SOCCER: On Sunday, 53,193 attended the U.S.-El Salvador
World Cup qualifying match in Foxboro, MA (U.S. Soccer)
....The second-division A-League will expand from 24 to 28
teams next year, and will include the addition of an MLS
team of development players (USA TODAY, 11/18).
TENNIS: Phoenix Home Life Mutual Insurance's
sponsorship of the men's Phoenix/ATP Tour World Doubles
Championship was examined by Greg Garber of the HARTFORD
COURANT. The event begins Wednesday in Hartford and this
year, Phoenix is "more than a title sponsor," it is
"basically in charge." Garber: "In addition to the $500,000
prize money, Phoenix is responsible for lining up sponsors
(160 so far) and handling the logistics." The company has
retained Gold and Partners, a CT-based sports marketing
firm, to assist in the event (HARTFORD COURANT, 11/16).
..Butch Buchholz has hired CT-based Marketing Corporation of
America to promote his August '98 New Haven Pilot Pen
International event (TENNIS WEEK, 11/20 issue).
NBA: The league fined the Trail Blazers $25,000 and two
of its players -- Rasheed Wallace and Kelvin Cato -- $2,500
each, for violating the league's uniform code over the
length of their shorts. NBA VP/Operations Rod Thorn: "It
has gotten out of control" (AP, 11/18). Michael Jordan, the
man "who popularized long, baggy" shorts: "My shorts have
always been above my knees. It's a certain trend, and I'm
pretty sure [it] has been extended and the league wants to
curtail that" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 11/18). NEWSDAY's Steve
Zipay: "The new Jordan-brand St. John's uniforms are the
baggiest we've seen. The NBA can enforce fashion rules, but
guess the NCAA can't. Not sure why ... teams want them.
They make players look smaller" (NEWSDAY, 11/18).
