NBA: Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment President Richard Peddie says it "sickens" him when Raptors G Vince Carter hugs an opposing player before or after a game. Peddie: "I don't think that sort of thing should be going on. I see the opponents standing in the way of us making the playoffs." Peddie added that he "personally refrains from fraternizing with rivals": "For a while there, I didn't co-operate or speak with anyone from the SkyDome. Why should I? We compete with the SkyDome." The GLOBE & MAIL's Marty York writes that Peddie's "distaste for the opposition" had him veto a plan to honor former Raptors G Damon Stoudamire prior to a recent game against the Trail Blazers. Peddie, on Stoudamire, "He no longer plays for us. Our focus should be on our players, not him" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 1/11)....Mavericks prospective Owner Mark Cuban, on his pending acquisition of the team: "All of the other pieces of the contract have happened sooner than we thought. The final contract will be approved this week" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 1/11)....In Boston, Karen Guregian reported that about 74 people took part in a promotion before last night's Grizzlies-Celtics game and were admitted free when they had their head shaved. One former Celtics player noted how the team must offer promos to boost attendance, said, "Oh, how the mighty have fallen" (BOSTON HERALD, 1/11). ...Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner, YankeeNets President Harvey Schiller and Nets co-Owner Finn Wentworth attended last night's Magic-Nets game. Steinbrenner, when asked if he saw "improvement" in the Nets' (14-20) play: "It's hard to tell. I don't want to make any comments because I'm not that deeply involved yet" (N.Y. POST, 1/11). NOTES: In Miami, Greg Cote, on the name Sol for Miami's WNBA franchise: "I assumed our [team] was paying homage to the Miami Beach of yesteryear by naming the team after an old Jewish guy. ... Bad nickname, folks. Stupido! The rest of America is not as bilingual as we, remember" (MIAMI HERALD, 1/10)....In Las Vegas, Dean Juipe, on the IHL's possible return to the Las Vegas market (See THE DAILY, 1/7): "If the question is: Are there enough hockey fans in the valley that a well-funded team playing in a decent league and in a handsome, if tough to get to, venue can find its niche and succeed, the answer is absolutely yes" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 1/10)....The MLB Cardinals sold 56,562 single- game tickets Saturday, the first day they were available. That was nearly more than 10,000 than the record of 46,776, set after 1B Mark McGwire's season of 70 home runs in '98. The Cardinals also announced that their first-weekend sale of 68,526 was a team record (USA TODAY, 1/11).
