In an exclusive interview in the N.Y. TIMES, PRESIDENT
     CLINTON's passion for the game of golf was noted by Berke &
     Broder as he moves in to the latter part of his Presidency. 
     U.S. Senator John Breaux (D-LA), on Clinton's second term: 
     "It's golf, golf, golf -- interspersed with politics."  Some
     "prominent Democrats" said that they were surprised by
     Clinton's "longing for the golf course."  U.S. Senator Tom
     Daschle (D-SD): "It's amazing to me.  He can pour out data
     about a golf course like he can about polls and voting
     turnouts ... He regales us, with some frequency, with stories
     of being on the golf course and hitting this incredible
     drive."  Clinton: "It's not fair to say I'm obsessed with it"
     (Berke & Broder, N.Y. TIMES, 12/7).

          The MLS Wizards are expected to announce DOUG NEWMAN, a
     "top executive" at adidas, as their new GM today (K.C. STAR,
     12/7)....Target-Chip Ganassi Racing announced the resignation
     of MICHAEL KNIGHT, VP Communications (N.Y. POST, 12/6)....NJ-
     based The Score Board announced that KEN GOLDIN has resigned
     as CEO & Board of Dir Chair (Score Board).

          The "empire" of News Corp. Chair RUPERT MURDOCH was
     examined in a front-page feature by Paul Farhi in Sunday's
     WASHINGTON POST.  Murdoch became an American citizen in the
     mid-80's to comply with U.S. law prohibiting foreign
     ownership of TV stations, and those TV stations provide News
     Corp. "with the vast majority of its revenue and profit." 
     But "through the deft use of international accounting
     loopholes and offshore tax havens, Murdoch has paid corporate
     income taxes at one-fifth the rate of his chief U.S. rivals
     throughout the '90s."  Farhi added that there is "no
     suggestion from U.S. authorities of any impropriety" in the
     way Murdoch has done business and that the "international tax
     and accounting strategies employed by News Corp. may, in
     fact, make Murdoch a model for the 21-century entrepreneur --
     a captain of an industry who operates under so many flags at
     once that it's hard to know where his allegiances lie or how
     his businesses function" (WASHINGTON POST, 12/6).

          Former Isles Owner JOHN SPANO was indicted on two counts
     of federal bank fraud four days after he "backed out of a
     plea bargain with three states."  He will be arraigned on the
     charges Wednesday in Boston (Mult., 12/6)....JEFF GORDON, on
     Forbes magazine listing him among the top sports earners of
     '97 with combined earnings of $10.3M, ranking him 32 out of
     40: "What's amazing about that is you don't know the source
     of it, but it's so accurate" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/6)....Yankees
     Owner GEORGE STEINBRENNER, on the five-year, $34M deal agent
     SCOTT BORAS secured for JAY BELL with the D'Backs: "Boras is
     just throwing out numbers.  Some people bite.  He took
     [D'Backs Managing General Partner] JERRY COLANGELO over the
     coals.  He made him look like a fool" (UNION-TRIBUNE, 12/7).
     ...PEYTON MANNING will be a guest on "Late Show" with David
     Letterman tonight.  He becomes the first college football
     player ever to guest on Letterman (NASHVILLE BANNER, 12/5).