STALLIONS TO HEAR HOUSTON OFFER; SPEROS CLOSE TO A DECISION

     Stallions Owner Jim Speros will in Houston tomorrow for a
meeting with Astrodome management, city officials and local
businessmen about a deal to bring the team there next season,
according to the Baltimore SUN.  Speros said a decision is near,
adding, "Houston has shown quite a bit of interest."  The
Stallions' season-ticket drive in Baltimore, which aimed for
20,000 season-tickets to be sold, has sold only 12,000 as of
Tuesday.  The drive was scheduled to end tomorrow, but Speros has
extended it until Monday.  Speros, who also expects offers from
Richmond and PA's Lehigh Valley, said a final decision will not
be made until next week.  Speros noted there is still a chance
the team will stay in Baltimore, but he added Houston has an
advantage over Richmond and PA in that it has a 59,969-seat
facility ready for play (Kevin Eck, Baltimore SUN, 1/4).  In
other CFL news, VA Gov. George Allen said the state may use
economic development funds to assist the Pirates' move from
Shreveport to Norfolk (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 1/3).