JOHN GIANNONE has joined CNN/SI as a reporter in the
network's Chicago bureau. Giannone most recently worked at
the N.Y. Daily News, where he served as the Yankees beat
reporter for two years, covered the Mets and worked as a
features reporter (CNN/SI)....The AHL named BRENT MAURER
Manager of Communications & Media Relations. He had served
as the ECHL Columbus Chill's Dir of Corporate Sales and had
been its Dir of PR for six years (AHL)....The Marment Group
(TMG) promoted TRACY SCHOENADEL to VP. Schoenadel had been
Dir of Research. TMG also named CHRIS PASSARELL Asst. VP
and JOE DOYLE Research Dir. Passarell previously served as
Manager of Strategic Planning and Research at the NFL, and
Doyle was formerly Asst. Dir at ESPN Chilton Sports Poll
(The Marment Group)....USA Baseball named JEFFREY ODENWALD
Dir/Marketing & Business Affairs (USA Baseball).... The
Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation (GNOSF) named JAY
CICERO its Exec Dir. Cicero had been the Interim Exec Dir
for the past four months (GNOSF)....Hershey Entertainment
and Resort Co. (HERCO) named SCOTT MULLEN GM of Hersheypark
Arena/Stadium and Star Pavilion in Hershey, PA (HERCO).
MICHAEL JORDAN was a guest on "The Tonight Show" last
night and brought along his line of body care products.
Jordan, on his golf game with PRESIDENT CLINTON: "At first,
I said, 'Let's play for taxes' ... It was lot of fun to have
all these secret service guys running around, getting you
through foursomes ... it was the quickest round we ever
played" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 9/16)....JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE
has been named the official spokesperson of the
SuperChallenge, a jointly sponsored fund-matching program by
the '98 Goodwill Game and TBS SuperStation. Also, DAN
O'BRIEN was named a spokesperson for the Goodwill Games'
Junior Goodwill Games, a new national grassroots children's
initiative (Goodwill Games)....ESPN's Bob Ley reported that
with his new three-year, $28M contract with the Cardinals,
MARK MCGWIRE "will donate a million dollars per year to a
foundation for [abused] kids" ("SportsCenter," ESPN
9/16)....DAN O'BRIEN, AMY VAN DYKEN and BORIS BECKER are
among the athletes posing nude in a new advertising campaign
for Tag Heuer's new collection of professional sport
watches. O'Brien: "I enjoyed it ... and I was open to new
ideas. I think that's what life's all about." The exhibit
will be seen this fall in 40 countries ("EXTRA," 9/16).
While Hornets Owner GEORGE SHINN "has not been charged
in any crime," FBI and SC law enforcement officials "say
their investigations continues" (Chandler & Wright,
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/17). Court documents released
yesterday indicate that a 28-year-old NC woman "is accusing"
Shinn of "sexually assaulting her" at his SC home. Shinn's
attorney, Bill Diehl, said his client had no comment, but
added, "At the proper time and proper place, Mr. Shinn will
give his side" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 9/17).