DENNIS RODMAN was a guest on "Late Night with Conan
O'Brien" and promoted his new movie "Simon Sez," which opens
Friday. Rodman, asked if his NBA career is over: "I don't
have any idea. ... I would like to play for the Lakers, but
I think that under the circumstances, with the management
and me, we don't get along well" (NBC, 9/23)....Former Twins
Owner CALVIN GRIFFITH is in a FL hospital after suffering a
heart attack last week (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 9/23).
...Yankees manager JOE TORRE was "derailed" from testifying
at a U.S. congressional hearing on prostate cancer by a
"pinstripe-worshiping" political aide to U.S. Rep. DAN
BURTON (R-IN). Aide MARK CORALLO: "As much as it would've
been the thrill of a lifetime to meet Mr. Torre, I had to
have my priorities straight. We are in a pennant race with
the Red Sox, after all" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/23)....WALTER
PAYTON is among the investors in Emerald Casino, the new
gaming venture proposed in Rosemont, IL (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES,
9/23)....ANDRE AGASSI was interviewed on "ET" about his
relationship with STEFFI GRAF. Asked if he had anything "in
common" with Graf other than tennis: "Yeah, we do." Asked
how long their relationship has been going on: "It's new"
("ET," 9/22)....ESPN's RICH EISEN and STUART SCOTT are
interviewed in GEAR. Scott, asked if he gets "annoyed by
other sportscasters copycatting" his style: "What people
call copycatting is really just sportscasters letting their
personalities come through, so we don't see it that way.
But if I hear somebody say 'Boo-yah!' on air, I'll put in a
phone call -- I want to get paid" (GEAR, 10/99 issue).
...ESPN/ABC Sports' MIKE TIRICO has moved from Hartford, CT,
to Ann Arbor, MI, in July "to be closer to his wife's
family" (SYRACUSE POST-STANDARD, 9/19)....In N.Y., David
Kushner profiles Times Square's new ESPNZONE and calls it
"the most decidedly crowd-controlled game center; children
under 18 are not admitted without adult supervision. And
yes, the Zone asks for [ID]." ESPNZone Dir of Operations
ROB PEREZ: "We aren't a hangout" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/23).
