Sports briefs 8/17/04

Baseball

Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood's appeal was rejected Monday and he will begin serving his five-game suspension Tuesday. Wood was fined and suspended for angrily confronting umpire Eric Cooper on April 17. Wood initially served the suspension in May -- but it was reinstated when he was placed on the disabled list for a period covering the penalty.

Wood became angry with Cooper on April 17 after walking Reds outfielder Adam Dunn on a 3-2 pitch in the ninth inning. Dunn later scored the go-ahead run on a double by Wily Mo Pena, leading Chicago manager Dusty Baker to pull Wood.After Baker made the pitching change, Wood sprinted off the mound and began screaming at Cooper before he was ejected. As he walked down the dugout, Wood heaved a batting helmet and gloves onto the field.

Injured Cleveland Indians third baseman Aaron Boone needs arthroscopic surgery to remove loose cartilage from his left knee, and will not play this season. Boone, who tore ligaments in the knee last winter while playing in a pickup basketball game and had reconstructive surgery on Feb. 16, will have the half-hour operation Friday in Vail, Colo. The loose cartilage has caused swelling in the knee.

Basketball

Ten days after trading for Gary Payton, the Boston Celtics still have no idea if the nine-time All-Star will ever wear a Celtics' uniform. Danny Ainge, director of basketball operations, delivered an update on Payton's status after announcing the signing of forward Tom Gugliotta on Monday. Ainge said he has spoken with Payton's agent, Aaron Goodwin, every day for the past week, but has not heard from Payton since making a trip to his California home Aug. 9 in an attempt to convince the disgruntled point guard to come to Boston.

Colleges

The Paige Sports Arena, Missouri's new basketball venue, has sold out of season tickets for its first season. The school said season ticket sales increased by more than 26 percent from last year. The only tickets available on an individual game basis will be 100 general public seats that can be purchased on the day of each game, and any tickets that remain following student ticket pickup dates throughout the basketball season. The $75 million arena will have a seating capacity of about 15,000 including private suites and 1,000 club seats.

Football

An attorney for the family of Derrick Thomas said General Motors should pay his clients $75 million, arguing shoddy design of the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker's sports utility vehicle led to his death. But lawyers for General Motors Corp. said the automaker was not at fault when Thomas, 33, lost control of his 1999 Chevrolet Suburban on an icy interstate highway on Jan. 23, 2000.

Thomas was ejected from his vehicle and paralyzed from the neck down. He died 16 days later from complications. His best friend, Michael Tellis, who also was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene. A third person in the vehicle -- who was wearing a seat belt -- walked away unharmed.

The jury began deliberating the case late Monday afternoon.

The NFL Players Association filed a grievance Monday against the Dallas Cowboys on behalf of Quincy Carter, claiming the quarterback was released by the team for reasons not permitted in the NFL collective bargaining agreement. The NFLPA filed for a special master proceeding that would be heard by professor Stephen Burbank of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. The union said the first step would probably be the taking of depositions from Jones and coach Bill Parcells.

Hockey

Ivan Hlinka, a former Pittsburgh Penguins coach who led the Czech Republic to a gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, died Monday after being injured in a car crash. He was 54. Hlinka's car collided with a truck late Sunday night near Karlovy Vary, about 70 miles west of Prague. He was taken to a hospital, where he died, team spokesman Pavel Barta said.

-- From wire reports