ROOM AT THE BIG O: Attendance figures for the first
five games of the Expos' current 11-game homestand: 8,818,
8,212 and 9,280 for a three-game set against the Phillies,
and 5,202 and 4,998 for the first two games against the
Giants. The team has gone 0-5 during the run (THE DAILY).
NFL: Vikings Owner Red McCombs, on taking out the NFL-
maximum $100M loan from Chase Manhattan Corp. to complete
his purchase of the team and another $50M loan which goes to
the team's company, Purple Pride: "Let's look at this: If
they are going to charge me X percent to use their money,
and I can make considerably more than that using my money
some other way, what do you do?" (PIONEER PRESS,
4/29)....The NFL sent a memo to team owners "expressing the
league's support" of the Daniel Snyder group's bid for the
Redskins. Meanwhile, league and Jack Kent Cooke estate reps
don't believe that the sale of the team will be slowed by
Howard Milstein's potential lawsuit (WASHINGTON POST, 4/29).
In DC, Thomas Boswell, on Milstein's attorney: "When you
hire David Boies as your lawyer, that's not a threat.
That's a promise" (WASHINGTON POST, 4/29).
OTHER NOTES: Blue Jays GM Gord Ash will begin hosting
"Saturday Morning in the Dugout" on May 8 at the SkyDome
before Blue Jays home games. It will be open to season-
ticket holders and consist of a guided tour of the clubhouse
and an open forum hosted by Ash (TORONTO STAR, 4/29).
....The DESERET NEWS' Eric Bresee wrote that UT's new WISL
team the Freezz will join the Jazz, Grizzlies, Buzz, Starzz
and the Pioneerzz as the state's "conglomerate of [pro]
sports team names" that contain double-Zs (DESERET NEWS,
4/28)....In Oakland, the public will get a chance "to air
its views" on whether the A's should choose the Andy Dolich-
group bid or the Lyle Campbell-group bid to submit for
approval to MLB. The Oakland City Council will also get an
evaluation of the two groups May 4 from Game Plan, which is
brokering the deal, at the public meeting (CONTRA COSTA
TIMES, 4/28)....In Tampa, Martin Fennelly, on the Bucs'
hiring of college interns to choose the seat locations for
season-ticket holders at Raymond James Stadium : "Shame on
the Bucs. The team fibbed again and again when fans
complained about their cruddy seats" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 4/29).
