FRANCHISE NOTES

          MINOR LEAGUES: To recover "a portion" of former Owner
     Peter Pocklington's C$56.4M debt, the Alberta Treasury
     Branches plan to sell the AAA Edmonton Trappers in 90 days
     (EDMONTON SUN, 10/22).....Raleigh, NC, CPA Davin Brown is
     leading a group of ten investors planning to buy the A-
     League Raleigh Flyers from Hugo Uyttenhove.  Brown plans on
     keeping the team in Raleigh (NEWS & OBSERVER, 10/21)....The
     USISL Albuquerque Geckos will move to Sacramento for the '99
     season.  With the move, the Geckos aligned themselves with
     the CISL Sacramento Knights to share resources (Geckos).
          OTHER NOTES: With the potential World Series clincher
     on TV, the Islanders drew what "appeared to be fewer than
     3,000 fans" to last night's game against the Oilers (N.Y.
     TIMES, 10/22)....NFL rookie free-agent Jeff Danish is suing
     the Saints for "more than" $650,000 after a hazing incident
     led to 14 stitches in his "left arm, facial bruises and
     emotional scars" (AP, 10/22)....U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge
     Bernard Markovitz ruled that the city of Pittsburgh,
     Allegheny County and SMG "could continue gathering evidence"
     in their lawsuit against Penguins co-Owner Roger Marino,
     "including taking a statement under oath."  Marino has
     continued to say that he has "no plans" to move the team
     (POST-GAZETTE, 10/22)....On ESPN.com, Tom Farrey profiles
     Redskins President John Kent Cooke and his attempts to buy
     the team.  Cooke is an owner "easier to cheer for than his
     team," and "anyone who cares" about the NFL should "root
     like hell for Cooke to win" the franchise (ESPN.com, 10/22).