JOCK AND ROLL IS HERE TO STAY: SI ON ATHLETE/MUSICIAN BOND

          SHAQUILLE O'NEAL and ICE CUBE are featured on the cover
     of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, as Michael Silver examines the
     "legions of professional athletes ... infiltrating the music
     industry."  Silver: "Once as incongruous as hippies and
     showers, musicians and jocks have converged to form a mutual
     adoration society."  Smashing Pumpkins' BILLY CORGAN
     discussed why musicians and athletes relate well to each
     other: "A real strong similarity is the pressure of having
     to perform on demand."  But NBA analyst BILL WALTON notes a
     difference between the two: "Musicians don't have the
     physical ability to sustain violent collisions -- unless
     it's with the cops" (SI, 5/24 issue).  Meanwhile, Comets G
     CYNTHIA COOPER has signed a three-album deal with the Virgin
     label.  Cooper's first album "is expected to be released
     sometime after the '99 season" (ESPN MAGAZINE, 5/31 issue).