Jets President Barry Shenkarow, Manitoba Finance Minister
Eric Stefanson, and Spirit of Manitoba President Cam Osler spent
yesterday giving "last rights" to the Jets and a community-wide
effort to save the team, according to this morning's WINNIPEG
FREE PRESS. City Council Member Amaro Silva: "This is the worst-
case scenario, the nightmare has come to pass." Silva, noting
there is no way to sell the team before the NHL season starts,
thus making taxpayers liable for the team's operating losses:
"We're going to be the laughing-stock of North America with four
or five thousand people in the stands." Shenkarow said he will
now pursue "the best way to dispose of the team" (Paul Samyn &
Nick Martin, WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 8/16).
REACTION: Hal Sigurdson noted Shenkarow "did it the right
way yesterday" by saying it was over and not "building up false
hopes" (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 8/16). Scott Taylor notes while
Shenkarow refused to call the Jets "a lame-duck team," they will
offer refunds to season ticket holders (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS,
8/16). John Douglas writes that Spirit admittedly failed to
strike a deal "while the iron was hot." Spirit Board Member
Charlie Spiring: "Back in May when this thing had momentum, the
one thing we should have moved on was securing capital" (WINNIPEG
FREE PRESS, 8/16). MINNESOTA, AGAIN? In Toronto, David
Roberts reports that Richard Burke, a Minneapolis businessman who
paid Shenkarow and his partners $500,000 for right of first
refusal for the franchise, said he was "poised" to start
negotiating when "it's appropriate for us both to sit down"
(Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 8/16). At the first meeting of the
Minneapolis Advisory Task Force on Professional Sports yesterday,
Chair Henry Savelkoul said they weren't ignoring efforts to
attract the Jets, but that the group is focused on the Twins, who
have an escape clause after '98. Burke declined to say if he
would pursue state aid to purchase the team (Jay Weiner,
Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE, 8/16).
