CFL Acting Commissioner John Tory "gave the league's
     board of governors his notice" on Friday and said he plans
     to step down from his post "no later than" November 22, the
     date of the '98 Grey Cup, according to the Toronto GLOBE &
     MAIL.  Tory said that he will "step aside sooner if a
     suitable replacement is found."  Tory joined the CFL in '92
     as the board chair and planned to step down after the '96
     season.  But after Commissioner Larry Smith resigned, Tory
     "not only remained but also added the job of acting
     commissioner" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 3/7).

          The Corel WTA Tour and women's tennis is "deeper, more
     diverse and often features matchups that are more intense
     and entertaining than those played on the men's tour,"
     according to USA TODAY's Doug Smith in a sports cover-story. 
     Tour CEO Bart McGuire: "Attendance is up everywhere, and
     television ratings are very good."  The Tour drew 20,000
     fans over the weekend for the early-round matches at Indian
     Wells, CA, for the Evert Cup and "large crowds" are expected
     this week even though the Newsweek Champions Cup men's event
     begins today at the same site.   Besides Steffi Graf and
     Monica Seles, the Tour also has five teen stars with
     endorsement pacts that "made each of them a millionaire." 
     Martina Hingis is with Sergio Tacchini; Venus Williams is
     with Reebok; her sister Serena is with Puma; Anna Kournikova
     is with adidas and Mirjana Lucic is with Fila.  The teen
     stars have also been featured in women's glamour magazines
     and hit the late-night talk show circuit.  McGuire: "Not
     only do we have high quality players, but we have players
     who are articulate and are good copy" (USA TODAY, 3/9). 
          WANTED: TITLE SPONSOR FOR WOMEN'S TOUR: The Tour is
     currently searching for a new title sponsor to replace
     Corel, which is in the "final months" of its deal.  IMG's
     Stephanie Tolleson, leading the search, is "confident she
     soon will find a suitable replacement."  Tolleson: "We want
     to find the right partner for tennis and not someone who
     will just spend the sponsorship fee" (USA TODAY, 3/9).  
          EVENT MOVING? In New Haven, Dave Solomo reported that
     the Pilot Pen Int'l tourney in CT is "negotiating" with the
     USTA and promoters of the U.S. Women's hardcourt tournament
     in Stone Moutain, GA, about moving the event to New Haven to
     be played at the CT Tennis Center from August 24-30.  The
     men's and women's tournaments would be held in back-to-back
     weeks, instead of simultaneously (NEW HAVEN REGISTER, 3/8).

          On Sunday's "NBA on NBC," Hannah Storm led a round-
     table discussion on the Sprewell ruling.  NBC's Bob Costas:
     "I think the way that this has been framed has been largely
     misleading. ... It's inaccurate to say that this shows you
     can strangle your coach and get away with it.  How did he
     get away with it?  ... Even though the league did not get
     everything it wanted, a large portion of some very severe
     discipline was upheld and this now establishes a benchmark
     to work from for David Stern."  Costas added, "If the league
     had not gone relatively easy on the Dennis Rodmans and the
     Nick Van Exels ... there would have been more precedent to
     make this kind of judgement stand" ("NBA on NBC," 3/8). 
          OWNERS UNITED? In Denver, Mike Monroe wrote the "irony"
     in the NBPA claiming victory in the Sprewell ruling is the
     "increased likelihood of ownership solidarity" to reopen the
     CBA (DENVER POST, 3/8).  In Chicago, Sam Smith wrote that
     owners "are feeling an even greater loss of power from this
     decision and from the actions of several players who forced
     trades and then refused to report to their new teams"
     (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/8).  In Boston, Peter May reported that
     the NBA Board of Governors is scheduled to meet March 23 in
     Dallas and "expects to vote" on whether to reopen the CBA. 
     Celtics Chair Paul Gaston is reportedly one of a "handful"
     of owners "opposed to reopening," but May wrote that Stern
     "wants the agreement reopened," and has a "key ally" in Cavs
     Owner Gordon Gund, "in charge of an important committee, and
     thus will probably get his way" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/8). 
          SPREWELL NOTES: In Chicago, Lacy Banks wrote "insiders"
     say that Stern "probably" will replace Feerick as the league
     arbitrator (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 3/8)....In San Jose, Jesse
     Barkin listed selected excerpts from testimony taken at the
     Sprewell hearings (MERCURY NEWS, 3/8)....Suns Chair Jerry
     Colangelo, asked if he'd be interested in Sprewell: "I'm not
     interested in taking on any situation, regardless of the
     talent level, where there are some real questions about
     whether that individual has his life under control.  Life is
     too short for that" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/7).  In Detroit,
     Terry Foster wrote, "Sprewell is enticing.  He is tempting. 
     But so is the devil" (DETROIT NEWS, 3/8)

          USOC Exec Dir Dick Schultz said that he believes he
     knows which "two or three" players on the U.S. men's hockey
     team were responsible for the room vandalism in Nagano, and
     if the players don't come forward, he said the USOC's "only
     option" would be to sanction the entire team, according to
     Nicholas Cotsonika of the WASHINGTON POST.  Schultz said
     that he would give the players "a week to come forward
     before any action is taken."  Schultz: "You know, it's not
     that big a deal if somebody would just come forward and say,
     'Hey, we did it' and apologize."  Schultz added that "how
     severe the punishment will be -- and how far-reaching --
     will depend on whether the players come forward and how
     soon" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/9).  Late last week, USA Hockey
     Exec Dir David Ogrean sent letters to the players, citing
     the "gravity of the situation and the impact on USA Hockey,"
     which is dependent on income from membership dues and
     corporate sponsors.  He said he has received more than 500
     "negative messages" on the vandalism incident.  One league
     source: "If they won't cooperate, then let them all pay the
     price" (Brooks & Berman, N.Y. POST, 3/7).
          RESPONSE: The Islanders' Bryan Berard: "[W]e're going
     to go down as a team.  That's the way we want it" (N.Y.
     DAILY NEWS, 3/7).  Capitals and Team USA coach Ron Wilson:
     "I think it's gotten to the point where no one is going to
     step forward" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/8).  The Blackhawks' Chris
     Chelios: "We got blamed for everything else; let them figure
     it out" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 3/8).  But in N.Y., Larry Brooks
     wrote that, despite some threats, the punishment "must fit
     the crime," and a guilty player should face community
     service and donations to a youth hockey organization (N.Y.
     POST, 3/8).  In Denver, Terry Frei wrote guilty parties
     should just "step forward, say they're embarrassed and sorry
     -- and ask where they should send the checks" (DENVER POST,
     3/8).  In Boston, Kevin Paul Dupont: "'Fess up and be done
     with it.  In six months, no one will remember your names"
     (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/8).  In Dallas, Cathy Harasta wrote the
     incident "will not go away by itself.  The innocent must
     act" (MORNING NEWS, 3/7).  In N.Y., Frank Brown wrote
     someone from the USOC, NHL, NHLPA or USA Hockey "better get
     fired once this gets fixed" as the organizations "are
     accountable for allowing this to snowball" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS,
     3/8).  In Toronto, Steve Simmons wrote that "more than one
     high level" NHL exec is "convinced" that NHLPA Exec Dir Bob
     Goodenow is behind the "cover-up" and "intent in protecting"
     his union members (TORONTO SUN, 3/8).  In Calgary, Jim
     Taylor wonders, "Who's in charge here, Inspector Clouseau? 
     This isn't exactly the pursuit of Carlos" (SUN, 3/8).

          In his first in-depth interview since being suspended
     from the NBA for choking Warriors coach PJ Carlesimo,
     Latrell Sprewell spoke with CBS's Lesley Stahl on "60
     Minutes."  Sprewell was the only participant involved in the
     hearings interviewed for the "60 Minutes" segment. 
          HIS TAKE: Sprewell: "I wasn't choking PJ.  PJ, he could
     breathe.  It's not like he was losing air or anything like
     that.  I mean, it wasn't a choke, I wasn't trying to kill
     PJ."  Sprewell, asked if he would have stopped attacking
     Carlesimo if his teammates hadn't intervened: "But no one
     had been there yet, so it's not like I was going to sit
     there and kill the man, no.  No, I would have stopped." 
     Sprewell, on the lack of respect from Carlesimo: "You don't
     talk to people the way that PJ talked to me."  Sprewell said
     when he came back to the gym the second time after being
     thrown out of practice, as he got near Carlesimo, players
     tried to keep him from getting any closer: "I think when
     that happened, I just started swinging my arms just to get
     free from those guys.  This is where they say PJ was punched
     or something.  I know that I didn't intentionally go out
     there to hit PJ."  Sprewell, asked if he needs counseling:
     "No, I don't feel I need counseling."  Sprewell, asked if he
     "got away" with attacking Carlesimo: "I attacked him, but I
     don't know about getting away with it.  [It] cost $6.5
     million and 68 games, that's the highest suspension in any
     sport that's not drug related.  I mean, that's, to me, I
     mean, that's not getting away with anything" (CBS, 3/8).
          MORE SPREE: David Aldridge interviewed Sprewell for
     ESPN's "Sunday Conversation."  Sprewell, on where he would
     like to play if he had a choice: "If I could go anywhere
     today, if I had like one pick, I would be in DC."  On how he
     demonstrates to NBA Commissioner David Stern that he can
     control his temper: "Stern and I, we've never really talked. 
     At the hearings I saw him, but he really never really got to
     talk to me.  I was basically listening to what he was
     saying.  So there was no real dialogue between us."  On if
     Stern might have misjudged him based on what he saw and
     read: "No doubt, because he knows nothing about me."  On
     learning from the incident: "You know, I think the coaches,
     too, can learn a lesson here: that they really need to have
     an understanding of the player, and they really need to
     watch how they talk and treat players.  Because we're not
     kids, you know, we're men" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 3/8).  On
     CNN/SI, Sprewell told Fred Hickman: "[W]hen people just say
     I got away with it. ... I have lost my Converse deal, I have
     lost $6.5 million ... And not to mention my image.  People
     think that I am like the worst person in the world right
     now, and that's why I am here right now trying to change
     some of that" (CNN/SI, 3/8).  Sprewell was also interviewed
     this morning on ABC's "GMA" by Lisa McRee and will be a
     guest tonight on ESPN's "Up Close" (THE DAILY).