NBA players union considering appeals

The NBA players association is considering an appeal of the seven-game suspensions given to Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson for legal issues. Both players were suspended by the league Saturday without pay and are scheduled to miss the first seven games of next season. Artest would lose a little more than $470,000 in salary, about $50,000 more than Jackson. Jackson released a statement through the Golden State Warriors saying he accepted his suspension. But the union, comparing the penalties to other recent suspensions given to players for off-the-court reasons, may take action. Hunter, Artest, and Artest’s agent, Mark Stevens, are in Africa taking part in the union’s “Feeding One Million” campaign, helping distribute 11 million pounds of rice in Kenya.

East takes WNBA All-Star win

  Cheryl Ford had 16 points and 13 rebounds and Katie Douglas scored 18 points to give the East a 103-99 victory over the West yesterday in Washington, its second consecutive win in the WNBA All-Star Game since losing the first six. The West, which shot 17 for 46 on 3-pointers to set All-Star Game records for 3s made and attempted, was 10 for 21 from beyond the arc in the first half. Ford finished 5 for 9 from the floor and was 5 for 7 on free throws, earning MVP honors. Tamkia Catchings had 15 points and 11 rebounds, DeLisha Milton-Jones and Deanna Nolan scored 11 points apiece and Asjha Jones had 10 to help the East hold on after nearly squandering a 12-point lead in the final two minutes.

Ballesteros retires from golf

Seve Ballesteros officially retired from competition today, ending a charismatic career filled with five major championships, a record 50 victories on the European Tour and a fighting spirit that reinvigorated Europe in the Ryder Cup. Ballesteros, who turned 50 in April, has not been a force in golf for the last 10 years as he has coped with back injuries. He was torn between trying to keep playing and stepping away, and decided to give it one last chance at the Masters, where he won twice. But he finished last after rounds of 86-80 then tried one event on the Champions Tour. His announcement follows television reports from Spain that he tried to commit suicide, which Ballesteros said “were not even close to reality.”

Amputee disqualified from 400

Double-amputee Oscar Pistorius’ much-anticipated debut against elite able-bodied competition fizzled Sunday when he placed seventh in the 400 meters in heavy rain and then was disqualified. Pistorius, who runs with carbon fiber blades for his lower legs, finished in 47.65 seconds, well behind Angelo Taylor’s winning time of 45.25 at the British Grand Prix meet. Pistorius was called for running out of his lane. The drama was further dulled when the race’s biggest name, Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner, stumbled and stopped a few yards in. Pistorius, who is trying to convince the world governing body to let him compete at next year’s Beijing Olympics, finished last of the remaining seven entrants.

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