ESPN and ESPN2 will cover the NFL draft with 17 hours of
combined coverage tomorrow and Sunday. Chris Berman hosts on
Saturday, Mike Tirico on Sunday, with analyst Mel Kiper Jr.
returning for his 13th draft (ESPN). In Atlanta, Prentis Rogers
notes with the NBA season running down, MLB's season just
underway, and the NHL playoffs generating interest only in the
cities involved, "The timing of the NFL draft couldn't be better"
(ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 4/19).... Fox will have John Madden give a
draft assessment between the second intermission on Fox's NHL
Sunday (Fox)....In Philadelphia, Bill Fleischman notes Lawrence
Phillips will be ESPN's "focus" (PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 4/19)....In
Chicago, Steve Rosenbloom reports that the situation never got to
the point where the NFL refused an invite to Phillips, since
Phillips decided to stay at home with his family (CHICAGO SUN-
TIMES, 4/19)....USA TODAY's Bryan Burwell writes the NFL is
making a mistake by "snubbing" Phillips, as they could have
gained by addressing his situation head-on and showing how he has
"rehabilitated." Still, Burwell notes that Keyshawn Johnson is
much more of an "outgoing, media-savvy personality" (USA TODAY,
4/19)....Kiper promises to "beat the Charmin rap" this year with
no soft analysis (Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY, 4/19)....In Orlando,
Jerry Greene writes, "How big is Kiper? This is the only weekend
of the year when Chris Berman may be upstaged by another ESPN
employee" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/19). ....In San Jose, Colin
Seymour calls Kiper "the most insufferable personality in sports
television" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 4/19).
