Russell Corp. named JOHN WARD as its President & CEO. 
     Ward, once CEO of Sara Lee's Hanes Group, replaces JOHN
     ADAMS, who retired after more than 21 years with Russell
     (N.Y. TIMES, 4/2)....BRIAN BERGER has resigned from his
     position as Marketing Manager of the Rose Quarter to form
     his own PR and marketing firm, Brian Berger PR, based in
     Portland, OR.  Berger had been with the Trail Blazers and
     Oregon Arena Corp. since '92 (Berger PR)....The Phillies
     promoted DAVID BUCK to VP/Advertising Sales.  Buck had been
     Dir of Ad Sales since '96.  DEBBIE NOCITO was named Manager,
     Client Services.  She was an assistant to former VP/
     Marketing DENNIS MANNION.  RORY MCNEIL was promoted to Dir
     of Broadcasting & Video Services.  McNeil was Dir of Sales. 
     KURT FUNK will also oversee Merchandising in addition to his
     current duties as Dir of Events (Phillies)....WorldLink has
     promoted former FSN Account Exec MEHRANZ ISSARI to VP/Sales
     from Dir of Sales (WorldLink)....FLOYD PATTERSON resigned as
     NY State Athletic Commissioner, "ending a tenure clouded by
     bizarre comments that fed speculation his fighting days had
     severely damaged his memory" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/2). 

          The NEW YORK CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU wants to
     show the hour-long series finale of NBC's "SEINFELD" on the
     jumbotron at Yankee Stadium following the Rangers-Yankees
     game on May 14, according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y.
     TIMES.  Yankees General Counsel LONN TROST said that the
     team's marketing department "was investigating the
     feasibility of getting the rights to show the episode on
     tape."  NBC West Coast President DON OHLMEYER said that he
     "doubted the plan could succeed."  Ohlmeyer: "You'd be
     playing it in front of a paying audience in an arena. 
     That's not what the rights are for" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/2).  
          THE SPITTER RETURNS? In N.Y., Neal Travis reports that
     former Mets 1B KEITH HERNANDEZ will appear in the "Seinfeld"
     finale.  Hernandez previously appeared in "one of the most
     watched episodes in the show's history" (N.Y. POST, 4/2).

          The VILLAGE VOICE's J. Hoberman reviews MICHAEL MOORE's
     "The Big One," which opens April 10.  Moore "meets his match
     in Nike CEO PHIL KNIGHT.  A relaxed and jovial middle-aged
     hippie type, Knight provides the world's largest shoe
     company with a human face while deflecting the filmmaker's
     various ploys."  Moore does get Knight to match a $10,000
     donation to the Flint, MI, school system, "a dirt cheap
     product placement for Nike and an inexpensive special-effect
     for Moore, with good vibes and tax deductions all around"
     (VILLAGE VOICE, 4/1 issue)....The NCAA and JERRY TARKANIAN
     have reached a settlement on his seven-year-old lawsuit one
     month before it was to go trial.  Tarkanian will receive
     $2.5M after he contended the NCAA targeted his teams and
     "made up evidence to try to run him out of coaching"
     (Baltimore SUN, 4/2)....Reds CEO MARGE SCHOTT is recovering
     at Jewish Hospital Kenwood after having a hip surgically
     repaired Wednesday afternoon.  She fell on her driveway and
     broke her hip on Tuesday (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/2).
 

          CYNTHIA GILLESPIE has resigned as SLOC's VP/Federal
     Relations, according to Mike Gorrell of the SALT LAKE
     TRIBUNE.  Gillespie will help SLOC find her successor.  She
     will remain a paid consultant to SLOC and the Washington,
     DC, law firm with which she works, King & Spaulding, will
     continue to work for SLOC on Olympics-related issues
     involving the federal government (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 4/2). 
          USOC MOVE: JEFFREY GENTHNER has been named Dir/
     Broadcast Marketing for the USOC.  Since '94, Genthner was
     GM of PASS Sports RSN in Detroit (USOC).