DON BEAVER, who is leading a group to bring an MLB team
     to NC, named TIM NEWMAN VP for both North Carolina Major
     League Baseball, LLC and Beaver Sports Properties.  Newman
     comes from NC-based Wachovia Bank where he served as a
     Public Finance Banker and where he helped develop the bank's
     sports facilities finance practice (Beaver Sports).  

          TBS named ALAN SMITH as Dir of Sports Marketing.  Smith
     comes from Nucleus Sports Marketing Group where he was
     Managing Partner (TBS)....The NHL Nashville expansion team 
     named SCOTT LOFT as Dir of Ticket Sales and HOLLY CONNER as
     Manager of Special Projects (NHL Nashville)....SHELLEY
     THOMAS has joined the SLOC as Senior VP/Olympic Public-
     Communications.  Thomas has been VP/Public Affairs for
     Smith's Food & Drug Centers (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 10/28).
     ...JEFF BLAIR has joined the Toronto Globe & Mail's Quebec
     bureau as a national sports correspondent.  Blair will work
     out of Montreal where he previously covered the Expos for
     the Montreal Gazette (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 10/29). 

          Bucs Owner MALCOLM GLAZER has donated $75,000 to the
     Tampa Bay Sports Commission.  Glazer also pledged $7,500 to
     the Commission for each game the team wins over the next 30
     years.  The pledge includes regular-season games and the
     amount could increase to $100,000 a year.  The total amount
     of the donation could reach $3M (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 10/28)... 
     ...JEFF GORDON appeared on the "Tonight Show" last night.
     Gordon, who drove the limousine provided by the show on his
     way to the studio: "I just can't ride in the back seat.  I
     get carsick if I'm in the back seat.  I'm too used to
     driving all the time" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 10/28)....MIKE
     HAYNES was honored at halftime of the Broncos-Patriots game
     on Monday night.  Haynes is now a Licensing Manager for
     Callaway Golf (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/28)....Lakers Exec VP JERRY
     WEST is interviewed in the L.A. TIMES.  West: "It amazes me
     sometimes when I hear other people talking about our blase
     fans.  We have good fans.  But one thing that we've done,
     we've been competing against ourselves, and that's awfully
     hard to do sometimes" (L.A. TIMES, 10/29)....REGGIE JACKSON
     is suing Upper Deck Co. claiming the company failed to pay
     him for his work from '93-96 (USA TODAY, 10/29)....Houston
     Mayoral Candidate LEE BROWN refunded a $10,000 campaign
     contribution Tuesday from a PAC that Rockets Owner LES
     ALEXANDER "had used to exceed the $5,000 limit on individual
     donations" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/29).