WILL THEY COUNT DIMPLED BALLOTS? In CO Springs, Lynn
Zinser profiles the personalities and platforms of USOC
Presidential candidates SANDY BALDWIN and PAUL GEORGE.
Baldwin: "We are a family, not just a business. We need a
CEO who understands the family." Meanwhile, George says,
"We want our athletes to be the best-supported Olympic team
in the world" (CO Springs GAZETTE, 11/30). In Chicago,
Philip Hersh previews Sunday's election and writes that the
"only thing separating" George and Baldwin "may be gender."
Hersh: "That difference could be of paramount importance for
the USOC, which has had just one minority and no women in
either the top elected or salaried position during its 106-
year history" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/30).
OTHER NAMES: MN Gov. JESSE VENTURA told a school
audience in southern MN yesterday that he intends to be both
Governor and NBC TV announcer for the XFL. He said the dual
role do not constitute a conflict: "I wasn't hired [by NBC]
because I'm the governor -- I was hired because I'm Jesse
the Body. ... It will not affect Gov. Ventura at all,
because it'll be the re-emergence of Jesse the Body. And I
can separate the two. One is an entertainer. The other is
governor" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 11/30)....CBS Sports'
DICK ENBERG said "fans and announcers find it more and more
difficult to identify with a team." Enberg: "It's so
difficult to feel the romance of aligning with a team when
the team changes every year. [The media] really is in no
different a situation. Our networks change properties and
there is more of a movement between networks." Enberg said
if he was asked, he would not broadcast XFL games because
they would have "to prove themselves first." Enberg: [It's]
"not going to be the NFL" ("Up Close," ESPN, 11/29).
...Around 800 Olympic and Paralympic athletes gathered at
the White House yesterday and met with PRESIDENT CLINTON,
his wife HILLARY and daughter CHELSEA (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE,
11/30)....In Montreal, Randy Phillips reports that the city
will bid on the 2005 SUMMER GOODWILL GAMES. Montreal would
be one of five cities seeking the Games, joining Phoenix,
Atlanta and two other unidentified cities in Spain
(Montreal GAZETTE, 11/30)....In Raleigh, Caulton Tudor
writes on the escalating salaries of college coaches, and
notes, "The salary scale for collegiate coaches is so out of
control that it undermines the operating principles of
campus athletics. ... It's downright dangerous. And unless
the folks in power ... restore some common sense to athletic
payrolls, they're going to lose ... fans (Raleigh NEWS &
OBSERVER, 11/30)....Lakers G KOBE BRYANT, along with the
Lakers cheerleaders, appeared on last night's episode of
CBS' "BETTE" (CBS, 11/29).
