Bobby Labonte's Winston Cup championship was "nothing
more than a fitting way to end a boring year of racing," as
Labonte "may just be the most boring driver out there,"
according to Juliet Macur of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. Labonte's
"flat-line personality may just be the reason NASCAR's TV
ratings have fallen across the board. ... The stars aren't
winning. And that's enough to crush a sport's popularity."
Macur: "If NASCAR doesn't want to flop next year when its TV
package debuts on Fox and NBC, it should encourage its
drivers to speak with candor" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 11/14).
LADIES OF TENNIS: The SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Daniel
Kaplan reports that Omega is "expected to pay" Anna
Kournikova a "high six-figure amount annually" for an
endorsement deal to be announced November 20 (see THE DAILY,
9/21). Omega "plans to unveil a billboard" in Times Square
featuring Kournikova, and print ads will appear in December
issues of Esquire, Worth and Smart Money (SPORTSBUSINESS
JOURNAL, 11/13 issue)....Pam Shriver, Founder of the Chevy
Chase Bank Tennis Challenge which will be played in
Baltimore next week, said while Jennifer Capriati was
"feeling tired and has a little foot problem," her sponsor,
Fila, "is based here and she told me this weekend she would
still be here, even is she was limping" (Balt. SUN, 11/14).
VINCE HIT: In Toronto, Bill Harris reports that Raptors
F Vince Carter was scheduled to participate in a video-game
shoot for Microsoft yesterday (TORONTO SUN, 11/14).
