The CISL has ceased operations after five years.  The
     indoor soccer league had eight franchises at the time it
     suspended play.  CISL Commissioner/Founder Ron Weinstein:
     "The remaining owners and myself still firmly believe that
     the CISL's concept of indoor soccer and the business
     approach that our league attempted to take gave the sport
     its best-ever opportunity for fiscal success. 
     Unfortunately, some of our former owners chose to deviate
     from that path and it unfairly impacted on the other owners"
     (CISL).  Three franchises had withdrawn from the league --
     Portland, OR, Houston and Dallas, since the CISL season
     concluded at the end of October (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/24). 
          KICKING THOUGHTS AROUND: In Houston, Joseph Durate
     wrote the former ownership group of the former CISL Houston
     Hotshots said "it has not been contacted about joining the
     newly formed Premier Soccer Alliance."  A "current" plan has
     "a new league forming in time to begin play next summer,
     involving eight teams ... and consisting of few of the
     existing markets that were once CISL-operated."  Portland
     Professional Soccer President Bill Lavelle said that the new
     league could change its name to "something other than
     Premier Soccer Alliance, possibly a sponsorship name such as
     the rumored Nike-sponsored league" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE,
     12/24).  In K.C., Bob Luder wrote the NPSL could absorb some
     of the CISL teams or its talent.  NPSL Commissioner Steve
     Paxos: "There's a good possibility" (K.C. STAR, 1/3). 

          With the "possibility that a protesting Bud Selig would
     accept a draft and agree to remain as full-time
     commissioner, the committee searching for a replacement is
     close to making a final recommendation," according to Ross
     Newhan of the L.A. TIMES.  Rockies Chair Jerry McMorris,
     head of the search committee: "I'm hopeful we'll have this
     all resolved and behind us in the next 60 days."  Sources
     told Newhan that "a group of small-market owners continue to
     lobby" on Selig's behalf, hoping to persuade him to remain. 
     McMorris: "I understand there's a group working to draft Bud
     ... but he continues to tell me he's not a candidate." 
     Newhan: "The impression is that Selig is being pulled in
     several directions.  There are [MLB COO Paul] Beeston and a
     group of small-market owners urging him to move to New York
     as commissioner.  There are his Brewer partners urging him
     to stay in Milwaukee. ... There's also the possibility of a
     fight if Selig accedes to a draft" (L.A. TIMES, 12/20). 
          NEW NAME: In his Sunday column, Peter Gammons called 
     President Clinton's Senior Policy Advisor Bruce Reid the
     "perfect candidate" for MLB's top spot: "Reid is brilliant,
     he is purposeful, he knows people."  Gammons also suggested
     an MLB "governing body to accompany Reid" consisting of
     eight owners, MLBPA Exec Dir Don Fehr, two players elected
     annually, Beeston, one TV network exec, one elected GM and
     "if they really want vision, Sandy Alderson."  Gammons also
     advised naming an MLB Attorney General to "dismantle the
     pitiable league office system" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/4).
          ANOTHER CITY, NOT MY OWN: In Toronto, Richard Griffin
     wrote, "By the year 2002, the World Series will be played as
     part of a weeklong baseball festival at a neutral site. 
     According to sources, major-league owners have already begun
     serious, if somewhat preliminary, discussions on this
     radical concept" (TORONTO STAR, 12/31).
          TAX DAY: Five teams will have to pay a luxury tax by
     January 31, as figures from the Players Relations Committee
     show which teams have to pay the tax assessed at a rate of
     35% on any payroll amount over $55.587M.  The Yankees will
     have to pay the most, $4.438M on a $68.267M payroll,
     followed by the Orioles at $4.033M ($67.111M), the Indians
     at $2.072M ($61.508M), the Braves at $1.306M ($59.096M) and
     the Marlins at $153,046 ($56.024M).  The total tax on the
     five teams was $12.004M.  The first $10M of the luxury tax
     goes to "fund the shortfall in revenue sharing."  The
     remaining money will be divided among the five AL clubs with
     the lowest net local revenue in '96 (N.Y. TIMES, 12/25). 

          The WTA Tour officially named Ric Clarson as its new
     CEO.  Clarson, who was the PGA Tour's VP/Tournament Business
     Affairs, will begin his four-year term this month (WTA
     Tour).  In a teleconference with the media, Clarson noted
     some "boiler plate issues" facing the Tour: "Certainly, the
     umbrella sponsorship resell is first and foremost.  We need
     to take a look at the joint event concept that the ATP Tour
     has been pushing forth with.  Internal operations needs a
     review.  And, by the end of the year, hopefully, we are
     going to have a strategic plan for stability and growth for
     the years going forward."  Clarson added that he was
     interested in the Exec Dir position last spring, and talked
     to the Tour board about the opening: "I think they decided
     they were looking for more of an insider.  [But] when they
     were not able to agree on anyone, I was recontacted and
     looked at it again" (WTA Tour).  Clarson's new position will
     pay him $250,000 annually (Robin Finn, N.Y. TIMES, 12/20). 

          WOMEN'S SPORTS: An ABL record crowd of 15,213 attended
     the Xplosion-Blizzard game at the Hartford Civic Center on
     Saturday.  The previous ABL record crowd was 12,623 at the
     Civic Center for the Blizzard's season opener against the
     Glory in October (HARTFORD COURANT, 1/4)....Also on
     Saturday, 24,597 watched in Knoxville, TN, as the Univ of TN
     beat the Univ. of CT.  It was the largest crowd ever to see
     a women's college game, topping the old mark of 24,563 set
     in '87 when TN hosted TX (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/4). 
          NFL: Commissioner Paul Tagliabue contributed an op-ed
     in Sunday's N.Y. TIMES on the league's goal of "sound equal
     employment policies."  Tagliabue: "All of us in football --
     professional and college -- must do better in identifying
     top coaching talent from a diverse, growing pool, including
     African-Americans and those from other minority groups."  He
     challenged NFL owners and collegiate execs to "be innovative
     in their approaches to finding and developing coaching
     talent" (Paul Tagliabue, N.Y. TIMES, 1/4).