League Notes

NBA Commissioner David Stern said that the league "has dates in May for players and owners to discuss" extending the CBA, which expires at the end of next season. Stern: "Most preferable would be to sit down and negotiate a deal" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/21)....NFL Senior VP/Special Events Jim Steeg said that Tampa is no longer pursuing the '07 Super Bowl. In Miami, Barry Jackson notes Miami is now "the only contender." Steeg: "Tampa realizes it's South Florida's turn. There's no doubt about getting it done" (MIAMI HERALD, 4/22)....In N.Y., Freeman & Olney examine drugs and drug testing in MLB, and noted several White Sox players this spring contemplated boycotting their drug tests in order to ensure a positive test to trigger mandatory testing. A "similar debate .... took place among players on at least one" NL team. One White Sox player said that some teammates "felt nervous discussing their debate because union officials had implied that if the boycott went forward, the players association would ostracize them." Mets P and NL union rep Tom Glavine "denied that anyone had been threatened" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/22)....DAILY VARIETY's Ed Meza reported Lehman Bros., JP Morgan and Germany-based Bayern LB have acquired EM.TV's 16.7% stake in F1's marketing company SLEC for $9M. EM.TV has an "option for a percentage of future proceeds from a sale of the stake. The pact is expected to settle a dispute with Formula One automakers, who have threatened to found their own racing event unless they get a bigger piece of Formula One profits" (DAILY VARIETY, 4/21).