Sports briefs for November 22, 2004

Monday, Nov. 22, 2004 | 12:40 p.m.

Union will appeal Artest's suspension

The NBA players union said it will appeal the suspensions today given to three Indiana Pacers, including Ron Artest's record season-long ban, for fighting with fans during a brawl that broke out Friday night at the end of a game in Detroit.

The league on Sunday suspended nine players a total of 143 games without pay as a result of the incident. Indiana's Stephen Jackson was banned for 30 games and teammate Jermaine O'Neal 25 games.

"The actions of the players involved wildly exceeded the professionalism and self-control that should fairly be expected," commissioner David Stern said in announcing the league's decision.

Artest's 73-game suspension, which doesn't include any playoff games he might miss, is the longest non-drug related sanction in NBA history. It surpasses the 68-game ban given to Latrell Sprewell for choking coach P.J. Carlesimo when both were with the Golden State Warriors in 1997.

"Just judging from the incident alone, I don't think it warrants a suspension for the entire season," NBA players union executive director Billy Hunter said. "If you lay the heaviest penalty on (Artest), I think you have to lay off the other guys."

Hunter said the players association plans to file an appeal with the NBA today to have the bans shortened. Pacers co-owner Herb Simon said there was a "rush to judgment" by the NBA.

Artest would lose approximately $5 million of his $6.16 million salary during the suspension, while O'Neal would forfeit $4.1 million of his $14.8 million base salary and Jackson would lose $1.7 million.

Sorenstam wins

Annika Sorenstam outlasted Cristie Kerr at LPGA's season-ending ADT Championship, beating her with a bogey on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff at West Palm Beach, Fla. Sorenstam finished the year with eight victories and just over $2.5 million.

It's Federer again

Top seed Roger Federer won a record 13th consecutive final in capturing the Masters Cup at Houston with a 6-3, 6-2 victory against Lleyton Hewitt. Federer had shared the record with Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe.

Argonauts rule

Damon Allen, the CFL's all-time passing leader, ran for two touchdowns and passed for one as the Toronto Argonauts defeated the British Columbia Lions 27-19 in the CFL's Grey Cup at Ottawa.