BIG BUCKS: In Milwaukee, Michael Hunt notes Bucks coach George Karl signed a two-year, $14M contract extension. He also received a 1-2% ownership stake in the franchise, valued at more than $125M. Performance incentives could add another $1M per season to Karl's package. Karl's agent Bret Adams said Karl will "distribute bonuses estimated at several hundred thousand dollars to everyone in the basketball office" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/29).
NO CASH CALL YET: In Edmonton, Robin Brownlee writes that Oilers Chair Cal Nichols will not ask for a cash call today when Oilers shareholders and directors gather to discuss the budget and the bottom line. Nichols: "I would say if nothing changed on the revenue side of our business or on what we spend, [a cash call will be made] probably next summer, probably after we go through another operating year." Brownlee reports the Oilers have a current deficit of US$700,000 (EDMONTON SUN, 3/29).
NOTES: The Wild broke the NHL expansion team attendance record with last night's game against the Coyotes at the Xcel Energy Center. The team now has 39 straight regular season sellouts, totaling 717,336 fans and an average of 18,393 per game. The Thrashers had set the mark in '99-00 with 705,389 fans and an average of 17,205 (Wild)....On Long Island, Mark Herrmann writes that the 29-41-5-1 Rangers and 20-46-7-3 Islanders "aren't doing the attention-starved" NHL "any favors by failing to produce one competitive team between them year after year." Both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs (NEWSDAY, 3/29).
