ROWLAND SAYS HE WON'T TRY TO STOP WHALERS MOVE

          In a TV interview taped Friday, CT Gov. John Rowland
     said that he would not oppose a move by the Whalers this
     year if the proposal for a new facility "does not make
     sense," according to Jeff Jacobs in the HARTFORD COURANT. 
     Rowland: "Let's make a decision.  The Whalers want to know
     if we're going to build this facility.  If we're not, they
     want to leave early.  And I think that's fair.  They don't
     want to have a lame-duck (season).  That doesn't serve
     anybody's purposes."  Rowland did not say if he would make
     the Whalers pay an exit fee.  When lease negotiations broke
     down last spring, Rowland said it would cost the Whalers
     $30M to break their Civic Center lease.  Rowland said the
     team staying in Hartford is "a 50-50 shot" (HARTFORD
     COURANT, 1/11).  Whalers Owner Peter Karmanos "sounded
     appreciative," after Rowland's remarks, but said his "No. 1
     concern ... is to come up with the best solution to keep the
     Whalers in Hartford" (Jeff Jacobs, HARTFORD COURANT, 1/12).