Arenaball, a sport that is "conceived, performed and
marketed as an unashamed entertainment enterprise," is examined
by Charles Pierce in the latest issue of GQ.  Upon the sport's
inception, "Arenaball immediately tapped into the demand for
relatively inexpensive sports productions. ... The same dynamic
that caused a boom in minor league baseball and hockey also
worked to the benefit of Arenaball."  Pierce calls the sports a
glimpse of the "birth of a raucous future toward which most
spoorts seem to be slouching."  While a "garish display" of the
future of sports, others -- the NBA is mentioned -- may surpass
Arneball.  Pierce:  "In fifty years, people are going to think it
was all so lovely and quaint" (GQ, 8/95 issue).

     In Minneapolis, Sid Hartman reports that there is "a chance"
that the MLBPA will have a new offer to consider after today's
MLB Exec Committee meeting in Chicago (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE,
8/1).  One owner tells the N.Y. TIMES:  "We're going to start
talking economic issues with them as early as this week or next
week."  Baseball's players and the owners need the resuming labor
negotiations "to get a deal and assure the fans peace in our
time," writes Murray Chass in today's N.Y. TIMES.  Chass
continues, notes that, even without a salary cap, owners "could
pay players as little as they want in many cases" and use that
strategy to force the players "to accept whatever position they
adopt.  If the owners were to pursue that strategy, they would do
so with the belief that the players would not strike again.
Indeed, the players prefer a new agreement to a new work
stoppage, but they are unlikely to accept a deal at any cost"
(N.Y. TIMES, 8/1).
     LEGAL TEAMS:  As of now, according to Chass, the legal
lineup for both sides will be:  Stanley Jaspan, Rob Manfred and
Frank Coonelly for the owners, and Lauren Rich, Michael Weiner
and Steve Fehr for the players.  Chass notes the possibility that
Randy Levine, currently New York City Commissioner of Labor
Relations and former representative for the Yankees, could be
added to the owners' legal team.  If Levin is hired, it could be
as head of the owners' negotiating committee (N.Y. TIMES, 8/1).
     NEW RULES:  In San Francisco, Tim Keown writes on the recent
anti-fan actions by such players as Jack McDowell and Chili
Davis, "Two years ago, those incidents would have been
insignificant, quirky sidelights, hardly front-page news.  Not
any more.  The strike changed the rules, turned every incident
into a further sign of deterioration, a small glimpse of the
empire's decline" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/1).

     NASCAR is examined in today's WASHINGTON POST by Ken
Denlinger.  Subheads include "Selling the Sport," "From
Martinsville to Long Pond," and "Gordon and the Future."
Denlinger writes, "NASCAR is by far the most commercial of all
sports.  Long before baseball had billboards behind home plate
and colleges gravitated toward corporate tie-ins, NASCAR had
sponsor names splattered all over its cars and the uniforms of
its drivers."  Kyle Petty:  "All sports depend on outside money.
We're just honest about it and nobody else is" (WASHINGTON POST,
8/1).  The excitement surrounding the Brickyard 400 this weekend
is reportedly not as great as the inaugural race last year.
Although all 310,000 seats have been sold, "word has spread" that
seats are available through ticket agencies.  Jeff Gordon:  "I
don't know if it can ever be what it was the first time.  The
inaugural event, the first time stock cars ever raced here.  That
was just a huge event.  You wonder if it can be bigger than that"
(AP/Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 8/1).

     The NLRB voted 5-0 yesterday "to seek a stay" of the class-
action, antitrust lawsuit filed in Minneapolis federal court
against the NBA by Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan, and 14 other
players, according to Mark Asher in today's WASHINGTON POST.  The
NLRB is "maintaing that the suit cannot go forward unless players
vote to remove -- or decertify -- the union as their collective-
bargaining representative."  Asher:  "The first hearing in the
antitrust case is set for Sept. 6 in Minneapolis, and NLRB
officials are not certain the decertification process will be
completed by then."  Jeffrey Kessler, lawyer for the players
seeking decertification:  "I think it's incorrect; I don't think
the courts will accept it.  I do not believe this action in any
way will impede the progress of our antitrust case."  NBA Senior
VP Jeffrey Mishkin said the ruling "merely confirms that complex
labor issues remain to be resolved and that misrepresentations
were made to our players that antitrust litigation would be a
quick-fix substitute for collective bargaining."  NBPA Exec Dir
Simon Gourdine:  "That lawsuit involves the players against the
NBA.  This decision by the NLRB does not have much effect on the
union per se" (Mark Asher, WASHINGTON POST, 8/1).
     WILLIAMS SAYS NEW DEAL IS CLOSE:  According to a report by
Kerry Eggers in today's Portland OREGONIAN, NBPA President Buck
Williams "believes the union and league officials are a 'couple
of meetings away' from a collective bargaining agreement that
could help ward off the decertification movement."  Williams:
"It's a race against time.  I'm very confident we can bring a
revised agreement back to the players before the decertification
vote takes place.  It's something that can and will be done."
According to Williams, another negotiating session between the
union and league is tentatively scheduled for this Thursday or
Friday (Portland OREGONIAN, 8/1).