NBA: On "Fox Sports News Primetime," Keith Olbermann
reported that the Lakers are "in serious negotiations to
hire Phil Jackson as head coach." One source put the Lakers
offer at more than $20M over four years (FSN, 6/10). In
N.Y., Peter Vecsey writes that Lakers Owner Jerry Buss has
come to "a tentative agreement" with Jackson's
representative (N.Y. POST, 6/11)....The Magic "will notify
season-ticket holders that it has frozen ticket prices for
next season." It is the first time in seven years that
there will not be an increase. Team President Bob Vander
Weide said there "might be a slight increase for some
individual game tickets" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 6/10).
MLB: Prospective Royals Owner Miles Prentice and his
group met with MLB's ownership committee yesterday in
Milwaukee, and afterward, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said,
"We had a very substantive discussion. They made a very
good presentation. There's more work to be done. There's
much more work to be done" (K.C. STAR, 6/11).....The WALL
STREET JOURNAL's Sam Walker profiles the D'Backs, which made
$119M in commitments to free agents last year and are now in
first place in the NL West. But some "worry" that the
team's "ambition is short-sighted and could result in
another embarrassing debacle" for MLB, like the Marlins and
Padres. Meanwhile, Walker notes that the team's attendance
is down 20% from last year. Giants COO Larry Baer: "I think
they're taking an aggressive strategy that can be risky. I
think that attendance drop is a bit of a red flag" (WALL
STREET JOURNAL, 6/11)....Orioles Owner Peter Angelos is
featured in an extensive interview in today's WASHINGTON
POST, in which he tells Richard Justice that his team is
having a "very disappointing season." Angelos: "The present
team is not a team I put together. The perception that I
make all the moves has been generated by certain writers and
broadcasters. I contend it's not factual or correct"
(WASHINGTON POST, 6/11)....Attendance for the three-game
Yankees-Phillies series was 123,671, raising the Phillies'
season average from 18,881 to 21,116 (PHIL. INQUIRER, 6/11).
NFL: New Redskins Owner Daniel Snyder attended his
first team practice yesterday. Afterward, he said, "They
were fast, young, aggressive and ready. And then, there are
some players that are overweight and probably a few that
don't really want to play. ... We are going to make the
playoffs" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/11)....The Bengals will invest
"about $20,000" into a new "promotional campaign" aimed at
selling the remaining luxury boxes and club seats at Paul
Brown Stadium (CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER, 6/7 issue).
