91.   The only good news is that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman sounded sincere last week when he dismissed thoughts of Houston as an expansion franchise.

92.   The team will be the first of four new expansion franchises.

93.   The WNBA also announced that Kristin Folkl, who like Sales sat out the season with an injury, has been assigned to the expansion franchise in Minneapolis.

94.   Then there is Jacksonville, home of the expansion AFC franchise covered by NBC.

95.   Then award another expansion franchise to Pittsburgh, a hockey version of the new Cleveland Browns in football.

96.   Then, if Los Angeles still is not prepared to trump Houston, the expansion franchise would go to McNair.

97.   There is no such waiting game in Toronto, an expansion franchise that has handed the reins to Stoudamire.

98.   There were seven acknowledged bidders for the expansion franchise, which is due to be sold next Tuesday at a special meeting in Chicago.

99.   There was no guessing then about the possibility of an NHL expansion franchise in Miami.

100.   They saw Ottawa beat the Rangers for the first time since the Senators were reincarnated as an expansion franchise four seasons ago.