The NFL Oilers, 9,400 tickets short of a sellout for
this Sunday's game against the Bengals, will be giving away
7,500 Beanie Babies. Oilers Exec VP/Marketing Don
MacLachlan said that the promotion "was more of a reward to
season-ticket holders than a major bid to fill seats" (N.Y.
TIMES, 10/16). Also in Nashville, the Oilers are "not close
to selling out" its four remaining home dates, except for
the November 15 game vs. the Steelers (Nashville TENNESSEAN,
10/15)....In Pittsburgh, Ron Cook writes on the Penguins
situation and wonders how NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman
"could stand by this summer as the Baldwin-Marino feud ...
embarrassed the league?" Cook: "And how could Bettman allow
Baldwin and Marino to file for bankruptcy without making
them forfeit the team?" Bettman "showed the NHL is too weak
to help one of its struggling members." Cook: "As long as
Baldwin and Marino are the owners, the Penguins aren't worth
having anyway" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 10/16)....The
Hurricanes drew 5,531 to the Greensboro Coliseum for their
2-2 tie against the Stars last night. Capacity of the arena
is 11,059 (Greensboro NEWS & RECORD, 10/16)....49ers Interim
President Larry Thrailkill said that the team's Exec VP
Dwight Clark will not leave the 49ers before the end of the
season. Clark "has been pressing the 49ers to clarify his
future" and met with Browns President Carmen Policy last
week (Tony Grossi, Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 10/16).
