SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Eric Mitchell reports that the
Rockets "haven't paid a dime" toward the $135,000 owed in
rent to the Compaq Center through Friday, November 13. The
team's lease requires it to pay $22,500 per game and by the
end of November, they will owe $202,500 for three preseason
games and six regular season games. Mitchell calls the
Compaq Center lease "unique," because most teams are
indemnified against labor problems (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL,
11/16 issue). In Houston, John Williams reports that, to
date, the Rockets have paid $45,000 for two canceled
preseason games. Leisure Management Int'l Chair Mike McGee,
whose company manages the Compaq Center, puts the Rockets'
expenses at $70,000 per game: "We haven't gotten down to a
lawsuit, and hopefully it won't" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/18).
NOTES: In Chicago, the Bears Board of Directors will
meet soon to discuss "the direction of the team." Chair Ed
McCaskey: "No, we are not going to sell. (Family members)
are determined to go on as best we can" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE,
11/18)....NFL Oilers Exec VP Don MacLachlan said that on
Monday, a day after their win over the Steelers, the team
sold 748 tickets to Sunday's game against the Jets and 114
PSLs for the new stadium (TENNESSEAN, 11/17)....Univ. of TX
RB Ricky Williams said that he "would love to be the number
one draft pick and go to Cleveland" (Fox Sports Online).
