The following is the top ten teams in sale of NBA licensed
merchandise, based on sales from August 1, 1994-January 31, 1995.
The Nuggets make their 1st appearance in the Top 10 (Michael
Hiestand, USA TODAY, 3/30):
     1.   Hornets             6.   SuperSonics
     2.   Bulls               7.   Raptors
     3.   Magic               8.   Warriors
     4.   Suns                9.   Rockets
     5.   Knicks             10.   Nuggets

     The current issue of SPORTING GOODS BUSINESS features an
interview with four top executives at Herman's Sporting Goods:
Senior VP/Store Ops Lee Diercks, Senior VP Michael Worrall, COO
Stuart Kessler and CEO Alfred Fasola.  Kessler on the company's
'94 year-end summary:  "We are disappointed with the fact that we
did not achieve the plan in the disclosure statement.  But we are
pleased with the fact that in the past 22 months we have made
dramatic improvement."  Kessler attributed the shortfall in
profits expectations to the NHL lockout and MLB strike and to the
unseasonably warm weather in the Northeast which affected their
ski business: "I am pleased to say that since hockey has
returned, we have gotten a real good hit.  The 'Game On'
promotion has been very good for us."  To compensate, Kessler
said Herman's has moved into the NCAA "in a major way":  "We
still plan a major licensed department, but we are being very
cautious as to how we approach the business."  As for store
expansion, the company has plans for 13 new stores this year.  As
for an IPO, Fasola said he did not know when one would be in the
"offing":  "The market has to be right, and our performance has
to be right" (SPORTING GOODS BUSINESS, 3/95 issue).

     The Coors Field logo is "saving the season for sports-
apparel retailers who saw sales of Colorado Rockies licensed
merchandise tumble when players went on strike," according to
Lynn Bronikowski of the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS.  Kurt Wiederspahn,
manager of the Sportsfan store in a local Denver-area mall:
"Anything with the Coors Field logo is selling.  Coors Field
merchandise has made sales even a little better than last year."
The new $215M stadium opens Friday with a sold-out exhibition
between the Rockies and Yankees (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 3/29).

     The Upper Deck Co. will co-sponsor IndyCar racer Roberto
Guerrero and the Pagan Racing Team in the Slick 50 200 at the
Phoenix Int'l Raceway April 2 (Upper Deck).... Today's Baltimore
SUN features a 3-page spread on the formerly all-female America3
crew.  Subhead: "When they put a man on the boat, they sacrificed
their identity -- and dashed the dreams of a generation"
(Baltimore SUN, 3/30).... Chrysler is supporting its exclusive
sponsorship of the NHL on Fox with a 2-page insert in this
morning's USA TODAY.  The ad for Dodge products features NHL
stars Eric Lindros, Cam Neely, Mark Messier, Paul Kariya, Brendan
Shanahan, John Vanbiesbrouck and Jeremy Roenick and previews
Dodge's Stanley Cup trip promotion to air during Fox's telecast
(USA TODAY, 3/30)....Johnnie Walker has dropped its sponsorship
of the annual World Championship golf tournament in December in
Jamaica (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 3/29).

     Nike announced it will introduce the Air Swoopes basketball
shoe, named for Sheryl Swoopes who led Texas Tech to the '93 NCAA
women's championship.  Air Swoopes arrive in stores around
October 1, backed by an ad campaign that Nike would only call
"substantial."  Nike VP/Marketing Liz Dolan said the shoe was
part of Nike's commitment to women's sports, which includes a new
ad campaign featuring the U.S. women's soccer team.  Dolan said
Nike chose Swoopes because of her accomplishments at Texas Tech,
but also because "she has a cool name."  Women's footwear makes
up 21% of Nike's U.S. revenue (Richard Sandomir, N.Y. TIMES,
3/30).

     POWERaDE, a product of the Coca-Cola Co. and Official Sports
Drink of the '96 Olympics, launched a new national campaign, with
a "bold attitude," a new logo and a new icon, the "a-line."
Coca-Cola USA VP/Marketing Frank Bifulco:  "POWERaDE has 33
percent more carbohydrates than Gatorade, and that point of
difference versus its 30-year-old competitor will be a
centerpiece of POWERaDE advertising.  Also, the new a-line icon
communicates the brand personality simply and quickly.  It's
powerful, bold, and represents the pinnacle of athletic
performance."  The multi-media advertising campaign begins April
4 and is being handled by McCann-Erickson (Coca-Cola)....Coca-
Cola signed a letter of intent to acquire Barq's, which is No. 2
in root beer market share behind A&W (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/30).

     SEATTLE:  Nordstrom department stores will host a stage for
concerts and interactive events during the Final Four, beginning
March 31- April 3, in the West Lake Center Park.  Also at that
Nordstrom location, Coca-Cola has posted their NCAA tournament
bracket board.  Nordstrom will also  feature a "Fan Zone Souvenir
Shop," stocked with Final Four apparel (Nordstrom)....This
morning's SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER examines the use of NCAA
logos (particularly the Final Four logo) by the 16 NCAA corporate
partners and the sharing of NCAA tournament money by conferences
and the member teams (Angelo Bruscas, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER,
3/30).
     MINNEAPOLIS:  NCAA women's players of the year for '92-'94,
Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Dawn Staley, will greet fans and
conduct free basketball clinics during the Nike/ Lady Foot Locker
Shoot Around, March 30-April 1 at City Center Mall in downtown
Minneapolis.  All three are under contract with Nike.  Nike
claims it is the only sports and fitness company with any
individual U.S. Women's basketball team members under contract
(Nike)....Twenty members of the group organizing the '96 Women's
Final Four in Charlotte are on a scouting trip to Minneapolis.
The Charlotte Coliseum seats 22,961 and a sell-out would set a
women's Final Four attendance record (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 3/30).

     Upper Deck's newest basketball cards featuring Michael
Jordan in a No. 45 jersey could be out next week.  None of the
three other NBA-licensed trading-card makers (Topps, SkyBox and
Fleer) will be ready to roll out that soon.  "After a disastrous
baseball-card season, trading card makers are scrambling to get
Jordan onto basketball cards."  Upper Deck may also sell cards
with Jordan in his old No. 23.  Topps will feature Jordan on
cards to be sold the week of April 17; Fleer will introduce their
Jordan cards April 21 and SkyBox's Jordan cards hit the market
May 17 (Bruce Horovitz, USA TODAY, 3/30)....This week's "NBA
Inside Stuff" will feature a segment on the making of the new
McDonald's ad featuring NBA stars Jordan, Larry Johnson, Reggie
Miller, Shawn Kemp, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and Looney Tunes
characters Tweety Bird, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck (Inside
Stuff)....Jordan's 55-point performance against the Knicks was
the highest rated TNT NBA broadcast ever.  TNT drew a national
cable rating of 5.1, "shattering" its previous high of 3.3
(ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 3/30).

     The following is the top ten teams in sale of licensed
merchandise, from the MLB commissioner's office.  This is based
on sales from January '95.
     1.   White Sox           6.   Red Sox
          2.   Rockies             7.   Indians
          3.   Braves              8.   Phillies
          4.   Yankees             9.   Reds
          5.   Marlins            10.   Mariners
     The Rockies dropped from the top spot.  The White Sox moved
from three to one, the Yankees moved up one, and the Marlins
dropped from No. 4 to 5.  The team making the biggest jump was
the Red Sox, who jumped from No. 15 to 6.  Overall domestic sales
of MLB merchandise dropped from $2.5B in '93 to $2.1B in '94 due
to the strike (THE DAILY).
     COMING SOON TO THE TOP 10?  The NBA Suns' team shops were
the first outlet to offer Diamondbacks merchandise, and 24 hours
after Phoenix was awarded an MLB team the stores were "moving
about 500 T-shirts an hour."  After five days, they had sold over
8,000 shirts and 1,000 caps, according to Scott Blanford, Suns
Dir of Merchandise.  MLBP VP/Design  Anne Occi says the
Diamondback logo with turquoise, black, copper and purple, is
consistent with fans' tastes (Jeff Smyth, ARIZONA BUSINESS
GAZETTE, 3/23 issue).

     Nestle Canada announced that they have reserved the
turnstile ad space at the Halifax Metro Center in Nova Scotia,
the host site for the Raptors' first exhibition game.  Orlando-
based Entry Media Inc. is the developer and marketer of
"Turnstile AdSleeve" armcovers, a new in-arena signage
opportunity.  The armcovers are constructed of a "durable" clear
plastic and their design allow them to secure onto any size
turnstile arm.  The Orlando Arena, home to the Magic, will also
add AdSleeve in time for the '95 NBA playoffs.  Lennar Homes,
FL's largest homebuilder, has reserved the space.  Also, severaL
minor league ballparks will feature AdSleeve this season:
Wilmington BlueRocks, New Haven Ravens, Bowie BaySox, Norwich
Navigators, Eugene Emeralds and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.  Entry
Media is currently negotiating to have AdSleeve in over 100
stadiums and arenas throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Entry Media President/Inventor Martin Hering:  "It's the first ad
fans are exposed to and everyone has to touch it on their way in.
In addition, it is positioned away from the event so it never has
to compete with the event itself for the attention of the fans"
(Entry Media).