SWEETENING THE POT: SEATTLE OFFERS SONICS OWNERS BETTER DEAL

          Seattle Mayor Paul Schell has sent a letter to The
     Ackerley Group, the Sonics' ownership arm, "confirming the
     city is willing to sweeten the KeyArena lease to minimize
     start-up costs for a new women's pro team," according to
     Vecsey & Goldsmith of the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER. 
     Sources said that Full House, the Sonics' marketing group,
     has "been jockeying for months to take control of KeyArena"
     and to "scrap" the current KeyArena lease.  City Council
     member Tina Podlodowski said that Full House "has not
     formally requested full control of KeyArena as a stipulation
     to start a WNBA franchise," but "in the past, what they have
     requested is the ability to book and manage KeyArena for 365
     days a year."  Mayor Schell has reportedly offered The
     Ackerley Group reduced rent for all potential WNBA home
     games to actual operating costs plus $2,500, "about a tenth
     of that paid by the Sonics," plus the allocation of all
     ticket/concession revenue to Full House and the right of
     "priority scheduling" to the team during the summer. The
     city would keep all parking and admission tax revenue from
     WNBA games and control staffing (POST-INTELLIGENCER, 5/12).