MIGHT SHULA RETURN? ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported
that if Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson leaves the team after
the season and team Owner Wayne Huizenga does not hire
assistant coach Dave Wannstedt, Huizenga could call Don
Shula and ask "him to come back and be the team president,
to run this organization and find him a coach." Mortensen
felt Shula "would be glad to go back to the Dolphins
organization" ("Sunday NFL Countdown," ESPN, 1/9).
CELTICS SLOW AT GATE? In Boston, Will McDonough wrote
that the Celtics are "hurting just as much in attendance as
they are on the floor." McDonough, who noted the team's
announced crowd of Monday's Cavs-Celtics game put tickets
sold at 18,624, with 14,115 in-house and 4,509 no-shows: "No
way. The no-show number is bogus. The actual count was
fewer than 12,000 in-house, which is the lowest number since
1980, or since Larry Bird came to town" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/8).
OTHER NOTES: The SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's John Rofe
reports Fox is "actively seeking a replacement" for outgoing
Fox Sports Enterprises President Rick Welts (SPORTSBUSINESS
JOURNAL, 1/10 issue). In NJ, Mark Czerwinski reported the
Penguins "are trying to find a way to hold training camp in
the Czech Republic next summer," but the move "might not be
possible" due to the team's season-opener, which takes place
in Japan. Meanwhile, the Capitals, Panthers and Devils were
the "only" NHL teams without a sellout in the first half of
the season (Bergen RECORD, 1/9)....Maple Leafs coach & GM
Pat Quinn and former NHLer Gordie Howe have "signed on as
minority partners in a group hoping to bring" a WHL team to
Vancouver (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 1/8).
WNBA: In Portland, Ryan White noted the city's new WNBA
franchise, the Fire, will share its name with Chicago's MLS
team. WNBA Fire VP Sandi Bittler said that she "was not
sure how the league resolved the issue but that it had been
resolved" (Portland OREGONIAN, 1/8)....In Miami, D.L.
Cummings reported that the WNBA Sol unveiled its new logo
before 1,500 on Friday night. The logo is "designed like
the sun and features the red, black and orange-yellow colors
of the Heat." Sol Owner Micky Arison, noting the surprising
turnout: "I expected to come in and see a [tremendously]
sparse crowd. But I'm delighted" (MIAMI HERALD, 1/8).
