Under Review Anna on E!--Collins Back in Booth--Finding the Playoffs

--People who think the sports world puts too much emphasis on
winning must love Anna Kournikova--and, by extension, Anna
Kournikova: The E! True Hollywood Story, which premiered on
Sunday and will air again on Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. Although
Kournikova declined an offer to appear on the show, True came
through, laying out her saga of sex, skill and scandal with
eye-candy footage and interviews with tennis journalists such as
Peter Bodo and Bud Collins. Betsy Rott, vice president of
original programming for E! Entertainment Television, says
viewers can expect more tabloidesque takes on sports figures in
the future. Production has already begun on Kobe Bryant: The E!
True Hollywood Story, and the channel expects to air stories on
Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and David Beckham and Posh Spice
this year.

--The NBA's most wanted free agent signed a deal last week ... with
TNT. Former Wizards coach Doug Collins, who had developed into
the game's best color man with TNT and NBC before Michael Jordan
coaxed him back into coaching two years ago, is returning to TNT
to serve as a game analyst on its Thursday-night doubleheaders.
Collins, 52, who declined a more lucrative offer from ESPN/ABC
because of his affinity for Turner Sports, will team with Kevin
Harlan, while new analyst Steve Kerr will join Marv Albert and
Mike Fratello on TNT's other broadcasting team. There is one
small caveat to Collins's five-year deal: According to a source,
Collins has the option of returning to the NBA after two years to
take a front-office or head-coaching job.

--The days of postseason baseball on obscure cable outlets such as
FX, Fox Family and ABC Family are over. ESPN and ESPN2 will air
the entire first round of postseason play through 2006. --R.D.