NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol, on injuries to star
players attributing to the 9% drop in NBA ratings on NBC
this season: "In 60 percent of our telecasts, the major
superstar was missing. It's a fluke. The real issue is
that after six straight years of a super experience with the
NBA, we've had a series of unfortunate injuries to the
stars" (USA TODAY, 4/11)....In Chicago, Jim O'Donnell writes
on Harry Caray's performance Tuesday during the Cubs first
telecast from Wrigley Field this season. O'Donnell notes
WGN has a "duty to recast" Caray, adding "It's wrong, and to
allow it to pass without rebuke would be downright cowardly.
He has given this city far too many memorable moments and
Holy Cowed life into too many thoroughly dull moments to be
allowed to be debased any further. His insistence on being
utilized as the primary balls-and-strikes caller on [WGN's]
9's coverage of the Cubs is an injustice to himself"
(CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/11)....Local T-Wolves ratings on KARE-
TV are up 76% over last season, from a 5 rating/10 share in
'95-96 to an 8.8/17 this season (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE,
4/11)....The BOSTON GLOBE's Howard Manly reviews the new
Sports Illustrated Women/Sport magazine, calling the writing
"wonderfully refreshing" and the "issue-oriented" articles,
"thorough and uncommonly provocative" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/11).
