ARLINGTON, Texas - Rangers relievers Frank Francisco, Doug Brocail and Carlos Almanzar dropped their appeals of suspensions that stemmed from the altercation with fans near the Texas bullpen in Oakland last week.

Each suspension was reduced by one game, the Rangers announced at the start of their game against the Athletics.

Francisco threw a plastic chair into the stands near the visitors' bullpen in Oakland that broke the nose of a woman whose husband had been heckling throughout the Sept. 13 game. Francisco started serving his 16-game suspension Saturday, pending an appeal.

Francisco's suspension was reduced to 15 games, which still will carry through the final game of the regular season.

WASHINGTON - CBS was fined a record $550,000 by federal regulators for Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction," which exposed the singer's breast during the Super Bowl halftime show.The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to slap each of the 20 CBS-owned television stations with the maximum indecency penalty of $27,500. The total penalty of $550,000 is the largest fine levied against a television broadcaster. Most of the FCC's bigger fines have been against radio stations.The agency's five commissioners decided not to fine CBS' more than 200 affiliate stations, which also aired the show but are not owned by the network's parent company, Viacom.MTV, a Viacom subsidiary, produced the Feb. 1 halftime show, which featured Jackson and singer Justin Timberlake performing a duet. At the end, Timberlake ripped off a piece of Jackson's black leather top, exposing her right breast to a TV audience of about 90 million.

TORONTO - A hockey league formed for locked-out NHL players called off some preseason games but will proceed with its regular season, which is to start Oct. 7.The Original Stars Hockey League, however, disassociated itself from a news release saying it had suspended preseason play. League president Randy Gumbley did acknowledge some games will not be played.

WELCOME, N.C. - Robby Gordon has been placed on probation by Richard Childress Racing for the remainder of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup season after admitting he intentionally caused an accident last Sunday at New Hampshire that involved championship contenders Tony Stewart and Jeremy Mayfield.Team owner Childress apologized to the fans, media, the teams involved and Cingular Wireless, the sponsor of Gordon's No. 31 Chevrolet, for the situation that occurred during the Sylvania 300.Gordon was angered 17 laps into Sunday's race when Greg Biffle caused him to spin. After radioing to his crew that he would retaliate, he made good on the threat by intentionally wrecking Biffle later in the race.