WILL LORIA BEGIN TO SING NEW TUNE IN TOTAL CONTROL OF 'SPOS?

          Before the "end of July -- and possibly as early as
     next week -- the Canadian partners will sign documents
     selling their shares" of the Expos to Majority Owner Jeffrey
     Loria, according to Jack Todd of the Montreal GAZETTE.   But
     even if he acquires complete control of the team, "no one
     really knows what Loria is thinking."  But it is "probable"
     that the Expos will have to "remain in Montreal for at least
     another season."   Todd: "The simple truth is that unless
     Loria has some private, hush-hush verbal agreement with [MLB
     Commissioner Bud] Selig -- there is nowhere for the Expos to
     go."  But looking ahead, Todd wrote that if Loria keeps the
     team in Montreal and "wants to make this is a success ... he
     is first going to have to bite the bullet and remove [Exec
     VP David] Samson from his position."  He "can't remain as
     the effective CEO.  Samson's 'we'll bring them to their
     knees' negotiating posture just does not work in this city.
     ... Almost without exception, Samson has alienated everyone
     he has tried to work with in this city."  Todd: "After
     Samson, the second mistake Loria made was to display a
     complete lack of patience here."  But if Loria apologizes
     for past acts in Montreal and announces that "he is going to
     demote Samson and hire a qualified francophone in his place,
     things just might work out after all" (GAZETTE, 7/9).  This
     morning, Todd writes that Canadian partners "are absolutely
     unified" on Loria and Samson, who have "managed to alienate
     people like Stephen Bronfman and Mark Routtenberg -- so this
     is NOT a French-American thing" (Montreal GAZETTE, 7/10).