Bengals GM Mike Brown showed his frustration over stadium
talks Tuesday saying that "negotiators had better start
remembering they have two professional teams to satisfy."
Brown's remarks stem from news that Reds CEO/ President Marge
Schott "will not discuss her stadium needs" until after the
baseball strike is over -- and that the Stadium Task Force is
"willing to wait for her."  Brown:  "Our concern is that we don't
get the help we need to make the Bengals viable in Cincinnati for
the long range.  It's a concern we had a couple years ago when we
started this process and I have to say we're more concerned now
than we were then."  Task Force member Ralph Michael said that
Schott "was too consumed" with the strike to "discuss her
ballpark needs."  But Brown is "not convinced" that a stadium
deal will happen.  Brown:  "We want to stay in Cincinnati and we
want to get solutions to the problem, but I'm not going to kid
myself that we will see any kind of solution" (Richard Green,
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 2/15).

     The Seattle Chamber of Commerce "endorsed the idea" of
building a new stadium for the Mariners through a "combination of
public and private funds."  The Chamber's board claims that this
combination would be the "best, most realistic way to finance and
develop a 45,000-seat stadium configured for baseball" (Seattle
POST-INTELLIGENCER, 2/15).

     The Cleveland City Council Monday "asserted its dominion"
over three groups who are trying to determine how to pay for
renovations for Cleveland Stadium.  The council warned the three
groups -- the Browns, Mayor Michael White, and a "committee of
corporate bigwigs" -- "that as long as the city owns the
stadium," the council will be the only one who will decide "how
and whether to renovate to keep the Browns."  While many council
members support renovation, they said "they must view the project
in a broader context" including the need to support schools,
neighborhoods and other services (Stephen Koff, Cleveland PLAIN
DEALER, 2/14).