Bills DE BRUCE SMITH appeared on "Up Close" with Gary
Miller last night. Smith, on his recent mission to Africa
with "Operation Smile," a charity with which Smith is
involved in that benefits people with facial deformities: "A
45-minute surgery performed by Operation Smile ... actually
changed these individuals' lives. It gave their families a
sense of worth. It brought back dignity to their families"
("Up Close," ESPN, 10/18)....USA TODAY's Kevin Allen
profiles on Devils C SCOTT GOMEZ, "considered to be the
first" Latino player in NHL history. NHL VP/Business
Development BRYANT MCBRIDE, on the 19-year-old-Gomez: "This
kid will be the torch bearer (for minority players) for
years to come. ... This kid's personality is contagious"
(USA TODAY, 10/19)....NEWSWEEK's Allison Samuels examines
ROBERT JOHNSON's BET under the header, "Bad Vibes At Cable's
BET." Samuels: "Many [current and former employees] say
they're turned off by what they consider outmoded, even
offensive, programming, while current and former employees
charge that the network takes advantage of its position as
'the only game in town' to push black talent into
unfavorable contracts and low-paying gigs" (NEWSWEEK, 10/17
issue)....The DAILY RACING FORM's Matt Hegarty reported that
online wagering service YOUBET.COM "acknowledged" that the
L.A. County District Attorney "served a search warrant" last
Thursday at its office. Hegarty noted that questions have
been "raised" in the past about the "legality" of telephone
and online wagering in CA (DAILY RACING FORM, 10/17).
