SOCCER: FIFA Sec. General Sepp Blatter was interviewed
by USA TODAY's Christopher Winner. Blatter, on soccer's
popularity in the U.S.: "The U.S. is like a continent. It
would be easier if soccer were just in California or in
Florida or in Texas even -- in one state. Getting the whole
country, now that is a huge undertaking." But he added,
"Soccer in America cannot be stopped because of the pressure
from the grass roots" (USA TODAY, 3/11)....On CBS
SportsLine, Michael Lewis previews MLS' third season, saying
the league "can't afford another slip" in attendance and
"must increase its average attendance" from the 14,616 in
'97 to "at least 15,000." Markets to watch include K.C.,
New York and Dallas (CBS SportsLine, 3/12).
HAD ENOUGH YET? The Warriors issued a statement taking
issue with Latrell Sprewell's latest comments that he didn't
choke P.J. Carlesimo: "The arbitrator found there to be a
choking, coupled with death threats. ... The Warriors are
not going to retry this case in the media" (S.F. CHRONICLE,
3/12). In Denver, Mike Littwin notes Sprewell's media tour:
"What he has neglected to say during this, uh, sorry attempt
at resuscitating his career is it that he was actually very
sorry for what he did" (ROCKY MTN. NEWS, 3/23). In S.F.,
Glenn Dickey writes that the Sprewell ruling "preserved the
structure of guaranteed contacts, and that's probably going
to mean a work stoppage this fall" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 3/12).
