WOULD PREDATORS BE JUST FINE MISSING SEASON TICKET DEADLINE?

          The Predators, who must sell 12,000 season-tickets by
     March 31, are "believed to have sold between" 9,500 to
     10,000 as of Friday, according to Jeff Legwold of the
     TENNESSEAN.  But if the team does not meet its goal, "it is
     highly unlikely the franchise would be revoked."  Legwold
     wrote that many "inside the league have said privately" the
     team would be "heavily fined -- as much as" $5M to $10M --
     if the sales target is not reached.  NHL Commissioner Gary
     Bettman: "Simply put I have to take into account that there
     are three other franchises coming into the league over the
     next three seasons who are watching, so this is a condition
     I take very seriously" (TENNESSEAN, 3/7).