MAGIC JOHNSON's on-air "sidekick" when he launches his
new late-night talk show early next year will be comic BARRY
SOBEL (N.Y. POST, 6/11)....STEFFI GRAF had surgery on her
left knee yesterday and is expected to miss four to six
months, forcing her to likely miss both remaining Grand Slam
tournaments in '97 (WTA Tour)....Sacramento-area sports
columnist and editor BILL CONLIN died on Monday. He was 84
(SACRAMENTO BEE, 6/10)....The Community for Education
Foundation presented its '97 Overcoming Obstacles
Achievement Awards yesterday in New York. National Award
Winners included Yankees Manager JOE TORRE and Packers DE
REGGIE WHITE (Community for Education Foundation)....GRANT
HILL attended the premiere of "Speed 2: Cruise Control" in
L.A. Monday night ("Showbiz Today," CNN, 6/10)....Golf
commentator GARY MCCORD, a guest on the "Tonight Show,"
related how he was banned from The Masters in '94 for some
of his on-air comments, including saying that Augusta
officials used "bikini wax" on the greens. McCord, to JAY
LENO: "You wouldn't last there very long there" ("Tonight
Show," NBC, 6/10)....JAY LENO, on DENNIS RODMAN: "They say
he's in some kind of a funk. Like on Sunday, I guess he had
to go the locker room during the second quarter. He said he
was queasy, his stomach was upset. Hey, you don't think
maybe he's pregnant?" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/10).
