According to all reports this morning, Acting MLB
Commissioner Bud Selig will cancel the season, including the
World Series, sometime this afternoon.  ESPN's Jimmy Roberts:
"Many of those who have been here in New York to participate in
meetings over the last few days packed their bags and headed
home."  ESPN's Dan Patrick:  "Barring a unlikely appearance from
a voice of reason, you will hear the voice of doom ... when the
Acting Commissioner says, 'thanks for the memories'"
("SportsCenter," 9/13).  The season will end "with a news release
and a telephone call" (Jayson Stark, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER,
9/14).
     CONFIRMATION:  Baseball's owners received a resolution from
Selig via fax calling for them to support the decision to cancel
the World Series.  Selig's resolution blames the MLBPA for
"creating a negotiating stalemate," saying the union "has
consistently refused to bargain with the clubs concerning a
division of industry revenues with the players."  The resolution
asks for the signatures of the other owners.  As of last night,
there were questions as to whether Selig would be able to get the
"consent" of the Orioles's Peter Angelos, the Dodgers' Peter
O'Malley and the Blue Jays' Paul Beeston.  But no formal vote is
necessary to cancel the season (Mark Maske, WASHINGTON POST,
9/14).
     FEHR PLAY?  Selig phoned MLBPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr last
night to discuss today's announcement.  Fehr: "He wanted me to
sanction and agree with him that it was OK and pull down the
season.  I told him that if he wanted to pull down the World
Series, that was Bud Selig's responsibility, not mine"
(PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 9/14).
     WHAT ABOUT NEXT SEASON?  Braves Player Rep Tom Glavine
believes if the World Series is gone, then '95 spring training
and Opening Day "are in a lot of trouble, too":  "If the
postseason wasn't enough incentive to get something done, there's
no incentive in the off season" (Tim Tucker, ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION, 9/14).  Red Sox CEO John Harrington said
negotiations must continue or the '95 season will be threatened
as well:  "We really have to reach an agreement by mid- to late-
October, because player contract transactions (for 1995) go into
full swing in early November.  We don't have any time to spend
sitting around" (Tom Massarotti, BOSTON HERALD, 9/14).
     PUBLIC RELATIONS MOVES:  Both Fehr and Richard Ravitch
appeared on NBC's "Today" show.  But the union was "irate" that
Selig apparently "shut them out" of an appearance on ABC's
"Nightline."  Selig was on the show with NBC's Bob Costas and
baseball historian David Halberstam.  Steve Fehr, Donald's
brother and a union official: "We certainly talked to [ABC] and
complained about it.  At first, we heard they made a deal with
Bud that he would come on if that was a condition.  They deny
that, but in effect it is the same" (Mike Fish, ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION, 9/14).
     TUBE TALK:  Bob Costas:  "The biggest issue is trust.  The
owners come into these negations with a lot of baggage.  The
owners had a couple of years to present a coherent plan, but they
didn't do it until the 11th hour."  Author David Halberstam:
"[The owners] sensed that the players had the bad odor of young
millionaires, and that they weren't handling it very well and the
fans were somewhat holding back, and they used that and they
found a resonance there ("Nightline," ABC, 9/13).  Royals Player
Rep David Cone: "The emotion is building toward anger as we
really feel there are a few owners who want to bust the union"
("Sports Tonight," CNN, 9/13).

     The NBA competition committee voted yesterday to shorten the
distance of the three pointer.  The change will become final with
a 2/3 from the NBA Board of Governors in October (Richard
Justice, WASHINGTON POST, 9/14).  Other suggestions are aimed at
curbing game fights and improving scoring opportunities.  Raptors
GM Isiah Thomas said new foul rules give "the freedom and
creativity to play basketball" (Frank Lawlor, PHILADELPHIA
INQUIRER, 9/14). Bryan Burwell notes the players' role in
bringing the game "back to its jazzy, aesthetic roots":
"Basketball is not supposed to be about rage" (USA TODAY, 9/14).
ESPN's Bob Ley:  "The rule of baseball seems to be tradition.
But this game seems ready to implode, as the NFL and the NBA
change the rules of their game to maximize their fan appeal."
ESPN's Chris Mortenson noted the positive effect the NFL is
experiencing thus far this season after off-season ruile changes:
"They juiced up the offense, and there is no question it has had
an impact in the first couple of weeks" ("SportsCenter," 9/13).

     OAKLAND:  The A's, one of the few teams that has not laid
off any front-office personnel during the strike, "probably will
not drop any employees -- even if the rest of the season is
erased."  The A's are currently for sale, with an asking price of
$85M (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 9/14).
     ST. LOUIS:  The strike has "inflicted some economic miseries
downtown, but riverboat gambling and special events have softened
the hit."  One restaurant manager, noting the Cardinals poor
season: "If there has to be a strike, make it this year" (ST.
LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 9/14).
     PHILADELPHIA:  Phillies owner Bill Giles, who stands solidly
behind the salary cap, was asked to think of the consequences had
the strike been in '93 when the Phillies were in the World
Series:  "I think I would shoot myself.  If this was 1993, I
might have a different feeling about things" (PHILADELPHIA
INQUIRER, 9/14).

     The NHL and the NHLPA are scheduled to meet Friday in either
Toronto or New York to resume negotiations on a collective
bargaining agreement (Dave Fuller, TORONTO SUN 9/14).  Player
Agent Rob Ingraham told the SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY yesterday that
despite the talks, a lockout is still likely: "I think these
discussions have started too late to allow for the give-and-take
that is required for progress in these type of negotiations" (THE
DAILY, 9/14).
     OWNERS PLANNING SHORTENED SEASON?  Speculation continued
yesterday that the league plans to begin the season October 1,
and then lock out the players a few days later so that owners
don't have to give entire refunds to season ticket holders.  In
fact, one source within the NHLPA alleged that the league owners
had already drawn up a 50-game schedule for the coming season in
anticipation of a long work stoppage (Dave Fuller, TORONTO SUN,
9/14).
     BREAK IN UNION?  There are "rumblings of dissension within
the players ranks -- chiefly over the issue of a rookie salary
cap."  According to one source, the NHL has proposed setting a
$500,000 limit on entry level salaries in lieu of team-wide
controls.  Fuller adds, "Some players would agree to that kind of
trade-off" (TORONTO SUN, 9/14).
     THE GREAT ONES WILL GET THE CASH:  In Vancouver, Kent
Gilchrist writes, "No matter what the next collective bargaining
agreement brings, the reality of hockey in the '90s means there
are going to be a few core players and then everyone else"
(VANCOUVER PROVINCE, 9/14).
     LINKAGE WITH THE NEW TV DEAL?  NHL Commissioner Gary
Bettman, after announcing the new Fox/ESPN TV arrangement (See
story num. 5):  "I have a theory that everything is linked to
everything else.  I wish it was, so I could hold a news
conference tomorrow and announce an agreement on our other
negotiations."  In St. Louis, Jeff Gordon writes one aspect of
the new TV deals -- "the willingness  of local clubs to waive
some blackout rights over Fox and ESPN -- is a small step in the
revenue-sharing direction.  Individual clubs will actually make a
sacrifice to increase the revenue pool all clubs draw from" (ST.
LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 9/14).

     "The owners have shown their resolve. ... The owners, who
have dutifully followed small-market leader Bud Selig, can
celebrate their unprecedented solidarity.  Then they can spend
the off season trying to keep baseball from exploding.  Or
imploding" (Any Niedzielka, MIAMI HERALD, 9/14).
     CURIOUS ABOUT GEORGE:  Many reports in New York note that
George Steinbrenner has been surprisingly quiet in his solidarity
with fellow owners.  Jack Curry writes, "Bud, the acting
commissioner, has apparently tamed the boss" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/14).
In Baltimore, Peter Schmuck notes that Steinbrenner even came to
Selig's defense in comments earlier this week to the MILWAUKEE
JOURNAL (Baltimore SUN, 9/14).  In a report that has Steinbrenner
saying some small market teams should be able to move rather than
big-market teams support them, Joel Sherman makes a point to
note, "Steinbrenner has surprisingly remained a low-key figure
and has not broken ranks" (N.Y. POST, 9/14).
     YESTERDAY'S BUSINESS:  The MLBPA began to distribute more
than $10M in checks for players on strike.  The initial payments
come primarily from licensing money the MLBPA withheld last year
(N.Y. TIMES, 9/14).  In Washington, Sen. Howard Metzenbaum's (D-
OH) bill to temporarily lift baseball's anti-trust exemption was
blocked on the floor of the Senate by NE Sen. James Exon (mult.,
9/14).

     Officials from the NHL, Fox Broadcasting, ESPN, Anheuser-
Busch and Nike gathered yesterday to officially announce the
league's new broadcast TV deal with Fox and an extension of its
cable deal with ESPN.  NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman cited
demographics as a key factor, declaring that hockey "is a perfect
match for Fox's younger, hipper audience":  "Fox is strong in the
18-34 age group and that's where we are strongest as well.  That
is where the future of our game lies" (Rob Longley, TORONTO SUN,
9/14).
     DETAILS:  Fox's premier telecast will the All-Star Game in
San Jose on January 21.  Fox will have exclusive rights to the
final two Sundays of the regular season and playoff games,
including a minimum of two Stanley Cup finals games and any Game
7 finals match-up.  In addition to about 100 regular season games
on ESPN and ESPN2, the cable net will have exclusive rights to
Games 2, 3, 5, and 6 of the finals and up to 12 games of the
conference finals.  Fox will reportedly pay $155M; ESPN's deal is
said to be worth $65M.   KEEPING THE REGIONALS HAPPY:  "Less
pleased" with the deal will be regional cable networks and local
outlets that carry the NHL.  With Fox aboard and ESPN's new
exclusivities, "they will have fewer games to produce and sell."
MSG Network President Doug Moss:  "It's disappointing.  But I
understand that Bettman is taking the league where everyone else
is going. ... It's great for hockey.  Great for the Rangers.  Not
so great for MSG" (Richard Sandomir, N.Y. TIMES, 9/14).  Bettman:
"If we increase the fan base for NHL hockey, more people are
going to become interested in the vast bulk of games carried on
the regional networks" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/14).
     FOX SAYS "TOUGH" TO OTHER NETS:  Fox Sports President David
Hill, asked about concerns from other nets that Fox "doesn't
share their concern about making sure a sports deal is
profitable":  "What do I say to them?  I say that's tough" (Bob
Raissman, N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/14).  Rudy Martzke asks about Fox:
"Can Wimbledon and baseball be far behind?"  (USA TODAY, 9/14).
In Baltimore, Milton Kent also sees Wimbledon and the 2000
Olympics in Sydney as potential properties Fox could bid for
(Baltimore SUN, 9/14).
     MARKETING PARTNERS:  NHL Senior VP & COO Stephen Solomon
credited Anheuser-Busch and Nike for signing on as marketing
partners before they knew what network the NHL would be on or
what the schedule would be.  Anheuser-Busch VP for Corporate
Media & Sports Marketing Tony Ponturo noted that A-B saw the NHL
as a great way to prevent new product "Ice Draft" from
experiencing a "sophomore jinx" (THE DAILY, 9/14).  Ponturo:
"Hockey, with access to customers aged 21-34, is where we want to
be" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/14).  Nike Dir of League Relations Doug Stamm
cited the "breadth of the sponsorship package" and the "perfect
fit" between his company and Fox.  Stamm noted opportunities at
home -- to spread the Nike/NHL street hockey program to each of
the NHL cities -- and internationally, through the NHL's new
agreement with the Int'l Ice Hockey Federation.  Asked if other
companies would have access to the same packages as A-B and Nike,
the NHL's Solomon said:  "We have every belief that they're just
the start of companies that are going to be part of this hockey
package.  And in fact, there's a tremendous amount of interest
out there from a variety of companies at this very moment" (THE
DAILY, 9/14).
     AD SALES:  Bettman said the sale of ad time on Fox will be a
"joint venture" between the league and Fox.  He noted that the
first two sales -- A-B and Nike -- came from the NHL:  "It's a
partnership, and ultimately we have control.  But it is a
partnership in terms of how we're going to try to execute it"
(THE DAILY, 9/14).
     PAY-PER-VIEW:  ESPN was also given the opportunity to launch
a pay-per-view plan that would allow cable viewers to watch games
from outside their market (N.Y. TIMES, 9/14).     REVIEWS:  "The
deal may be a sign of the NHL's increasing popularity" (Tom Ford,
TAMPA TRIBUNE, 9/14).  "Don't look now, but the [NHL] is moving
into the mainstream of professional sports" (Jeff Gordon, ST.
LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 9/14).  In New York, Jay Greenberg called it
"fortuitous timing" for the NHL:  "We'd like to see some improved
overnights before becoming convinced that Fox has bought into
something big" (N.Y. POST, 9/14). "Can Bart Simpson's pocket
change save the [NHL's] smaller markets?" (Dave Fay, WASHINGTON
TIMES, 9/14).  Paul Kangas said Fox "is at it again" ("Nightly
Business Report," PBS, 9/13).  ESPN's Robin Roberts: "Apparently
Fox had a little money left over from acquiring NFL games"
("SportsCenter", 9/13).

      REPLACEMENTS:  Red Sox owner John Harrington called use of
replacement players a "last resort," but added:  "We'd have to
make all kinds of adjustments with our radio and TV packages, our
ticket prices.  It would be different, but it's something we'd
have to consider if it got to that point" (Nick Cafardo, BOSTON
GLOBE, 9/14).  Braves President Stan Kasten does not rule out
using replacement players: "We have an awful lot of interest in
our sport because the Atlanta Braves play in Atlanta-Fulton
County Stadium and soon in an even grander stadium, and because
the Boston Red Sox play in Fenway Park, and because the New York
Yankees play in Yankee Stadium. ... And I think our teams will
still go on even if, God forbid, the names have to change" (Tim
Tucker, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 9/14).
     PLAYERS' LEAGUE:  Braves pitcher Tom Glavine: "I don't think
that's quite as far-fetched as some people think.  We're sure if
we get that far we can find other owners out there, or work out
details to have players running the show" (Tim Tucker, ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION, 9/14).  Dick Moss, who preceded Fehr as MLBPA Exec
Dir, has been the "key figure in efforts to start a new league."
Moss, in statements yesterday, made a point of saying that as
baseball begins to re-organize, it is unlikely that Milwaukee
"will ever see major league baseball again" (SAN JOSE MERCURY
NEWS, 9/14).  In New York, Joel Sherman recalls Moss' failed
attempt to start a new league in '91.  At present, the union is
"downplaying its desire to investigate a new league, saying it is
much more interested" in resolving the conflict.  Union
leadership also said a new league would not be used as a
"bargaining chip, but would only be approached with the idea of
revolutionizing the sport" (N.Y. POST, 9/14).