Baseball

The Blue Jays gave general manager J.P. Ricciardi a new five-year contract Tuesday, a week after denying the Red Sox permission to interview him.

Even though he was attacked by two fans during a late-season game, Tom Gamboa didn't want the Royals to switch him from first-base coach to bullpen coach. He still hasn't been given a reason for the change by general manager Allard Baird.

Basketball

Latrell Sprewell met with players' union director Billy Hunter to discuss appealing the $250,000 fine levied against him by the Knicks.

Charlotte is a step closer to becoming an NBA city again. NBA owners authorized league commissioner David Stern to appoint an expansion committee to assess the viability of the Charlotte market, which became vacant when the Hornets fled for New Orleans in June. The action came at the semi-annual league Board of Governors meeting. If the NBA's tentative agreement with the city is finalized, an ownership group pays a yet-to-be-determined expansion fee and the Board of Governors approves the new owners, a team could be back in Charlotte for the 2004-05 season.

Rather than undergo back surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation, Hakeem Olajuwon of the Raptors plans to announce his retirement on Nov. 2 when Toronto visits the Houston Rockets, the New York Post reported.

The University of Iowa's Board in Control of Athletics will hear the appeal of a suspended basketball player on Oct. 21, the player's lawyer said. Pierre Pierce, 19, of Westmont, Ill., was suspended indefinitely from all basketball-related activities Oct. 1 after being charged with third-degree sexual assault. He is seeking to be reinstated while he fights the charge. Basketball practice begins Oct. 12.

Football

Bears receiver David Terrell has a fracture in his right foot, but coach Dick Jauron said he doesn't know how long Terrell will be out.

Receiver J.J. Stokes is questionable for the 49ers' game at Seattle on Monday night after an MRI revealed a sprained knee ligament. Stokes was hurt while making a 51-yard catch in the 49ers' 37-13 victory over the Rams.

Hockey

Theo Fleury, the Blackhawks' main offseason acquisition, was suspended indefinitely by the NHL for violating his substance abuse aftercare program. The announcement came just two days before the Blackhawks begin the regular season. Fleury, 34, has struggled with substance-abuse and anger-management problems in recent seasons. He signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the Blackhawks on Aug. 15, following three turbulent years with the Rangers.

Miscellaneous

Two youth football coaches have been charged with misdemeanors after an alleged confrontation with a teenage referee at a game last month in the Chicago suburb of Palos Hills. Louis Trench, 56, of Alsip has been charged with misdemeanor battery and Joseph Vojtanek, 51, of Justice has been charged with misdemeanor assault.

Tennis

Martina Hingis beat Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of the Porsche Grand Prix, where she tore ankle ligaments last year and lost the No. 1 ranking. In other matches, fifth-seeded Amelie Mauresmo beat wild-card entry Barbara Rittner 6-4, 6-0; Kim Clijsters eliminated Anastasia Myskina 6-4, 6-2; Alexandra Stevenson beat Meghann Shaughnessy 6-3, 5-7, 6-3; and Barbara Schett eliminated Chanda Rubin 1-6, 6-2, 6-2.

-- From wire reports