RACING: The AP's Pete Iacobelli wrote that "feuding is
back" in NASCAR and Darlington (SC) Raceway President Jim
Hunter "couldn't be happier." Less than two weeks before the
Southern 500, Hunter "expects to get a big bump from the
sudden feud" between drivers Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon,
who "bumped each other" at last week's Global Crossing at the
Glen and then "shouted at each other after the race." Hunter
said Stewart and Gordon "poured some jalapeno sauce on the
vanilla ice cream" of the Winston Cup series. More Hunter:
"You've got to control the bammin' and frammin'. But this is
what NASCAR is all about" (AP, 8/16)....CART interim
President & CEO Bobby Rahal, on replacing Andrew Craig in
June: "I've devoted 90 percent of my time to CART and 10
percent to Team Rahal since then, and I'm pleased at the way
things are developing, but I want to get out of this by the
end of the season or thereabouts" (AP, 8/17).
NOTES: ESPN GOLF ONLINE's David Kraft noted that the PGA
has a 50% stake in Valhalla Golf Club -- where the 82nd PGA
Championship will be held this weekend -- which is "expected
to be" 100% by the end of 2000, meaning it "stands to make
more money here than at any other venue in the country." But
Kraft added "nobody likes to think they're playing at a venue
strictly because of the almighty dollar" (ESPN.com,
8/16)....NEWSDAY's Joe Gergen reports that the launch of ABA
2000 "has been pushed back" from November until December 26
(NEWSDAY, 8/17)....Blodgett Elementary School in Syracuse,
NY, was Vocational High when the NBA's 24-second shot clock
"made its debut" in a scrimmage at the school on August 10,
1954. So the NBA will "help upgrade" Blodgett, built in '19.
NBA Coordinator of Charitable Donations Nicky Aviles: "We're
interested because of the building's historic status and
because a request for help was made directly to the
commissioner's office." Aviles said that she "was told" a
new playground, including a basketball court, would cost
between $50,000-75,000 (USA TODAY, 8/17).
