THE WEST IS THE BEST! COMPANY MAKES OLYMPIC PAYMENT

          US West officials "decided Friday to deliver" a $5M
     sponsorship payment that they delayed while investigations
     were proceeding into SLOC bribery charges, according to
     Bruce Finley of the DENVER POST.  US West President Sol
     Trujillo: "We are pleased with the decisive actions of Utah
     Governor Mike Leavitt and the Salt Lake Organizing Committee
     to restore the integrity of the Winter Games."  Meanwhile,
     IOC Marketing Dir Michael Payne said the Games' corporate
     sponsors "have been absolutely 100 percent behind the
     Olympic movement."  Payne, who met with sponsors last week,
     called them, "Fully committed.  ... They understand the
     steps we are taking to address the problems.  They are
     pleased with the speed" (DENVER POST, 1/16).
          A-B "QUIETLY" MAKES OLYMPIC PACT: The SPORTSBUSINESS
     JOURNAL's Langdon Brockinton reports that A-B has "completed
     an Olympics ad deal with NBC."  Tony Ponturo, A-B
     VP/Corporate Media & Sports Marketing: "We quietly did that
     within the last couple of months" (SBJ, 1/18 issue).