FRANCHISE NOTES

          The Steelers said that a "routine audit" caused the
     state to file a tax lien against the team last month, which
     the team "quickly paid."  Records show the state filed a
     lien for $86,684 in unpaid sales and use taxes (Pittsburgh
     POST-GAZETTE, 11/12)....A SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS editorial on
     the Raiders deal: "It's time for Oakland and Alameda County
     officials to stand up and admit they made a bad mistake when
     they signed a contract with Al Davis -- a contract they
     didn't even read throughouly. ... While the Raiders have
     lost a lot of games in the past three seasons, the public
     officials have lost something, too -- their integrity" (SAN
     JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 11/12)....The "primarily" female fan base
     of the ABL's Seattle Reign was examined by Florangela Davila
     of the SEATTLE TIMES.  A survey of last year's home crowds
     showed 70% were female, mostly college graduates, with
     annual incomes of more than $50,000 (SEATTLE TIMES, 11/12).