LEAGUE NOTES

          WHO WOULDA THUNK IT? In N.Y., gossip columnist Neal
     Travis writes that CBA Commissioner Steve Patterson's name
     "is now cropping up" in discussions about the MLB
     Commissioner job (N.Y. POST, 3/5)....The NL is "ignoring a
     tradition of naming umpire crew chiefs by seniority, opting
     instead to use a merit system."  NL President Len Coleman:
     "It was not an easy choice, but ultimately someone had to
     make the decision and I did" (USA TODAY, 3/5). 
          OTHER NOTES: U.S. Chief of Mission Paul George, who
     headed the U.S. Olympic delegation, said he will "seriously
     consider" recommending that the USOC impose a "teamwide
     sanction" on the men's hockey team for the damage in the
     Olympic village.  The sanction could include a ban on all 23
     players from future Olympic Games (WASHINGTON POST, 3/5).
     ...U.S. Soccer Federation President Alan Rothenberg is
     interviewed in USA TODAY.  Rothenberg, on the U.S. national
     team heading into the World Cup: "I think the important
     thing is that there probably isn't a game that we play now
     where we are not going to be competitive" (USA TODAY, 3/5).