NAMES & FACES: BRYANT GUMBEL appeared on the "Late Show"
with DAVID LETTERMAN last night. Letterman noted that Gumbel
will host SI's 20th Century Sports Awards in early December.
Gumbel: "I understand you're going to be a presenter that
evening." Letterman: "I don't think so" ("Late Show,"
11/22). BILL RUSSELL was a guest on "The Early Show" where
he mentioned the award he will receive at SI's awards
ceremony: "The fact that I did change the game and to have
someone actually recognize that it happened is kind of nice"
(CBS, 11/22)....76ers President PAT CROCE received some "good
news" yesterday, as surgery was "called off because of
improvement in his injured left leg" stemming from a June 17
motorcycle accident. This is the "first sign of improvement"
for Croce, who has undergone four surgeries since the
accident (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/23)....Lakers C JOHN
SALLEY said SHAQUILLE O'NEAL "doesn't let everybody see his
personality. He is by far one of the funniest people I've
ever met in my life." Salley, on DENNIS RODMAN: "Dennis is
quiet. He only makes noise if you put a camera on him with
that red light" ("Late, Late Show," CBS, 11/22)....Cowboys
Owner JERRY JONES, on the hands-on approach of Redskins Owner
DANIEL SNYDER: "I think more and more, as we see people
invest hundreds of millions of dollars [in sports franchises]
and know they could probably get a much better return doing
something else with the money, that you're going to see them
more involved. And I think the sports world will understand
that can be good" ("Up Close," ESPN, 11/22).
The IAAF "will wait" until July 2001 in Edmonton to
"name a successor" to the late PRIMO NEBIOLO (EDMONTON SUN,
11/22)....In Hartford, Ken Davis reports that in addition to
the 26 rings the Univ. of CT men's basketball team received
for winning the '99 National Championship, it has also
"purchased" 298 rings and pendants for more than $60,000.
Among those who received rings or pendants were PRESIDENT
CLINTON, Big East Commissioner MIKE TRANGHESE and CBS
announcer JIM NANTZ (HARTFORD COURANT, 11/23)...A 30-second
trailer for OLIVER STONE's "ANY GIVEN SUNDAY" ran during last
night's 11:00pm ET edition of FSN's "Primetime" (THE DAILY).
