CORRECTION: THE DAILY incorrectly listed the agent for
the Falcons' second-round draft pick Travis Claridge. He is
represented by Leigh Steinberg of Steinberg Moorad & Dunn.
LOWE'S SPEEDWAY CUTS PRICES: SMI President Humpy
Wheeler said yesterday the racing industry has "priced a lot
of people out of this business" with high ticket prices.
Wheeler's remarks came at a press conference kicking off
next month's NASCAR events at Lowe's Motor Speedway (LMS)
As part of the Fans First program, LMS will offer, through
the "No Bull" ticket program, reduced prices for The Winston
on May 20. Tickets normally $20 are being sold for $15 for
adults and $5 for kids, and $70 seats are being sold for $50
and $30, depending on the row. Wheeler, on the reduced
ticket prices: "We're trying to sell out The Winston. I
have always believed the quick nickel is better than the
slow dime." Wheeler added lowering ticket prices is "one of
the things the new TV contract allows us to do. We don't
want to lose fans because of economics" (THE DAILY).
CBA NAMES NEW PRESIDENT: In ID, Derek Samson reports
that the CBA named Don Welsh as President. Samson writes
the move comes while the CBA's "future looks as cloudy as
ever" (IDAHO STATESMAN, 4/20). The CBA has hired The
Chapman Report as a pro scouting consultant. Under the
partnership, the CBA will subscribe to the organization's
services for both minor league and college basketball. The
joint venture will be in addition to the league's scouting
alliance with Marty Blake and Associates (CBA).
NOTES: USA TODAY's Gordon Forbes writes that the NFLPA
"has agreed to a plan for discussing off-field violence"
with players during training camps this summer. NFLPA Exec
Dir Gene Upshaw said that the union and the league office
"would work together to lecture players on criminal violence
and other misbehavior" (USA TODAY, 4/20).....NBC's Bob
Costas, on the NBA's labor problems: "It isn't that [the NBA
wasn't] hurt by the lockout, but they weren't hurt nearly as
badly as baseball was by losing its World Series in 1994.
Plus, they didn't have a long history of labor acrimony like
baseball did. ... Most important, the owners accomplished
something in the NBA lockout and the players still did fine.
The rank and file players now are doing better than before
the lockout" ("Up Close," ESPN, 4/19).
AF2 AN EARLY BOX OFFICE HIT: In VA, Harry Minium writes
that af2 "continued to spin the turnstiles" in the third
week of its inaugural season. Minium, noting af2 is a
"Triple-A league" for the AFL, writes af2 is averaging 9,280
fans, compared to 10,047 for the AFL last season.
Greensboro drew 12,751 fans for its opener, the largest
crowd of the week (VIRGINIAN-PILOT, 4/20).
