Kasten Resigns Position

Stan Kasten left his job Monday as president of Atlanta’s Braves, Hawks and Thrashers amid the decision by corporate owner Time Warner to sell the teams.

Kasten said he might offer to return to management of the Hawks and Thrashers once a pending deal was approved. He said he decided to leave now because of major changes going on within the teams’ organizations, including likely payroll cuts by the Braves.

“It was the whole package of things all at once. I just felt this was a real convenient time for me to make this move,” he said.

A group led by Boston businessman Steve Belkin reached a deal in September to purchase the Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena for $250 million. The deal is expected to be approved within the next month.

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Basketball

Maurice Taylor’s suspension was reduced to six games by the NBA, and the players’ union withdrew its grievance over the penalty.

The Houston Rocket forward was originally suspended 10 games without pay for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The union contended that the maximum suspension should have been five games.

Taylor completed his six-game suspension by sitting out Monday night’s game against Philadelphia.

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Hockey

Mario Lemieux will sit out at least three more games because of an injured right hip that already has sidelined him for more than two weeks.

Lemieux, the team’s career scoring leader, will sit out home games against Minnesota on Wednesday and Ottawa on Saturday and a game Friday at New Jersey.

Carolina Hurricane wing Jeff Daniels retired, ending a 12-season NHL career in which he was one of the most respected players in the team’s locker room. Daniels, 35, scored only 17 career goals and spent most of his career as a penalty killer.

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Miscellany

U.S. Taekwondo Union officials are accusing the U.S. Olympic Committee of racism, saying anti-Korean sentiment was behind the move to strip the group of its certification.

The USTU’s allegations came in a letter sent to Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R.-Colo.), asking him to step in. The union said the USOC’s actions could keep the United States from sending a taekwondo team to the 2004 Athens Games.

USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel said the decision to decertify USTU came after an investigation found a pattern of financial mismanagement, including more than $206,000 owed to the USOC.

A spokeswoman for Campbell said Monday that he would not pursue the issue.

Pacific Life has extended its agreement with Indian Wells through 2006 and will remain the title sponsor of the men’s and women’s tennis tournaments, the next of which are scheduled for March 8-21.

Major League Baseball has asked the New York Yankees to consider moving their 2004 season opener to Japan.

While no public announcement was made, the talks were confirmed by two baseball officials who spoke on the condition they not be identified.

The U.S. men’s volleyball team lost to Serbia and Montenegro, 26-24, 25-21, 25-22, in the World Cup at Tokyo. The U.S. is 1-1 in the 12-nation tournament. The top three teams advance to next summer’s Athens Games.

Jeff Nygaard and Kerri Walsh were selected most valuable players on this past season’s Assn. of Volleyball Professionals beach volleyball tour.