League Notes

Henin Announcing Immediate Retirement From Competitive Tennis

In N.Y., Filip Bondy writes with the retirements this week of golfer Annika Sorenstam and WTA player Justine Henin, it has "been a tough week for women's sports" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/15). In Phoenix, Bob Young wonders what would happen if Lakers G Kobe Bryant and Patriots QB Tom Brady "announced within 24 hours that they had decided to move on with their lives? ... That's the sort of void Annika Sorenstam and Justine Henin are leaving in sports" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 5/15). In Houston, Steve Campbell writes at this rate, it "will be Black Friday for connoisseurs of women's sports." The WNBA "might want to make sure [Storm F] Lauren Jackson isn't having sudden yearnings to walk away." USA Softball "might want to make sure Cat Osterman's heart is still in pitching at the Beijing Games" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 5/15).

WARNING TRACK POWER: ESPN’s Steve Phillips reported MLB is “on pace for almost 1,000 fewer home runs this year than in 2006.” Phillips: “I think a big part of that is steroid testing and I think the other big part of that is the Mitchell Report. I think players have been scared straight. … I think we’re seeing the end of the steroid era in (MLB)” (“Baseball Tonight,” ESPN, 5/14).

HOOP IT UP: In St. Petersburg, Tom Jones wrote while he is a "hockey guy," the NBA Playoffs "have been better than the NHL playoffs." Jones wrote the NBA Playoffs are exceeding the NHL for five reasons: The "superstars are playing;" the defending champs Spurs are still alive; the NBA "has been more competitive;" it has the "glamor teams;" it "plays five-on-five all the time" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 5/14).