In Atlanta, Len Pasquarelli examines the pursuit by NFL
assistant coaches to obtain more benefits from the league.
Long taken "for granted by the league and its 30 teams, the
coaches are suddenly voicing concerns over such issues as
salaries, fringe benefits, portability of health insurance
and retirement age" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 5/28).
OTHER NOTES: In Edmonton, Scott Haskins criticizes the
style of play in NHL Stanley Cup playoffs: "I'm not really
sure what Buffalo, Washington, Dallas and Detroit are doing,
but they are not playing hockey. ... Unless you're a diehard
Capitals fan or your brother plays for the Stars, there are
only two reasons to be inside while a playoff game is on:
Either you're dead or you haven't figured out how a doorknob
works" (EDMONTON SUN, 5/28)....In L.A., Eric Sondheimer
examined pro beach volleyball under the header, "Trouble In
Paradise: Pro Beach Volleyball, Once The Rage, Is Mired In
Financial Turmoil." ESPN Manager of Programming Bob Yalen
said he has had three different deals this year with beach
volleyball organizers "go bankrupt or dissolve themselves."
Yalen: "Politically, it's a tough animal. There's a lot of
personalities involved and pulling it all together under one
umbrella is not an easy job" (L.A. TIMES, 5/26)....PGA Tour
Commissioner Tim Finchem said that Philadelphia, Pittsburgh,
St. Louis, Seattle and Minneapolis-St. Paul are the five
markets being considered for a regular tour event in the
next few years (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 5/23). ...The
National Baseball Hall of Fame has added an exhibit that
traces the relationship between the sport's management and
players (USA TODAY, 5/27)....CNN/SI's Tom Verducci reported
that AL President Gene Budig "is rarely seen at a ballpark.
It turns out that he likes to monitor the pace of games by
following them on the Internet. And here's how obsessed
he's become with the length of game issue: He ordered the
Orioles to cut two minutes off their average between now and
All-Star break" ("Sports Tonight," 5/27).