The partnership headed by telecomm exec William Collins has
"emerged as the clear front-runner" among the two potential
ownership groups seeking an MLB franchise for Northern VA.  One
baseball official close to the process: "If we decide we want to
expand into that area, it looks at this point like the Collins
group is the one we'll be dealing with."  Sources said that at
the Chicago meeting on Tuesday, Collins' presentation was "more
impressive" than the one given by the coalition led by Washington
lawyer Bart Fisher.  One local official familiar with both
presentations: "Collins's group was much stronger.  The financing
is solid stuff.  With Fisher, it was like, 'We are happy to meet
with you when you put the numbers all together.'"  Fisher is
hoping to counter Collins' bid with the addition of a coalition
of minority investors.  Fisher's group would be the first MLB
team headed by minority ownership (Maske & Lipton, WASHINGTON
POST, 11/3).

     A judge allowed a group of minority shareholders of Maple
Leaf Gardens Ltd. to join a lawsuit against the company.  In a
decision released yesterday in the Ontario Court, Justice John
Ground said Jim Devellano, and Harry Ornest and his family can
join a suit launched last summer by a group of charities to block
the takeover of the Gardens by grocer Steve Stavro.  Ornest, his
family and Devellano own more than half of the outstanding
Gardens shares, which amounts to less than 10% in total.  Since
April, Stavro has acquired more than 90% of Gardens shares,
including 60% from the estate of the late Harold Ballard which
Stavro bought for C$34 apiece in a private deal with the estate's
executors.  Those challenging Stavro's ownership charge a
conflict of interest due to Stavro's role as one of the executirs
of Ballard's estate (Paul Waldie, FINANCIAL POST, 11/3).  One
Toronto lawyer called Justice Ground's ruling "a blow to Stavro.
It's something he didn't want to happen."  The case is expected
to be heard in court next spring or early summer (Toronto GLOBE &
MAIL, 11/3).

     The marketing department of the NBA Champion Rockets has
only sold a season ticket base of 8,600 and the team faces a
crowd of only 9,200 for its second home game.  Fran Blinebury
writes, "There are so many franchises in the NBA and in other
sports that are doing a booming business.  It must be left open
for consideration that Rockets management simply didn't do the
job over the summer that should have been spent cashing in on the
championship. ... They blew it.  There is an inclination to blame
the whopping price hikes in tickets.  Yet the highest-priced
tickets are the ones that have all been sold to season-ticket
holders, a base that numbers roughly 8,600 paid.  It is the
consumers of the cheaper seats who must be brought on board.  The
Rockets don't have a business operation of which the team can be
proud" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/2).

     Rams President John Shaw said yesterday that the club will
choose from among three options -- staying in Anaheim, or moving
to Baltimore or St. Louis -- over the next two months.  Shaw:
"We'd like to accommodate the time frames Baltimore and St. Louis
have requested sometime between Dec. 1 and Jan. 1, although
there's no guarantee" (Jon Morgan, Baltimore SUN, 11/3).  Shaw
said, however, that the Rams are "aggressively pursuing" a move
to St. Louis: "That's not to say we will ever complete a deal
with St. Louis; we still have unresolved issues" (ST. LOUIS POST-
DISPATCH, 11/3).  Shaw acknowledged that Anaheim has "sweetened
its offer" to keep the Rams, but he added, "I feel that Baltimore
and St. Louis are offering something that Anaheim is not in a
position to offer to the team -- a new, football-only stadium."
Orioles Owner Peter Angelos said that he plans to meet with Shaw
tomorrow in Los Angeles and he remains convinced that the
Baltimore offer is better than St. Louis': "Baltimore is far more
supportive of football than St. Louis" (Baltimore SUN, 11/3).

     Yankees owner George Steinbrenner defended the club's
decision to raise their top ticket price from $17 to $25
yesterday, noting it only affects 4,200 seats.  Steinbrenner said
it has grown "increasingly tough" to stay competitive  on the
field because of "the archaic configuration of Yankee Stadium
limits luxury boxes, and hence revenue."  Steinbrenner, on the
"new, state-of-the-art" AL ballparks in Chicago, Baltimore,
Texas, Cleveland:  "They all get tremendous revenue
opportunities.  I'm dealing with a stadium with 18 suites while
they all have at least 75 suites."  The $25 seats will feature
arm rests, cushions and waiter-waitress service (Anthony Gargano,
N.Y. POST, 11/3).

     At yesterday's NBA telephone press conference, NBA
Commissioner David Stern was asked if the franchise would be
revoked from either Vancouver or Toronto if the 12,500 season
ticket goal is not met by 12/31/94, Stern said simply:  "Yes."
When asked to elaborate: "I'm reaching back to our Orlando
situation and I remember Orlando was somewhat short of the goal
and I remember Orlando calling and asking whether the committee
[meant exactly or approximately 10,000], and the response at that
time from the committee was 'no.'... Historically, [the
committee] has enforced the agreement" (THE DAILY).  In
Vancouver, Neil Campbell also notes that Stern "hinted that he is
growing impatient with the Raptors' here-today, gone-tomorrow
plans for a downtown Toronto arena. ... The usually precise Stern
seemed somewhat confused when discussing the Raptors' arena
situation, sounding very much like a man who has heard so many
different stories he is having trouble fitting them all together"
(Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 11/3).