NO. 7 GOES OUT WITH HIGH NUMBERS

They watched his comebacks on television for 16 years. On May 2, they watched him go away. When Denver Broncos quarterback JOHN ELWAY announced his retirement a week ago, more than half of the Denver area homes watching television from 1:00-2:00 PM tuned in. Overnight Nielsen figures show the hour registered a 22.6 rating and a 51 share on Denver’s three network affiliates. The figures do not include viewers watching on cable……More Elway Numbers: There will be a new No. 1 NFL jersey – No. 7 has retired. Elway’s familiar No. 7 was the top-selling player jersey in rankings announced last week by NFL Properties. Two-through-five were BRETT FAVRE, TROY AIKMAN, DAN MARINO and KORDELL STEWART. NFL Properties officials think Elway’s popularity is such that he could still rank in the top 10 in the coming season……And he’s in Wheaties’ Top 10. The cereal has announced its top 10 "All-time Favorite Champions" who will be pictured on its 75^th anniversary box this spring. John Elway is one of them (along with the NFL’s WALTER PAYTON).

MNF HIGHEST OF "CROSSOVERS"

ABC NFL Monday Night Football, which this year will celebrate its 30th season, was the highest-rated of only four TV shows to be ranked in the top 10 in both black and all U.S. households – "crossovers" -- this TV season. A study by the BBDO advertising agency ranked Monday Night Football as the second-most popular program in black homes (after the Steve Harvey Show) and No. 5 in all U.S. households. Crossover shows behind MNF in the top 10: Touched By An Angel, 60 Minutes and CBS Sunday Night Movie.

LERNER’S FIRM GIVES $10 MILLION TO CLEVELAND SCHOOLS

The Cleveland Browns are back. And the company run by their owner is giving back. MBNA, the largest independent credit card lender in the world whose chairman and chief executive officer is Browns owner ALFRED LERNER, has announced a $10 million gift to Cleveland schools. The five-year education initiative is a two-part program. It will provide $1 million annually in grants that teachers and schools can use to develop academic programs, and another $1 million a year in scholarships to needy children at Ohio colleges. Lerner said the program represents the commitment of his company’s 20,000 employees to help schools in their communities. Cleveland Mayor MICHAEL R. WHITE praised Lerner’s dedication to the city. "Being rich does not impress me," said White. "If you are blessed and well off and give back to the community, that impresses me."

GRUDGES ON MENU

They don’t play until Sunday night of Kickoff ’99 Weekend. But that’s no reason that one of the NFL’s hottest rivalries can’t be heated up early, as it will be this week and next at the Cleveland Browns-Pittsburgh Steelers "Grudge Luncheons." Rekindling the rivalry in Pittsburgh on May 10 and in Cleveland May 17 will be head coaches CHRIS PALMER of the expansion Browns and BILL COWHER of the Steelers, and present and former Browns and Steelers players as well as the teams’ owners – ALFRED LERNER of Cleveland and DAN ROONEY of Pittsburgh. "The Steelers are our biggest and most traditional rival," says Browns President and CEO CARMEN POLICY. "We think this will be an enjoyable way to begin preparing for the season." Let the one-upmanship begin!