Maple Leafs President Ken Dryden "is determined to see
     fighting abolished" in the NHL, according to Marty York of
     the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL.  Dryden: "I intend to start
     lobbying for it formally. ... As far as I'm concerned, the
     NHL should not be treating fighting as though it is part of
     the game.  In my view, if an NHL player fights, he should be
     ejected, plain and simple, just as players in baseball or
     basketball are."  Dryden said that he has "expressed his
     opinion to the NHL informally" at a recent meeting.  Dryden:
     "There was a real difference of opinion in that room. ...
     Essentially, we've been programmed to consider constant
     fighting in hockey as if there isn't a choice, as if there
     is an inevitability to it" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 11/27).
          CHEERS FOR DISNEY: NHL Oilers President Glen Sather, on
     Disney's handling of Paul Kariya's holdout: "We're all
     watching it with a lot of interest.  And I'm 100 percent
     behind the way [Walt Disney Chair Michael] Eisner and Disney
     are handling this.  This is the function of the collective
     bargaining agreement.  This is what we had all those
     negotiations and a lockout about" (EDMONTON SUN, 11/29).

          In the dispute on the WTA Tour's player association
     board, a N.Y. Supreme Court judge has "issued a temporary
     restraining order," leaving the dismissal of former WTAPA
     Exec Dir Sara Fornaciari "intact but prohibiting the WTAPA
     board from taking further action."  The two sides have held
     a "private meeting," and one source close to WTA management
     said, "They're making progress.  The issue is going to go
     away in the next week or so" (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL,
     11/27)....The NBA's drug policy was examined by Lynn Zinser
     of the PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS.  She called it "feeble front
     to back" with "no provisions for random testing, few
     provisions for testing anyone besides rookies and ...
     nothing to say about marijuana."  She also criticized NBPA
     Exec Dir Billy Hunter for his "whining" after NBA
     Commissioner David Stern stated his wish to strengthen the
     policy.  Zinser added that Hunter's "botched reaction to
     this is ... frightening" and said that with his moves, he
     has "stranded Stern on the high road" (DAILY NEWS,
     11/28)....In noting the NHL's deals with CTV and Labatt
     Brewery, Tim Panaccio of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER wrote
     that "whether you agree with some of [NHL Commissioner Gary]
     Bettman's moves ... you have to give him credit for taking
     risks.  So far, hockey has benefitted from Bettman's bold
     moves. ... Bettman has been aggressive in carrying out new
     identities for the NHL worldwide.  In doing so, Bettman
     hasn't shown favoritism.  Molson and TSN are still smarting
     over these deals" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/30).
 

          The NFL has asked the St. Louis Convention and Visitors
     Commission (CVC) to pay $527,474 as the league's cost of
     defending itself against the CVC's antitrust suit, according
     to Tim Bryant of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH.  As the winner
     in the suit, the league is "entitled to recover its costs of
     defending the case."  The bill does not include attorneys
     fees.  Among the expenses was $228,000 paid to MA-based
     consultant Franklin Fisher, who billed himself at $800-an-
     hour, and "outlined the NFL's defense" against the CVC. The
     league is asking the CVC to pay for computer rentals,
     copying expenses and issuing subpoenas and court summonses. 
     The CVC "may dispute" the figures (POST-DISPATCH, 11/27).
          L.A. STORY: Columnist Randy Harvey called on City
     Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas to give up his bid to bring
     the NFL back to the Coliseum and instead "support the Dodger
     Stadium area."  Harvey said the Coliseum plan included "too
     many obstacles" and "most discouraging is that NFL officials
     have little enthusiasm for" the site (L.A. TIMES, 11/26).
          NOTES: The NFL's female fan-base was examined by David
     Adams of the AKRON BEACON JOURNAL.  While "still dominated
     by men," females represent 43% of the NFL's fan base now --
     up from 33% in '90 (BEACON JOURNAL, 11/28)....Cowboys Owner
     Jerry Jones said the league is looking at "upwards" of a
     $10M increase in its '98 salary cap, boosted by a new TV
     deal.  The '97 cap is $41.45M (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 11/27).