The only stumbling block for a move to Milwaukee by  the CFL
Las Vegas Posse is a "suitable lease agreement" for use of
Milwaukee County Stadium.  Real estate developer Marvin Fishman
received word from Posse officials this week that "Milwaukee was
the market it would prefer moving to permanently."  Fishman has
been leading MIlwaukee's efforts to land a CFL team.  Posse Dir
of Player Personnel Steve Arnold:  "With an urban population of
1.4 million, enthusiastic football and corporate community, and a
beautiful stadium, Milwaukee represents the perfect venue for a
CFL team."  Arnold informed Fishman that the team must know by
Tuesday whether a deal can be worked out with the Brewers, who
control County Stadium.  Although the stadium's current layout is
unsuitable for a CFL field, it is the area's best alternative.
The team would have get the CFL or Brewers to agree to expand or
modify dimension requirements (Bob Wolfley, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL,
1/4).

     CBA Commissioner Tom Valdiserri said yesterday he has spoken
with "three substantial groups" that may invest in or buy the
financially troubled Hartford Hellcats.  Hartford Sports &
Entertainment Group, which owns the team, defaulted on a $1.25M
loan on December 14, and lost $590,368 in '93 --their first year
with the team.  Valdiserri would not comment on whether the
bidders would move the team, but stressed that the league's "sole
objective" is to keep the team in Hartford.  He also said that
the other 15 owners in the league have offered to "help the
Hartford group find an investor or assist the group in operating
the Hellcats" (Roy Hasty, HARTFORD COURANT, 1/6).

     IHL San Diego Gulls President and Managing General Partner
Fred Comrie announced he will move his IHL franchise to L.A. at
the end of the season.  Comrie has signed a three-year lease to
play in the L.A. Sports Arena, with an option for five more
seasons.  Comrie had been saying for months that he "needed a way
to stop the Gulls' financial bleeding," noting that the team was
on its way to a fifth straight season of operating losses.  The
Gulls are projected to lose around $1.2M this season, and
averaged fewer than 5,000 fans a game -- ranking 16th out of 17
IHL teams.  But yesterday, Comrie said his decision was based
solely on the San Diego's unwillingness to guarantee "him an
opportunity to play in the proposed new arena downtown."  IHL
Commissioner Bob Ufer announced that there is still a chance that
San Diego could field a team next year, and that he will meet
with two groups interested in keeping hockey in San Diego (Jim
Trotter, SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 1/6).

     It was a wild day of rumors and denials along One Buccaneer
Place, as reports ranged from an impending sale to a number of
bidders, to an all out suspension of the sale for a year.  What
is known is that trustee Steve Story met in Baltimore with
Orioles Owner Peter Angelos in "an unannounced negotiating
session."  Angelos, who has been preparing a bid for several
weeks, said he is not sure if he will submit one today or wait
"until later," but added "We are working on it.  We're not
sitting here doing nothing" (Jon Morgan, Baltimore SUN, 1/6).
Story's meeting with Angelos came on the heels of a rumor that
"swept through"  Hillsborough County that Angelos had a
"handshake agreement" to buy the team for $217M and move it to
Baltimore.  Angelos denied that rumor.  That led to speculation
the trust would sell the team to the Tommy Shannon/Outback
Steakhouse group.  Hugh Culverhouse, Jr. flew to Tampa from Miami
also increased speculation that some deal "might be near."  Then,
ESPN reported that Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner would make
an offer of $164M to keep the team in Tampa. Steinbrenner's
response: "You're kidding, right?"  Late in the afternoon, the
trust announced that head coach Sam Wyche would continue as coach
for next season, raising speculation that, because no offer was
sufficient, the trust intended to take the team off the market.
Tommy Shannon, who reiterated that his group's offer to buy the
team was only good until Monday, added: "The Wyche announcement
would lead me to believe the trust may keep the team."  Bruce
Frey, a Chicago real-estate developer part of a Tampa group
interested in the team, said of the Wyche announcement: "I don't
understand it, unless they've determined to keep the team and
retain Wyche" (Rick Stroud, ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 1/6).