In Minneapolis, Sid Hartman wrote that a "leading
candidate" to be Wild GM "could be" former Oilers coach/GM
Glen Sather. Hartman: "[Wild President] Jac Sperling ...
couldn't make a better choice." Hartman also reported that
T'Wolves Owner Glen Taylor "might have some interest in
being part of a group that might buy the Twins." Hartman:
"If St. Paul fails to get the votes on its Nov. 1
referendum, don't undersell Minneapolis, where some of the
top wheels in town are working hard to put a successful plan
together to build a ballpark on Mississippi River land in
the loop" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 8/22). Meanwhile, the
Twins drew 81,615 for this weekend's Yankees series, giving
the team its "largest attendance total for a three-game
series this season" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 8/23).
PEACHY SALES: Hawks Exec VP Lee Douglas said that the
team's "entire supply of seats priced from $65 to $400 have
been exhausted." Including suites and club-seat sales, the
Hawks have surpassed 7,000 in sales (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION,
8/22)....Also in Atlanta, Matt Winkeljohn reported that "it
took just about" 90 minutes to sell out the Falcons'
September 12 game against the Vikings. No Falcons game has
sold out faster since '92 (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 8/22).
MORE NOTES: In Pittsburgh, Chuck Finder reports that
the Steelers "have turned themselves in to" the NFL for an
"alleged salary-cap violation" and now find themselves under
investigation for an offense that carries "a maximum fine
of" $2M and/or the loss of draft choices. Steelers
President Dan Rooney, who said that the violation is
"believed to involve the last contract of retired" OL Will
Wolford: "I don't think we did anything [improper]"
(PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 8/23)....Jaguars Owner Wayne
Weaver "is surprised" that Thursday's preseason game against
the Chiefs at Alltel Stadium "could be the first local
blackout in team history." There are about 6,000 tickets
left for the game, which is scheduled to be shown nationally
on CBS (FL TIMES-UNION, 8/23)....Ilitch Ventures, parent
company of the Tigers and the Red Wings, has acquired a DC-
9-51 with luxury seating to replace the Red Wings' former
plane, Red Bird One, and the Tigers' charter service Pro Air
Inc. (AP, 8/21)....The MLB Rangers are "selling 11-game
miniplan packages that will guarantee fans a chance at
playoff tickets should the team reach the postseason."
Rangers VP/Marketing Jeff Cogen: "The reason we're selling
this is primarily as a reason to get playoff options."
About 150 15-game plans have already been sold but are now
reduced to 11-game packages (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM,
8/21)....In Charlotte, Rick Bonnell reported that the Jazz
"asked" the Knicks for G Allan Houston "as compensation"
when the team hired away former Jazz VP Scott Layden, but
instead the Knicks "agreed to play five preseason games in"
UT and to "pay the Jazz's expense" to play five in NY
(CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/22)....The return of the Browns was
profiled by Lee Cowan on Saturday's CBS "Evening News."
Browns coach Chris Palmer, on the team's fans: "They're
blue-collar, they want a blue-collar football team. You
can't go anywhere in town without someone showing you signs
that they're Brown football fans" (CBS, 8/21).
