BILL PRATT, President of the '88 Winter Olympics in
Calgary, has died at the age of 71 (CALGARY SUN, 11/28).
...Devils C SCOTT GOMEZ, on being the NHL's first Latino
player: "If some little kid, no matter what his race, sees
me play, and sees that hockey is the greatest sport and he
wants to play too, that's great. ... Whatever I can do to
help the game, I'll be happy to do" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS,
11/28)....In L.A., Jim Newton wrote on "power players" in
the city and cited ELI BROAD, RONALD BURKLE, News Corp.
Chair RUPERT MURDOCH, NHL Kings co-Owner PHILIP ANSCHUTZ and
Staples Center President TIM LEIWEKE. Newton: "Los Angeles'
shadow leaders are unelected and unaccountable. ... Most are
Democrats. All are white. All are men" (L.A. TIMES,
11/28)....REUTERS named LANCE ARMSTRONG as its '99 SPORTS
PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR (USA TODAY, 11/29)....USA TODAY's
Patrick McMahon profiles Seahawks/Blazers Owner PAUL ALLEN
and writes, "[He] is playing a leading role in renovating,
reconstructing and renewing downtown Seattle" with a $400M
stadium for the Seahawks (USA TODAY, 11/29)....Former NFLers
RONNIE LOTT and HARRIS BARTON's CHAMPION VENTURES, a CA-
based investment firm, has raised $40M from "about" 100
athletes, including 49ers WR JERRY RICE and QB STEVE YOUNG,
Dolphins QB DAN MARINO and MLB Giants LF BARRY BONDS. The
WALL STREET JOURNAL's Lisa Bransten reports that the "idea
was so popular," that Lott and Barton "may try to raise"
$80M next year (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/29)....Agent LEIGH
STEINBERG was a guest on JIMMY KIMMEL's segment on the "NFL
on Fox" yesterday. Kimmel said that Steinberg's appearance
was "an awkward attempt to promote" the network premiere of
"JERRY MAGUIRE," which airs Wednesday night on Fox.
Steinberg, to Kimmel: "I think we should sit down and talk
sometime." Kimmel: "About representation?" Steinberg: "Oh,
no. I don't represent fat people" (Fox, 11/28)....Bucs RB
WARRICK DUNN's "HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS" charity was profiled
by Bryant Gumbel on CBS' "The Early Show." Gumbel noted
that over the past two years, Dunn has helped 14 single
mothers and 37 children in LA and FL by putting a down
payment on a house and providing furniture, applicances and
food ("The Early Show," CBS, 11/29).
