Steve Story, trustee of the late Hugh Culverhouse's estate,
announced that no offers will be solicited and no offers will be
accepted for the Buccaneers, according to a report in this
morning's TAMPA TRIBUNE.  Story said that decision came after he
met with Joy Culverhouse on Friday:  "The Bucs are not on the
block.  This stance is not just for this season, but for the
foreseeable future as well."  Bucs coach Sam Wyche said that he
and the players were "relieved" by the decision: "I told the team
-- there was applause all around."  The TAMPA TRIBUNE's Tom
McEwen writes that the announcement "put to rest" concerns that
the Bucs would be "sold and shipped to Baltimore or St. Louis or
Sacramento or Orlando" (Tom McEwen, TAMPA TRIBUNE, 9/12).

     Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris said four potential buyers of the
Athletics "have been cleared by Major League Baseball and
American League officials as able to pay" the $85M asking price.
None of the four potential buyers are from the Bay Area, but all
are committed to keeping the team in Oakland.  Harris said the
process of reviewing the books would take from 30 to 60 days.
"After that the most viable buyer would emerge."  However, Harris
noted that there is a "second tier of buyers," which included
local groups that had joined together as syndicates as potential
buyers.  The team's owners, the Haas family, put the team up for
sale in April '94.  A's CEO Walter Haas set a price of $85M for
anyone who would keep the team in Oakland.  Some experts say the
team would be worth $120M in the open market.  If no buyer who
would keep the team Oakland is found by December 1, the Haas
family said it plans to seek other offers (Gregory Lewis, SAN
FRANCISCO EXAMINER, 9/10).

     Capitals holdout Kevin Hatcher is "threatening" to play the
'94-95 season for the IHL's Detroit Vipers.  Detroit TV reports
say the Vipers have offered Hatcher a contract that would pay him
in excess of $1M a year plus incentive bonuses.  Hatcher began
practicing with the Vipers squad on 9/9, but a deal has yet to be
signed.  But a source close to the Vipers ownership called the
salary reports "ridiculous": "I can't see us paying NHL-type
money" (Dave Fay, WASHINGTON TIMES, 9/11).  Hatcher:  "I don't
know if I want to jump the gun right now and sign a contract
tomorrow or anything.  But I think it's in the back of my head."
Another source close to the Vipers stressed, the contract would
include an out-clause so Hatcher could immediately join the Caps
if he were to re-sign with them (Len Hochberg, WASHINGTON POST,
9/11).

     In Baltimore, Tom Keegan reports that former Orioles
president Larry Lucchino, organizing a group to purchase the San
Diego Padres, is close to closing the deal.  Lucchino will not
have to invest any money, but in return for brokering the deal,
he will become the Padres president and be granted a small equity
in the team (Baltimore SUN, 9/11). Sources in San Diego dispute
the report saying that no movement is expected by the three
potential buyers as long as the strike continues (DAILY sources,
9/11).