Sports briefs for October 15, 2003

Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2003 | 10:39 a.m.

Pac Bell Park gets new name

The Texas telephone company that bought the California telephone company that gave Pacific Bell Park its name said that it will rename the baseball stadium.

Pacific Bell Park, which rolls off the tongue with the grace of a Barry Bonds long ball, will give way to SBC Park. That moniker left some San Francisco Giants faithful rolling their eyes.

"You gotta be kidding me," bartender Paul Stengel said as he poured a cold one at Lefty O'Doul's, a San Francisco bar that drips with Giants lore. "That's ridiculous."

No it's not, said officials with SBC Communications. Pacific Bell paid $53 million in 1996 for naming rights to the stadium through 2019. SBC bought Pac Bell in 1997 and dropped that name in December. It would be foolish, company officials said, to promote an extinct brand, so the park will be rechristened Jan. 1.

McGrady has pleurisy

Orlando Magic guard Tracy McGrady, the NBA's top scorer last season, is having trouble breathing because of pleurisy.

UNLV gets third

Led by Ryan Moore's third-place finish and Travis Whisman's fifth, the UNLV men finished third, seven strokes behind Oklahoma State and three behind Georgia, in the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate at Birmingham.

Golota set for bout

Heavyweight Andrew Golota, who ended a layoff of nearly three years in August, will fight Terrence Lewis next month in Verona, N.Y.

Suspension for Grier

Washington Capitals forward Mike Grier was suspended for one game by the NHL for elbowing Toronto's Robert Reichel.

Huskers holder out

Nebraska placekick holder Kelly Huston was suspended one game for punching a Missouri fan following Saturday night's loss.