SHEA, WHO ISN'T NOWADAYS: MLS LOOKING TO LEAVE MEADOWLANDS

          MLS is "negotiating" with New York City-owned Shea
     Stadium as a possible new home for its MetroStars "should
     field and sponsorship issues not be resolved at Giants
     Stadium," according to Gary Davidson in USA TODAY.  Despite
     the ability to play on an installed grass field at Giants
     Stadium, stadium execs "still made the MetroStars play
     August and September matches on turf."   MLS "also wants
     removal or covering of sponsorship signage not part of the
     league package during games" (USA TODAY, 10/28).
          CORNER KICKS: MLS Commissioner Doug Logan said the
     league will play more Thursday and Saturday games next
     season, "a change from this year's Friday-Sunday setup."  He
     also wants ESPN to bring back its Thursday night game of the
     week, and he "wants assurances that the network will not
     preempt MLS games for NHL games."  Logan: "Saturday night is
     the most popular day of the week, by far" (Joseph White,
     AP/DETROIT NEWS, 10/28)....Logan, on sponsorship support:
     "We have contracts totaling $80 million with staggered
     termination dates.  The earliest ones expire in 12 months,
     and the others are stretched through the next three years.
     ... We also have two major new sponsors to be announced
     before the start of next season" (Jerry Langdon, USA TODAY,
     10/28)....In Boston, Frank Dell'Apa writes on the 50,000
     that attended Sunday's MLS Cup: "Not only were the numbers
     significant, the diversity and quality of the fans was what
     the league desires.  The crowd was a mixture of Latino and
     suburban. ... The spectacle of the event, and the ABC-TV
     exposure, projected a mostly positive image for the league,
     especially to the uninitiated" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/28)....MLS
     took out a four-page insert in USA TODAY honoring its
     champion, D.C. United, and its players of the year.  The
     league also thanked its 22 corporate supporters (THE DAILY).
     ...The evolution of RFK Stadium "into one of the premier
     soccer stadiums in the country" was examined by Gillis &
     Castaneda of the WASHINGTON POST.  Stadium execs are
     "focused on serving as a home for soccer and drawing other
     events" as schedule fillers. In a typical year, the Redskins
     drew 400,000 fans to RFK.  This year, soccer drew 500,000. 
     The Redskins brought in a higher per-game attendance average
     and more money, "about" $3.5M a year compared with $2M this
     year for soccer (WASHINGTON POST, 10/27).