About 20,000 of Jim Rome's "Clones" showed up Saturday
to see the radio/TV sports personality at Blossom Music
Center in OH, according to John Fay of the CINCINNATI
ENQUIRER. In '99, Rome drew 13,000 to Convocation Center at
Cleveland State (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 6/11).
NOTES: Sam Wyche, who is working AFL games for TNN, has
been "limited to two telecasts because of a voice problem."
The nerve to Wyche's left vocal chord has been cut, and he
will have surgery on July 3 to "prevent risk of the nerve
growing back" (Albany TIMES UNION, 6/11)....In DC, Leonard
Shapiro reported that "several" NFL owners said that they
would "be appalled" if radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh is
"involved" in "MNF." One "longtime" owner: "I'm not sure we
need that in football" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/11). ESPN's Bill
Conlin, on Limbaugh: "I would love to see Rush Limbaugh in
the booth. However, he would only call plays that run to
the right" ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 6/11)....In Las
Vegas, Royce Feour examined the possibilities of a Lennox
Lewis-Mike Tyson fight on Showtime, while Lewis is "under
contract" to HBO, and Tyson is with Showtime. Showtime
Senior VP Jay Larkin, on the possibility: "Hell will freeze
over before HBO allows Lennox Lewis to fight Mike Tyson on
Showtime. ... There will be pork chops growing on the palm
trees of Tel Aviv first" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 6/11).
