Off the wire

LITTLE ROCK — FOOTBALL Four Tide players dismissed

Four players for two-time defending national champion Alabama have been dismissed from school following their arrests after two robberies on campus. University spokeswoman Deborah Lane said Wednesday that linebackers D.J. Pettway and Tyler Hayes, safety Eddie Williams and H-back Brent Calloway are no longer enrolled after a judicial review. Crimson Tide Coach Nick Saban had earlier said the players “are no longer associated with the football program. Their actions do not reflect the spirit and character that we want our organization to reflect,” Saban said. “It’s obviously very disappointing and unacceptable what happened. I also think I’m really proud over the last five years that our team has done a very good job with their personal responsibility and how they’ve represented the university. Some people learn by words, some people learn by consequences, some people can’t learn.” Pettway, Williams and Hayes are charged with two counts of second-degree robbery. Williams and Calloway, who was not accusedin the robberies, are charged with fraudulent use of a credit card. Williams confessed to robbing a student who was punched in the head and face and kicked in the ribs and back. He said Pettway and Hayes watched him commit another robbery from a nearby vehicle about an hour later, according to court documents. Hayes, 18, admitted to participating in the first robbery and watching the second, court documents said. Williams and Calloway, both 20, are scheduled for preliminary hearings on March 19 in Tuscaloosa District Court. Those two and 18-year-old Pettway have requested youthful offender status. The first student reported having his Apple Macbook Pro stolen from his backpack. Both sustained mild concussions, cuts on the face and heavy swelling, and had items stolen, according to court documents. All four players were backups last season for Alabama,which has won three of the past four BCS titles. Williams didn’t play in 2012, but he was one of the nation’s top prospects the previous year and moved from receiver to safety.

Rather than risk another injury, and go through another coachingtransition in Buffalo, defensive end Chris Kelsay decided to retire after 10 seasons with the Bills. Kelsay made up his mind this week and traveled from his offseason home in Nebraska to inform General Manager Buddy Nix of his plans during a meeting at the team’s facility on Wednesday. Kelsay began considering retirement after tearing a ligament in his neck during practice. He missed seven of Buffalo’s final eightgames, and finished on the injured reserve list. Though he has since been cleared by team doctors, Kelsay was concerned about his body starting to wear down. Another factor that weighed into his decision was going through another offseason of having to prove himself to a new coach. The Bills hired Doug Marrone last month to replace Chan Gailey, who was fired after three losing seasons. Starting with GreggWilliams, the Bills are on their fifth head coach since selecting Kelsay in the second round of the 2003 draft. The Bills defense is also in transition under Mike Pettine, who becomes the unit’s third coordinator in three seasons.

BASKETBALL Hibbert, Lee suspended

Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert and Golden State Warriors forward David Lee have each been suspended a game without pay for starting an altercation during their game that drifted into the courtside seats. Three other players were fined for the incident in the fourth quarter of Indiana’s 108-97 home victory Tuesday. Hibbert was ejected after the skirmish, which began when he and Lee exchanged shoves under the basket after a missed shot. The NBA said Wednesday that the Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and the Pacers’ Lance Stephenson were fined $35,000 each for escalating the fight. Lee had to miss Golden State’s game Wednesday night in New York against his old team, the Knicks. Draymond Green started in place of Lee, who lost more than $115,800. Hibbert will sit out Thursday at home against the Clippers. He will forfeit more than $124,000.

HORSE RACING Borel leads HOF finalists

Three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel and Chris Antley, the talented two-time Derby winning rider who died of a drug overdose in 2000, were among the finalists announced Wednesday for election to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame. The other finalists are jockeys Garrett Gomez, Craig Perret and Alex Solis, trainer Gary Jones and thoroughbreds Ashado, Housebuster, Invasor and Lure. Borel is the only jockey to win the Derby three times in a four-year span, standing in the winner’s circle in 2007 with Street Sense, 2009 with Mine That Bird and 2010 with Super Saver. Only three other riders, Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack with five and Willie Shoemaker with four, have more Derby victories. All three are in the Hall of Fame.

FOOTBALL Source: Chiefs acquire QB Smith from 49ers

SAN FRANCISCO - Alex Smith quietly stayed behind the scenes after losing his job to Colin Kaepernick and watched from the sideline as San Francisco returned to the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years. Yet the No. 1 overall draft pick from 2005 did make one thing known: The veteran quarterback still considers himself a starter.

And he hoped to get that chance again. Now, he appears to have it.

The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to acquireSmith from the 49ers in the first major acquisition since Andy Reid took over as the team’s new coach in January, a person with knowledge of the trade told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal cannot become official until March 12, when the NFL’s new business year begins. Another person familiar with the swap said the 49ers will get a secondround pick in April’s draft, No. 34 overall, and a conditional pick in the 2014 draft.

After spending his first eight years with the 49ers, Smith will get a welcomed new start. The Chiefs will get the proven playcaller they hope can help turn things around under a new coach much the way Smith did under Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco.

The Chiefs have gone this route before, acquiring Joe Montana from the 49ers nearly 20 yearsago, in April 1993, after he won four Super Bowls but gave way to Steve Young - San Francisco’s quarterback of the future.

With Smith now headed forKansas City, Matt Cassel is likely headed out of town. And Reid will enter his first draft as Chiefs coach in April no longer needing to search for a quarterback.

The Chiefs’ problems at quarterback were one of the reasons they went 2-14 last season and secured the No. 1 pick in the draft for the first time infranchise history.

It’s been a long-running problem for a franchise that has tried Steve Bono and Elvis Grbac (two more one-time 49ers), and more recently Damon Huard, Tyler Thigpen and Tyler Palko at quarterback. And then there’s Cassel.

He was acquired by recently fired general manager Scott Pioli, and has two years left on a $63 million, six-year deal. He will likely be cut once Smith is acquired.

Cassel was benched last season in favor of Brady Quinn, who also is a free agent after going 1-7 as the starter.

Under the three-year contract he signed last March, Smith is guaranteed $8.5 million in base salary for the 2013 season.

Kaepernick led the 49ers to the NFC championship and a 34-31 loss to Baltimore in the Super Bowl in his second season.