In Chicago, Jay Mariotti on Bulls Owner Jerry
     Reinsdorf's handling of Scottie Pippen's trade request: "It
     is despicable how Reinsdorf tries to sway the masses, taking
     mushy questions on rightsholder radio stations to paint
     Pippen as an idiot for signing a deal that almost instantly
     becomes obsolete. ... In baseball and basketball, Reinsdorf
     constantly tries to show his brilliance, to the point of
     thinking himself into knots and distancing him from the big
     goal" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 11/30).  Noting that Michael
     Jordan makes $30.365M more than Pippen, who makes $2.775M,
     ESPN's Mike Lupica said, "Somewhere along the line the Bulls
     owner should have done the very best that he could under the
     salary cap rules to at least try to make things right with
     Pippen.  He didn't ... He's always acted small, even running
     the biggest team in sports.  And when both Jordan and Pippen
     are gone he'll revert to being a nobody, the way he already
     is running the White Sox" ("SportsWeekly," 11/30).
          NOTE: In Philadelphia, 20,714 attended the CoreStates
     Center Lakers-76ers on Friday night; 19,634 attended Friday
     afternoon's Islanders-Flyers game and a sellout crowd of
     17,380 watched the AHL Bears-Phantoms game at the CoreStates
     Spectrum.  The three games totalled 57,728 -- a one-day
     record for the CoreStates complex (DAILY NEWS, 11/29).

          The San Jose Mercury News filed a lawsuit alleging that
     East Bay officials "violated the state's open-meeting law by
     conducting private meetings on cash-flow projections and
     marketing plans for the troubled" Raiders deal, according to
     Dennis Akizuki of the MERCURY NEWS.  The suit, filed in
     Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland, also charges that
     the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority (OACCA) "has
     illegally withheld the documents discussed in the meetings." 
     One document "shows that taxpayers could end up paying
     millions of dollars more than previously thought to support
     the controversial deal that returned the Raiders to
     Oakland."  Mercury News attorney Ed Davis: "When you are
     dealing with discussions of public money, you have to do it
     in public, with few exceptions."  OACCA officials "refused
     to comment," and have 30 days to respond to the suit.  The
     Mercury News is asking the court to "order the release" of
     the documents and require the authority to tape future
     closed meetings (Dennis Akizuki, S.J. MERCURY NEWS, 11/27).

          A November 30 deadline for MN Legislature to approve a
     new stadium passed without a deal, and potential Twins Owner
     Don Beaver's representatives said that "the sale process is
     proceeding as planned and that they're preparing to promote
     the Triad [NC] region to owners of major league teams,"
     according to Jay Weiner of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. 
     Twins President Jerry Bell: "It's now up to Major League
     Baseball to decide."  Beaver spokesperson Eddie Bradford
     said that the final purchase agreement "could be ready" to
     be presented to MLB "as early as this week."  Beaver's
     attorney George Little said that he "doesn't expect" MLB's
     final approval to come until May 5, when Triad voters hold a
     referendum to raise restaurant taxes 1% to help fund a $210M
     stadium.  Phillies Chair Bill Giles, a member of MLB's Exec
     Council, said he would approve a Twins move "only if there
     is 100 percent certainty that they will get a proper
     facility.  If it's maybe they'll get it, then they won't get
     my support" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 11/30).  Beaver:
     "Nothing changes. ... I'm confident that we have a letter of
     agreement" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 12/1).  

          Packers President Bob Harlan said the "great majority"
     of purchases of Packers stock are "not for individuals, but
     for others," according to Bob Wolfley of the MILWAUKEE
     JOURNAL SENTINEL.  Harlan did not reveal how many shares the
     team has sold, although he said it hasn't reached 200,000.
     The team aims to sell 400,000 shares. Harlan puts the
     biggest purchase so far at $50,000, saying the average
     number of $200 shares per purchase is 1.7.  Among the buyers
     is former Bears RB Gale Sayers.  Harlan said that one source
     told him Sayers bought $5,000 worth (25 shares), but Harlan
     "could not verify that" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 11/30).
          CHARGERS: ESPN purchased the remaining 1,500-1,600
     general admission tickets needed to lift the local TV
     blackout of last night's Broncos-Chargers game from San
     Diego (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 11/29).
          BILLS: In Buffalo, attendance at the Jets-Bills game
     yesterday was 47,776 -- the smallest home crowd since 45,253
     showed up for the '95 finale (DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 12/1).
          EAGLES: Five people were arrested at yesterday's
     Bengals-Eagles game for disorderly conduct.  Municipal Judge
     Seamus McCaffery, who heads the "instant-justice" court at
     the games: "We were happy to have fewer arrests this week"
     (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 12/1).  The Eagles Court was
     featured last night on "NBC Nightly News" (NBC, 11/30).
          NOTES: Jets Owner Leon Hess, during his annual
     Thanksgiving Day visit to his players: "It's great to have
     [Bill] Parcells here, running the show.  One spokesman, one
     voice.  It's his show" (Mult., 11/28)....NBC's Will
     McDonough reported that Panthers GM Bill Polian "could be"
     the next VP/GM in Indianapolis if the Colts decide "to clean
     house at the end of the ear" ("NFL on NBC," 11/30).

          The Blues will introduce a third jersey on January 31
     at the Kiel Center, and the team "has already received [NHL]
     approval for it to become their official home jersey next
     season," according to Dave Luecking of the ST. LOUIS POST-
     DISPATCH.  The Blues will also wear redesigned road jerseys
     next season.  The new uniforms, designed by Fleishman-
     Hillard's Buck Smith, will replace the current ones that
     were unveiled in '94.  Navy blue will be featured in the new
     look, replacing red, and complimenting the "team's royal
     blue base."  The team will wear solid navy pants, with
     gloves and socks to match (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 11/27).
     Also in St. Louis, Bernie Miklasz wrote that he is
     "thankful" for Blues President Mark Sauer and Senior VP Jim
     Woodcock: "Sanity is restored, ticket prices are down, and
     Blues hockey is making a comeback" (POST-DISPATCH, 11/27).
          FLYERS: The Flyers introduced their third jersey on
     Friday, which will be worn 14 times this season, including
     eight times on Fox and two on ESPN.  Flyers COO Ron Ryan 
     said that the team "didn't promote" the product, because
     Nike "failed to meet" the November 4 delivery date to the
     public.  The new jersey was on sale Friday at the CoreStates
     Center, and Ryan "expects it to be in retail outlets next
     week" (Tim Panaccio, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/30).
          LIGHTNING: In Fort Lauderdale, Dave Joseph reported
     that Atlanta business exec David Berkman is the leading
     candidate to buy the Lightning (SUN-SENTINEL, 11/30).