Hockey
BOURNE JOINS GRIZZLIES: Bob Bourne, who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League, has joined the Utah Grizzlies as an assistant coach.
Bourne will be reunited with former New York Islanders teammate Butch Goring, who is general manager and head coach of the International Hockey League franchise. As coaches, the duo worked together with the IHL's Las Vegas Thunder in 1993-94.
"Bob Bourne brings a winning attitude to the organization," said Goring. "He has an intense desire to win, which rides parallel to the Utah Grizzlies' basic attitude. He is a good friend who will bring loyalty and stability to the organization."
Bourne comes to Utah from the Western Professional Hockey League. As general manager and head coach, he led the Central Texas Stampede to a 35-27-2 record and a berth in the league finals.
The Grizz open training camp Wednesday at the Accord Ice Center in West Valley. Utah begins the regular season Oct. 4 at Long Beach, a week before the Grizz make their E Center debut against Las Vegas.
Football
HUMPHRIES PRACTICING: San Diego Chargers quarterback Stan Humphries returned to practice and appeared to have a good chance of playing in Sunday's home opener against Carolina.
Humphries took the majority of snaps in his first practice since dislocating his non-throwing left shoulder in the season-opening loss at New England.
SURGERY FOR WILLIAMS: New York Giants center Brian Williams, sidelined since being poked in the right eye during practice on July 21, will undergo surgery Friday. Williams sustained an infra-orbital fracture of the eye when poked by tackle Bernard Holsey on the third day of training camp.
COLLINS WORKS OUT: Kerry Collins worked out with the Carolina Panthers' first-team offense, increasing the possibility of him playing Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.
Collins, whose jaw was fractured in two places by a hit from Denver linebacker Bill Romanowski on Aug. 9, still has not received medical clearance to return to game action.
ZIMMERMAN'S BACK: Seven-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Gary Zimmerman practiced with the Denver Broncos - one day after ending his brief retirement - and hoped to appear for 25 to 30 plays in Sunday's game against St. Louis.
Zimmerman retired at the end of the 1996 season after playing with pain in both shoulders and having surgery on his left shoulder in the 14th week of the season. He signed a four-year, $13 million contract with Denver on Tuesday that, according to a league source, includes a deferred $2.8 million signing bonus.
NORTHERN APPEALS: Buffalo Bills linebacker Gabe Northern has appealed a $7,500 fine by the NFL for a hit against Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson.
TCU TACKLE OFF TEAM: Texas Christian University has booted starting tackle Greg Davis off the team, reportedly because he tested positive for steroids during a recent drug test.
Tennis
GRAF TO RETURN THIS FALL: Steffi Graf intends to return to competitive tennis in the fall, with one of her first appearances a Nov. 25 exhibition against Chanda Rubin in Baltimore, five months after knee surgery. Neither the WTA nor Graf has given an exact date for her first match.
Auto racing
FITTIPALDI RECOVERING: Emerson Fittipaldi will have an "almost 100 percent" chance to walk again after the champion driver has surgery to repair a spinal fracture stemming from a plane crash earlier in the week, his doctors in Miami said.
Golf
GILBERT HAS CANCER: Larry Gilbert, the winner of this year's Senior Players Championship and two other titles in his Senior PGA Tour career, has lung cancer and will be out of action indefinitely.
Gilbert, the third player on the Senior tour diagnosed with cancer this year, said he believed doctors detected the tumor at an early stage.
Media
ESPN, PATRICK AGREE: ESPN SportsCenter anchor Dan Patrick agreed to a contract extension that will keep him with the cable television network through 2004.
Basketball
WALLACE OFF HOOK: New York Knicks forward John Wallace won't be prosecuted for allegedly punching and choking his former girlfriend, provided he stays out of trouble for a year.