MAVS BEGIN TALKS WITH 'BURBS AS ARENA TALKS IN DALLAS STALL

          "Citing a lack of progress in Dallas," the Mavericks
     said they will begin negotiating with suburban cities about
     building an arena, according to Todd Gillman of the DALLAS
     MORNING NEWS.  Team officials "had previously said they were
     committed to building in downtown Dallas" but discussed
     arena possibilities with top Grand Prairie officials over
     lunch Wednesday.  Mavs execs "emphasized that they have not
     broken off talks with Dallas," and Stars Owner Tom Hicks
     said that "unlike Mavericks majority owner Ross Perot Jr.,
     he's not frustrated and he's not ready to talk to any
     suburbs."  Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, on the Mavs: "I don't call
     it a setback.  I call it a negotiation. ... I'm no more
     concerned than I was two months ago" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS,
     8/21).  In Ft. Worth, Nix & Nelson report that Grand Prairie
     Mayor Charles England said yesterday's talks "were only
     preliminary" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 8/21).