Rockets Owner Leslie Alexander said Thursday he "will
     drop his lawsuit to get out of Compaq Center before his
     lease expires in 2003 because he is satisfied officials will
     have a new arena by then," according to John Williams of the
     HOUSTON CHRONICLE.  Alexander has spent "about three years"
     trying to get a new arena in Houston, arguing that the team
     can't stay competitive without luxury suites, club seats and
     "other revenue boosters."  Harris County-Houston Sports
     Authority member Michael Stevens said that the Authority had
     "started preliminary negotiations with Alexander."  In other
     news, Alexander said he will "renew efforts" to acquire 25%
     of the Vikings with a new investor group after Tom Clancy
     withdrew his bid on Wednesday (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 5/22).

          Hamilton County officials sold $273M in bonds on
     Tuesday, the "final financing instruments for the Bengals'
     new stadium," according to Lucy May of the CINCINNATI
     ENQUIRER.  The county received an "average" 5.16% interest
     rate on the bonds.  Earlier this year, the county issued
     $71.6M in bonds at a 4.87% interest rate, and in all, the
     county has sold $344.6M in bonds to pay for the stadium. 
     May wrote that is "considerably more" than the original
     estimate of $322.7M, but officials cite the rising land cost
     as one reason for the increase.  The bonds will be paid off
     by a half-cent county sales tax increase (CINCINNATI
     ENQUIRER, 5/20).  May reported yesterday that "even with the
     favorable interest rates," documents show that interest
     payments will total more than $353M over the 30-year debt. 
     Combined interest for the $273M in bonds sold Tuesday and
     the $71.6M bond issue in January "brings the total cost of
     the project," including the stadium complex plus financing
     costs, to more than $753M.  Hamilton County Commissioner Bob
     Bedinghaus "stressed" that the cost of the $400.3M football
     complex hasn't changed and said that county officials "plan
     to pay off the debt early" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 5/21).

          Boston city officials "downplayed" a report on "Inside
     Edition" about food safety violations at Fenway Park. 
     Inspectional Services Department's John Eade: "We're in the
     (television rating) sweeps.  That's their story.  I don't
     want to respond to that."  Aramark President of Stadiums and
     Arenas John Pistone said the company will offer "additional
     training" to employees (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/22)....Dallas
     officials "are putting final touches" on a plan to lease the
     Cotton Bowl to "a private group of business leaders that
     intends to dome" the stadium (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 5/22).
     ...Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke is asking City Council to
     approve a $450,000 study "to examine potential sites and the
     economic benefits" of building a newer, larger Baltimore
     Arena (Baltimore SUN, 5/22)....In Denver, the stadium board
     "recommended tearing down McNichols Sports Arena to make way
     for a new Broncos stadium."  Final decision is up to the
     Denver City Council (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 5/22)....With no
     roof at Olympic Stadium, the temperature at the Expos' game
     yesterday "was around" 15 degrees with a "brisk wind."  The
     announced crowd was 7,601, but there were "fewer than 1,000
     on hand" for the last two innings (GAZETTE, 5/22).