CYBERSPORTS BUYING CANADIENS NOT WORTH IT FOR YAHOO.

Byline: - Tom Hoffarth

Yahoo Inc., given the opportunity to buy a controlling interest in the NHL's Montreal Canadiens, turned it down last week - not because it couldn't afford it.

``Yahoo felt that since it is not a subscription-based company, owning one team might offend other sports teams and restrict Yahoo's ability to do business with them as an Internet portal,'' a source told the Toronto Globe and Mail.

One of the incentives pitched to Yahoo for buying the team is the ability to market Canadiens merchandise globally on the Net. All NHL on-line merchandise goes through NHL.com with revenue shared by all the teams.

Molson Brewers, which currently owns the team and arena it plays in, is reportedly seeking $285 million in the sale.

--Terry O'Neil, former sports TV executive and recent vice president of the New Orleans Saints, has recruited former NFL coaches, players and officials to contribute to his new Web site, www.RealTeam.com, which launches today.

O'Neil, fired as part of the Saints' house cleaning last winter, will be editor and chief correspondent for the site. Contributors are supposed to include former Rams coach Dick Vermeil, former Saints assistants Zaven Yaralian and Bobby April and stats guru Bud Goode.

--Already counting down the days until the end of the Sydney Olympics, a comedy site going by www.silly2000.com is helping Aussies deal with the influx of tourists and problems that may arise.

``Many visitors who come to Sydney during the Olympics will not be able to speak English. This is not your fault, so leave them to fend for themselves,'' the satirical Web site recommends.

``Helping confused tourists to find their way around our beautiful city helps improve our international image and can also be very rewarding. However, leading them astray is much more fun.''

--Help Major League Soccer decide on what ball they'll use next season by voting on their site at www.MLSnet.com.

--SportsLine.com, CBS' Web site, plans for extensive coverage in concert with the TV network of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, which begins today.

Feature bells and whistles include live updated men's and women's singles and doubles brackets, daily downloadable audio interviews, chats, player profiles, and a breakdown of the match of the day.