In this morning's ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH, Jim Thomas writes
that "at first blush" the Los Angeles stadium plan "was enough to
make members of FANS Inc. choke," but today it appears to be "a
hiccup."  FANS coordinator Thomas Eagleton:  "I'm much less
concerned about it when I first heard about it late yesterday
afteroon.  I'm not all that terribly concerned with it.  As I
heard about it and read about it, the commissioner has developed
very little support for his idea and it is just that -- an idea -
- not really a firm, detailed concept."  Eagleton reportedly
spoke with the Rams yesterday, and said the proposal for moving
the team to St. Louis "is being completed" and that a meeting
with the Rams will be held around October 12 (Jim Thomas, ST.
LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 10/4).

     The NFL said yesterday that there is no concrete plan for
the league to enter "into a partnership to build a new stadium
that would serve as the site of the Super Bowl on a rotating
basis and keep a franchise in the Los Angeles area."  Joe Browne,
NFL VP of Communications:  "Right now, it's an idea that needs a
lot of work.  We just want to be able to say we did everything we
could to keep football in Los Angeles. ... The next step is to
discuss it further in our own office and with the clubs at some
other future opportunity" (Leonard Shapiro, WASHINGTON POST,
10/4).
     NO DISCUSSIONS WITH CITY OFFICIALS:  Browne also said there
have been "no talks" with L.A. officials about a new stadium.
L.A. City Councilman Joel Wachs:  "Based on the little I know,
I'd be totally against it.  I know I'd be totally against it.  We
just spent a fortune on the Coliseum and it's in great shape.  It
would be a waste of government money.  We have a stadium that's
perfectly fine" (WASHINGTON POST, 10/4).  L.A. Mayor Richard
Riordan said from Europe yesterday that "he had no idea where the
city or state would find the funds for the project" (Len
Pasquarelli, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/4).
     AN IDEA BEFORE IT'S TIME?  The ATLANTA CONSTITUTION also
reports that the stadium concept is "premature and overstated"
and that "several owners" said "the idea was merely mentioned in
passing" at last week's league meeting.  Nonetheless, the
proposal does reflect Commissioner Paul Tagliabue's "mounting
concerns about aging arenas in some of the league's highest-
profile cities" and reiterates his "sentiments that the NFL needs
to take a more active role in the areas of stadium construction
and maintenance" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/4).
     A DISNEY FOOTBALL TEAM?:  In this morning's USA TODAY,
Michael Hiestand quotes a sports investment analyst who suggests
that the NFL might consider joining forces with "another
heavyweight," such as Disney.  Paul Much, of the investment firm
of Houlihan, Lokey, Howard & Zukin:  "It's logical the NFL will
seek a corporate partner. ... This is in southern California.
And who is [the] premier family entertainment company in the
world?  It's the Walt Disney Company, which is already involved
in sports.  That would be the perfect strategic partner" (USA
TODAY, 10/4).
     "WELCOME TO FRONTIERE LAND": Ron Rapoport of the L.A. DAILY
NEWS takes a stab at sketching out plans for "the NFL's Magic
Kingdom," which might include: "Frontiere-land," "The Al Davis
Funhouse," "The Hall of Screaming Owners," "Statue of the Unknown
Taxpayer," and "The Pete Rozelle Tunnel of Love."  Rapoport on
"Six Flags over Georgia":  "The irony, of course, is that it was
the Rams' inability to get anyone in the Los Angeles basin to
build them a new stadium that prompted them [to] leave in the
first place.  That is why it seems so fitting that at the center
of this exhibit there is a larger-than-life statue of its
namesake" (L.A. DAILY NEWS/ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH, 10/4).