HURRICANES SHUT THE DRAPES ON TOP LEVELS AT GREENSBORO

          The Hurricanes have reduced the capacity at Greensboro
     Coliseum from 20,800 to 15,902 by putting up black curtains
     in the upper deck of certain sections, according to Scott
     Michaux of the Greensboro NEWS & RECORD.  The team says that
     134,963 tickets have been sold or given away for its 15 home
     games, which Michaux says "translates" to 43% of total
     capacity, but the team says it is playing to "nearly" 57% of
     its reconfigured "capacity."  'Canes Ticket Manager Jim
     Baldwin said that the team sells tickets outside the
     curtained-off areas "first," and that the curtains will be
     raised "whenever the demand exceeds their stated capacity" 
     (NEWS & RECORD, 12/1).  In Boston, Nancy Marrapese writes
     that the announced crowd of 5,865 in Greensboro for last
     night's Canes-Bruins game "was appalling."  Marrapese: "Not
     only did the actual attendance look about half that size ...
     but the fans had less enthusiasm than the Bruins generate
     for the average intrasquad scrimmage" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/2).