JAYS CHAIR TELLS CANADIAN GOVERNMENT PRO TEAMS NEED HELP

          Blue Jays Chair & CEO Sam Pollock told a House of
     Commons committee on the future of sports in Canada that the
     Blue Jays and all Canadian pro teams "are in financial
     peril," according to William Walker of the TORONTO STAR. 
     Pollock said that the Blue Jays lost $35M in FY '97 and that
     he "forecasts a similar loss this year."  He added that the
     team "started losing money in 1993 and hasn't been
     profitable since."  But throughout his appearance Pollock
     "insisted" that the team was not asking for "government
     concessions" (TORONTO STAR, 5/26).  He cited the low
     Canadian dollar, the "bad deal" between the government and
     business when the SkyDome was built, and the amount of taxes
     the Jays pay as "key reasons" behind its struggles, and
     added that "every time the Canadian dollar drops one cent,
     it costs the Jays $600,000" (CALGARY SUN, 5/26).