Patriots’ Glenn Can Returnin Fifth Game

An arbitrator overturned Terry Glenn’s season-long suspension Wednesday, allowing him to rejoin the New England Patriots for their fifth game.

The fourth-leading receiver in team history still must complete a four-game NFL suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

His agent, James Gould, said there are no plans to appeal the league suspension.

“We are very gratified,” Gould said from his Cincinnati office. “Glenn, 27, is not allowed to practice or play with the team during his suspension.

The arbitrator’s decision cannot be appealed unless the team challenges it in court, said Richard Berthelsen, general counsel of the NFL Players Assn.

The Patriots weren’t inclined to do that.

Coach Bill Belichick, who suspended Glenn after the receiver stayed away from training camp without permission, said in a statement: “We hope that his desire to be reinstated is a positive sign and evidence of his willingness to contribute to the team this season.”

Still unresolved is how much Glenn will be paid. The ruling means Glenn will get his $480,000 salary and performance bonuses, possibly decreased by the four games he must miss.

Arbitrator Richard Bloch ruled after holding a 13-hour hearing last Thursday at Foxboro Stadium.

The deadline for making the decision was Tuesday, but its release was delayed because of the terrorist attacks.

Berthelsen, one of three NFLPA lawyers at the hearing, said he wasn’t surprised by the decision against the season-long suspension.

“It’s such a draconian measure to use against a player that I think any neutral arbitrator’s going to err on the side of the player,” Berthelsen said.

Glenn, suspended Aug. 15, left camp Aug. 3 when he was notified of the four-game suspension imposed by the NFL.

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Jeff George will remain the starting quarterback of the Washington Redskins, Coach Marty Schottenheimer said.

“While we have not been as effective offensively as we would like, there’s any number of things that you can point to in that regard,” Schottenheimer said. “And it certainly doesn’t all revolve around one player.”

Schottenheimer replaced George with Tony Banks in the third quarter of Sunday’s 30-3 loss to San Diego.

George had two passes intercepted and fumbled two snaps.

Schottenheimer said it was the second fumbled snap that prompted the switch.

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New Orleans Saint defensive tackle La’Roi Glover, taken to a hospital for tests after experiencing chest pains while lifting weights, was cleared to return to practice Friday.

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Dallas Cowboy quarterback Quincy Carter hurt the thumb on his throwing hand during practice when he banged it against a teammate’s helmet while following through on a pass and was given a 50-50 chance of playing Sunday against the Detroit Lions, Coach Dave Campo said.

X-rays were negative and the team was calling it a sprain. Carter will be re-evaluated today.

Carter, a rookie coming off his first NFL start, had a similar injury last season at Georgia and missed the final three games.

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Pittsburgh Steeler kick returner and backup receiver Will Blackwell will miss the rest of the season after tearing a ligament in his left knee in Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Less than two weeks after being released, wide receiver Keith Poole signed a one-year, $500,000 contract and returned to the Denver Broncos, helping fill the void left by starter Ed McCaffrey, who broke his left leg in Monday’s season opener.

Safety John Keith was placed on injured reserve by the San Francisco 49ers because of a torn ligament in his left knee.

The team then shuffled several players to remain under the salary cap, waiving quarterback Kevin Daft and cornerback Jason Suttle before signing cornerback George McCullough, safety Al Blades and quarterback Ricky Ray.

Running back Reuben Droughns was cut by the Detroit Lions, who then signed running back De’Mond Parker. Parker was among the Green Bay Packers’ final cuts.

College Football

A kidney injury will force Texas receiver Montrell Flowers to quit the sport.

Flowers, who had two touchdown catches in the season opener, was hit while trying to catch a pass in the third quarter of Saturday’s victory over North Carolina.

During treatment for the injury, it was discovered that Flowers has only one kidney.

Hockey

Montreal Canadien captain Saku Koivu has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in his abdomen and will begin chemotherapy treatment.

The team said the player had asked that no other details be released. Koivu, 26, began feeling ill on a flight from his homeland of Finland to Montreal last Monday. He went to see team Dr. David Mulder immediately after arriving and was admitted to Montreal General Hospital for tests.

The results showed a large amount of fluid in his stomach containing malignant cells, and Koivu underwent biopsy surgery that day.

News of his illness has left his teammates in a state of shock, though they remained on schedule in training camp.

Koivu’s career has been marked by injuries. He has not played a full season in the NHL since 1995-96.

The 5-foot-10, 181-pound center was picked earlier this year for Finland’s Olympic hockey team.

Tennis

Top-seeded Monica Seles advanced to the quarterfinals of the Brazilian Open, defeating Slovakia’s Janette Husarova, 6-3, 1-6, 6-0, at Salvador.

In other matches, second-seeded Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia beat Iva Majoli of Croatia, 6-1, 6-2, and third-seeded Amanda Coetzer of South Africa defeated Seda Noorlander of the Netherlands, 6-2, 6-4.

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Defending champion Marat Safin of Russia beat Israel’s Noam Ockun, 6-4, 6-2, and Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov defeated Germany’s Lars Burgsmuller, 6-4, 7-6, in first-round matches at the President’s Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Third-seeded Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia beat compatriot Jan Kroslak, 7-5, 6-1, in a second-round match. Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand defeated Taylor Dent, 6-4, 6-2.

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Thomas Johansson will lead Sweden’s Davis Cup team against Australia in the semifinals at Sydney.

Calle Hageskog, Sweden’s coach, also selected Thomas Enqvist, Jonas Bjorkman, Magnus Larsson and Simon Aspelin for the Sept. 21-23 best-of-five series.

Miscellany

Kansas quarterback Mario Kinsey and running back Reggie Duncan were charged with misdemeanor theft of lost or mislaid property and criminal use of a credit card in the theft of a purse from a bench in Lawrence, Kan.

Coach Terry Allen said Kinsey and Duncan will play in Saturday’s home game against Wyoming. The players were suspended for the home opener Sept. 1 for violating team rules.

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Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher Ryan Vogelsong will have reconstructive surgery on his right elbow because of a ligament tear and likely will miss the 2002 season.

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Carol Semple Thompson, the hometown player seeking her third consecutive U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur golf title, won two matches to reach the finals in Sewickley, Pa.

Anne Carr of Renton, Wash., also advanced to the finals.