NBC and TBS' proposed new football league would "sell
     franchises to investors and attempt to attract national
     auto, airline, beverage and technology advertisers with the
     promise of high-profile, if low-rated, telecasts," according
     to Steve Zipay of NEWSDAY.  It "appeared likely" that
     Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner "would be approached" to
     invest in the league, although he could not be reached for
     comment.  Steinbrenner is close to TBS Sports President
     Harvey Schiller (NEWSDAY, 1/31).  Turner and NBC said it
     would be "at least" eight weeks before feasibility studies
     on a league would be complete.  In L.A., Scott Hettrick
     reports that talk of a new league comes as NFL Europe "has
     had trouble building an audience in the [U.S], with Fox even
     considering drastically scaling back coverage" from its 30
     games on FX last year (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 2/2).  In N.Y.,
     Richard Sandomir added that NBC would broadcast games on
     Sunday afternoons and Turner on Sunday nights.  Although
     details "are few," it appears the two networks are "aiming
     at creating a single-entity league that may sell investors
     some type of local operating agreements" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/31).
          REAX: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick wrote that a GE/Turner-
     backed league could be "launched, sustained and grow at
     maximum exposure, at minimum risk and on the relative
     cheap."  Mushnick: "[T]his isn't as crazy as it sounds at
     first blush" (N.Y. POST, 2/1).  Paul Kagan Senior Sports
     Analyst John Mansell added that with advertisers like Coca-
     Cola "already somewhat reticent about stepping up and paying
     what the NFL is now asking ... it's feasible, although it's
     obviously highly risky" that the league could succeed.
     Mansell: "[T]here are a lot more stadiums now, particularly
     in major markets" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/31).  But in N.Y.,
     Mike Lupica wrote that a new league would "dilute the talent
     level more, drive up salaries and put more football on
     television than you have talking lawyer-heads.  Sounds like
     a little slice of heaven, doesn't it?" (DAILY NEWS, 2/1). 
     In St. Pete, Hubert Mizell writes that the league "would
     infringe significantly on college football" and hopes "the
     idea will fade away rapidly" (ST. PETE TIMES, 2/2).  In
     Houston, Dale Robertson: "[T]here's hardly a crying need for
     a full league's worth of more crummy football" (HOUSTON
     CHRONICLE, 2/2).  Ryan Schinman, VP of NJ-based Worldwide
     Team Sports, on a new league: "It's a joke" (CNBC, 1/30).
 

          Casey Martin's challenge to the PGA Tour's walking rule
     goes to court in Eugene, OR, today as Martin tries to prove
     that a cart is "a reasonable modification to the tour's
     rules, not a fundamental change" (Richard Sandomir, N.Y.
     TIMES, 2/2).  USA TODAY's Harry Blauvelt reports that a 12-
     minute videotape showing Martin's right leg "without support
     stockings, which reduce swelling," will "highlight today's
     court proceeding."  Blauvelt adds that Court TV petitioned
     for permission to show the trial "but was turned down" (USA
     TODAY, 2/2).  Martin will be led by attorney William Wiswall
     and ADA "expert" Martha Walters, while the PGA Tour's
     defense team will be led by AZ-attorney William Maledon
     (Thomas Heath, WASHINGTON POST, 2/2).  Reaction toward the
     Martin case continues to be strong.  A sampling follows:
          REAX: Tom Kite offers an op-ed in the N.Y. TIMES and
     writes, "We cannot change an integral aspect of our sport
     for any one person" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/2).  Martin's case was
     featured on "The Sports Reporters."  Bob Ryan: "You can't
     walk, you can't play."  Mike Lupica: "They are missing a
     great kid here, a great story" (ESPN, 2/1).  In Chicago, Sam
     Smith: "It has been such a disappointment to see the golf
     community ... fail to stand up and defend Martin on this
     basic issue of human decency" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/1).  In
     Dallas, Kevin Blackistone wrote that golf "still doesn't see
     itself as a game for everyone, hence the argument it will
     make ... that it is a private, not a public, concern and,
     therefore not subject to the law" (MORNING NEWS, 2/1).  
          NIKE'S ROLE: In N.Y., Marcia Chambers writes that with
     its sponsorship of both Martin and the Nike Tour, Nike has
     its money "on both sides of this dispute."  Tom Fox, Nike's
     U.S. Dir of Sports Marketing: "It does not affect our
     relationship with the tour.  We don't agree with them in
     this particular case" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/2).  Martin wore a Nike
     hat, shirt and sneakers, for weekend meetings with his
     lawyers.  Martin: "As for other endorsements, there's a lot
     riding on the trial in that respect" (USA TODAY, 2/2).

          A U.S District Court judge in Philadelphia has allowed
     a lawsuit, filed by five former NHL players against the NHL,
     former league president John Zeigler and NHLPA founder Alan
     Eagleson, to proceed, according to the PHILADELPHIA
     INQUIRER.  The suit "accuses the league of breaching its
     duty" by allowing Eagleson "to act unchecked" in negotiating
     with the league and its players.  The first pretrial
     conference in the case will be held today (PHILADELPHIA
     INQUIRER, 2/1).  In Montreal, Ted Blackman called the
     Philadelphia ruling a potential "billion-dollar hockey
     bombshell," with results that "could hurt the NHL worse than
     the $300-million hit baseball took for collusion." 
     Blackman: "How much worse?  Roughly, given a maximum
     players' victory, $52 million per team!  Or bankruptcy for
     several teams and chaos for the rest" (GAZETTE, 2/1).
          OTHER NEWS: NHL GMs meet in Scottsdale, AZ, this week
     for their annual mid-season meetings, with potential rule
     changes expected to be "hotly debated" (TORONTO STAR, 2/1).
     ...On ESPN's "The Sports Reporters," Bob Ryan noted the
     quality of regular-season play, and said, "No game has
     inflicted more aesthetic misery on its most knowledgeable
     followers than NHL hockey.  If they're lucky, the Olympics
     will shame these who control the game into acknowledging the
     basic mess the day-to-day the NHL has become" (ESPN, 2/1).  
     

          TNT's Craig Sager reported from Portland, OR, that
     Latrell Sprewell's agent Arn Tellem gave "the most dramatic"
     and "most significant testimony to date," telling arbitrator
     John Feerick on Friday that Sprewell's punishment "is not
     consistent with previous discipline."  Tellem cited an
     incident in the fall of '90, when then-Hornets VP/Basketball
     Operations Allan Bristow reportedly choked Tellem during
     negotiations for Kendall Gill.  Sager: "After Bristow
     apologized, and agreed to pay any medical expenses for
     Tellem's sore neck, the only action by the league against
     Bristow was a verbal reprimand" ("NBA on TNT," 1/30).
          START SPREADING THE NEWS: Sprewell's hearing resumes
     today in New York.  Over the next four days, Warriors coach
     P.J. Carlesimo, GM Garry St. Jean, NBA Commissioner David
     Stern, deputy commissioner Russ Granik, and Dir of Security
     Horace Balmer "are expected" to testify (David DuPree, USA
     TODAY, 2/2)....With "almost every" story on the Sprewell
     hearing containing a reference to Fordham Univ. Law School
     Dean John Feerick, the school has received "at least" $9M in
     free advertising, according to MI-based Joyce Julius &
     Associates, which tracks such exposure (USA TODAY, 2/2).

          Plans are in the works for a Triple-A World Series
     matching the champions from the Int'l League and the PCL at
     a neutral site, according to the Providence JOURNAL-
     BULLETIN.  The first series will be held this year sometime
     in the middle of September.   Int'l League President Randy
     Mobley: "We want the neutral site in order to sell the event
     year 'round, market it and get the TV locked up.  We still
     have work to be done with [MLB], some sponsorship work and a
     little television work."  Leading neutral-site candidates
     include Las Vegas and New Orleans (JOURNAL-BULLETIN, 1/31).