TEEN ANGST: SPORTS APPAREL CONSIDERED "UNHIP" BY YOUNGSTERS

          Teenagers are shunning licensed apparel of sports teams
     as "decidedly unhip," and sales of team merchandise "have
     faded in recent years," according to Stephanie Stoughton of
     the WASHINGTON POST.  Total sales of licensed merchandise in 
     the NFL, NBA and MLB went from $7.2B in '97 to $6.7B in '98. 
     Stoughton writes that it's "clear to those in the industry
     that teenagers ... are responsible for the slide in sales." 
     Sports Maniac Store GM Gerald Taylor: "A lot of 16- and 17-
     year-olds are working, and they can buy Tommy [Hilfiger] and
     Polo clothing and Eddie Bauer jackets."  As far as the
     buying power of teens, the 27 million in the U.S. spent
     about $141B in '98.  Teenage Research Unlimited recently
     surveyed teens as to their "coolest" brands.  The top four 
     were Nike (38%), adidas (19%), Tommy Hilfiger (18%), Sony
     (11%); "their one favorite" store: 1) JCPenney, 2) Old Navy,
     3) Tommy Hilfiger 4) Sears (WASHINGTON POST, 1/22).