In a "minor shift in the business structure," Ackerley
Communications restructured of all of its holdings and left the
Sonics as a separate corporation, instead of being one of 14
subsidiaries.  But according to MCCLATCHY NEWS' Bart Wright, "an
implication was immediately obvious.  Large companies interested
in testing the market for a certain portion of their holding
often restructure in ways that set apart the desirable holding."
But Ackerley Communications CFO Dennis Curley said the
restructuring "changes nothing," and is "no indication at all of
any reason to want to sell anything" -- including the Sonics.
Wright writes that the move comes at a "curious time," and that
the value of the franchise is higher now than any other time in
its history, with "sizable" fan support a new arena, and
expansion fees (Bart Wright, McCLATCHY NEWS SERVICE, 2/5).

     While the Hartford Hellcats returned from the brink of
elimination on Friday, the CBA turned to another failing
franchise -- the Harrisburg Hammerheads.  According to the
league, the Hammerheads were shut down on Thursday for "failure
to comply with the by-laws and directives of the league's board
of directors."  Although the league "didn't elaborate" on the
team's conduct, Hammerheads owner Van Farber said that the CBA
"had notified him it would fold the team if several terms were
not met by last Wednesday."  Farber said the two main conditions
-- paying for a $72,000 court he promised to both the city and
state, and acquiring an additional $50,000 line of credit --
"were impossible to meet in such a short time" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE,
2/5).  The CBA is "expected to hold a dispersal draft" Monday,
then spend whatever is necessary to rearrange schedules and
travel plans (Flounders & Feeley, HARRISBURG PATRIOT, 2/5).

     Friday's midnight deadline for the purchase of Permanent
Seat Licenses in St. Louis produced a last minute rush that FANS
Inc. officials estimate drove application totals to between
50,000 and 60,000.  However, officials are still unsure if the
46,000 seats set aside for PSLs will be sold out.  Because PSLs
will be distributed by section, some sections may have more
applications than seats.  FANS will know later this week whether
the PSLs will sell out.  Either way, "organizers are elated" with
the response, with the $60M generated by PSLs slated to go
towards paying for the Rams' move.  FANS' deal with the team set
a goal of selling 40,000 PSL and club seats by March 10 and
50,000 by the '95 opener (Virgil Tipton, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH,
2/5).
     NFL'S PIECE OF THE POT?  Bernie Miklasz reports that NFL
sources told the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH that the league "may
decide to ask the Rams and FANS Inc. for a percentage" of revenue
generated by the PSLs.  While the league allowed the Carolina
Panthers to use PSLs for stadium construction, Miklasz says the
NFL "may be opposed" to $27M of the PSL money being "earmarked to
retire bonds to improve Anaheim Stadium."  Miklasz thinks the
league is "angling as a prelude to negotiations" with the team.
Rams President John Shaw has taken the "early position" that the
team has no obligation to pay a relocation fee to the league.
Miklasz: "The guess is that Shaw and the NFL will initially take
extreme positions and then negotiate a settlement somewhere in
the middle.  The NFL may back off any pledge to garnish PSL money
if Shaw agrees to pay the relocation fee" (ST. LOUIS POST-
DISPATCH, 2/4).  Will McDonough reports NFL owners "want to make
sure that gate money that should be going to them as the visiting
team (40%) is not being funneled back to the home team via luxury
box revenue."  Visiting teams do no share in luxury box revenue
but shares in all other seat money. McDonough notes that "some
owners also want to take a second look at what is going on in
Carolina with ticket revenues" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/5).
     PRACTICE FACILITY:  Under a proposal submitted Friday to the
St. Louis Board of Aldermen, the city would pay a maximum of $5M
to build the Rams a new practice facility.  Under the lease
agreement with the city, the city-county convention visitors
commission is required to pay for a facility.  Estimates have
ranged as high as $16M.  The city plans on paying for the
facility with a 5% amusement tax on Rams tickets (Thom Gross, ST.
LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 2/4).

     Although the latest issue of FINANCIAL WORLD estimates that
the Sharks posted an operating profit of $15M last year, team
President Art Savage said the figure was closer to $4M.  FW
claimed "hockey owners wanted a new contract with the players in
place before it became apparent just how much money teams were
collecting from a new generation of arenas that began operating
in San Jose and Anaheim."  In its February 14 issue, FW reported
that revenue from new arenas, a TV deal, and long-term marketing
agreements helped determine the league's strategy because NHL
execs "knew that the longer the negotiations dragged on, the more
apparent the league's imminent prosperity would become."  Savage
said FW has both the "team's earning's and the owners' strategy
wrong."  Savage: "It's is unfortunate (the author) doesn't have
the slightest idea what he is talking about and he is able to
publish it in a publication that's fairly well respected."  The
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS estimates the Sharks made about $10M last
year, which Savage also disputes.  Savage said his figure of $4M,
"based on audited statements he would not release, is inflated"
because it does not include $2.5M in signing bonuses (Barry Witt,
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 2/4).  FW also reported the Sharks are
developing a movie script, educational software, video games, and
a coffe-table book.  Writes FW's Jason Starr, "Since the Sharks
are developing these projects themselves, they will probably have
to pay only a royalty to the league -- about 8% to 10% of the
product's wholesale price for use of the NHL logos -- and keep
the rest" (FW, 2/14 issue).

     Minneapolis attorney Marshall Tanick said he represents "a
dozen employees and former employees who have found it necessary
to hire an attorney to resolve issues related to the Vikings'
workplace."  Tanick said there are no sexual harassment claims
and that about half his clients still work for the team (Bruce
Orwall, Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE, 2/2).
     GREEN A HOSTAGE?  STAR-TRIBUNE columnist Joe Soucheray
criticizes the team for their "poorly staged theatrics" in the
videotape the team released of Dennis Green talking about the
incident.  Soucheray:  "I am convinced that Dennis Green, like
Bobby Hall, was saying only what his captors forced him to say"
(Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE, 2/2).