The Coyotes promoted BRENDA TINNEN to Senior VP/
     Marketing & Sales from VP/Sales & Service; TIM WEIL to
     VP/Corporate Sales from Dir of Corporate Sales; and MARK
     HULSEY to VP/Broadcasting from Dir of Broadcasting
     (Coyotes)....ScheerSports, which owns the ECHL Greenville
     Grrrowl, named JOHN SCHLANSKER Account Exec (ScheerSports).
     

          WAYNE KNIGHT, who plays Newman on "Seinfeld," will
     throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday,
     the night before NBC's "Seinfeld" finale (N.Y. POST, 5/10).
     ...Patriots VP/Player Personnel BOBBY GRIER, Northeastern
     Univ. Center for Study of Sport Founder RICHARD LAPCHICK and
     Celtics Exec VP/Corporate Development M.L. CARR were honored
     by the Organization for a New Equality for "their commitment
     to helping minorities and women excel economically off the
     playing field" (BOSTON HERALD, 5/10)....Kentucky Derby-
     winning jockey KENT DESORMEAUX has retained LARRY FELDMAN as
     his agent.  Feldman has been D. WAYNE LUKAS' agent since
     '96, and will seek endorsements and speaking engagements for
     Desormeaux (Mult., 5/8)....ALAN EAGLESON was charged with
     misconduct in jail, after signing a sports calendar for
     another prisoner, despite being warned earlier not to sign
     autographs (GLOBE & MAIL, 5/11)....Patriots DE WILLIE
     MCGINEST has started an entertainment company, 55
     Entertainment, that promoted a show last Thursday at the
     Wonderland Ballroom in Boston (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/10). 

          MAGIC JOHNSON was profiled by Leslie Stahl on "60
     Minutes" and discussed his battle against HIV, his feelings
     about today's NBA and his burgeoning business empire. 
     Johnson, on MICHAEL JORDAN's domination of today's younger
     players: "We love to play.  We love to compete.  Most of
     these guys, they'd rather have a shoe commercial on TV than
     win a championship."  Stahl: "Magic worked to make a bundle
     from basketball and endorsements, which he has now parlayed
     into a business empire and a personal fortune estimated at
     $100 million.  His latest project is to bring upscale stores
     and services to the inner-city."  Johnson, on joining with
     Sony to open a 15-screen multiplex movie theater in South
     Central L.A.: "Minorities used to [be], or still are, the
     number one moviegoers of any group of people, but they don't
     have any in their neighborhoods."  With the movie theaters,
     Johnson said he and Sony have "changed Hollywood, I think, a
     little bit, and their mindset."  Stahl reported that other
     companies "are clamoring" to be Johnson's partner, from TGI
     Friday's to Starbucks.  Stahl: "Magic says he's showing that
     black customers are eager to support businesses owned by
     blacks and staffed by blacks" ("60 Minutes," CBS, 5/10).

          MICHAEL JORDAN's unwillingness to discuss social and
     political issues was examined by Gare Joyce of the Toronto
     GLOBE & MAIL, who wrote that Jordan is "an idol to some,"
     but to others he "is a fallen hero for not endorsing social
     causes."  Joyce: "Where does he stand on affirmative action? 
     On Nike's exploitive sweatshops in East Asia where Air
     Jordans are manufactured?  Nobody knows. ... It's hard to
     miss what was never there, yet Jordan's silence is
     conspicuous.  We know everything there is to know about him,
     except what he believes in and what is in his heart." 
     Author JOHN HOBERMAN: "He's thoroughly a corporate
     phenomenon with no apparent social or political conscience." 
     Chicago high school basketball player DANNY GRAVES, on
     Jordan: "What's Jordan do?  Man, he spends all his time
     golfing, living high and everything and doing commercials. 
     Do we like him?  No.  Do we want to be like Mike?  Sure. 
     Rich and out of here.  He sure doesn't want to be like us." 
     But journalist DAVID HALBERSTAM says he respects Jordan's
     right "to not have an agenda."  Halberstam: "There are too
     many ... celebrities who have opinions and political causes
     without a lot to back them up" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 5/9).
          MJ & THE FALK-MAN: In N.Y., Mitch Lawrence reported
     that DAVID FALK's sale of FAME is "the first sign that
     Michael Jordan is heading for exit."  Lawrence added that
     Falk's "top money man," CURTIS POLK, was "in disbelief" over
     the $120M deal.  The Falk group expected to receive "only"
     $70M from the sale (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/10).