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The article comments that Joe Tiller and Bill Lynch should be retained as the football coach of Purdue University and Indiana University respectively. The reputation of Lynch as a coach should count for something. He deserves at least three more seasons with the team. Tiller can fill the Ross-Ade Stadium with fans. He has a contract with Purdue and he deserves to complete it.

Comments on the performance of the basketball team Indiana Pacers. Sports facilities; Basketball players; Donation made by the team.

Profiles former baseball player Carl Erskine who was honored by his hometown with an elementary school bearing his family name on south side of Anderson, Indiana. World Series record of Erskine; Career and family background; Influence of Erskine on character development; Erskine's reaction to the presentation of an elementary school named Erskine Elementary.

Explains the author's view that Indiana-based former college football player Maurice Clarett should be allowed to join the professional National Football League (NFL). NFL restriction that makes Clarett ineligible for the NFL draft until 2005; Author's belief in the right of the individual to chart his or her own course.

Comments on the hiring of basketball player Isiah Thomas to replace Larry Bird in Indiana Pacers basketball team. Recognition on the performance of Thomas during the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association; Ability of Thomas; Performance of the team.

Focuses on the issues of sports etiquette during the Colts-Raiders competition in Indianapolis, Indiana. Inability of fans to express ideas verbally; Derivation of constructive dealing of criticism; Consideration on the source of criticism.

Reports that Payless Cashways Incorporated filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. What the move would allow the company to do; Analysts' view on the the future of the chain; Claims made by Payless in its bankruptcy-court filings.

Reports on a rise in sales in the retail industry of the United States, for the month of June 1997. Possible role of promotions in sales increase; Comments from Jeffrey Feiner, an analyst at Salomon Brothers; Sales performance of individual companies.

Focuses on the effects of the Montgomery Ward Holding Corporation's bankruptcy case on analysts. Views of Roger Goddu, chief executive officer of Montgomery Ward Holding; Reference to Montgomery Ward Holding buying more time to exercise Goddu's strategy; Value of liabilities listed by Montgomery Ward Holding.

States that Roger Goddu, chief executive officer of Montgomery Ward Holding Corporation is convinced that the company will reach a loan-restructuring agreement with its banks. Why Ward feels this way; Reference to negotiations conducted by Goddu; What could happen if the banks refuse to honor Montgomery's waivers; Details on a proposed loan offered by GE Capital to Montgomery.

Focuses on the top three rated stockbrokers in the United States in the area of the specialty retailing sector for 1996. Names of brokers and positions in which they rated; Percentage return on their investments; Performance of the stocks they recommended; Companies they represent.

Focuses on the top three rated stockbrokers in the United States in the area of retail trade investment for 1996. Performance of the stocks they recommended; Names of brokers and positions in which they rated; Companies they represent; Percentage return on their investments.

Reports that in an effort to settle a dispute stemming from its collection of credit-card debts, Sears, Roebuck & Company of Boston, Massachusetts, will pay between $178 and $265 million, and take a second-quarter charge. Details on the settlement; Need for the settlement to be approved by the court; Allegations against the company.

Reports that for the month of May 1997, most major retailers in the United States posted weak sales. Statistical information on the industrywide performance of retailers; Individual performance of retailers; Views of analysts. INSET: How the stores did..

Reports that Sears, Roebuck & Company has reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Basis of the settlement; Criticism of Sears' credit-card collection practices; Reference to an investigation launched by the Justice Department into Sears' activities; Information on invalid reaffirmation agreements declared by Sears; Comments by Jodie Bernstein, director of the FTC's bureau of consumer protection.

Looks at the settlement agreement of Sears, Roebuck and Company in a case brought against them concerning the improper collection of debts from bankrupt credit-card holders. Refusal of Sears to discuss the settlement; Details on the case; Information on the scandal which resulted from this issue.

Points out that children's designer clothing is outpacing the designer market for women. Sales at Barney's in New York up by 8 percent and doubling at Infinity, another trendy children's store in New York's upper East Side; Versace and Moschino, as designers which have sold children's apparel in the United States; Older and richer parents, as the reason why sales of children's clothing are growing faster than all other apparel categories.

Looks at the prediction on Kmart Corporation, as made by its chairman and chief executive officer Floyd Hall. Performance of the corporation's stock on the stock exchange; Forecast made by Hall.

Reports on the first quarter earnings for Kmart Corporation, Gap Incorporated (Inc.) and Saks Holdings Inc. for the period ended April 30th, 1997. Details on analysts expectations; Figures on the earnings; What analysts had anticipated; How the companies' stocks traded on the various stock exchanges; Detailed financial information on the companies.

Presents information on an increase in Nordstrom Incorporated's quarterly net income. Factors which contributed to the increase; Analysts' estimates of Nordstrom's earnings; Performance of Nordstrom's shares on the Nasdaq Stock Market; Significance of a strategy implemented by the company to the performance of its earnings.

Reports on the efforts to rectify its debt-collection practices by GE Capital Services, which owns and operates the credit-card operations of Montgomery Ward Holdings Corporation. Lawsuit filed against Montgomery Ward; Allegations in the lawsuit.

Reports that in an effort to boost sales at its Gap-store division, Gap Incorporated launched a television advertising campaign. Television stations that will broadcast the commercials; Features of the commercials; Who the advertisements are targeted at.

Cites two court rulings by a federal bankruptcy judge in Boston, who declared that Sears, Roebuck & Company's debt-collection methods were illegal. Sears' response to the rulings; Penalties Sears is likely to face for ignoring the rulings; Basis of the rulings issued against Sears; Reference to a fine imposed on Sears for failure to file reaffirmation agreements declaring its debt.

Reports that United States Attorney Donald K. Stearn filed a civil complaint against Sears, Roebuck & Company, alleging unfair credit-card collection actions against customers who had declared personal bankruptcy. Damages sought in the suit; Impact of the suit on the performance of Sears' shares on the New York Stock Exchange; Sears' response to allegations outlined in the suit.

Reports that Montgomery Ward & Company, in a sign of worsening financial condition, has notified factors that its losses in the first and second quarters will be higher than they previously projected. Expected loss to be recorded; Reasons for the higher losses; Fourth quarter loss posted by Montgomery Ward.

Discusses some of the steps that Kmart is taking to draw more customers into its stores. Improving customer service as one; Number of stores the company plans to remodel by 1999; Talk of filing for bankruptcy protection which was averted; Why the company still has a long way to go; Graph showing sales of billions of dollars from 1992 to 1996.

Explains why Waban Incorporated withdrew from a proposed divestiture agreement with Kmart Corporation. Speculation by analysts regarding Waban's withdrawal; Details on a spinoff plan devised by Waban; Financial stability of Waban's HomeBase division; Advantages of a joint venture between HomeBase and Kmart's Builders Square division; Average performance of sales at Kmart.

Presents information on the status of personal savings in the United States, with reference to the performance of personal savings in 1996. Information compiled by the Commerce Department; Views of Donald Ratajczak of Georgia State University; Factors which contributed to the performance of personal savings in the United States.

Explains how retailers have realized that designing fashions is the way to prosper in selling apparel. Strategy of Federated Department Stores and others which have assembled design teams; Fashion designer Alvin Bell who signed an exclusive contract with Sears, Roebuck & Co.; Meaning of store brand; The complete brands developed by retailers' in house design teams.

Highlights the 1997 Gap fall collection which attempts to translate European fashions into styles that average American women will wear. Doing the designing fast enough to keep the company ahead of its imitators; Gap Inc., as America's most successful apparel retailer; Its profit gains; Evolution of the Gap; The importance of Chief Executive Millard Drexler's opinion; Number of hours Gap's designers spend preparing for the fall show.

States that retailers around the United States recorded stronger-than-expected sales increases in February, 1997. Advantages of the sales growth; Views of economists about the performance of sales; Factors which contributed to the performance of sales; Comparison between February sales in 1996 and 1997; Information on companies that recorded sales increases. INSET: How the stores did..

Reports that Kmart Corporation shows a narrower fourth-quarter net loss of $164 million, or 27 cents a share for the quarter ended January 29, 1997. Information on the company's loss during 1996; Quotation for Kmart's stock in New York Stock Exchange composite trading for March 5, 1997; Comments made by Margaret Cannella, an analyst at Citicorp Securities.

Reports that the fiscal fourth-quarter earnings posted by both Federated Department Stores Incorporated and Dayton Hudson Corporation well exceeded Wall Street expectations. Detailed information on the companies' increases; Statements from Credit Suisse First Boston retail analyst Michael Exstein; Revenue increase of Dayton Hudson; Performance of Dayton Hudson's stock on the New York Stock Exchange.

States that Nordstrom Incorporated reported a lower-than-expected fourth-quarter profit for the period ending January 31st, 1997. Net income of the company; Increase in the company's sales and stock value.

States that the insurance company Factors, as a result of mounting losses by Montgomery Ward and Company, tightened terms with the company. Fourth-quarter loss of Montgomery Ward; Sales of company in 1995; Comments from Roger Goddu, chief executive officer of Montgomery Ward.

Reports that Leonard Green & Partners will become the majority owner of a combined companies Building Square and the Homebase chain. Views of the people behind the transaction; Background information on Builders Square; Comments from Jon Sokoloff, a partner at Leonard Green. INSET: Home improvement: A crowded market..

Reports on a discussion between Kmart corporation and Waban Incorporated on the combination of their home-improvement chains in a deal which would give the investment banking firm Leonard Green and Partners a majority stake in the business. Home-improvement chains to be combined by the companies; Percentage of stakes both companies will have in the business; Statistical information on the companies' stock.

Announces that Sears, Roebuck and Company posted an increase in net income and revenue for the fourth quarter of their fiscal year. Information on the forecasted earnings; Statistics on the financial status of the company; Reasons for increase.

Looks at the importance of Christmas shopping to retailers in the l990s. Comments by David Wyss, an economist at DRI/McGraw-Hill, that Christmas shopping is on a permanent decline; Sliding of holiday sales as a percentage of annual sales for more than a decade; Evidence that Christmas fell short of expectations, such as report of weak sales results by J.C. Penny Co.