FRANCHISE NOTES

          The NHL's Board of Governors unanimously approved the
     sale of the Islanders to John Spano (NHL).  Jim Leslie,
     President of The Staubach Group, started by former Cowboys
     QB Roger Staubach, has assumed a 3% share as part of the
     $165M deal for the team and the team's cable rights package. 
     (NEWSDAY, 2/25)....While potential Houston NHL Owner Chuck
     Watson said his expansion proposal "clearly stated" the team
     wanted to debut in '99, when a new arena "presumably" will
     be in operation, Watson said that NHL Commissioner Gary
     Bettman asked if '98 "was a possibility."  Watson:  "We'd
     like to have more time to do the right job of promoting and
     marketing it. ... If we're going to start in '98, we need to
     know pretty quick" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 2/25).