Griese Steps Into Spotlight

Bob Griese’s uniform is displayed in the lobby of the Miami Dolphins’ training complex, along with his photo from the 1973 Super Bowl, and his plaque hangs over the front entrance.

“I make sure I come through the side door,” Brian Griese said with a smile.

The younger Griese’s debut with the Dolphins comes tonight in their exhibition opener against Tampa Bay, and he’ll probably start. But the role is temporary -- No. 1 quarterback Jay Fiedler has missed practice the last two days because of back spasms and is expected to sit out as a precaution.

“It’ll be different putting on a Dolphin uniform for a game for the first time, but it’s going to be exciting,” Griese said. “I’ve got a lot of people coming to the game, friends and family that I’ve had here in Miami for a long time who’ve wanted to see me play. So it’ll be fun.”

An expected quarterback controversy has yet to materialize, but then the first regular-season game is still a month away. Griese has been erratic during the first two weeks of training camp as he becomes acclimated to the offense and his teammates, while Fiedler looked poised and polished in practice until his back flared up.

Griese and Coach Dave Wannstedt repeatedly have said the starting job is Fiedler’s. And Fiedler said he doesn’t feel threatened by his new backup.

Controversy?

“The question is going to keep coming up, I guess,” Fiedler said. “That doesn’t mean I have to answer it all the time. I understand where it’s coming from, but it doesn’t change what I’m doing out there.”

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Tampa Bay Buccaneer safety Dwight Smith pleaded guilty to brandishing a gun at another motorist at Clearwater, Fla.

Smith was sentenced to one year’s probation and fined $225 for the misdemeanor charge of improperly displaying a firearm at another motorist. He also was ordered to get anger management counseling and complete 25 hours of community service in a plea agreement.

The third-year safety, who returned two interceptions for touchdowns in Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl victory over Oakland, was charged April 16 with brandishing a 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun.

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Minnesota Viking tight end Jim Kleinsasser will sit out the next two weeks of training camp because of soreness in his right foot.

The injury -- inflammation of the tissue that connects the heel bone to the base of the toes -- is not considered serious.

Also, a cast will be kept on running back Michael Bennett’s injured left foot two weeks longer than planned -- until the end of the month.

Bennett said he’s still on a rehabilitation timetable for returning to action in mid-October.

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Arizona Cardinal offensive lineman Frank Garcia blames an herbal allergy remedy for his testing positive for the banned substance ephedra.

The NFL has suspended Garcia without pay for four games for violating the league’s banned substances rule.

“The way I look at is that I am an innocent victim of a well-intentioned policy,” Garcia said.

Garcia said he took the medication, which was used by his wife, after an allergy attack during a golf outing in April and was randomly tested the same day.

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New England’s newcomers made a good first impression as the Patriots posted a 26-6 exhibition victory over the New York Giants at Foxboro, Mass.

Rosevelt Colvin and Tyrone Poole produced first-quarter turnovers that led to 10 points, and Fred McCrary caught a touchdown pass in the third quarter that gave New England a 20-6 lead.

Nose tackle Dan Klecko, drafted in the fourth round out of Temple, had 2 1/2 of the Patriots’ seven sacks.