Former U.S. women's soccer team member April Heinrichs
is expected to be formally introduced as the coach of the
U.S. women's national team today. In CA, Scott Reid
wondered, "If April Heinrichs is in, is [team member] Julie
Foudy out?" Reid wrote that no player "has infuriated" USSF
officials over the current contract dispute between the
players and the USSF "as much as" Foudy. But USSF Secretary
General Hank Steinbrecher dismissed speculation that
Heinrichs' new role means the end for Foudy: "Julie has
always been outspoken, always been a leader. There is no
tree falling. If the coach wants the player to play that
player will play" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 1/17). An
editorial in today's DALLAS MORNING NEWS notes the current
contract dispute and states that the USSF's "shabby
treatment of the players on the winning" '99 WWC team "is
hardly fair play. ... Given the success of American women in
soccer and the following they attract, they deserve more
than they are getting" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/18).
POWER BAR, ER, BUD: USA TODAY's Hal Bodley writes that
at the MLB owners meetings in Phoenix, which begin tonight,
owners are expected to "approve sweeping changes" that would
give MLB Commissioner Bud Selig more power to direct revenue
sharing among teams. Bodley: "[Selig] will be able to alter
television territories and control team activities on the
Internet, deciding how future revenue is shared." Selig
also expects owners to approve the $320M Indians sale to
Larry Dolan and Dolan Family Trusts (USA TODAY, 1/18).
LPGA RIDES TIGER'S COATTAILS: LPGA Tour Commissioner Ty
Votaw, on an "upside" to Tiger Woods' "domination" of the
PGA Tour: "Tiger's run is closer to helping us than it is to
hurting us. It's providing some opportunities with sponsors
who can't afford the P.G.A. Tour" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/16).
