SI's Steve Lopez writes on the Flyers libel suit
against Philadelphia WIP-AM under the header, "Put Up Or
Shut Up." Lopez: "Some observers think this could do for
talk radio what Carol Burnett did for supermarket tabloids.
When the comedian won a $1.6 million libel judgement against
the National Enquirer, it prompted a flood of other suits by
celebrities. ... And if the Flyers lose in court? Sports
could end up making professional wrestling look like a high
art form" (SI, 3/24 issue)....Detroit Free Press sports
columnist Mitch Albom has won first place in sports writing
in the National Headliner Awards. The L.A. Times' Bill
Plaschke finished second and the Wall Street Journal's Roger
Thurow was third (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 3/19)....USA TODAY's
Rudy Martzke writes that PGA Tour officials, "opposed to
Fox's proposal to incorporate FoxTrax hockey puck technology
into golf balls, will remain with ABC, NBC and CBS in new
deals that likely will increase from $45 million annually
over four years to about $70 million" (USA TODAY,
3/19)....IL-based One-on-One Sports Network has bought WXLX-
AM in the New York area, part of a $45M deal that includes
AM stations in Miami and Los Angeles. All three stations
will be converted to sports. In the New York market, WXLX
will go up against WFAN (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/19)....The
Broncos' Shannon Sharpe is a spokesperson for Cyberforce, an
Internet access provider that rivals AOL. Sharpe joins
"several NFL players," including the Packers' Sean Jones,
the Bills' Andre Reed, and the Raiders' Tim Brown, as
members of the NV-based service (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 3/19).
