IS VECSEY VENOMOUS OR VERY INFORMED? PAYTON THINKS FORMER

          Sonics G Gary Payton led a "boycott" of NBC after
     studio analyst Peter Vecsey made "detrimental comments"
     about Payton's practice habits and inferred that Payton was
     a bad influence on teammate Vin Baker, according to Glenn
     Nelson of the SEATTLE TIMES.  Payton has since "relented"
     and did prep work with NBC personnel during the All-Star
     Game, but "with the stipulation that Vecsey not be present." 
     Nelson: "Vecsey and his chronic misinformation are as big a
     menace to the NBA as Isaiah Rider, Psycho-ly or any of them.
     His erroneous, rip-job reports regarding Shawn Kemp severely
     damaged a player's reputation as well as created a rift
     between player and city that ultimately could not be mended. 
     Payton should be applauded for, as far as we know, being the
     only NBA player with enough you-know-what to stand up to
     sports' No.1 rumor-monger" (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/1).
          MICROPHONE MOVES: Mike Patrick has "turned down a
     larger offer" from CBS and will remain at ESPN.  Patrick,
     who had been earning $400,000 a year, passed on CBS's five-
     year, $4M offer, to stay at ESPN for "slightly more than"
     $3.5M.  He will continue to lead ESPN's Sunday night NFL
     telecasts and work college basketball games and the College
     World Series (USA TODAY, 3/3)....CBS has signed Verne
     Lundquist to its NFL play-by-play team (Bob Raissman, N.Y.
     DAILY NEWS, 3/3)....In N.Y., David Hinckley calls
     speculation that Marv Albert will rejoin MSG "intriguing"
     and notes that when WFAN President Joel Hollander toyed with
     the idea of hiring Albert last October "he was carpet-bombed
     for a week."  Hinckley: "Now, four months later, MSG's idea
     raises barely a peep. Amazing turnaround" (DAILY NEWS, 3/3).