In an effort to fill the void left by the departure of the
Raiders and Rams, the Coliseum and Rose Bowl are taking "dramatic
steps" to "regain their lost glory," according to Tim Trepany of
the L.A. DAILY NEWS. At the Coliseum, a $60,000 marketing
campaign directed at NFL owners is being planned. They are also
"close to sealing a deal" that would provide financing for 41 new
luxury boxes. A "major part" of the Coliseum's campaign will be
a video to "emphasize the history of the building and show that
violence at the stadium was unique to Raiders games." The Rose
Bowl is also "entering the sweepstakes" to become home to the
next L.A. football team. Pasadena officials have hired a
"heavyweight corporate lawyer" to negotiate with the league and
have hired sports architecture firm, HOK, to draw up plans to
replace the bowl's bench seating with theater-style seats,
install two new scoreboards and a video board, and build new
restrooms and concessions stands. But stadium competition in the
L.A. area "figures to be stiff." Besides each other, the two
venues can "expect to do be doing battle" with Orange County's
Anaheim Stadium, as well as a Disney- proposed stadium (L.A.
DAILY NEWS, 7/28). Asked what L.A. must do to attract another
team, St. Louis' FANS Inc. Chair Thomas Eagleton said, "L.A.
won't get football just because it's L.A. We have poisoned the
well; we are the new asking price of poker. Anybody that's
talking about a deal is asking for a St. Louis-like deal" (T.J.
Simers, L.A. TIMES, 7/30). The L.A. situation is also featured
in BUSINESS WEEK's "In Business This Week" column (8/7 issue).
