A FLEETING THOUGHT? MENINO PUSHING FOR WNBA FRANCHISE IN HUB

          Boston Mayor Thomas Menino "will appoint a committee
     soon after New Year's Day to discuss" the possibility of
     bringing a WNBA expansion franchise to the city, according
     to Gregg Krupa of the BOSTON GLOBE.  Krupa writes that a
     "sticking point" for the plan is that the Celtics "would
     have to be part" of any WNBA ownership plan and the team
     "voted against it" earlier this year.  Celtics Exec VP
     Richard Pond, on the team's decision not to bid for a WNBA
     franchise: "It was a question of revenue, and we decided to
     try to concentrate in other areas -- to make sure that the
     [Celtics] are a success.  We are happy to meet with the
     mayor and talk about this."  Pond and other execs added that
     a "big stumbling block" in securing a WNBA team is that the
     Celtics "do not own" the FleetCenter (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/14).