FRANCHISE NOTES

          In DC, Thomas Heath examines why Redskins fans are
     leaving "empty seats" at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, and three
     reasons include the recent weather, the suburban location
     and traffic congestion around the facility (WASHINGTON POST,
     11/21)....MN lawyer Clark Griffith will hold a news
     conference today to announce an $86M offer for the Twins. 
     Twins Owner Carl Pohlad already has a letter of intent to
     sell the team to NC businessman Don Beaver for $140M (Jay
     Weiner, Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 11/21)....Also in MN, the
     NHL expansion franchise awarded to St. Paul will go by the
     name "Minnesota."  The nickname has been narrowed to six
     choices: Blue Ox, Freeze, Northern Lights, Voyageurs, Wild
     and White Bears are the finalists (PIONEER PRESS, 11/21).