In Minneapolis, columnist Sid Hartman notes NBA
Commissioner David Stern was present at the Rockets-T-Wolves
game last night. Hartman: "I have an appreciation of the
great job Stern has done to make the NBA what it is today.
... one of the best-run and most prosperous leagues in the
history of professional sports" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE,
4/30)....In San Diego, columnist Nick Canepa writes under
the header, "Without Jordan, NBA May As Well Turn Off The
Lights." Canepa: "What follows is a comprehensive list of
current [NBA] players I would pay to watch. 1. Michael
Jordan. There are about 325 other players I wouldn't pay to
see" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 4/29)....In Seattle, Blaine
Newnham wrote on Kate Starbird joining the ABL's Seattle
Reign. Newnham notes that Nike will have a Kate Starbird
basketball shoe, and Microsoft, which is paying part of her
salary as a member of the Reign, "is banking on her appeal
as a graduate in computer studies to get young girls
involved in high-tech pursuits" (SEATTLE TIMES, 4/29)....
In Boston, Frank Dell'apa profiles the state of MLS: "Now,
28 games into the second season, the most troubling aspect
of the MLS seems to be its lack of personality. And much of
this can be blamed on an overreliance on central planning,
especially in the crucial area of player procurement. Most
of the MLS blueprint concentrates on the smoke and mirrors
of selling a sport; less attention has been applied to the
substance -- the coaches and players who are the primary
attraction" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/29).
