The Twins, with the worst record in the major leagues, are
not faring much better off the field. The team's gross ticket
receipts are down 42.6% and concession income is down $892,913
from last year, according to Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis STAR-
TRIBUNE. Hartman writes that Owner Carl Pohlad "could lose in
excess" of $10M this year (STAR-TRIBUNE, 8/22)....The Jaguars'
home debut last Friday is the subject of an article in this
morning's N.Y. TIMES. Mireya Navarro writes that the team's
arrival brings "a new image for this city of Southern roots and
cosmopolitan dreams" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/22)....In an op/ed piece in
Sunday's HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Allen Sanderson, an economics
professor at the Univ. of Chicago, analyzes the "Games Oilers
Play." Sanderson equates professional sports team owners' desire
for a new stadium with his own automobile situation: "I
currently drive a Honda Accord ... It must serve multiple
purposes for me -- sporty driving, off-road exploring,
transporting several children and their possessions and for more
elegant social occasions. My modest fantasy would be to own four
separate cars for these purposes ... Does my Honda serve all
those functions perfectly well? Of course not, but until I
become very wealthy or find someone to bankroll my wants, it just
has to do. Sports team owners are in the same situation. Cities
and their taxpayers would be much better served financially if
teams shared facilities" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/20).
