Infinity

The University of Maryland's athletic department expects to cash in soon on its newfound buzz, closing in on a multimillion-dollar marketing rights deal. Infinity Sports Marketing, a subsidiary of Infinity Broadcasting Corp., is currently negotiating to sell the university's broadcast rights, sponsorships and suites for a new basketball arena, according to sources familiar with the deal. Infinity, which is based in Phoenix, beat out Host Communications, Clear Channel, Learfield Communications and Nelligan Sports Marketing, four other bidders that had responded to a request for proposals.

Barcoding.com appoints Tadkowski Barcoding.com, named Kenneth Tadkowski as vice president of sales for the Baltimore Inner Harbor-based bar code and wireless communications equipment integrator. He supervises the firm's sales force, with emphasis on the mid-Atlantic region. The 15-year veteran of the bar code industry is a Towson University business graduate and was formerly with Datavision/Prologix. Former AOL assistant, Masson joins MPT Owings Mills-based Maryland Public Television hired Christine O. Masson as director of multicast and broadband services.

Unrestricted free agent Jamie Sharper will visit the Seattle Seahawks today and the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, but his first choice remains the Ravens. "Our first priority is still to get a deal with Baltimore," Sharper's agent, Tony Agnone, said yesterday. "But you have to understand the market is much quicker than it was in the past. In case you don't get anything done [with the Ravens], you've got to protect yourself." Sharper, a four-year starting linebacker for the record-setting defense of the Ravens, also has tentative plans to visit the Carolina Panthers later in the week, and might also visit the Cleveland Browns, even though they recently signed outside linebacker Dwayne Rudd.

A MEMORABLE PLACE A storied summit and vista Donna Tolbert-Anderson SPECIAL TO THE SUN Legend says the Terrace of Infinity is the spot where God and the devil argued. The terrace is part of the Villa Cimbrone, an ancient Italian villa with lush gardens and magnificent views at the top of a mountainside village called Revello. What mortal in his right mind wouldn't want to visit a place like this? Leaving Rome, we headed south. We sped by Mount Vesuvius at 85 mph with Pavarotti blasting out of the stereo.

INDIANAPOLIS - Eddie Cheever is too old and his racing portfolio too extensive and too impressive for him to serve as "poster boy" for an Indy Racing League that remains adrift in unfulfilled aspirations. Tony Stewart emerged from Midwest short-oval proving grounds to fulfill that role. But he won an IRL championship and bolted for NASCAR Winston Cup racing. No other young hero has surfaced from the grass-roots upbringing Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George envisioned upon his 1996 IRL launch in conflict with the established CART open-wheel series.

Normally, when you start seeing things that aren't really there, there can be repercussions, but viewers who tune into Saturday's Ravens-Chicago Bears telecast, or any Ravens exhibition telecast for that matter, will see things that aren't in the stadium.That's because the team has joined forces with a New Jersey firm for "virtual ads" that will pop up on the screen from selected spots in the ballpark that won't be present in the stadium itself.Lisa Bercu, the Ravens' director of broadcasting, said the team and Princeton Video Image, a Lawrenceville, N.J., company, will superimpose logos and ads that will look like they are really a part of the stadium, but aren't.

"Leaning Towards Infinity: How My Mother's Apron Unfolds Into My Life," by Sue Woolfe. Vintage Books. 393 pages. $24.95.If you tilt the number eight on its side, its voluptuous curves suggest a woman's body. It also is the symbol for infinity. Australian novelist Sue Woolfe's first U.S.-published novel invites such startling thoughts. This is a novel about the sensuousness of mathematics.An Australian acquaintance of mine, asked about Woolfe's work, said, "Oh, she's one of those Australian feminist writers."

The Ravens and their radio carrier, Infinity, yesterday named Scott Garceau and Bruce Cunningham to call the team's games on WJFK (1300 AM) and WLIF (101.9 FM), beginning with next Saturday's first preseason contest.Garceau, sports director at Channel 2, will be the play-by-play announcer and Cunningham, who has the same duties at Channel 45, will act as color analyst."I'm excited about it. I love football and I'm glad to be a part of its coming back to Baltimore," said Garceau, 44, an announcer with Channel 2 since 1980.

Normally, the signing of a new broadcasting deal on the order of the one the Ravens announced last week would answer a lot of questions.On the contrary, the new contracts, particularly the five-year radio pact with Infinity, have touched off a flurry of speculation in town about what happens next.In the immediate sense, the next major decision is who will be the voices of the Ravens, on their three-game television exhibition package and on their 20-game preseason and regular-season radio schedule.

The Ravens yesterday tapped WNUV (Channel 54) and WBFF (Channel 45) as their carriers for preseason football telecasts and Infinity Broadcasting as their radio home.The team signed a one-year contract with an option for a second year with Sinclair Broadcasting, which owns Channel 45 and programs Channel 54, for three exhibition games, as well as a coach's show and players' shows during the regular season.Infinity's deal with the Ravens will run for five years, and all of the team's exhibition and regular-season contests will air on WLIF (101.