DELAY OF GAME: NEW ORLEANS WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR AFL TEAM

          Saints Owner Tom Benson will delay his plans to launch
     an Arena football team in the city in April 2000, according
     to Stewart Yerton of the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE.  AFL
     officials "are hopeful" that Benson will be able to start
     the team in April 2001.  The $110M, 20,000-seat Sports Arena
     is scheduled to open this fall, and Benson's AFL team "was
     to be one of the facility's anchor tenants" along with the
     ECHL Brass.  AFL Dir of PR David Cooper "attributed" the
     delay in part to the arena's talks with the Brass, and said
     the AFL wanted those talks finished before the AFL team
     signed a lease (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 3/16).