BUD ADAMS WILL NOT PUSH FOR NEW STADIUM FOR OILERS

     Oilers owner Bud Adams said he is "halting all efforts to
promote" a downtown domed stadium."  Managers of the Astrodome
said they hope Adams now begins negotiations on a new contract
effective when the Oilers' 10-year lease expires after '97-98,
possibly leading to a $95M expansion of the Astrodome.  The
possibility also "looms that Adams will threaten to move his team
to another city desperately seeking an NFL franchise" -- such as
St. Louis, Baltimore, San Antonio or Hartford.  Meanwhile,
Rockets management said "they have not wavered" from plans to
seek a smaller arena that could house basketball and hockey.
Houston Mayor Bob Lanier said he had been expecting for several
days that Adams would "call it quits" because Adams never
generated support from Rockets owner Les Alexander, downtown
interests or the public (John Williams, HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 9/30).