In Boston, Frank Dell'Apa reports that U.S. Soccer
coach Steve Sampson "will soon be gone," and whoever takes
his place "must move the team in a different direction."
Dell'Apa: "The lesson driven home in this World Cup is that
soccer is not a nice sport. ... There is no place for
amateurs and volunteers" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/24). In DC, Amy
Shipley reports that "dissatisfaction with the strategy and
decision-making" employed by Sampson "surfaced today" in the
U.S. camp, and that the "discontent may erupt" following
Thursday's game versus Yugoslavia when some players "plan to
voice their displeasures about a variety of Sampson's
decisions." Alexi Lalas: "Everybody's ready to explode.
You can get ready for it" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/24).
NOTES: In Toronto, William Houston reports that despite
a decline in U.S. ratings, World Cup TV ratings in Canada
are up about 30% from '94. TSN has averaged 340,000 viewers
for the first eight matches, an increase of almost 100,000 a
match from the first round of '94 (GLOBE & MAIL, 6/24).
...In L.A., Scott Moe reviewed the official World Cup Web
site, www.france98.com, saying that it "is loaded with
everything a soccer World Cup fan would ever need to know."
Moe: "This site is headers and shoulders above any other
offering World Cup coverage" (L.A. TIMES, 6/23).
LAUGH TRACK: NBC's Jay Leno: "Do you folks know the
three different stages of sleep? First there's R.E.M., I
guess that's when you dream. ... Alpha sleep is where you
sleep really deep. And then the final stage -- World Cup
soccer sleep" ("Tonight Show," 6/23). David Letterman:
"Boy, I want to tell you something, ladies and gentlemen,
we're all very excited, all very proud here at CBS. We now
have the exclusive broadcast rights for Iranian soccer."
More Letterman: "I'm very excited. And talk about luck -- I
own Kodadad Azizi's rookie card. I knew that wouldn't do
anything, I just like saying Kodadad Azizi" (CBS, 6/23).
