FRANCHISE NOTES

     In an effort to boost "sluggish" sales of PSLs, the Raiders
will announce two new programs today -- one enlisting companies
to buy blocks of tickets and sell them to their employees through
payroll deductions; the other would allow only PSL owners to buy
extra tickets for the November 19 Cowboys game (SAN JOSE MERCURY
NEWS, 10/25).... The Ontario Court of Appeal has overturned a
lower court decision which restricted access to bank documents by
the Public Trustee in its civil suit against Maple Leaf Gardens
Chair Steve Stavro and his company, MLG Ventures.  The Trustee is
suing Stavro over his acquisition of 60% of MLG from the estate
of former owner Harold Ballard.  The trial starts in February
(Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 10/25)....USA TODAY profiles the Whalers'
quick start and how it may affect the team's long-term standing
in the small market of Hartford (USA TODAY, 10/25)....The
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS notes that the official closing date for the
sale of the Jets is July '97 -- not '96 as widely believed.
Provincial Finance Minister Eric Stefanson called the date a
"technicality" and assured taxpayers they will not have to cover
the team's losses for an extra year (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 10/25).