"It is universally accepted that the presence of minor
leaguers will not hold back coverage of baseball once the season
starts.  And sponsors apparently are willing to chance it because
there is no substitute for baseball in the summer," writes Jack
Craig in this morning's BOSTON GLOBE.  Turner Broadcasting's head
of sales Mark Mariani:  "(Sponsors) don't want to be on the
outside looking in in case they settle the next day."  Anheuser-
Busch has re-upped with The Baseball Network (NBC & ABC), as well
as TBS, ESPN and 27 local broadcasts (the Brewers have an
exclusivity deal with Miller).  But Anheuser-Busch VP for Sports
Marketing Tony Ponturo "said a financial safety valve is in place
for the uncertain future."  Ponturo:  "All of our deals will
contain audience guarantees.  A rating decline will be prorated."
Ponturo added that A-B could pull out if replacement players are
a "turn off":  "We wouldn't want to be associated with a clearly
negative, awkward situation" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/6).  But The
Baseball Network CEO Ken Schanzer admits that there is much
confusion among TBN sponsors.  Some (such as True Value Hardware)
have moved their money elsewhere.  Schanzer:  "The complexity of
this thing is overwhelming" (SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, 1/9 issue).

     Hooters Restaurants and the Hula Bowl have agreed to a five-
year sponsorship deal that will give the restaurant naming
rights, logo displays on and around the field, and patches
bearing the restaurant's name and Hula Bowl logo on players'
jerseys.  Hooters will have exclusive rights to restaurant
advertising during the final four years of the contract.
According to Alex Inman of Universal Marketing Associates, which
owns marketing rights to the Hula Bowl, the contract is worth "in
excess" of $1 million over the duration of the agreement (THE
DAILY).  Hula Bowl Exec Dir Marcia Cherner-Klompus says the
sponsor was chosen because it "could give us the best exposure
and publicity and promotion year-round."  The January 22 game
will be shown live on ESPN (Gordon Pang, HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN,
1/5).          WOMEN PROTEST:  Women's rights activists in Hawaii
say that because the Hula Bowl draws funding from the Hawaii
State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism,
the title is inappropriate.  Jackie Young, the state's
affirmative action officer, says she will ask Governor Ben
Cayetano to reconsider funding for the game.  Young says Hooters
"continues to perpetuate the message of sexism in sports. ... You
definitely have to have a higher standard when you have public
money."  Pamela Ferguson-Brey, Exec Dir for the Hawaii Committee
on the Status of Women, also opposes the Hooters title.  Brey
says Hooters is "an organization that uses women's breasts to
advertise, that promotes the objectification of women."
Ferguson-Brey, who opposed the opening of a Hooters restaurant in
Honolulu that received state backing, will fight this move: "A
state that has a constitutional provision which prohibits sexual
discrimination should seriously consider whether or not it's
consistent with its state policy of promoting the equality of
women" (Gordon Pang, HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN, 1/5).  STAR-BULLETIN
Columnist Bill Kwon writes that Hawaii should simply be happy
that somebody cares enough to sponsor the game.  Kwon: "It sure
beats being called the Poulin Weed-Eater Hula Bowl" (Bill Kwon,
HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN, 1/5).

     FROM ERNIE SAXTON COMMUNICATIONS: U.S. Tobacco Sales and
Marketing, Inc. in Greenwich, CT (Skoal-Copenhagen) renewed its
sponsorship of the National Tractor Pulling Association for '95
and Kendall Oil Company has also renewed their sponsorship of the
circuit for another year....Miller Brewing Company extended its
contract with the Penske Racing South NASCAR Winston Cup team and
driver Rusty Wallace.  Miller announced a personal service
contract with Wallace for the rest of Wallace's career....Harris
Teeter, Inc. a southeastern grocery store chain, will expand its
sponsorship of the NASCAR Busch Grand National team owned by
Browns quarterback Mark Rypien.  Harris Teeter will be the
primary sponsor for 11 races in '95....Richard Langson purchased
the Swamp Rat 34 Top Fuel Dragster from drag racing legend Don
Garlits.  The team, which will feature Garlits as crew chief, is
seeking primary and associate sponsorship (Ernie Saxton
Communications).

     Deion Sanders has agreed to a deal in which he will endorse
a wide-variety of sports-related products for Sega.  Sanders will
be the official spokesperson for the Sega Sports brand and will
be featured as a "superstar athlete" in the brand's NFL video
game series this fall.  Sega will also create new software titles
based on Sanders.  Sanders: "I am ecstatic about being with Sega
because it is bringing two winners together" (Sega).  In other
video game news, Warner Music Group has acquired a "significant
minority interest" in Accolade, an interactive entertainment
company that features such titles as Jack Nicklaus Golf and
Charles Barkley Basketball (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 1/6).

     The NFLPA has dropped a tax-exempt status and launched
Players Inc. "to compete with NFL Properties."  Previously
limited "to such passive activities as receiving royalties from
trading-card companies," the NFLPA will now be able to own
magazine and apparel stores and "plans to roll out a line of
sportswear."  Players Inc. also "hopes to market groups of five
players or more to sponsors and apparel giants."  Gene Upshaw,
NFLPA Executive Director and Chair of Players Inc.:  "This gives
us flexibility to be real players in the marketplace."  Last year
the NFLPA "took in about $600M in revenue."  Sara Levinson,
President of NFL Properties:  "We see Players as a supplement to
our own marketing activities" (Bruce Horovitz, USA TODAY, 1/6).

     Raycom Sports and DWA Golf will manage and market the
Carolina Classic, a LPGA event that will take place September 28-
October 1 at the Peninsula Club in Charlotte. In addition to the
tournament, the event will feature a pro-am, special events and
corporate hospitality (Raycom).

     Reebok International Ltd. "will post an earnings-per-share
increase of about 10% to 15% for the fourth quarter," according
to this morning's WALL STREET JOURNAL. Jennifer Black Groves, an
analyst at Black & Co., estimates Reebok revenue "climbed 19% to
$718.9M from $602.6M" and that domestic orders for Reeboks
"climbed 27% to $338.4M from $258.2M in the year ago fourth
quarter" -- but "part of the reason for the substantial gain was
a lackluster 1993."  Groves "estimates that fourth-quarter sales
of Reebok brand shoes in the U.S. are up only 3% from the fourth
quarter of 1992" (Joseph Periera, WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/6).

     The Seagram Company announced yesterday that it will pay
$285M in cash for Dole Food Company's juice business -- extending
the domestic fruit beverage market share of Seagram's Tropicana
brand from 13.1% to approx. 16%.  "This would bring Tropicana
closer to the 19.5 percent share the Coca-Cola Company holds
through Minute Maid, Hi-C and other brands."  The deal includes
Dole's juice plants in the U.S. and Europe, as well as production
agreements in Japan and China, but does not include Dole's canned
pineapple juice operations (Glenn Collins, N.Y. TIMES, 1/6).
     HIGHER EARNINGS EXPECTED FOR COCA-COLA AND PEPSICO:
"Continuing to benefit from strong U.S. sales," Coca-Cola and
PepsiCo "are expected to report higher fourth-quarter earnings
and gains in volume."  Net income for Coca-Cola is estimated to
jump 22% with an 11% gain in international volume, while PepsiCo
"should report an increase in profit of about 15%."  Coca-Cola
Enterprises Inc. "is expected to post flat results."  Overall,
domestic soft-drink sales are "benefiting from new packaging,
such as Coke's contour bottle; discounting in supermarket aisles;
and the growth of noncarbonated drinks such as teas and sports
drinks" (Laurie Grossman, WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/6).