NAMES IN THE NEWS

          The British magazine TOTAL SPORT polled its readers to
     rank the 10 best female and five best male bodies in sports. 
     ANNA KOURNIKOVA was voted top female body and five WTA Tour
     players ranked in the top ten, including: 4) STEFFI GRAF 5)
     MARTINA HINGIS 6) MARY PIERCE and 8) GABRIELA SABATINI
     (TOTAL SPORT, 4/98)....USA TODAY's Mel Antonen writes that
     MLB umpire DURWOOD MERRILL's new book, "YOU'RE OUT AND
     YOU'RE UGLY, TOO," "reeks of conflicts, especially" with KEN
     GRIFFEY JR. writing "a glowing forward" (USA TODAY,
     4/21)....CBA Sioux Falls SkyForce Exec VP/GM TOMMY SMITH was
     named the '98 CBA Executive of the Year (CBA)....TIME's 
     Jack White writes that "overlooked" in last week's ESPN'S
     TOWN MEETING "were the astronomical odds against even a
     gifted athlete's making it to the major leagues."  White:
     "Playing sports can teach important lessons about teamwork
     and striving, but it offers a career to only a relative
     handful of athletes.  And until we put sports into
     perspective, we're playing a sucker's game" (TIME, 4/27).