FRANCHISE NOTES

          The Devil Rays will sell tickets through Ticketmaster
     beginning this fall for their inaugural season in '98. 
     Single game seats will go on sale November 15 (ORLANDO
     SENTINEL, 7/25)....In N.Y., Phil Mushnick reports that "in
     the greedy tradition of the Knicks, Rangers and many other
     teams," the Mets will introduce a third uniform next year
     which will be predominantly black (N.Y. POST,7/25)....The
     St. Paul NHL franchise has sold nearly 9,000 nonrefundable
     $100 season ticket deposits (PIONEER PRESS, 7/25).  Team
     investor Noel Rahn said the team has options from
     individuals and corporations for 55 suites (STAR TRIBUNE,
     7/25)....NEWSDAY's John Valenti writes that a source close
     to the NHL said that talks between Islanders Owner John
     Pickett and Fleet Bank on assuming the $80M loan former
     Islanders Owner John Spano used to buy the team are
     proceeding with "no hitches," and a pact will be reached by
     tonight's midnight deadline (NEWSDAY, 7/25)....In Toronto,
     William Houston writes, "Canuck season ticket sales must be
     slow.  Staff of [parent] Orca Bay ... have been calling
     subscribers who failed to respond to the June 23 renewal
     deadline" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 7/25).