U.S. gymnast Kerri Strug "is reconsidering her plans to
remain an amateur gymnast," according to USA TODAY. Strug:
"We've gotten a lot of exciting offers. So, it's pretty
tempting. ... Everybody's saying I'm the next Mary Lou. I can't
believe this is all happening. It's kind of weird" (Tom Weir,
USA TODAY, 7/26). Among the offers is a request to join her
teammates for a planned 30-stop tour that has been expanded to 60
performances (Mike Elliott, TAMPA TRIBUNE, 7/26). The tour,
sponsored by John Hancock and produced by Jefferson Pilot
Productions, would pay $1,500 per stop (Bill Buchalter, ORLANDO
SENTINEL, 7/26). In S.F., Joan Ryan puts that tour figure at
$3,500 per appearance (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/26). In Houston, John
Lopez reports, in addition to requests from David Letterman,
Rosie O'Donnell and others, Wheaties has made an offer. Strug's
coach, Bela Karolyi: "I personally would encourage her to give
up her plans of competing in college. She needs to represent the
Olympic ideal. ... She needs to be seen as a personality for this
sport" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/26). While most reports place
Strug's earning potential at $3-5M, Bob Williams, President of
Burns Sports, has it lower -- between $200,000 and $1M (Gene
Wojciechowski, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/26).
