COURTS: Deion Sanders failed to show up yesterday for a civil trial stemming from a 1994 dispute with a Riverfront Stadium security guard.
Sanders's lawyer, Ken Lawson, would say only that the Dallas Cowboys defensive back could not make it to Cincinnati in time after Monday night's exhibition against New England in Irving, Tex. Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Robert Kraft continued the trial until today.
Sanders is being sued for $1 million by security guard Herb Kohus over the Aug. 8, 1994, incident following a Cincinnati baseball game. A jury acquitted Sanders of criminal charges last year. SOCCER: Argentine star Diego Maradona will undergo treatment for a recurring drug problem at an unidentified private clinic near Geneva. Maradona, leader of Argentina's 1986 World Cup championship team, left Argentina yesterday, accompanied by his manager, Guillermo Coppola.
"I'm going to get some help," said Maradona, 35. "This will help me to feel better and to deal with a problem everyone knows about, my struggle against drugs."
Maradona, who drew two 15-month suspensions from international soccer after testing positive for drug use, announced Monday he was quitting his current club, the Boca Juniors, because of the backlash he's received for missing five consecutive penalty kicks. BASKETBALL: The American Basketball League, a new professional women's league, has announced the eight founding cities. The Eastern Conference will consist of the Atlanta Glory, Columbus Quest, New England Blizzard and Richmond Rage. The Western Conference will consist of the Colorado Xplosion, Portland Power, San Jose Lasers and Seattle Reign. The Richmond Rage will play 20 home games -- 16 at Richmond Coliseum and four at Robins Center -- with the season beginning in mid-October and ending in February. FOOTBALL: Pete Elliott, director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, since 1979, will retire on Oct. 31. Elliott, 69, will be replaced by Hall of Fame vice president John Bankert.
