MEEHAN TO INTRODUCE BILL RESTRICTING FRANCHISE MOVEMENT

          U.S. Rep. Marty Meehan (D-MA) will file a bill this
     week "designed to prevent" NFL, NHL and NBA owners from
     "moving franchises against the wishes of the league,"
     according to Will McDonough of the BOSTON GLOBE.  Meehan,
     who has "worked closely" with league execs on the bill, uses
     the Rams' move to St. Louis as an example: "Initially, the
     owners in the league voted down the team leaving Los Angeles
     for St. Louis, but then legal action is taken in Missouri
     threatening antitrust action and the NFL has to change its
     vote and let the move go through even though they didn't
     want it.  What we will be asking is that antitrust does not
     come into play in something like this, and a team, if it
     wants to move, must go buy the rules set up in that league
     for moving a franchise" (Will McDonough, BOSTON GLOBE, 5/9).