ON THE WEB: ESPN's Melissa Stark profiled the MLBPA's
Web site, www.bigleaguers.com, and the sites of Tigers OF
C.J. Nitkowski and Yankees 2B Chuck Knoblauch in a
"SportsCenter" Cover Story. Knoblauch: "It's great to come
home and do that, because you're wired, you can't sleep.
You can only watch so many movies. ... It's a fun different
way to communicate with fans." Nitkowski: "Once in a while
I'll get somebody who'll rag me a little bit, get on me
about not doing stuff or tell me I stink, and I look forward
to that. I actually wish I got more of that, because I look
forward to the little debates" (ESPN, 5/19).
DUDE, CHECK OUT THE GROOVY THREADS: ESPN will present a
two-hour special "SportsCenter" tomorrow night at 7:30pm ET,
as the "SportsCenter of the Decade, 1960s" will feature
anchors dressed in '60's attire and highlights of sports
events during that decade. In Pittsburgh, Chuck Finder
writes, "Just watch it. The show's a turn-on" (PITTSBURGH
POST-GAZETTE, 5/20). In Baltimore, Milton Kent writes that
the show "promises to be something of a hoot" (SUN, 5/20).
NOTES: ABC Sports President Howard Katz, on yesterday's
report of a five-year re-up for the Indy 500: "We're not
quite there yet. We're close to doing a deal" (INDIANAPOLIS
STAR-NEWS, 5/20)....BROADCASTING & CABLE's Albiniak &
McConnell note that a bill forbidding Internet gambling,
which passed a Senate panel last week, contains an exemption
which allows companies with sports Internet sites to
continue running fantasy sports leagues. ESPN spokesperson
Mike Soltys: "We're pleased that the legislation recognized
that fantasy leagues are not gambling" (B&C, 5/17 issue).
...In Cincinnati, Sean Keeler questioned ESPN's
"SportsCentury" listing Secretariat as the 35th greatest
athlete of the century. Keeler: "What in the name of
Elmer's Glue is he doing on ESPN's [SportsCentury]? ... I do
not consider Mr. Ed an 'athlete.' I do not consider
Secretariat an 'athlete.'" ESPN Coordinating Exec Producer
Mark Shapiro: "It's a very subjective thing" (CINCY POST,
5/19)....ESPN's Chris Berman, on ESPN's suit against MLB
over the league's intent to terminate its TV deal: "I'm
afraid baseball might think that after last year, that
they're totally back. But there are a lot of 8- or 9- or
10-year-olds who don't love baseball like we did. They
[MLB] have to continue to present baseball as something fun
for the young. ESPN does that better than anyone else. You
can go to Fox or wherever for more money, but I don't think
the game is well-served on another network" (SUN, 5/20).
