FLAG ISSUE: In Charlotte, Henry Eichel wrote that the
NCAA decided Friday to keep the first two rounds of the 2002
men's basketball regionals at the Greenville, SC, Bi-Lo
Center, ending an economic boycott "threat" over the
Confederate battle flag being flown over the SC Capitol.
The NCAA "rejected calls" by the NAACP to move the games
because the flag still flies on State House grounds. The
NCAA Exec Committee said that "it was sufficient" that the
SC Legislature removed the flag from the Capitol (CHARLOTTE
OBSERVER, 8/12). COX NEWS SERVICE's Tony Barnhart wrote
that the 2002 and 2007 men's and 2003 women's basketball
FINAL FOURS "will be played" in Atlanta despite calls by
activists that they be moved because the Confederate emblem
is part of the GA state flag (COX NEWS SERVICE, 8/12).
MORE NAMES: CNN/SI's Jim Huber reported Springfield,
MO, dedicated a stretch of I-44 to the late PAYNE STEWART,
now renamed PAYNE STEWART HIGHWAY. Huber: "[Stewart's]
mother, who lives there -- where Payne grew up -- accepted
the honor" ("Golf Plus," CNN/SI, 8/13)....Former figure
skater KATARINA WITT "has joined the fight against racism in
Germany by launching a website dedicated to combat far-right
activism." The site, "WEB AGAINST RIGHT," launched Friday
at Web-gegen-Rechts.de (REUTERS, 8/13)....In St. Louis,
Bernie Miklasz wrote on the city's selection by The Sporting
News as "The Best Sports City" in the U.S. for 2000.
Miklasz feels that in order to "accept as sports-bible
gospel that St. Louis qualifies as the No. 1 sports town,
you'd also have to believe that St. Louis was only the 13th
best sports city in 1999, No. 14 in 1998 and No. 16 in
1997." Miklasz added that the city "deserves consideration
for No. 1" because the "fans are loyal" and "not because of
a verdict handed down by a publication" (ST. LOUIS POST-
DISPATCH, 8/12)....ESPN's Sean Salisbury, on actor KEANU
REEVES' preparation for playing QB "SHANE FALCO" in "THE
REPLACEMENTS": "Keanu Reeves studied film of the all-time
greats, read JOE MONTANA's quarterbacking bible and most
important, trained with former NFL [QB's] BOB GAGLIANO and
T.J. RUBLEY. And after a three week pre-shoot training
camp, he was transformed from movie star to quarterback,
Hollywood style" (ESPN, 8/11)....MLS Revolution D BRIAN
DUNSETH, who will be named to the U.S. Olympic men's soccer
team, appeared on NBC's "Today" and said of his modeling
career: "If it's something that stays out of the way of
soccer, I'd love to do it, it's fun. My teammates make fun
of me all the time" (NBC, 8/13).
