MLB attendance was up 7% through the second week of the
season compared to the same time last year (CNBC, 4/15).... MLS
Commissioner Doug Logan was "enthusiastic" about crowds for the
league's first full weekend, but he warned teams "not to get
caught up in the euphoria," adding it is a long season, "and
there's a gorilla in Atlanta during the summer" (USA TODAY,
4/16)....Indianapolis Motor Speedway released a list of 77 cars
entered so far for the May 26 Indy 500. Only 14 have ever raced
at Indianapolis before (INDIANAPOLIS STAR/NEWS, 4/15)....Nancy
Lopez says the LPGA has come a long way, but female pros still
have to work to erase the idea women golfers "are to be seen
rather than watched" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 4/16)....USA TODAY had a
bonus section on the NHL playoffs. Included was a two-page
spread for Dodge, which featured NHL broadcast partners Fox and
ESPN; full-page ads from MasterCard and The Sports Authority,
Duracell, Primestar, and ITT Sheraton; and a half-page ad for
Mennen's Speed Stick (USA TODAY, 4/16)....Blackhawks President
Bill Wirtz is profiled in the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES for his
"animosity" toward the NHL. Steve Rosenbloom notes when Wirtz
was Chair of the Board of Governors, he "got what he wanted, and
he got it when he wanted." Now, with Gary Bettman in charge, the
"politics are way different" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/15)....Roger
Penske is preparing to pave his new "California Speedway" within
the next six months. CART IndyCar and NASCAR Winston Cup races
are expected there next year ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 4/15).
