Bruce Smith Convicted For Drinking And Driving

Bruce Smith was convicted of drunk driving Tuesday in Virginia Beach, Va., after a police officer found him asleep in his Mercedes and the star defensive end failed a sobriety test.

Smith received a 30-day suspended jail sentence, was fined $250 and had his license suspended for one year. He appealed the traffic court conviction to Circuit Court, with trial set for Oct. 23.

NFL players convicted in alcohol-related violations are subject to fines - typically one-half of one game check with a maximum of $20,000.

Because Smith was suspended for four games in 1988 after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, he could face a stiffer fine. Technically, he could be suspended, but that is not likely because Smith did not have any problems for eight years.

The trial came two days after Smith, last season’s NFL defensive player of the year, signed a six-year contract worth $28.2 million, making him the highest-paid player in Bills history. The deal guarantees he will finish his career with the Bills, who selected him first in the 1985 draft.

Officer A.M. Fletcher testified that she had a difficult time waking Smith, who was slumped over the steering wheel of his car in a traffic lane with the engine running shortly after 6 a.m. on July 27.

It’s fine by Cox

Bryan Cox’s tirades and tantrums are nothing new, and his bank account has suffered accordingly. Tuesday, he was fined $10,000 by Chicago Bears coach Dave Wannstedt for his latest outburst.

Cox was assessed three straight unsportsmanlike conduct calls in a span of two plays during the fourth quarter of Monday night’s 38-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

The final penalty came as the irate linebacker, arguing with officials, threw his helmet after a Packers touchdown. He then stormed along the sideline for several moments, venting his anger at Wannstedt.

“I can’t remember being that out of control in a long time,” Cox admitted. “It was just a frustration, it was wrong again and I understand Dave’s actions.

“I’m in agreement with it. I have no problem with it. If that $10,000 helps us become better as a team, that’s a well-spent $10,000.”

Switzer stays low key

On the airplane home from Sunday’s 37-7 blowout of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas coach Barry Switzer got on the public address system to warn his players about excess celebration.

“I told them to be smart,” Switzer said. “I told them we had already had one screwup (Switzer carrying a gun in an airport) and I didn’t want anybody to join me. I told them there was a lot of evening left and I wanted them to do the right thing.”

Packers lose two

Green Bay Packers starting cornerback Craig Newsome will miss the rest of the season and tight end Mark Chmura will be out as many as six weeks with knee injuries they suffered in Monday night’s win over the Chicago Bears.

Newsome tore his anterior cruciate ligament on the first play from scrimmage of the game during the Packers’ 38-24 win. Chmura tore a torn posterior cruciate ligament during the second quarter.

Ditka sees change

After watching film of last season’s 3-13 New Orleans Saints, Mike Ditka promised a more aggressive version this year. Lots of hard hitting and hard work would produce a team that would make fans proud.

Now he’s promising something else - changes in the lineup.

“We’re not going to change people for the sake of changing because somebody had one bad game,” Ditka said. “But we’re going to give other people a chance to play in there a little bit more than we were willing to in the beginning. I think we have to do that.”

It will be later in the week before Ditka is willing to name names, but the first game of the season was an embarrassment to the organization, Ditka said. He was especially unhappy with the effort and the lack of aggressiveness he saw in the 38-24 loss to the St. Louis Rams.

Crowds increase

Attendance at NFL games for the opening week of the season was up by more than 5,000 fans per game over last year.

Total attendance at the 15 openers was 933,647, an average of 62,243. The first week of the 1996 season drew 928,263, an average of 61,884.

Jets reward Jones

With both sides spurred by his big game on Sunday, the Jets and Marvin Jones agreed Tuesday on a six-year contract extension. The deal, which will go into effect immediately, could bring him as much as $21 million.

The linebacker, who was once the Jets’ top draft pick but had to prove himself to coach Bill Parcells, generated one of his finest performances in a five-year pro career in the season opener. He sacked Seahawks quarterback John Friesz on the third play of the game, forcing Seattle to punt. He also recorded a team-high eight tackles, including six by himself.

Center cashes in

Steelers center Dermontti Dawson won’t be leaving Pittsburgh anytime soon after signing a five-year contract extension worth as much as $16.2 million - normally, the kind of money paid a skill position player.

Dawson’s new deal includes a $4 million signing bonus and runs through the 2001 season, when he would be 37. His old contract would have paid him $1.85 million this season.

Grand jury clears Cowboy

Cowboys offensive lineman Nate Newton was cleared in Dallas of allegations he raped his former mistress, a woman who defense attorneys said tried to extort money from the athlete before going to police.

Newton spent more than an hour before the grand jury that declined to indict him on a sexual assault charge recommended by prosecutors.

“I made a mistake,” Newton said after the hearing. “I hurt my wife and my family and disgraced the Dallas Cowboys.”