NO KING GEORGE HERE: In K.C., a source close to George
and Bobby Brett discounted a report in Tuesday's K.C. STAR
that said the Bretts turned down an offer to join the Lamar
Hunt-Western Resources bid for the Royals, in part because
the group wouldn't agree to appoint George Brett the team's
president and MLB rep: "What's really preposterous is the
notion that George would want to be the official rep to
major-league baseball. Can you imagine George wanting to
show up at all these league meetings, briefcase in hand,
wanting to sit next to the George Steinbrenners and the Ted
Turners and the Jerry Reinsdorfs?" (K.C. STAR, 6/24).
BILLS DUE: The Bills "are barely halfway" toward
reaching their goal of $11M in luxury seat sales, and are
expressing "disappointment" that Rochester-area businesses
are standing on the sidelines. Bills VP/Operations Bill
Munson and Rochester Chamber of Commerce President Thomas
Mooney were scheduled to meet with area media yesterday to
drum up support. The Bills have until December 1 to reach
their $11M goal. So far, they have secured $5.4M "in paid-
up revenue" (Rochester DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 6/23).
NOTES: Yesterday, the A's drew a season-high 45,169 for
their interleague game against the Giants (S.F. CHRONICLE,
6/24). Both teams, in conjunction with Fox Sports Bay Area
and JCPenney, will award 30,000 tickets this summer to
students with perfect attendance (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/24).
...In Chicago, "several dozen bus loads" of Indians fans
helped the Cubs draw 39,006 on Wednesday. Cubs 1B Mark
Grace: "They have kind of a cult following like Deadheads"
(CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/24)....In Miami, Marlins fan Jan Bohan
has set up a program called "Fans for Kids" to distribute
unused Marlins tickets to children. Bohan said she grew
"sick of the negativity" surrounding the team and wanted to
see kids use the ducats (MIAMI HERALD, 6/24)....In Denver,
Vicki Michaelis reports that the Clippers "have shifted from
their earlier stance of making" Mike Bibby the top pick in
tonight's NBA Draft. Clippers Owner Donald Sterling met
with Bibby's agent, David Falk, on Tuesday, and league
sources said that the meeting "made Sterling more mad than
anything." Michaelis: "Falk no doubt reminded Sterling of
his considerable influence in the NBA" (DENVER POST, 6/24).
