MLB: In Boston, Peter Gammons wrote of prospective
Royals Owner Miles Prentice: "People in that organization
are praying that this superfan -- who sounds like a talk
show caller -- doesn't get approved" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/18).
...In St. Petersburg, Tom Zucco writes on the Devil Rays
hiring 3-foot-2 Dave "the Dwarf" Flood: "Does anyone have
even a slight problem with this?" He writes the fans
"should be bombarding the Devil Rays with calls and
letters." His message to the Devil Rays: "Want to entertain
us? Play good baseball" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 4/19).
NFL: Commissioner Paul Tagliabue hopes another Redskins
sale proposal can be presented to league owners by late May,
"if not before" (WASHINGTON POST, 4/18)....A S.F. CHRONICLE
editorial on the DeBartolo family feud: "Those of us who
want to see the 49ers get back on more stable footing are
forced to choose between a brother who got himself caught up
in criminal wrongdoing in a Louisiana gambling deal and a
sister who seemed to show total disinterest in pro football
and San Francisco until she realized the value of the
franchise. ... If only the 49ers could draft an owner with
their first-round pick" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/17).
NHL: The Hurricanes have yet to sell-out Games 1 or 2
of the Stanley Cup playoffs at the 11,059-seat Greensboro
Coliseum and Cecil Harris of the Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER
called it "beyond disappointing. That is ludicrous ... For
anybody who has ever been to a hockey game, the playoffs are
a must-see" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 4/18)....In Nashville,
Jon Yates reviewed the Predators' successful inaugural
season. Predators fan Bob Wolf: "Hockey has really
brought Nashville together. I think it's definitely changed
our city image nationally. ... We're not Cow Town USA
anymore" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 4/17).
