MLS: MLS Commissioner Don Garber: "I'm sitting down
with ESPN this week and finding out why the coverage on the
news side is a Chinese Wall apart from everything on the
programming side." Noting the state of the league, MLS
Wizards/Crew Investor-Operator Lamar Hunt said MLS investors
have "reaffirmed their resolve ... to bankroll the league"
with $100M over the next five years: "The feeling is we'll
be back at the break-even point before the end of five
years. This is the first of five. [But] we need to develop
new sponsors. This is a crucial time for contract renewals"
(COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 8/12). But in Boston, George Kimball
criticizes the league's Americanization of soccer rules and
writes, "In attempting to steamroll the American sports
public into accepting the world's game, MLS has almost gone
out of its way to alienate hard-core soccer fans. ... And if
MLS can't fix simple things ... all the corporate sponsors
in the world aren't going to save it" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/13).
MORE NOTES: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick reports that the NFL
instituted a new rule for '99 "prohibiting players from
making 'sexually explicit' gestures" during games, which now
carries a minimum 15-yard penalty (N.Y. POST, 8/13)....USA
TODAY's Hal Bodley interviews MLBUA General Counsel Richie
Phillips in a Sports cover story. Phillips, on NL President
Len Coleman's current role within MLB, "I think he has too
much pride to stay in as merely a figurehead." More
Phillips, on Coleman accepting the umpires' resignations:
"Although what he did here was outrageous, I know he did it
because he was ordered to do so" (USA TODAY, 8/13).
CART AND IRL STILL TALKING: The Indianapolis Star-News'
Robin Miller said CART and IRL members met "most of the day"
on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss unification. Miller:
"Engine equivalency has pretty much been ruled as a dead
player for the year 2000." Miller: "Everybody involved just
keeps saying, 'It's still positive. We're still talking.'
But I think the fact is there is going to be four or five
CART teams to come to Indy next year and they're going to
have to buy IRL cars and engines" (ESPN2, 8/12).
