DARRIAN CHAPMAN, lead sports anchor at WMAQ-NBC in Chicago and former sports reporter at WRC-NBC in DC, "died of an apparent heart attack" yesterday as he prepared to play a pickup hockey game (WASHINGTON POST, 10/31). The CHICAGO SUN-TIMES writes, "No one ever skyrocketed as fast as Darrian Chapman to the very top of Chicago sportscasting. With a dazzling combination of charisma and competitiveness, he rose in just 16 months from unknown weekend sports anchor to the No. 1 sports personality at WMAQ" (SUN-TIMES, 10/31).
WINNERS: The MLS '02 Executive Award Winners are: Rapids GM DAN COUNCE — Executive of the Year; Burn Senior VP JOHN ALPER — Marketing Exec of the Year; Burn Senior Dir of Media Services CHRIS WARD — PR Exec of the Year; United Senior Dir of Operations DENNIS LEE — Operations Exec of the Year; Rapids trainer THERON ENNS — Ace Athletic Trainer of the Year. Also, the Rapids' ticket sales staff earned the '02 Team Ticketing Sales Award (MLS).
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| Serena The Thespian? |
SERENA IN PRIMETIME: Last night's episode of ABC's "MY WIFE AND KIDS" featured SERENA WILLIAMS portraying a teacher at DAMON WAYANS son's school. Williams, on Wayans' on-screen wife's methods of training for a grade school play: "Don't you think you're pushing these kids a little too hard. Making them a little too competitive. ... All I'm saying is that this insatiable drive to win is what's tearing apart our society." Also, last night's edition of ABC's "GEORGE LOPEZ" featured former MLBers ROD CAREW, JOE MORGAN, JIM PALMER and STEVE GARVEY appearing in Lopez's dream as talking bobblehead dolls (ABC, 10/30). The AP reported Williams, who has been working with acting coaches, has "signed on with agent JILL SMOLLER at the William Morris Agency, which also represents" Wayans (AP, 10/30).
NAMES: NICK PRICE was named as the recipient of the '02 PAYNE STEWART Award, which is presented annually to a player sharing the late Stewart's "respect for the traditions of the game, his commitment to uphold the game's heritage of charitable support and his professional and meticulous presentation of himself and the sport through his dress and conduct" (PGA Tour). PGA Tour sponsor Southern Company runs a full-page ad in USA TODAY, congratulating Price on the award (THE DAILY)....Dodgers Senior VP/Communications DERRICK HALL today will be inducted into AZ State Univ.'s WALTER CRONKITE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATIONS HALL OF FAME (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 10/31)....NASCAR VP/Corporate Communications JIM HUNTER is profiled by the AP's Keith Parsons, who notes Hunter has "worked with the France family for more than 20 years, handling various roles." Hunter "doesn't handle [the communications] duties by himself. He helped create a public relations staff of about 10 that divides up the races, and he makes it to about 20 events himself" (AP, 10/31).
