FRANCHISE NOTES

          MLB: CNBC's Don Dahler examined News Corp.'s purchase
     of the Dodgers and noted that "a phrase being batted around
     to describe what Murdoch will do with the Dodgers is 'take
     it global.'"  Sports marketing analyst Don Dixon: "They've
     got a great opportunity long-range to get fifty, a hundred
     times their money back over the relatively near haul" 
     (CNBC, 10/16)....Although the city of Baltimore "was
     willing" to throw a parade for the Orioles, the team turned
     down the offer (Baltimore SUN, 10/17).
          GENERAL: The MLS Rapids drew 18,452 for Wednesday
     night's playoff game, which was the third-highest weekday
     crowd of '97 (USA TODAY, 10/17).....ESPN's Gary Thorne was
     the emcee at a rally yesterday in Columbus, OH, which
     launched the sale of PSLs for that city's expansion NHL
     franchise (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 10/16).