Approximately 10,000 tickets remain for Sunday's Vikings-
Lions game at the 64,000-seat Metrodome -- which would represent
the team's smallest opening-day crowd since moving to the
facility in '82 (Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE, 8/30)....Expos
President Claude Brochu announced that all three games of next
week's series against the Giants will feature $5 admission, $5
parking and $1 hot dogs. Brochu: "We have to do something to
create attendance" Montreal GAZETTE, 8/30)....Marge Schott "may
be in trouble again" with MLB for comments she made on Riverfront
Stadium's smoking ban during radio and newspaper interviews at a
recent visit to Coors Field. Under her deal with MLB, she is
prohibited from talking to the media for a year (AP/BOSTON GLOBE,
8/30). ...The Heat is expected to play an exhibition game in
Israel prior to the '97-98 season as part of its settlement to
buy out first round draft pick Martin Muursepp's contract with
Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The Heat would cover $250,000 of the buyout
and Muursepp and his agent, ProServ, would contribute more than
$250,000 (MIAMI HERALD, 8/30)....Sources says NationsBank Corp.
is "in talks" to buy St. Louis-based Boatmen's Bancshares in a
transaction valued at $9.5B. Boatmen's is a minority stake-
holder in the Blues (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/30)....In
Philadelphia, Paul Hagen notes the trading of pitcher Danny
Neagle "can only be interpreted as an ominous sign for the
future" of MLB in Pittsburgh. He notes the local impression of
Owner Kevin McClatchy "has changed with breathtaking speed," as
he is now seen as "a flimflam man who secretly wanted to move the
team" (PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 8/30).
