TV MONITOR: Last night's 10:00pm ET 60-minute edition
of FSN's "Fox Sports News" led with 8:36 of coverage on The
Masters, followed by a report on Yankees pitching coach Mel
Stottlemyre receiving treatment for cancer. "Fox Sports
News" had 13:07 of total coverage on The Masters. The first
report on the Czech Republic-U.S. Davis Cup match came at
22:01 into the broadcast, with 2:04 of total coverage. Last
night's 11:00pm ET 30-minute edition of CNN/SI's "Sports
Tonight" led with a 5:53 report on The Masters, followed by
Stottlemyre's announcement. "Sports Tonight" had 8:39 of
total coverage of The Masters. The first report on the
Davis Cup came at 14:56, with :52 of total coverage. Last
night's 11:00pm ET 60-minute edition of ESPN's
"SportsCenter" led with a 4:25 report on The Masters,
followed by Cubs-Reds. "SportsCenter" had 14:53 of total
coverage on The Masters. Its first report on the Davis Cup
came at 10:09, with 1:30 of total coverage (THE DAILY).
RUSSELL'S RETURN: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir reports
that Bill Russell's decision to "sit down" with HBO for its
special documentary on him "contrasts" with Russell's
"refusal to be interviewed by ESPN last year for its
'SportsCentury' series." "SportsCentury" Producer Mark
Shapiro: "He was gracious. ... But if you're willing to pay
Bill Russell or contribute to his charity, he'll talk to
you." HBO Sports Exec Producer Ross Greenburg said Russell
did not ask for payment, charity contribution or editorial
control: "There were no constrictions" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/10).
REVIEW OF FREEMAN'S ESPN BOOK: In Pittsburgh, Chuck
Finder reviews Mike Freeman's "ESPN: The Uncensored History"
and calls it a "compelling read for people who partake of
the many products" from ESPN. Finder: "For the most part
... the book is as powerful and entertaining to read as the
network is to watch" (POST-GAZETTE, 4/10).
WAR OF WILLS: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick criticizes SI
writer Michael Bamberger and Golf Digest's technical advisor
Art Chou for appearing in an infomercial with Nick Price
promoting a "utility" golf club. Mushnick: "For starters,
Bamberger's standing as a journalist suffers because he now
has Price as a business partner. ... Can Golf Digest's Chou
ever again offer the magazine an unfettered analysis of
clubs that compete in the marketplace with the one he
commercially endorses?" (N.Y. POST, 4/9)....In L.A.. Tim
Brown wrote that earlier this spring, Orioles 1B Will Clark
"berated" SI's Jeff Pearlman for his story on Braves P John
Rocker and "all but ordered him out of the clubhouse." But
Pearlman was "stopped" by Orioles 2B Delino DeShields and C
Charles Johnson. DeShields told Pearlman: "That article
needed to be written." Brown wrote that "diffused a bad
situation" (L.A. TIMES, 4/9)....NEWSDAY's Steve Zipay
reported that ESPN "confirmed that there have been serious
discussions" with Jets Dir of Football Operations Bill
Parcells about Parcells filling the role vacated by Jim
Kelly on ESPN's "NFL Countdown" (NEWSDAY, 4/9).
