IHL Aeros President Steve Patterson announced that he
     will leave the club to head up the efforts of Houston
     business exec Bob McNair and Aeros Owner Chuck Watson to
     bring an NFL team to Houston.  McNair and Watson have formed
     Houston NFL Holdings L.L.C.  Former IHL exec Richard Adler
     will assume Patterson's role as Aeros President (Aeros).  
          WHAT IT MEANS: With a March deadline "looming," McNair,
     Watson and Patterson are "accelerating planning for a new
     football stadium," according to John Williams in a front-
     page story in today's HOUSTON CHRONICLE.  Harris County-
     Houston Sports Authority Chair Jack Rains has also "started
     his own fact-finding mission on how much money the authority
     will need to build a stadium."  In addition, Enron Corp.
     Chair Ken Lay, who has raised almost $40M to help pay for a
     new Astros ballpark, "will resume raising private funds to
     help subsidize stadium construction."  Lay "is expected to
     seek another" $30M for a football stadium and basketball/
     hockey arena.  Houston NFL Holdings has hired KC-based HOK
     and Houston-based Linbeck Construction "to estimate the cost
     of the three projects."  HOK and Linbeck "will consider"
     renovating the Astrodome; building a new domed stadium; or
     updating Rice Stadium "with luxury boxes and other amenities
     to generate enough revenues" for an NFL team.  Houston NFL
     Holdings also hired Arthur Andersen for financial estimates;
     Leisure Management Int'l to determine operating costs of a
     facility; and NC-based financial expert Max Muhlman to
     "determine how many [PSLs], club seats and luxury boxes the
     Houston market will bear."  Williams: "Though McNair and
     Watson may try to buy an existing team and move it to
     Houston, they are placing most attention on vying with Los
     Angeles for one of the two expansion franchises the NFL is
     expected to award next year" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/4).

          NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue says the NFL "will
     fight bids by any second-year college players to enter the
     '98 draft."  Tagliabue: "We think our rules (limiting
     signings to players with at least three years of college)
     will stand up in court" (Peter King, SI, 12/8 issue)....The
     ATP Tour took out a full-page ad in USA TODAY congratulating
     Pete Sampras on being chosen by players, journalists and
     tournament directors as the game's No. 1 player of the last
     25 years.  Balloting was conducted to commemorate the Tour's
     25th Anniversary.  Rounding out the top five were Bjorn
     Borg, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl (THE
     DAILY)....The ABL Storm-StingRays game in Long Beach last
     night started over 45 minutes late when the three ABL
     officials scheduled to referee did not show up.  ABL ref
     Chuck Gonzales was sitting in the stands as a spectator, and
     agreed to ref the game.  Another ABL ref, Mariane Karp, who
     lives near the arena, was called and agreed to drive over to
     do the game.  ABL Dir of Officials Ernie Yarbrough was
     unavailable to comment who was supposed to officiate the
     game and why they didn't show up (Long Beach PRESS-TELEGRAM,
     12/4)....The ABL will sponsor its first dunk contest January
     17 at the All-Star Game in Orlando, FL (DENVER POST, 12/4).