May 18, 1998 Contact Pauline Austin (541) 346-3129 EUGENE--Capitalism is coming dangerously close to destroying some professional sports in America, according to Rick Burton, director of the University of Oregon's James H. Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. "The cost of professional sports is getting so high that there has to be a market correction," Burton says. "Because of that, the people who own the teams and run the leagues should expect consumers to start selecting alternative forms of entertainment. The dollar values for most pro leagues are out of whack." Burton, a consultant for the National Football League, the National Hockey League, the Australian National Basketball League and an instructor in the UO Charles H. Lundquist College of Business, will take the audience behind the scenes of professional sports during a Portland speech on Thursday, May 28. Lecture highlights will include league marketing, broadcast rights agreements, stadium economics, salary greed and future trends. The University of Oregon Alumni Association is presenting the talk with generous sponsorship by WorldCom, a national long-distance communications company. The speech, which is open to the public, takes place from noon-1:15 p.m. at the Multnomah Athletic Club, 1849 S.W. Salmon St., Portland. Free parking is available across Salmon Street. Cost of the lecture, including lunch, is $20 each for the general public; UOAA dues-paying members pay $18. Advance reservations are required at least two days before the lecture. To make a reservation or obtain more information, call the UO Alumni Association in Eugene, (541) 346-5656. -30- #P-6104/Local,OreDailies,PDX,Orbus,