoulder.

49ers’ Floyd hurts knee

San Francisco fullback William Floyd sprained right knee ligaments during contact drills and is expected to miss the team’s Sept. 3 opener at New Orleans.

Jets’ linebacker Jones hurt again

New York Jets middle linebacker Marvin Jones reinjured the right ankle that slowed him most of last season in a pileup toward the end of practice. The team won’t know the extent of the injury until today.

Greene: Be nice, kids

An adult friend of a boy criticized Kevin Greene after Pittsburgh’s Pro Bowl linebacker twice punted a football the boy presented for an autograph last week at training camp in Latrobe, Pa.

In a letter to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Rich Belancik of suburban Pittsburgh said Greene brought the boy to tears.

“I thought I was having a little fun - make him work for an autograph because I thought he was rude,” Greene said Tuesday.

“It was a classic case of a kid coming up to you and saying, ‘Autograph! Autograph! Hey, give me your autograph, Greene!’ Not, ‘Can I please have your autograph?’ And you don’t have to call me ‘Mister.”’

Around the league

Tight end Frank Wycheck was cut by Washington. … Alvin Harper, Tampa Bay’s $10.66 million receiver, ran on his injured left knee and foot for the first time since he sprained them Aug. 5 and is expected back no later than Aug. 25. … Defensive end Derrick Alexander, the NFL’s last unsigned firstround pick, agreed to a four-year, $4.8 million contract with Minnesota. … Oakland center Don Mosebar, poked in the eye Aug. 2, underwent 12 hours of surgery Wednesday to correct the vision in his left eye.