OAKLAND COLISEUM CLOSE TO DEAL WITH UMAX ON NAMING RIGHTS?

          The city of Oakland, Alameda County and the Raiders
     "have been negotiating" with Tiawanese high-tech company
     UMAX Data Systems about a possible naming rights deal at
     Oakland Coliseum, according to Renee Koury of the SAN JOSE
     MERCURY NEWS.  Koury writes that UMAX has a "base" in
     Freemont, CA, "and a chairman who loves sports."  UMAX
     spokesperson Mark Rawlins: "It's not a done deal, but we've
     been negotiating for some time and discussions have gotten
     close to some sort of finalization."  Alameda County
     Supervisor Gail Steele: "3Com and UMAX.  What sexy names. 
     We all thought it would be Pepsi and Reebok, but UMAX?  It
     shows we are going into the next century."  While "no one
     would reveal the terms of the possible deal with UMAX, the
     public agencies and Raiders hope to split $1.5 million per
     year for the naming rights" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 8/22).