Daily Sports Capsule

*Index*
FOOTBALL	BASEBALL	BASKETBALL	GOLF
BOXING

FOOTBALL

Thurman Thomas, Buffalo's all-time leading rusher and most versatile player, will be sidelined for at least six weeks, coach Wade Phillips said yesterday. Thomas bruised his liver and kidneys on the first play of the team's season-opening 31-14 loss at Indianapolis when he reached up to catch a high pass from Doug Flutie. The 33-year-old Thomas was hit in the ribs by Indianapolis cornerback Tyrone Poole. Thomas is ninth on the NFL's career rushing list with 11,786 yards and needs 334 to catch Franco Harris, in eighth place. ... Rookie cornerback Charles Fisher tore three ligaments in his left knee during the first quarter of the Cincinnati Bengals' season-opening loss at Tennessee Sunday and is out for the season. The second-round draft pick from West Virginia completely tore three ligaments when he twisted while trying to stay with a receiver. An MRI found the severity of the injury, and the Bengals put him on injured reserve. ... Ron Jaworski, a 17-year NFL veteran, is part of an investment group that purchased an Arena Football League expansion team yesterday. The location for the league's 19th team, which will begin play no later than the 2002 season, has not yet been determined. The AFL recently awarded expansion teams to Los Angeles and Raleigh, N.C., for next season, and Chicago for 2001. ... Chicago Bears quarterback Cade McNown and Washington Redskins running back Skip Hicks were among five men charged yesterday with illegally possessing handicapped parking placards while they played football at UCLA. ... The Chicago Bears re-signed veteran kicker Jeff Jaeger yesterday, just two days after they released him. Rookie Brian Gowins, already cut once by the Bears this season, was waived again. The Bears are also bringing in former Auburn kicker Jaret for a workout today. Holmes was waived by Buffalo last month. ... Luther Elliss has signed a six-year contract extension which the Detroit Lions feel will keep him with the team for the rest of his career. Elliss, who has developed into one of the NFC's better defensive tackles, signed the contract on Sunday, before Detroit's 28-20 victory over Seattle. ... The Seattle Seahawks announced yesterday they have signed former San Francisco free safety Merton Hanks, who was released last week. Hanks spent eight seasons with the 49ers and was selected to four Pro Bowls.

BASEBALL

Two days after saying he was hesitant to tinker with his lineup to help Cal Ripken in his chase toward 3,000 hits, Baltimore Orioles manager Ray Miller moved Ripken to the fifth spot in the batting order. Ripken, who has been hitting sixth, traded places with first baseman Jeff Conine in the lineup last night against Seattle. Ripken entered hitting .333 and was 19 hits short of 3,000 for his career with 19 games remaining in the season. ... The New York Mets won a coin flip yesterday and would be home for a tiebreaking playoff game against the Atlanta Braves to decide the NL East, and the Cincinnati Reds would be home against the Houston Astros for a playoff to determine the NL Central. In the event of a tie for the wild card, an Astros-Mets game would be in New York, a Mets-Reds game in Cincinnati, a Braves-Astros game in Houston and a Braves-Reds game in Atlanta.

BASKETBALL

New Jersey Nets center Jayson Williams, who is battling to return from a career-threatening leg injury, will have more surgery on his right knee today. An All-Star in 1997-98 and one of the NBA's top rebounders, Williams broke his leg and partially tore knee cartilage in a collision with teammate Stephon Marbury during a game against Atlanta. In 30 games last season, Williams averaged 12 points and 8.1 rebounds. ... Charles Hayward never got a chance to live up to his billing as the top basketball recruit ever at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. Leukemia changed those plans for the 6-foot-8 forward, and now the disease has taken his life. The 21-year-old Hayward died late Sunday night at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill.

GOLF

Payne Stewart and Mark O'Meara will represent the United States at next month's Alfred Dunhill Cup in St. Andrew's, Scotland. The third member of the team for the Oct. 7-10 tournament will be announced shortly, organizers said yesterday. Stewart won this year's U.S. Open, while O'Meara was the 1998 Masters and British Open winner. The third spot might go to Tiger Woods, who played on last year's team which lost in the semifinals to Spain.

BOXING

Randie Carver underwent brain surgery and remained in critical condition yesterday after being knocked out during a fight at Harrah's North Kansas City Casino. The surgery was completed late Sunday. The 25-year-old Carver, of Kansas City, Mo., was knocked out in the 10th round of a scheduled 12-round bout with Kabary Salem.

-- COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS