In N.Y., Rich Cimini reports that Jets coach Bill
Parcells met recently with AZ business exec Sam Grossman,
who is "reportedly" one of 26 suitors eyeing the Jets.
Cimini: "Naturally, it will fuel speculation that Parcells
is joining forces with Grossman in an ownership bid, but
that's highly unlikely" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/22).
MLB NOTES: In Toronto, Richard Griffin notes the
Brewers' hiring of Dean Taylor and the Rockies' hiring of
Dan O'Dowd despite pressure from MLB to hire minority
candidates: "O'Dowd and Taylor were probably the most
qualified first-time GMs out there. If anything, the Taylor
hiring proves that [Brewers President Wendy] Selig-Prieb is
her own woman" (TORONTO STAR, 9/22)....The A's drew only
6,498 for their game against the Twins last night, and in
San Jose, Howard Bryant writes that the A's "are essentially
a team without a home" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 9/22). On CBS
SportsLine, Ian Browne asks, "What is wrong with the
baseball fans in Oakland? Better yet, are there any
baseball fans in Oakland?" (CBS SportsLine, 9/21)....FSN's
Keith Olbermann, on D'Backs Managing General Partner Jerry
Colangelo spending $119M on free agents in the offseason and
recently asking for $24M from the team's limited partners:
"With the Snakes having already gone back to their investors
after a $24 million shortfall, there is some fear that the
D'Backs might become another rent-a-champ" ("Primetime,"
9/21)....In Seattle, Bob Sherwin noted 33,254 fans turned
out for Monday's Royals-Mariners game, making it the
"smallest crowd in the 37-game history" of Safeco Field.
But entering Monday's game, the team was averaging 43,830,
with 26 sellouts compared to a total of 34 in the team's 22
1/2 years at the Kingdome (SEATTLE TIMES, 9/21).
NOTE: Raptors President Richard Peddie, on the impact
of the lockout: "Let's just say the lockout cost us money.
By the same token, the lockout provided us the chance to
keep Vince Carter, control costs, make the playing field
balanced and allow teams to stay together. Long-term, it
was a good investment for Toronto" (TORONTO SUN, 9/22).
