PAYNE PAINTS A POSITIVE PICTURE

     ACOG President & CEO Billy Payne is interviewed in today's
WALL STREET JOURNAL.  On construction schedules and finances:
"We're going to raise the amount of money -- $1.6B -- we said we
would raise four years ago ... when nobody believed us."  Payne,
on the prospect of a surplus:  "Now, if you allow me to reframe
the question -- what's the extent of a cash reserve even beyond
that amount [the $550M paid up front by the community]? -- we
would hope there would be a small one, certainly."  Payne said
ticket sales were "good":  "I don't want to quantify it. [But]
it's been gratifying to see people really interested in some
sports we historically would have considered 'lesser' sports
[baseball, beach volleyball]."  On concerns about marketplace
"clutter" from the number of sponsors:  "They're all category
exclusive. ... While I am certain that every sponsor would wish
there were only one or two others, I think category exclusivity
is eminently more important than the number of sponsors"  (WALL
STREET JOURNAL, 7/14)