In a gathering yesterday with union officials, a group of 40
player agents "said they may consider a freeze on signings of
their clients if the owners impose their salary cap next week.
That would throw the sport into even more turmoil."  Currently,
there are more than 150 free agents, and there will be another 80
restricted ones, if the owners go ahead with their plan.
Already, some players who would be free agents under the owners'
salary cap "have said they won't sign a contract under those
conditions" (I.J. Rosenberg, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 12/9).  The
agents left the final decision on a freeze up to the union, but
any freeze "would be mostly cosmetic since the players will
resume their strike next spring if the owners implement and
attempt to open the camps with replacement players" (Ross Newhan,
L.A. TIMES, 12/9).  In Washington, Mark Maske notes that many
agents have "put considerable pressure" on MLBPA Exec Dir Donald
Fehr to reach an agreement at various times during the strike.
"But there apparently was a show of solidarity today, much as
there was during the players' meetings" this week (WASHINGTON
POST, 12/9).  "There was no dissent" (Peter Schmuck, Baltimore
SUN, 12/9).
     THE PLAYERS' PLAN:  The union spent much of yesterday
working on details of the counterproposal they will present to
the owners Saturday morning in Rye Brook, NY.  There were
differing accounts on the contents of the players' plan.  While
ESPN and others reported that it includes a flat payroll tax,
there was uncertainty over the percentages.  The proposal also
calls for joint marketing and revenue-generating projects.  Agent
Craig Fenech: "It should provide a basis for satisfying them.
But I think they have an agenda.  A number of owners want to try
replacement players.  I expect they're going to implement"
(Murray Chass, N.Y. TIMES, 12/9).  Royals Player Rep David Cone:
"The owners have been talking about a partnership, well here it
is.  Let's do it under these circumstances and make it a true
partnership."  ESPN's Bob Sirkin on prospects this weekend: "The
viability of the players' counter-proposal could be measured by
just how long the two sides keep talking" ("SportsCenter," 12/8).
Rockies owner Jerry McMorris "claimed management would be
receptive to players having a voice in running the game if the
numbers in their new proposal are acceptable" (Joel Sherman, N.Y.
POST, 12/9).
     AROUND THE LEAGUE:  An AP poll conducted November 30-
December 6 of 615 adult baseball fans found that 51% say they
would attend the same number of games next season even if
replacement players are used; 63% said they would watch just as
many games on TV.  The number of people identifying themselves as
baseball fans dropped to 26% now from 33% in July.  Asked
generally about the possible use of replacement players, 49% of
fans were in favor, 40% opposed (AP/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH,
12/9)....MLB is sending former major leaguers and current coaches
Dave Duncan, Jim Lefebvre and Frank White to Europe to conduct a
series of baseball clinics next month.  Some 1,200 European
coaches and trainers are expected to participate (MLB).

     The NBA's venture into Canada was supposed the be the
league's bold first step into the international realm, laying the
precedent for a more ambitious move into Mexico and Europe.  But
the two expansion franchises, awarded to Toronto and Vancouver in
late '93 and early '94, are yet to reach the season-ticket sales
goals set by the league.  In an exclusive three-part series, THE
SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY examines the start up franchises and their
quest to reach the NBA-mandated 12,500 season-ticket minimum by
December 31.  The league has warned both franchises that the
12,500 number is real, and if either the Vancouver Grizzlies or
the Toronto Raptors fail to reach that number, they will lose the
franchise.  Today, NBA Dir of Public Relations Jan Hubbard
discusses the league's role north of the border.
     THE DAILY:  How does the league feel as each team enters its
strech drive?  Are you optimistic they will met your minimum?
     HUBBARD:  We feel that both teams are picking up speed.  The
Raptors just announced a new program to sell tickets that we
think will be successful, and the Grizzlies have really reached
out into the corporate community and those sponsors are buying
tickets.  We feel that momentum is building for both franchises.
     THE DAILY:  Why the difficulty in selling season ticket
plans?
     HUBBARD:  There is a lot going on in Canada.  First, Canada
is a hockey country, and with no hockey, fans are depressed right
now and they are not excited about spending money on basketball.
Secondly, we are new up there.  They don't really know us, but
the excitement will grow once we get going.  But, with all of
this, there still has been tremendous excitement in Canada with
both new teams.
     THE DAILY:  Was the 12,500 season ticket-minimum fair?  Not
many established teams in the league have that many.
     HUBBARD:  There are some trade-offs to that.  They were
very, very aggressive in trying to gain an expansion franchise.
At that point, the NBA had no plans to expand, but they
guaranteed support and with that number, we basically asked them
to show us that excitement in ticket sales.  We want two healthy
members in the league, we have some teams struggling to sell
tickets now, we don't want any more, and with that 12,500 number
we asked them to demonstrate their health.
     THE DAILY: Has the league been working with the teams, and,
if so, what will happen if they fail to meet the quota?
     HUBBARD:  We won't even speculate on what will happen
because we think they are both going to make it.  The league and
the franchiese are in constant contact.  They coordinate with us
and we treat them as full partners even though we haven't done
the final papers.
     NEXT WEEK:  An inside look at the operations of the Toronto
Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies from media members and team execs
in both cities.

     The NHL announced the cancellation of the All-Star Game
which was scheduled to be played on January 21 in San Jose.  In
September, the NHL announced its deal with Fox Sports to carry a
limited number of games, and that Nike and Anheuser-Busch were
signing on as marketing partners.  The Fox deal was to have
started with the San Jose All-Star Game.  Maple Leafs President &
GM Cliff Fletcher:  "The Fox Network needs a lot of lead-in time
to promote this game.  With all of the uncertainty, there was no
alternative but to cancel it" (David Shoalts, Toronto GLOBE &
MAIL, 12/9).
     REAX:  Fox execs "downplayed the significance of the loss of
the game and the league will likely have to offer some sort of
rebate to the network" (Cox & McKenzie, TORONTO STAR, 12/9).
Nike Sports Marketing Divisional Manager Doug Stamm told THE
SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY: "We're still committed to the NHL. ... We
still believe in the strength of hockey."  Stamm said Nike
considers itself "partners" with the NHL and notes that their
deal is "three-prong" -- media, the international game and street
hockey programs.  Stamm made a point to stress that Nike is
committed to increase participation in street hockey programs
(THE DAILY).  Fox Sports President David Hill, asked if he was
upset about the cancellation:  "Now I can schedule a firm time
for the All-Madden team" (Richard Sandomir, N.Y. TIMES, 12/9).
In Boston, Jim Baker notes -- if there is a season -- that Fox
won't have its first hockey telecast until regional coverage on
the season's last two Sundays (BOSTON HERALD, 12/9). Tony
Ponturo, VP/Corporate Media & Sports Marketing for Anheuser-
Busch, would not comment on the cancellation, but released the
following: "We remain tremendously excited about the association
that Ice Draft and Ice Draft Light will have with the NHL.  The
NHL is the No. 1 marketing activity that we have planned for our
Ice Draft brands" (A-B)
     OTHER DEALS?  In New York, Neal Travis reports another
potential deal with a major corporation could be in jeopardy if
the NHL cancels its season.  Travis cites rumors that
MCA/Universal was interested in buying the Lightning and moving
the team to its entertainment complex in Orlando, but may
reconsider in light of the lockout (N.Y. POST, 12/9).
     MEANWHILE, OVERSEAS ... While announcing that a seventh game
had been added to his all-star team's tour of Europe, Wayne
Gretzky predicted there would be a European division of the NHL
"within the next 10 years."  Peter Gudmunsson, GM of Swedish club
Djurgarden:  "When I listen to Wayne talk about the NHL in
Europe, I think the time has come" (CP/ Toronto GLOBE & MAIL,
12/9).  Team Gretzky coach Doug Wilson:  "This tour may never
end" (TORONTO STAR, 12/9).  Mark Messier told the N.Y. POST that
he guarantees a new league will form if the NHL cancels the
season.  Messier:  "And it won't be next year.  It will be in
February or early January. ... We'll be looking at an
interlocking schedule with Canada, the U.S. and Europe.  It has
been a surprise to come here and see the response the teams are
getting" (Mark Everson, N.Y. POST, 12/9).

     NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Exec Dir Bob
Goodenow did not speak by telephone as expected, but the two
sides did restate their positions via fax.
     DEAR GARY:  Goodenow "urged Bettman to reconsider his stand
on the payroll tax issue and suggested that a new collective
bargaining agreement could be reached without one."  Goodenow
wrote, "Everyone involved in these negotiations over the last few
weeks was aware of the fact that we had made numerous concessions
to create a 'drag' as an alternative to the tax/cap system you
had previously proposed.  It was also understood that these
concessions would not have been made as part of a system
involving a tax on team payrolls" (Steve Buffery, TORONTO SUN,
12/9).
     MESSAGE TO BOB:  In a letter sent by Bettman and NHL General
Counsel Jeff Pash to NHL Governors and GMs, the league "charged
that in discussions with its membership, the union was 'either
misrepresenting the proposal or does not understand it'" (TORONTO
SUN, 12/9).  Pash also took issue with the union's claim that the
NHL's tax works out to a marginal rate of 81%, writing that the
marginal rate would instead be 61% (Joe Lapointe, N.Y. TIMES,
12/9).
     TAX TALK:  NHL VP of Public Relations Arthur Pincus "said
too much has been made of the extreme end of the tax structure.
For example, if a club spent $32 million on salaries, it would be
taxed at 25 percent of the total payroll, which Pincus said
'isn't dealing in reality.'"  Pincus:  "Half the teams in the
league don't even have $32 million in revenues.  They're not
going to spend that on salaries" (Nancy Marrapese, BOSTON GLOBE,
12/9).  Comparing the league's tax plan with the union's October
tax proposal of 7%, Roy Cummings of the TAMPA TRIBUNE writes the
"majority of NHL teams paying a payroll tax actually would pay
less in taxes under the league's plan than they would under the
NHLPA plan" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 12/9).  But a report in yesterday's
DALLAS MORNING NEWS indicates that enough progress had been made
on free agency, arbitration and a rookie cap for the two sides to
make a deal.  Stars President Jim Lites:  "The difference between
what the owners are offering and where the union is on these
issues is not significant" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/8).  In
Toronto, Scott Morrison writes, "How do you cancel a season when
not enough teams need the tax that is causing all the trouble?"
(TORONTO SUN, 12/9).
     MONDAY'S MEETING:  Bruins President & GM Harry Sinden, on
Monday's NHL Board of Governors meeting in New York:  "I think
the vote will be 100 percent to keep talking.  There is a group
that might want to pull the plug right away, and another that
feels we should take whatever they give us.  Both groups at the
extremities aren't big. ... In my opinion, the board will say (to
Bettman), 'It's not good enough, see if you can keep going and
get to the point where we can accept it'" (Stephen Harris, BOSTON
HERALD, 12/9).

     The CFL Board of Governors were told by Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Chair Roger Yachetti that he expects the team to meet league-
imposed ticket and sponsorship goals.  The team is 85% of the way
toward reaching the 12,500 season ticket and C$1M corporate
sponsorship goal (VANCOUVER SUN, 12/9).... CFL Commissioner Larry
Smith said he wants to see the league realign into Canadian and
U.S. divisions as early as '95, creating a Canada-U.S. title game
(CP/Vancouver PROVINCE, 12/9)....An "angry" group of CFL
governors are prepared to take the Ottawa Rough Riders away from
owner Bruce Firestone if he "can't prove he has the money to
finance the team."  (Don Campbell, OTTAWA CITIZEN, 12/9)....The
Las Vegas Posse is up for sale and rumors have the team going to
Birmingham, Hartford, Orlando or Milwaukee, all cities named as
potential expansion sites (Rick Matsumoto, TORONTO STAR, 12/9).
The Posse could also move to L.A., or suspend operations for a
year (Ken Murray, Baltimore SUN, 12/9).... Under the subhead:
"Owner of Flutie's team considering relocation," Hartford writer
Don Amore notes the speculation that Calgary may move to Hartford
(HARTFORD COURANT, 12/9).