The Pistons yesterday fired coach DON CHANEY and announced
the resignation of team VP/Basketball Ops BILLY MCKINNEY.
McKinney was not expected to be rehired after his contract
expired in June, according to the DETROIT NEWS. McKinney claimed
that internal leaks to the press led to his demise: "I felt like
Rodney King. Every time I'd get up, I was getting kicked."
Former Bulls Coach/TNT Broadcaster DOUG COLLINS is expected to be
hired as coach and possibly GM (DETROIT NEWS, 4/27)....Sixers
Coach JOHN LUCAS has relinquished ownership of the Miami Tropics
USBL team (USA TODAY, 4/27)....ROSS GLATZER has resigned as
President of Prodigy Services Co. He will be replaced by EDWARD
BENNETT, former President of Viacom's VH-1 (WALL STREET JOURNAL,
4/27)....JOHN MCENROE will join the over-35 Champions Tour today
in Moscow. JIMMY CONNORS has won 11 of the 12 events on the
newly established tour (N.Y. TIMES, 4/27)....Bruin ADAM OATES was
recently named "Sexiest Hockey Player" by the U.S. Television Fan
Association. Oats will appear in the film "Cass" this summer
with actor MARTIN SHEEN (Liz Smith, NEWSDAY, 4/26)....DALE
MURPHY, JULIUS ERVING and ROBERTO CLEMENTE will be inducted in to
the World Sports Humanitarian Hall-Of-Fame. Murphy, from "CBS
This Morning": "Being able to get involved in some great
charities and getting to know some great people has always been
one of the highlights in my career" (CBS, 4/27). JAN BAGIN, Exec
Director of the Czech Baseball Association, is seeking financial
assistance to help build a National Baseball Centre in Prague
(CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/27).
