IS THERE LITTLE EFFORT BY SOME TO PUMP AIR? In
Philadelphia, Stephen Smith wrote that "few" NBA execs are
"answering" Wizards President of Basketball Operations
Michael Jordan's requests for trades. Jordan didn't make
one move before the league's trading deadline and "everyone
wanted to know why." One team owner: "Can you blame us? No
one in this profession likes seeing the same person capture
all the glory. Jordan did so in his playing days, and now
he's trying to do it as an executive. We couldn't get on
the court and beat him at his own game, but you can bet we
can pick up the phone just as quickly as he can." One NBA
GM: "None of us have forgotten what it's like to lose to
that man. As cynical as it may sound, we remember, and we're
not interested in helping him do the same thing all over
again" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 2/27).
OTHER NOTES: In St. Paul, Charley Walters wrote that
one "to watch" in Minneapolis is Born Information Services
CEO Rick Born, who has the "wherewithal and personality to
someday own" the T'Wolves or Vikings if they become
available (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/27)....In Ft.
Lauderdale, Andrew Downie wrote that sports marketing firms
"from across the globe are flooding into Brazil to grab a
foothold in an unexploited market." ISL paid Brazilian
soccer club Flamengo $80M for the club's licensing rights
for ten years. ISL hopes to tie Flamingo in with some of
its other established partnerships. It could use its
relationship as a promoter for Lucas Films to "try to entice
toy producers into producing Flamengo products." ISL Int'l
Brazil Division President Wesley Cardia: "Every company that
comes to Lucas Films to talk about Star Wars, for example,
we can offer them Flamengo. When they offer to produce a
Chewbacca doll, we'll say, 'Why don't you make a Flamengo
doll also?'" (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 2/26).
MLB: In K.C., Steve Rock reported that "only four
bidders submitted formal proposals to buy the Royals." A
potential bidder asked for an extension, and a bid "may come
in sometime next week." Rock wrote that the final purchase
price "is expected" to be in the $80M range (K.C. STAR,
2/26)....On ESPN's "The Sports Reporters," Bill Conlin said,
"The (Reds) are now going to lead the league in attendance.
Every ballpark [Ken Griffey Jr.] goes in, it's going to be
close to a sellout, and Cincinnati is back on national TV"
("The Sports Reporters," 2/27)....Red Wings/Tigers Owner
Mike Ilitch told the DETROIT NEWS, "I promise you, [the
Tigers] will be aggressive. I'm going to run the Tigers now
like I run my other sports team" (DETROIT NEWS, 2/27).
