FRANCHISE NOTES

          Former Knicks President & GM Ernie Grunfeld "officially
     severed his relationship" with the Knicks organization on
     Friday.  Grunfeld reached an "undisclosed settlement with
     the organization said to be worth more than" $1M (BERGEN
     RECORD, 7/3)....In Cincinnati, Chris Haft reported that the
     Reds topped the one million mark in attendance on Sunday,
     reaching 1,000,959 through 42 dates.  It's the "fastest
     they've reached seven digits since" '96 (CINCINNATI
     ENQUIRER, 7/5)....In Phoenix, Tim Tyers reported that last
     season's playoff win by the Cardinals, which was the team's
     first in 51 years, has "made an impact at the box office as
     the team" has reported "its fourth-highest season ticket
     sales figure" since moving to AZ in '88.  With the end of
     the annual season ticket push last Thursday, the Cardinals
     reported 37,574 season tickets sold, a rise of 6,555 over
     last year's total of 31,019 (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/3).