In Raleigh, NC, Eisley & Hicks of the NEWS & OBSERVER
look at the failed bid for an NHL expansion team under the
header: "Triangle Not Wild About Big Leagues." Eisley &
Hicks: "Big league sports may not be what the Triangle
wants. Far from the sports frenzy common to other rising
Sun Belt metropolises, the Triangle's reaction to the six-
month effort to land a National Hockey League team had all
the excitement of a concert intermission. Despite the
optimism of prospective NHL team owners thirsting for a
Raleigh team and despite encouraging words from the league
office, the Triangle never embraced the effort" (Raleigh
NEWS & OBSERVER, 2/25)....In Toronto, Marty York reports
that Doug Flutie "could join" the NFL Saints -- but the
Toronto Argonauts "won't let him" out of his contract, "at
least not yet" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 2/26)....The Rockets
opened their Rockets Center for Casa de Esperanza, a complex
providing residential care and services for children in
crisis because of neglect, abuse or the AIDS virus (HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 2/25)....William Meris was named new owner of the
AFL Orlando Predators on Friday. He purchased all assets of
the Orlando Predators Ltd. from Managing General Partners
Donald Dizney and James English for $2.3M (AFL).