LUC LONGLEY is "trying to persuade" DENNIS RODMAN to
play for his Australian pro team, Perth. Perth co-Owner
ANDREW VLAHOV: "I don't know how realistic it is. But the
feasibility is being examined" (AUSTRALIAN, 8/19).
....Darlington Raceway President JIM HUNTER will teach a
class on NASCAR marketing at the Univ. of SC this fall
(Nashville TENNESSEAN, 8/19).....Vikings QB RANDALL
CUNNINGHAM wrote or co-wrote seven of the nine songs on
"Experience the Power of God," a CD issued in conjunction
with Christian Athletes United For Spiritual Empowerment.
Cunningham does not perform on the CD, but plans to further
his interest in the industry by purchasing and operating a
gospel recording studio in Las Vegas (ST. PAUL PIONEER
PRESS, 8/19)....ROBERT DUVALL is in Scotland shooting "The
Cup," a film about a struggling Scottish soccer team.
Duvall will co-produce and star in the film with ALEC
BALDWIN (REUTERS, 8/19)....NANETTE BURSTEIN and BRETT
MORGEN, directors of the boxing documentary "ON THE ROPES,"
were interviewed by Susan Lisovicz on CNNfn's "BizBuzz" last
night. Morgen, on whether the film was intended to be
similar to "HOOP DREAMS": "Not at all. ... When we set out
to make this film, I actually wasn't even a fan of 'Hoop
Dreams.' ... As we went into production and were eight
months in, I watched it again and was ... blown away because
we're dealing with similar circumstances. But ultimately we
tried to steer as far away from that as possible" (CNNfn,
8/18)....A DESERET NEWS editorial called SLOC President &
CEO MITT ROMNEY's six-month performance "nothing short of
remarkable." Romney has yet "to make a major misstep" and
among his "most impressive traits is his ability to
transcend the morass of SLOC's federal investigation"
(DESERET NEWS, 8/16).....PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY's Karen Abbott
wrote an extensive feature on SAMANTHA STEVENSON, the mother
of WTA Tour player ALEXANDRA STEVENSON. Abbott, on Samantha
Stevenson: "If you call people from her past today, many
laugh at the mention of her name. Then they launch into
some unbelievable tale of that `crazy female sportswriter,'
the one who had a decent face but a better body and the
brass to saunter into locker rooms with her blouse buttoned
low" (PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY, 8/11 issue).....MI State men's
basketball coach TOM IZZO signed a restructured contract
that boosts his annual compensation 20% from $600,000 to "at
least" $725,000. As part of the new deal, Izzo will earn a
base salary of $195,000, up from $175,000; a guarantee of
$200,000 from "MSU-approved shoe and apparel contracts"; A
guarantee of $165,000 from TV and radio appearances; $90,000
in supplemental income; and $75,000 for a basketball camp
(DETROIT FREE PRESS, 8/19)....DAVID ROBINSON will receive
the '99 Montblanc de la Culture Award on September 1 in San
Antonio. Robinson becomes the "first person to win the art
patrons' award unanimously, the youngest male to receive it
and the first athlete honored" (USA TODAY, 8/19).
