LEAGUE NOTES

     In Milwaukee, Dale Hofmann notes recent NBA public relations
"brush fires" -- Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Dennis Rodman, etc. -- and
writes, "Just when people start to think pro basketball is magic
again, they're forced to wonder if it isn't as contentious and
bratty as baseball" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/21)....On
Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear the NFLPA's argument that
unions should be able to file antitrust suits against sports
leagues if owners impose new work rules after CBA's expire.
Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr argues for the union
(AP/VANCOUVER PROVINCE, 3/21)....In New York, Richard Sandomir
examines the suit filed by the NBA against STATS Inc. and
Motorola over the SportsTrax pager.  Noting that the NBA has
plans for its own pager with IBM and IDS, Sandomir asks, "Is a
two-minute delay between live action and an update too close for
infringement?" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/21)....In Washington, Josh Young
notes the drug use questions surrounding men's tennis after a
London court upheld ITF-administered drug tests that showed Mats
Wilander and Karel Novacek testing positive for cocaine during
the '95 French Open (WASHINGTON TIMES, 3/21). ....USA TODAY
examines the resurgence of the Corel WTA Tour (Doug Smith, USA
TODAY, 3/21)....Japan and South Korea have told Asian soccer
officials they have no plans to co-host the 2002 World Cup finals
(KYODO NEWS, 3/20).