Sports briefs for December 29, 2003

Monday, Dec. 29, 2003 | 10:40 a.m.

New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is out of the hospital, and ready to get back to work.

"George has been telling people that he expects everyone to be back at work on Monday, and he expects to join them," Howard Rubenstein, his publicist, said hours before Steinbrenner's release from Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Hospital on Sunday night.

Hospital spokeswoman Lyn Cassan said Steinbrenner, 73, was picked up by family members.

Steinbrenner fainted during a slide show at a church service for football great and Steinbrenner's longtime friend, Otto Graham, on Saturday. The presentation, prepared by Graham's grandchildren, featured pictures of Steinbrenner and Graham together.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune columnist Doug Fernandes was about 20 feet away when Steinbrenner fell.

"He went to reach for a chair but he missed, and he went face-first into the carpet," Fernandes said. "People were stunned. They started loosening his tie and his collar. He was out for a few seconds. By the time they wheeled him out, his color had returned."

Dr. Andrew G. Boyer, Steinbrenner's personal physician, said in a statement that Steinbrenner recovered a few minutes after collapsing.

Nets land Griffin

Troubled forward Eddie Griffin, who was charge last month with aggravated assault and was subsequently released by the Houston Rockets, said he has agreed to play for the New Jersey Nets.

Annika and Lance

Pro golfer Annika Sorenstam and Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong were named female and male athletes of the year by The Associated Press. College basketball star Diana Taurasi of Connecticut was runner-up to Sorenstam; Barry Bonds finished second to Armstrong.

Boost for AC Parma

Parmalat, the insolvent Italian food company, plans to convert about 50 million euros ($62.3 million) of debt into public shares to help its financially strapped club, AC Parma.

Jackets drop D

The Columbus Blue Jackets reassigned 20-year-old defenseman Aaron Johnson to Syracuse of the American Hockey League.