As 1994 season is winding down, I'd just like to update you on a few fascinating topics.

1) Timber!

Yep, that's the sound of the NHL season being cut down. Although NHL commissioner Gary Bettman hasn't canceled the 1994-95 campaign yet, the owners yesterday gave him authority to cancel the season if it comes down to a point where 50 games will not be played.

And that point should be pretty soon.

Then again, it should only be fitting that Bettman pull the plug on the season since it was his idea to start the lockout anyway.

The only folks who might be somewhat happy are New York Rangers.

Heck, they waited 54 years for a Stanley Cup and now they get to hold onto it for a second year. At this rate in negotiations, they might be champions for the next 54 years. Who knows?

2) Baseball is making progress, at least in some warped sense. The players rejected the owners' latest proposal, so all you salary cap fans might get your wish before Christmas.

All right, Roger Clemens says he will never play again if there is a salary cap. But the game will probably go on, even if they have to go with minor leaguers.

And should you be yearning to go back to the ballpark, there is hope that ticket prices will go down. If they aren't paying the players as much money, surely they won't charge the fans as much. I mean, owners like George Steinbrenner really care about the game and the fans, don't they?

3) I hate saying this, coming from New York, but the Patriots are looking pretty good right now.

Then again, as a New Yorker and a football fan, I have to give the credit to Bill Parcells--i.e., the great Giants coach. Drew Bledsoc is also a big reason, but the brains up in Foxboro have done a great job of getting good players and sticking with them, even through the tough times.

Give this team one more time, however. They might win one playoff game this year, assuming they make the playoff, but probably won't go any further.

With some more experience behind them, next year looks extremely promising.

4) Mark your calendars, folks. Thursday sees the beginning of the college football bowl season, with a doozy between Central Michigan and UNLV in the Silver Bowl. Can't wait.

But things get even better when mediocre 6-4-1 Boston College plays 9-2 Kansas State in the Aloha Bowl on Christmas. Kansas State lost only to Colorado and Nebraska and certainly deserved to be in a better bowl game.

Good thing we have that bowl coalition getting us the best possible games.

Hip, hip, hooray! Texas Tech (6-5) is going to the Mobil Cotton Bowl Classic, but they won their conference, and 6-4-1 Notre Dame's playing in the IBM/OS2 Fiesta Bowl is also a joke.

But really, save your energy for the Poulan Weedeater Bowl December 28, or is that the Independence Bowl? Don't forget the John Hancock Bowl, the Carquest Bowl, the Builders Square Alamo Bowl, the Sea World Holiday Bowl and the Federal Express Orange Bowl.

Actually, do watch the FedEx Bowl, because that will probably crown this year's USAir National Championship--OK, it really isn't called that, yet.

1994 was a great one, wasn't it, but the Timex 1995 promises to be even better.