The Arena Football League Board of Governors approved
     the application for Saints Owner Tom Benson to place an AFL
     team in New Orleans for the '99 or 2000 season.  The Saints
     are the first-ever NFL team to apply for and purchase an AFL
     team.  NFL bylaws previously prohibited NFL owners from
     investing in other football leagues or teams, but an
     amendment to the NFL Constitution was passed last month
     which made the AFL an exception.  The only remaining
     requirement for Benson is to secure a lease at New Orleans
     Arena, which is expected to open in July '99 (AFL).  The AP
     reports that AFL execs feel that "as many as nine more NFL
     teams" may be venturing into the AFL (AP/DETROIT NEWS, 6/4).

          MLB: Fox Group VP/Communications Vince Wladika said
     "[t]here is no truth to" yesterday's reports that the
     Dodgers plan to dismiss manager Bill Russell and GM Fred
     Claire and replace them with Marlins manager Jim Leyland and
     GM Dave Dombrowski (L.A. TIMES, 6/4).  Leyland is quoted in
     the MIAMI HERALD as saying, "I've never talked to anybody. 
     I don't want to talk to anybody."  But Dombrowski "refused
     to comment" on the report (MIAMI HERALD, 6/4)...Yankees P
     Orlando Hernandez's major league debut drew 27,291 fans to
     Yankee Stadium last night, including 4,000 in walkup sales
     (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 6/4).  The Cuban's debut was
     featured in a number of media profiles, including the front
     page of the N.Y. TIMES and "CBS Evening News," where Dan
     Rather said Hernandez's story is that "of an immigrant who
     risked his life to get to the United States" (CBS, 6/3).
     ...Advance ticket sales show that this weekend's Indians-
     Reds series at Cinergy Field will challenge the Reds' all-
     time three game series attendance record of 152,565, set in
     '74 against the Dodgers (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 6/4).
          NHL: Stars Owner Tom Hicks "found himself in a shoving
     match with an unruly fan" at last night's Red Wings-Stars
     playoff game in Dallas.  Hicks was escorting the fan out of
     the lower seating area "when the fan shoved him back, and a
     number of security guards came to [Hicks'] rescue."  Hicks
     received a standing ovation from surrounding fans upon
     returning to his seat (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/4).
          NOTES: Former Vikings CEO Mike Lynn said he is
     "thinking about" making a bid on the team, and that he will
     speak with Twins Owner Carl Pohlad about "subjects of mutual
     interest" (STAR TRIBUNE, 6/4)....Suns CEO & D'Backs Managing
     General Partner Jerry Colangelo, asked if he would get
     involved with the NFL someday: "I doubt that very much" ("Up
     Close," 6/3)....The WNBA's Starzz-Mercury preseason WNBA
     game drew 11,348 to America West Arena (DESERET NEWS, 6/3). 

          The Grizzlies "are holding the line" on the cost of
     renewed and new full or partial season-ticket packages, but
     "there's a catch," according to a report in the VANCOUVER
     SUN.  In order to buy at last year's prices and "avoid" a
     C$1- and C$2-per game increases in price which will also
     affect single game tickets, fans "must commit before" July
     3, which is "just two days" after the NBA's "expected
     lockout" would begin.  After that date, prices in six out of
     seven ticket levels will rise by either C$1 or C$2 a game. 
     Grizzlies officials said that they "are uncertain" about
     what impact a lockout would have on sales, but Kevin Gass,
     the team's VP/Communications, said the verbal response to
     renewal notices has been "very positive."  Gass, on a
     possible lockout: "[T]here's never been a missed game in the
     NBA due to a labor situation.  We're going to assume
     optimistically that it won't happen" (VANCOUVER SUN, 6/4).

          Pacers Dir of Public Relations Mike Henn said that
     95.2% of the team's approximately 8,500 full-season ticket
     holders have renewed for next season, according to Sean
     Horgan of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR-NEWS.  Henn said that
     interest in the team has increased with its appearance in
     the Eastern Conference Finals.  Henn: "Generally in past
     seasons, we're usually right at about 90 percent.  That 5-
     point jump is really significant" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR-NEWS,
     6/4).  In other news, the Pacers divided their playoff pool
     of $579,250, with each player receiving "approximately"
     $40,000 after partial shares were given to support
     personnel.  The players awarded a partial share to Ann Hart,
     wife of longtime equipment manger Bill Hart, who died during
     the past season (INDIANAPOLIS STAR-NEWS, 6/3).  

          The Ravens move into their new stadium this fall "with
     something many would have thought unlikely ... empty seats,"
     according to Morgan & Preston of the Baltimore SUN.  The
     team has sold "about" 52,000 season tickets, each with the
     required PSL, and has "about" 7,000 remaining.  The one-time
     PSL fees "range from" $250-$3,000.  Ravens VP/Public
     Relations Kevin Byrne said the team was "pleased" with sales
     thus far: "We always kind of paralleled ourselves with
     Carolina, and they had 4,000 PSLs available when they
     started their season at the Charlotte stadium."  Byrne added
     that he thinks the team will open the season "with about
     54,000" PSLs sold.  The unsold seats, all located in the end
     zones, "will be sold on a single-game basis and be marked so
     fans know they are available."  Once season-tickets are sold
     out, the Ravens will make 6,000 single-game seats available
     for each game in the 69,000-seat facility (SUN, 6/4).

          Indians Owner Richard Jacobs "will be swinging for the
     fences today, hoping to raise more than" $60M through an
     IPO, as shares in his team begin trading this morning on the
     NASDAQ, according to Bill Lubinger of the Cleveland PLAIN
     DEALER.  Jacobs, who "will retain overwhelming financial and
     management control" after the stock offering, is looking to
     sell "up to" 4.6 million shares.  The stock, which was
     priced at $15 a share yesterday, will trade under the symbol
     "CLEV," and investors must buy at least 100 shares
     initially.  The IPO is being underwritten by McDonald & Co.
     Securities Inc., which is also serving as the lead brokerage
     (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 6/4).  Some financial analysts
     believe that the stock offering "will be sold out through
     brokerage house commitments before the NASDAQ market opens"
     (USA TODAY, 6/4).  In Akron, Mary Vanac reports that the
     offering "is expected" to raise between $53.8M-$62.2M for
     the team, and Indians VP/Public Relations Bob DiBiasio said
     that the organization "decided to keep its stock
     certificates under wraps until after" this morning's
     offering.  Many potential buyers have "indicated that they
     want certificates" for their shares, which signals that they
     "intend" to hold on to them (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 6/4).