NHL: The NHL's Board of Governors unanimously approved
William Davidson's $100M bid to buy the Lightning (TAMPA
TRIBUNE, 5/22). In Ottawa, Bruce Garrioch writes that
sources say that Senators GM Rick Dudley has agreed to join
the Lightning as the team's President and eventual GM.
Sources add that the Senators have "discussed" a
compensation package, which includes LW Rob Zamuner and
draft picks in return for Dudley (OTTAWA SUN, 5/24).
MLS: Fusion Investor-Operator Ken Horowitz: "Did I
think this would be a bit easier? Absolutely. What bothers
me most is the press taking a short-term view of our
attendance. Talk to me after four or five years, not after
a year and a half." On MLS: "There's no doubt that this
league is going to be a success. You are going to see more
stadiums like the one in Columbus and it's going to make a
big difference" (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 5/23)....In
Boston, Frank Dell'Apa writes on the 7,581 at the Rose Bowl
for yesterday's Revolution-Galaxy game: "The atmosphere
around a Galaxy game has changed drastically as the team has
discarded Hispanic stars, and its attack has floundered.
The relationship between Galaxy and fans seems to have been
critically altered, and the attendance was so small that the
spectators could not possibly hope to duplicate the festive
feeling of previous seasons" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/24).
NOTES: A crowd of 9,058 attended the Mystics' WNBA
preseason opener, which was Chamique Holdsclaw's pro debut
(WASHINGTON POST, 5/23)....Redskins GM Charley Casserly has
retained Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom's Robert
Bennett to handle his defense in the civil lawsuit filed by
Howard Milstein. Bennett represented President Clinton in
Paula Jones' sexual harassment suit (WASHINGTON POST,
5/22)....Former Blues and current Stars RW Brett Hull, on
Blues ownership: "There's too much turmoil in their
ownership. Until they get a single owner in there to tell
the general manager and the president what it takes to win,
they're not going to move forward" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 5/23).