GIANT STEPS ... ON NATURAL GRASS: STADIUM TO GO AU NATURAL

          After meeting with the NJ Sports & Exposition Authority
     yesterday, Giants and Jets execs "agreed to make the switch"
     from artificial turf to natural grass in Giants Stadium,
     according to Hank Gola of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS.  Giants
     President John Mara said that "only financial and
     operational details need to be worked out."  Gola reports
     that the field will cost "about" $1M to install and about
     $450,000 annually to maintain (N.Y DAILY NEWS, 9/30).  Clark
     Companies' Scott Clark, who is "charged with perfecting his
     technology to effect" the change, said that the new playing
     surface "would be ready for the beginning" of the MetroStars
     2000 season in late March.  On Long Island, John Jeansonne
     reports that installation will "cost between" $3-4M and
     annual maintenance, to be "split roughly among" the Giants,
     Jets and MetroStars, is "about" $500,000 (NEWSDAY, 9/30). 
     USA TODAY's Larry Weisman reports that once the change at
     Giants Stadium takes place, "only 12 of the 31 NFL teams
     will play on artificial surfaces" (USA TODAY, 9/30).