BRIEFLY : AIKMAN ATTENDS IRVIN'S DRUG TRIAL.

Dallas Cowboy stars Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin embraced and whispered a few words after listening to 1-1/2 hours of testimony during Irvin's cocaine possession trial.

``I'm here to support a friend, certainly, in a time of need,'' Aikman said outside the courtroom. ``It is not to come here and try to influence the jury or the outcome of this trial in any way.

``I'm here much like many of Michael's family members are here, and that is for support.''

Aikman - who sat next to Irvin's 7-year-old niece, his younger sister, an aunt and his mother, all of whom made their first appearance Tuesday - refused to answer further questions.

A jury in San Diego awarded $50 in damages to a former topless dancer who claimed she was sexually battered by St. Louis Rams defensive end Leslie O'Neal.

Christy Barsoom, 33, said O'Neal grabbed her crotch after she quarreled with his friend at the Nite Life Uptown Bar last year, according to the civil lawsuit. She sought unspecified damages.

O'Neal, then a San Diego Charger who visited the club regularly, had a reputation for handing out $50 tips, according to testimony. Jurors, who unanimously agreed O'Neal did not act maliciously, said they awarded a tip.

The Seattle Seahawks announced Wednesday the signing of two 1996 draft choices, third-rounder Reggie Brown and seventh-rounder Johnie Church.

Brown is a fullback from Fresno State and Church is a defensive end from Florida.

The Cincinnati Bengals waived rookie wide receiver Marlon Estes and claimed quarterback Dave Barr.

Estes had 68 catches for 833 yards at Wake Forest last season. Barr, a second-year NFL player from California, was waived by the Kansas City Chiefs.

THE NBA 

After saying six weeks ago that player personnel director Keith Grant wasn't being considered for general manager, the Dallas Mavericks reversed themselves and named him vice president of basketball operations.

The GM job was split in two, with chief financial officer Jim Livingston appointed vice president of business operations.

Allen Iverson, the NBA's No. 1 pick by the Philadelphia 76ers last month, is among several first-round draft choices scheduled to take part in the annual Doral Arrowwood Summer League which tips off Friday at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, N.J.

Six teams, including the 76ers and host New York Knicks, will participate in a six-game round-robin format with rosters featuring first- and second-round draft picks, rookie free agents and assorted veterans. The other teams are Orlando, New Jersey, Boston and Toronto.

Kerry Kittles, the Nets' top draft pick, and John Wallace, the Knicks' top choice, are also expected to play.

TENNIS

Top-seeded Byron Black of Zimbabwe used a strong serve to beat South African qualifier Robbie Koenig 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 and advance to the quarterfinals of the Miller Lite Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.

No. 4 seed Sandon Stolle of Australia lost 6-2, 6-3 to Marcos Ondruska of South Africa, and No. 5 Patrick Rafter of Australia was beaten by Daniel Nestor of Canada 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8).

On Friday, Black plays Leander Paes of India, who downed eighth seed Mark Knowles of the Bahamas 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.

SOCCER

Giovanni Savarese scored two second-half goals Wednesday to lift the New York-New Jersey MetroStars to a 3-2 Major League Soccer victory over the Dalas Burn.

Savarese, the league's No. 2 scorer, snapped a 2-2 tie in the 77th minute, sliding past Dalas' Leonel Alvarez and guiding Tab Ramos' crossing pass into the net for his 12th goal of the season.

Ramos set up the goal by carrying the ball deep into the box, freezing Dallas goalkeeper Mark Dod on his line.

The victory was the fourth in five games for the MetroStars (8-9) while Dallas (10-9) has lost three of its last four.

AUTO RACING

Indy-car driver Scott Brayton, who died May 17 while practicing for the Indianapolis 500, had a life insurance policy that did not cover him while racing.

The 36-year-old driver from Coldwater, Mich., had extensive medical coverage for injuries he suffered while racing but nothing in the event he lost his life, The Indianapolis Star reported.

Besides his wife, Becky, Brayton was survived by a 2-year-old daughter, Carly.

The U.S. Auto Club pays only $40,000 to any driver fatally injured and one of the Indy-car circuits, Championship Auto Racing Teams, awards a $300,000 benefit. Had Brayton obtained a $1,200 CART license, his family would have been entitled to $100,000 upon his death.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: TROY AIKMAN: Quarterback is first Dallas player to a ttend teammate Michael Irvin's trial.