BROWNS BIDS TO BEGIN: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes
that as bidding for the Browns begins on Wednesday, "The
most interesting intangible is the presence of Calvin Hill
and Paul Warfield" in Howard Milstein's group. To comply
with NFL cross-ownership guidelines, Milstein will sell his
stake in the Isles if he gets the Browns, and the rule
"could force" Cablevision Chair Charles Dolan to sell the
Knicks and NHL Rangers if his group wins. Dolan "could make
a distinction, although it could be seen as a fine point,
that the Browns would be a personal investment, while the
Knicks and Rangers are corporate" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/18).
MORE NFL: In Detroit, Joe Falls interviewed Lions Vice
Chair William Clay Ford Jr., who said that his father is
still making final decisions on team operations, and that
his father's health after three bypass operations "is good
and is getting better all the time." Asked about his role,
Ford Jr. said, "I'm in on a lot of major decisions, such as
the new stadium, our new practice facility and the state of
the game, but I know my limits" (DETROIT NEWS, 8/16).
......The NFL said yesterday that it will take no action
after a preliminary investigation of the Michael Irvin-
Everett McIver incident (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/18).
MLB: In Akron, columnist Terry Pluto writes that it is
time for Indians Owner Richard Jacobs to "change" the team's
Chief Wahoo logo (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 8/18)....In Detroit,
Joe Falls wrote on Tigers/Red Wings Owner Mike Ilitch's
absence from Tiger Stadium: "You can't get in to see him at
his office, and he is never around his ballpark to talk
about his ballclub. You see him at the hockey games but
never at baseball games. One team is a winner, the other a
loser, but you'd think he'd offer a little more visible
support to his struggling ballclub" (DETROIT NEWS, 8/17)...
...In Chicago, White Sox Senior VP/Marketing & Broadcasting
Rob Gallas said that the team has heard from more than 50 ad
agencies, most of them in Chicago, since it split with DiMeo
Inc. Gallas "hopes to pare" that list to a half-dozen or so
finalists sometime in September (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/17)...
...In K.C., Jeffrey Flanagan writes that if the new Royals
ownership buys team VP/Baseball Ops George Brett out of his
contract, Brett "almost surely will begin to take seriously
some discussions he has had with two West Coast teams about
front-office jobs" (K.C. STAR, 8/18).
D'BACKS NUMBERS: In Phoenix, yesterday's crowd of
39,367 for the Expos-D'Backs was the smallest of the season
at Bank One Ballpark and the first under 40,000 (AP/ARIZONA
REPUBLIC, 8/18). On Sunday, the D'Backs became the fifth
MLB team to surpass 2.5 million in attendance. Through 55
dates, the team has drawn 2,534,370 and is averaging 44,537,
which trails "only" the Rockies and O's (AZ REPUBLIC, 8/17).
