News Corp. Chair RUPERT MURDOCH has been diagnosed with
prostate cancer and is to receive "several weeks of
radiation treatment." A spokesperson for Murdoch said that
doctors "told Murdoch the prognosis for halting the cancer
is very good" (Mult., 4/16)....In S.D., Jim Trotter reported
that Chargers Owner ALEX SPANOS "angrily cursed" Union-
Tribune columnist NICK CANEPA Saturday in the team's
training complex. Trotter: "It was the first time Spanos
had seen Canepa since he wrote a column critical of Spanos'
request for a new stadium" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE,
4/16)....ALEXANDRA STEVENSON said that she will play in this
week's Family Circle Cup in SC, despite the NAACP's economic
boycott of SC due to the flying of the Confederate flag over
the Capitol. Stevenson: "I want to come into this state and
work alongside all races" (Mult. 4/16)....In N.Y., Marek
Fuchs wrote on filmaking around basketball and focused on
the new SPIKE LEE-produced film "LOVE AND BASKETBALL":
"Making a good feature film about basketball seems to be a
task dreamed up by St. Jude, the patron saint of impossible
causes." But while the film's "story itself is flawed, the
movie at least portrays basketball well" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/16).
...N.Y. Daily News sports writer MARK KRIEGEL has inked a
deal to contribute to Talk magazine, as well as "write and
develop original screenplays or ones based on his magazine
pieces" for Miramax (DAILY VARIETY, 4/17).
...UltimateBid.com's offering of a chance to play a round of
golf with Tiger Woods sold for $204,000 (USA TODAY, 4/17).
..."SNL" guest host TOBEY MAGUIRE wore a Lakers cap during
Saturday's show ("SNL," NBC, 4/15)....N.Y.-based STT SPORTS
TALK, hosted by TOM LEYDEN, will broadcast live from
Wollensky's Grill in N.Y. tonight at 8:00pm on WEVD-AM.
Giants RB TIKI BARBER is the guest (THE DAILY).
