Sparks President Johnny Buss, on where the team will
play next season: "The league wants to see us move to the
new [Staples Center]. It's just a matter of logistics. We
don't want to disrupt us from making money and winning
games." Buss, on "talk" some Sparks games might be played
at the Pond in Anaheim: "I'm sure there's still interest
there (at the Pond). But I would venture to guess the
Staples people and Forum people want to keep the team in
L.A" (Riverside PRESS-ENTERPRISE, 10/15)....In St. Paul,
Charley Walters reports that the Target Center "has bid to
become a partner" with Ron Jaworski and his partner, Jim
Drucker, to own an AFL franchise that would play in the
arena starting with the 2001 season (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS,
10/15)....SI's Kostya Kennedy writes that the Rangers "were
the first NHL team" to travel with a portable satellite dish
so their coaches "could watch whatever games they wanted in
their hotels. The Red Wings have recently followed suit"
(SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, 10/18 issue)....The announced
attendance was 3,062 at last night's Thrashers-Islanders
game at Nassau Coliseum. It marked the expansion Thrashers
first win (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/15)....In Dallas, Richard
Alm wrote that the WPHL Fort Worth Brahmas have been granted
a "monopoly" in the Fort Worth market since the CHL Fire
disbanded last year. The team hopes being the only team in
the market will push attendance "well over" the break-even
point of 3,500 a game. So far, the team's sponsorship sales
are at $500,000, but the team expects to hit its goal of
$700,000 (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/15).
