FRANCHISE NOTES

          Umbro will unveil the logo, name and jersey of the new
     MLS Miami franchise today in New York.  The MIAMI HERALD's
     Michelle Kaufman: "Rumor has it the name will be the Miami
     Fusion" (MIAMI HERALD, 7/8)....In Chicago, gossip columnist
     Michael Sneed writes, "Is a major Chicago corporation trying
     to buy the Phoenix Cardinals football team?  Or is this just
     a fifth-base rumor?" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/8)....NFL Oilers
     officials, representatives of Harris County, the city of
     Houston and the Astrodome signed a consent decree Thursday
     that settles all claims between the four parties and "severs
     the team's ties" to Houston (NASHVILLE BANNER, 7/4).
     ...Bernie Kosar, on owning an NFL team in Cleveland:
     "Everyone's still at the mercy of the 30 owners in the
     league.  Five or six are really against expansion.  Then
     there are probably a half a dozen really against
     relocation."  Kosar said he had been told that a decision on
     expansion or relocation of an existing team for Cleveland
     "probably would be made early" in '98 (BEACON JOURNAL, 7/8).