A "bitterly divided" city council yesterday decided the
Spirit of Manitoba deserves one last chance to save the Jets and
take the city and province "off the hook" for financial losses,
according to the WINNIPEG FREE PRESS. The council voted 10-6 to
approve the Spirit's business plan under conditions aimed at
limiting the city's financial involvement in building a new
C$111M arena (Nick Martin, WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 8/11). With
approval of the C$222M business plan, Scott Edmonds writes the
next step for the Spirit is getting an extension on the August 15
deadline to purchase the team (CP/Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 8/11).
SPIRIT FACING INTERNAL STRIFE: Several members of the Spirit
of Manitoba said a large number of those involved, possibly a
majority, may admit failure and vote to end the whole initiative
rather than ask the current ownership for a deadline extension,
according to John Douglas in the WINNIPEG FREE PRESS. Recent
fund raising efforts have failed to land a single large
contribution and nearly two months after "squeezing" Barry
Shenkarow out of the deal to keep the Jets in Winnipeg, these
members of the Spirit "admitted" the deal will die without him.
Members said they need Shenkarow's money and influence with the
NHL to keep the Jets in Winnipeg. The city council "opened the
door" for Shenkarow's return by passing a motion offering him or
any other group looking to salvage a failed Spirit effort the
same deal on the table now (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 8/11).
