NHL: With only three days remaining in the team's
ticket drive, the Flames are 573 season tickets short of
their goal of 14,000. A total of 119 season tickets were
sold Tuesday. Ownership has said it will sell the franchise
if the goal is not met (Flames). In Calgary, Cameron
Maxwell writes that Flames officials "are urging Calgarians
to keep the fire burning" (CALGARY SUN, 6/28).
MLB: In Toronto, Moria Welsh cites sources as saying
that "top" execs at Rogers Communications "are meeting today
to discuss making an offer" for the Blue Jays and the
SkyDome (TORONTO STAR, 6/28)....The Yankees were fined
$5,000 by the N.Y. Lobbying Commission after the team
"failed to file a financial statement disclosing how much
they paid" in '99 to lobby state government and the
Legislature. The statement was due January 15 (AP,
6/27)....In N.Y., Kevin Flynn reports that the Braves "made
it clear" to P John Rocker they did not want him riding the
No. 7 train to Thursday's Braves-Mets game. MLB
Commissioner Bud Selig: "I've talked to [N.Y. Mayor Rudy
Giuliani]. I've talked to the Braves. The Braves are
talking to him" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/28).
DEBARTOLO'S RETURN? In his first interview since
serving as the "star witness" in the federal racketeering
trial of former LA Gov. Edwin Edwards, former 49ers Owner
Eddie DeBartolo tells USA TODAY's Gordon Forbes that he
"might be interested in buying a minority, or majority,
interest in some NFL team." DeBartolo, on reports that Bucs
Owner Malcolm Glazer "might sell": "There has been some talk
that some well-to-do people in Tampa would like to get
involved in doing something with the franchise, making them
an offer. Would I be interested? I don't know. It would
have to be the right situation" (USA TODAY, 6/28).
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: FSN's Jim Rome, on PETA asking the
Packers to change their name: "PETA should be more concerned
about Mike Tyson eating other human beings than the rest of
us eating chicken, fish and cows" ("Last Word," 6/27).
