With all the Super Bowl hype this Sunday, we think it's time to put pressure on the NFL to clean up its act and stop putting criminals on the football field (and paying them a fortune). According to a new book, Pros and Cons: The Criminals Who Play in the NFL (Warner Books), at least 21% of NFL players have criminal records. That means convictions -- never mind the stuff that gets covered up or "dropped for lack of evidence" (and according to the authors that's a lot). Sports Illustrated writer Don Yaeger and researcher Jeff Benedict did original research for the book, and they lay the blame solidly on the league for tolerating rape, wife-beating, and assault as long as a player can deliver on Sunday. Example: Falcons linebacker Cornelius Barnet didn't miss a play last year after pleading guilty to forcing himself on a woman. He served a paltry 60 days jail time in the off-season and paid his victim's medical bills. Pros and Cons says no league punishment was even considered. Tell the NFL President Neil Austrian as long as the league tolerates and covers up violence, atheltes have no incentive to clean up their act at 212-450-2000; fax 212-681-7570.

Here's a little math problem for ya. If you put 48 people in a room, making sure only 6 of them are women, and ask these 48 to pick the 50 greatest North American athletes of the past 100 years, how many female atheletes will make the list? Circle only one answer: 40, 25, 12, 4. If you answered 4, of course you're correct. ESPN's SportsCentury retrospective even includes wife-beater (and slasher in WFF's opinion) O.J. Simpson and two horses (studs, natch). CEO Steven Bornstein can be told how to make the best use of his list at 212-456-0201; fax 212-456-0222 or http://www.espn.go.com/sportscentury/athletes.html and click on "Contribute".

PREZ "REMEMBERS THE LADIES"

President Clinton re-discovered women as women Tuesday night (his usual has been "women and families" or "women and children") and became the first President in a generation to mention equal pay in a State of the Union speech. He also introduced a Social Security proposal that women's groups believe will preserve the basic safety net most women depend on in old age. Thank him for noticing the majority, and encourage him to put his bully pulpit where his mouth is and ask Congress to pass the Fair Pay Act. What better legacy for the 21st century? White House comment line: 202-456-1414; fax 202-456-2461; e-mail [email protected]

CNN is running a series of "Voices of the Millenium" clips on various aspects of the 20th Century. For example, they have ethnobiologists talking about the environment, athletes talking about sports, and peace leaders discussing world peace. And yes, they chose feminism as one of the social movements for the series. Spokesfeminists are Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, and LARRY FLYNT. You got it - the anti-woman pornographer who publishes extremely misogynous pictures of degradation and violence against women. CNN must be told not to make a mockery of feminism and all it has fought for by putting forward such an anti-feminist as a spokesperson. Express your outrage by faxing CNN CEO W. Thomas Johnson at 404-827-1575, or Time Warner President Richard Parsons at fax 212-275-3085. Sponsor Nokia (fax 813-287-0165) promises a worldwide audience of 125 million.

Even though the Senate has formed a circle and is getting ready to open fire on each other with the impeachment "trial", some activity is going forward on the Hill. The 1999 Violence Against Women Act will be introduced next week. The House version includes job protections for women who may have to take time off from work to go to court on violence-related matters, protections for battered immigrant women, and protections for disabled women. This strong bipartisan bill is being introduced by Rep. Connie Morella (R-MD; 202-225-5341; fax 202-225-1389; E-mail) and John Conyers (D-MI; 202-225-5126; fax 202-225-0072; E-mail), with 150 co-sponsors in the House. That means it's a serious bill and your Rep. ought to be a cosponsor if s/he is not already. On the Senate side, Senator Joe Biden (D-DE; 202-224-5042; fax 202-224-0139; E-mail) is all set to introduce "VAWA Lite," a weaker sister that does not contain the same protections. Advocates in New York are urging Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY; 202-224-6542; fax 202-228-3027; no e-mail) to make them proud they elected him instead of Alphonse D'Amato (R-Sayonara) by introducing the stronger version in the Senate (Schumer was a force behind the original VAWA when he was a member of the House). Join New York's chorus by calling 202-224-3121 (or e-mail your Representative and Senator) to reach any office in the House or Senate -- then ask your members if they're behind the strong version of VAWA -- and if not why not.

In the last week, USA Today has twice reported on a trial opening in Portland, Oregon to decide whether an anti-abortion website is a violation of the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinics law. The site, titled "The Nuremberg Files," is run by rabids who publish "Wanted" posters (with personal info like home addresses, car license numbers, and names and occupations of spouses and children -- sometimes accompanied by photos). Names of abortion doctors who have been murdered are crossed off the list, and those wounded are shaded in gray. Though the stories were even-handed and did not have an anti-abortion stance, USA Today allowed the web address to be published in both articles. Pro-choice leaders were quoted, but no pro-choice web address was included in either article. With the world's largest readership, tell editors (Fax: 703-247-3108) they have a moral obligation not to promote a murder-oriented website -- and it they think that's "prior censorship" they should at least publish the web addresses of responsible pro-choice groups to counter the venom (e.g. NARAL's http://www.naral.org and the Fund for the Feminist Majority's http://www.feminist.org).

Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), the new Speaker of the House, is being touted by the press as an avuncular good-guy ex-coach who will stop the partisan bickering. But who is he when it comes to women? Anti-choice, for one thing. WFF ran a check on his voting record through http://womenvote.org -- a great site. Hastert has an unmitigated 100% anti-choice voting record. He has also voted against services for poor women, increases in the minimum wage, and money for the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. Oh, yeah, about that ex-coach part: Hastert was a wrestling coach, and is on record as opposing Title IX, the law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational programs, including sports. Three years ago he sent an anti-Title IX letter with 136 Congressional signatures to the U.S. Department of Education. And last July he voted against preserving gender equity in vocational education programs. The press may think this guy's like everybody's favorite uncle, but for women he's more like an uncle from hell.

The impeachment trial began yesterday amid chaos in the Senate. Rumor on the Hill is that Trent Lott is dancing to the Christian Coalition's tune just like the House did. Our suggested action this week comes courtesy of Women Leaders Online. WLO (along with WFF, the majority of women in the country and every major women's group) think the impeachment witch hunt is a lot of baloney. To send this message to your Senator (U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510), ship 'em some real baloney -- preferably garlic, not necessarily fresh, shrink wrapped or not -- along with your personal note. If you can't get to the grocery for this purpose, register your opinion with them anyway at 202-225-3121 or send E-mail .