Doctor says Hearn condition deteriorating
NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn remained in a coma and his condition was "beyond critical," his neurosurgeon, Dr. Asher Taban, said Monday.
Hearn, 85, underwent a pair of surgeries for brain hemorrhaging Saturday after hitting the back of his head in a fall at his home on Friday.
"His neurological functioning has deteriorated overnight," Taban said at a news conference on Monday morning. "We have examined him frequently and unfortunately we haven't seen any sign of recovery. I would say he is beyond critical (condition). I'm not sure the terminology you would use. You could call it grave."
Hearn underwent surgery Saturday at Northridge Hospital Medical Center to relieve intercranial bleeding in his cranium. The second alleviated a blood clot in his brain.
Georgia Tech forward quits team
ATLANTA, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Forward Clarence Moore, one of the most experienced players on an otherwise young club, has quit the men's basketball at Georgia Tech.
Moore, a 6-foot-5 redshirt junior, averaged 9.4 points and 5.4 rebounds last year while starting 29 of Tech's 31 games. He told Coach Paul Hewitt that he lacked the motivation to compete another season.
"He just lost interest in playing," Hewitt told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Moore's decision did not come as a big surprise to Hewitt, who apparently saw it coming.
In December, Moore told Hewitt he was considering giving up the sport. Hewitt talked him into staying, and his play helped fuel a late season turnaround by the Yellow Jackets, who rebounded from an 0-7 start in the highly-competitive Atlantic Coast Conference to finish at 15-16 overall.
After the season, Moore again informed Hewitt that he was unsure about continuing. When Moore went home to Louisiana for the summer, Hewitt hoped he might have a change of heart and come back rededicated, but that did not happen.
Hewitt once called Moore his team's "most important player" because of his excellent one-on-one defensive skills, scoring ability and rebounding. Moore's loss comes as a blow to an already young Tech team.
Moore's decision was the latest negative news for the program. Michael Isenhour passed away on June 14 following a nine-month battle to overcome acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Isenhour, 23, who was originally diagnosed with the illness last October, died at Emory Hospital, nine days after undergoing a bone marrow transplant.
Blue Jays give ex-NBA center a shot
TORONTO, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Pitcher Mark Hendrickson, who played in the NBA from 1996 to 2000, will get his chance to play major league baseball.
The Toronto Blue Jays Monday purchased the contract of the 6-9 lefthander from Class AAA Syracuse of the International League and designated reliever Scott Eyre for assignment.
The tallest player in team history, Hendrickson was 7-5 with a 3.52 ERA in 19 games, including 14 starts, for Syracuse. He will be used out of the bullpen by the Blue Jays.
Hendrickson played in the NBA as a reserve power forward and center with the Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers. In college, Hendrickson was a two-time All-Pac-10 selection at Washington.
Pistons sever ties with Moore
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 5 (UPI) -- The Detroit Pistons finalized a buyout agreement on center Mikki Moore's contract, making him a free agent for the 2002-03 season, it was announced Monday by Joe Dumars, president of basketball operations.
Moore, 27, played in just 30 games last season as a reserve and averaged 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 7.2 minutes. In 142 NBA games, all with Detroit, the 7-foot Moore averaged 4.7 points and 3.4 rebounds in 13.1 minutes.
Knee injury sidelines Jets defensive end
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Aug. 5 (UPI) -- New York Jets defensive end John Abraham, who had 13 of the team's 33 sacks last season, will be sidelined four to six weeks with a sprained left knee.
Abraham suffered the injury in practice on Saturday and underwent an MRI on Monday morning.
He will miss the entire preseason, but the Jets are hopeful their top pass rusher will be back for the season opener Sept. 8 at Buffalo.
Free agent signee Steve White, a six-year veteran, will start at right end in Abraham's absence.
Injured Kidd skips U.S. World team
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Aug. 5 (UPI) -- USA Basketball announced Monday that All-Star point guard Jason Kidd has withdrawn from the 2002 World Championship Team. Baron Davis was named to replace him.
Kidd, who led the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals last season, was injured recently during some preseason conditioning and decided to pull out with training scheduled to begin on Aug. 16 in San Francisco.
"I'm very disappointed that I am not going to be able to participate for USA Basketball and the United States in the World Championship later this summer," Kidd said.
Davis' selection was made by the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team Committee. He called it "a great honor."
Regarded as one of the NBA's top young point guards, the 23-year-old Davis recently re-signed a multi-year contract with the New Orleans Hornets.
Serena Williams returns to action
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Top-seeded Serena Williams tries to keep pace with her sizzling sister when she faces Russian Lina Krasnoroutskaya Tuesday in the second round of the $585,000 JP Morgan Chase Open at the Manhattan Country Club.
Williams carries a 19-match winning streak into this hardcourt event as she seeks her fourth consecutive tournament title. She has not played since winning her second straight Grand Slam, beating older sister Venus at Wimbledon. Serena Williams won this event in 1999 and 2000.
Venus Williams made it two titles in as many weeks Sunday with a straight-sets triumph over Jelena Dokic at the Acura Classic, but is not playing in this event.
Serena Williams, second seed Jennifer Capriati and defending champion Lindsay Davenport, who is seeded third, all received byes in the first round.
Hingis rejoining tour next week
WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Martina Hingis, who underwent left ankle surgery two-and-a-half months ago, will return to the WTA Tour next week, Hingis' management firm Octagon announced Monday.
The former world No. 1 from Switzerland has been entered into the Rogers AT&T Canada Cup, which is scheduled to begin Aug. 12, and the Pilot Pen Tennis event the following week.
Hingis has also requested a wild card entry into the U.S. Open, the year's final Grand Slam event. The 1997 U.S. Open champion and five-time Grand Slam champion has missed each major in 2002.
Schnyder escapes Nordic upset
HELSINKI, Finland, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- No. 3 Patty Schnyder of Switzerland had to rally to avoid first-round elimination Monday at the $140,000 Nordea Nordic Light Open.
The 23-year-old Schnyder trailed unseeded Croatian Silvija Talaja, 5-2 in the decisive third set before she ran off five straight games for a 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 victory.
Schnyder reached just one final this year at the Family Circle Cup at Charleston, South Carolina in April when she lost to Iva Majoli.
Majoli is seeded second here this week behind No. Silvia Farina Elia. Both will be in action Tuesday, with Farina Elia matched against Ludmila Cervanova and Majoli to face Gala Leon Garcia.
No. 7 Martina Muller of Germany, the only other seed in action Monday, dropped a 3-6, 6-2, 2-6 decision to Mgadalena Grzybowska of Poland.
