NBA: The Nets' new owners said they "will sell" the team
"unless they can move" from the Meadowlands to Newark. A
source told the AP that after the 2000-01 season, the team
"would only have to give" the NJ Sports & Exposition
Authority six months notice of plans to move. The NJSEA "was
to release on Tuesday details of the new lease, which runs
through 2007-2008." The Nets "stand to make between" $8-10M
annually in additional income under the new lease (AP,
11/24)....The Pacers "have submitted written notification" to
the NBA "of their readiness to operate" a WNBA team. In
Indy, Mark Montieth writes that Indianapolis "could have one
playing as early" as 2000 (INDIANAPOLIS STAR-NEWS, 11/24).
NFL: An NFL team exec who attended last month's league
meetings in K.C., on Michael Ovitz's expansion presentation:
"It sounded a little shaky in the financing -- they're going
to have to borrow a hell of a lot to get this off the ground"
(N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/24)....In St. Louis, Jim Thomas wrote of
the Rams' "futility" and that "the passion has flickered out
in the gridiron marriage between" St. Louis and the team.
Ratings for Rams games this year are down 26% from last year,
and the no-show count has increased to more than 8,600 this
year, compared with 5,400 in '97 (POST-DISPATCH, 11/22).
NOTES: While reports in Canada have supermarket chain
Loblaw "interested in investing [C]$10M in the Expos," the
Montreal GAZETTE'S Jack Todd reports that there are "at least
two other potential investors from outside Quebec, both of
whom are interested in injecting more than [C]$50 million ...
possibly much more -- to obtain controlling interest in the
club." The Expos "are still on target to announce a deal for
a new consortium before Christmas" (GAZETTE, 11/24)....In
L.A., Grahame Jones wrote that since Alan Rothenberg's deal
to buy the Clash "has fallen through, he is free to show his
tremendous confidence in the league by buying" either the
Mutiny or Burn, both "league-owned and struggling. Don't
hold your breath" (L.A. TIMES, 11/22)....The NHL Hurricanes
will sponsor a two-day "Hurricane University" seminar on the
"finer points" of hockey. Classes will feature skating,
rules and regulations (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/22).
