ABL LASERS TO TEST THE WATERS OF A BIG-TIME ARENA

          The ABL Lasers' opening game, and three of their other
     21 home games, will be played at San Jose Arena, according
     to Jody Meacham of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS.  The move
     "reflects both their new owner's ambitions and the WNBA's
     success in filling the bottom half of the large NBA arenas." 
     New Lasers Owner Joe Lacob: "It's a big risk.  If we don't
     put a lot of people in (San Jose Arena), they will be
     comparing us (unfavorably) with the WNBA, which drew a lot
     of people this summer."  The Lasers' primary home court
     remains the Event Center at San Jose State Univ., where last
     season they averaged 3,181 per game.  Five Lasers games will
     be included in the ABL's game of the week on Fox Sports Net,
     and eight will be televised "by a yet-to-be announced local
     station."  All 44 Lasers games will be on the radio, with 12
     Sunday games on KLIV and the rest on a station to be
     announced next week (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 9/17).