In Phoenix, Paola Boivin reports that AZ is "in danger
of losing" the spring training MLB Cactus League to Las
Vegas. AZ Department of Commerce Dir of Administration
Chris Baier, asked whether it's a "crisis situation": "Storm
clouds are on the horizon." Boivin notes that leases for
Cactus League stadiums "begin expiring" in 2004 (ARIZONA
REPUBLIC, 1/19)....The fourth WNBA season will begin on May
29, two weeks earlier than normal, with the Olympics
"looming." NBC will air 11 games, while ESPN and Lifetime
will air ten each (USA TODAY, 1/19)....SMI Chair Bruton
Smith, on NASCAR: "I don't think we had many good races last
year. A lot of the races we had were very dull, and I think
NASCAR needs to address what's wrong. If (races) are going
to be dull, it makes it more difficult to sell tickets"
(Skip Wood, USA TODAY, 1/19)....In Syracuse, Lindsay Kramer
wrote that AHL President Dave Andrews "remained optimistic"
that a Manchester, NH, franchise is "on track to join" the
league in 2001-02, "perhaps along" with a team in
Bridgeport, CT. Andrews said that it's "becoming more of a
challenge to find cities that have good buildings and that
aren't in other leagues" (SYRACUSE POST-STANDARD, 1/18)....A
USA TODAY editorial under the header, "Female Athletes Are
Shortchanged": "The U.S. women [soccer team] have done more
to promote the game in 10 years than the men have done in
20." The editorial adds, "The IOC continues to tolerate
governing bodies that exploit women by treating world-class
volleyballers like beach babes and world-champion soccer
players like minor leaguers" (USA TODAY, 1/19).
