Former ACOG VP/Marketing DARBY COKER died Friday at the
age of 54. In Atlanta, Erin Behan writes that Coker was
"most famous for his advertising ideas" at IBM and his
"marketing plans" while at ACOG (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION,
6/19)....In Pittsburgh, Joe Starkey wrote on the hockey
agent business and called it "vicious." Pittsburgh-based
agent STEVE REICH said that it "has reached the point where
there are more agents" than players. Starkey: "The
seduction begins early. Scholastic players, barely old
enough to shave, are besieged by a bunch of Jerry Maguires
looking to make a name and a buck. Some agents and their
scouts arrive with promises of cars, money and imminent
fame" (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 6/18)....Agent DREW
ROSENHAUS, on loyalty in sports: "There's so much pressure
in sports now. It is so much of a business and
entertainment in business that the teams are under pressure
... because of economics" ("Outside The Lines," ESPN,
6/18)....In Phoenix, Jeff Barker wonders why D'Backs
Managing General Partner JERRY COLANGELO, a registered
Republican, would "agree to host" a national Democratic
fund-raising lunch Thursday featuring PRESIDENT CLINTON
Barker: "The answer is that politics and baseball are
different. In the upper strata of political contributors
it's OK to play for one team and pinch-hit for another."
Colangelo said that he's as "solidly Republican as ever" (AZ
REPUBLIC, 6/19)....FSN's KEITH OLBERMANN, on his mother
MARIE being hit by an errant throw by Yankees 2B CHUCK
KNOBLAUCH Saturday at Yankee Stadium: "Mom's been going to
Yankee games so long, she met BABE RUTH as an infant, she's
survived Yankee second basemen ranging from HORACE CLARK to
STEVE SAX to improbably enough, JIM LEYRITZ and DON
MATTINGLY, but Knoblauch found her in the stands. She's
bruised, she doesn't like her picture on the cover of the
New York Daily News, but otherwise, she's OK" (FSN,
6/18)....Vikings coach DENNIS GREEN "plans to start" a stock
car team next year, and he "probably will begin fielding" a
car in the ARCA series (AP, 6/18).