DADE STILL ALIVE IN HUNT FOR HEAT?

     A letter sent from Heat Owner Micky Arison to Broward County
Administrator Jack Osterholt may "provide an opening" for Dade
County to keep the team, according to the MIAMI HERALD.  In the
letter, Arison "raised concerns" about the arena deal struck
between Broward and the NHL on behalf of the Panthers last week,
stating: "If we cannot find a way to go forward in Broward on
equal terms with the NHL, we believe there will be no option
other than to build a second arena in South Florida."  Arison
enumerated a number of other concerns, but said if profits could
be split between the two franchises, he would send his
negotiating team to Broward to "resolve the other issues."  In a
Monday meeting with Knight-Ridder Chair Tony Ridder, who is
leading the local effort to keep the Heat and Panthers in Miami,
Arison gave a "rough deadline of 30 days" for Dade to formulate
an arena plan (Finefrock & Rafinski, MIAMI HERALD, 2/27).