In New York, Richard Sandomir notes NASCAR's popularity and
the subsequent rise in TV rights fees. In "a new deal to keep
the Daytona 500, CBS's rights fee for the race is increasing from
an estimated" $8M to around $24M. ABC/ESPN wanted to add the
race to its NASCAR schedule, but ABC "balked at the price" (N.Y.
TIMES, 9/25)....Rawlings Sporting Goods has created a World Wide
Web site at http://www. rawlings.com (Rawlings)....Buena Vista
has filmed a pilot for "The John Salley Show" featuring the
retired NBA player. Buena Vista is "hoping to bring out [the
show for] a syndicated late-night hour" for '97. For his pilot,
Salley has interviewed Bob Costas, Magic Johnson, Vanessa
Williams and Christopher Darden (ELECTRONIC MEDIA, 9/23
issue)....The November issue of INSIDE SPORTS examines why more
athletes "with built-in popularity and name recognition are
attempting to jump to the silver screen." Hollywood producer
Walter Doniger says athletes "possess that same need to be loved
that actors have." Doniger: "The problem with so many athletes
who want to be movie stars these days is they all seem to want to
be like Arnold Schwarzenegger. But Arnold has his own style. You
have to find your own style" (INSIDE SPORTS, 11/96 issue)....The
"Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Special" will be a one-hour
special premiering on TNT February 27, 1997. The issue will be
SI's first stand-alone swimsuit issue since '89 (SITV)....Bryant
Gumbel, who interviewed Muhammad Ali on the "Today" show Tuesday,
for Ali's campaign to recruit minorities for a study of
Parkinson's disease: "I have no objectivity as far as he's
concerned. He makes my heart good. He really is a hero" (USA
TODAY, 9/25).
