Two hours after details of a new city-county plan to
partially finance a new $168M stadium for the Bucs through user
fees and land sales, the Bucs said the proposal is not worth
discussing, according to the TAMPA TRIBUNE. The plan, detailed
by Hillsborough County Administrator Dan Kleman and Tampa Mayor
Dick Greco, assumes Bucs Owner Malcolm Glazer would pay $5.8M
annually toward stadium debt. In dismissing the proposal, Bucs
GM Rich McKay said the deal could cost Glazer nearly triple that
figure. Tampa Sports Authority Exec Dir Rick Nafe was not
surprised by the rejection: "Obviously we knew there would be
parts of our plan that would require the Bucs to sit with us and
discuss. That was the whole purpose in submitting the plan"
(Henderson & Koehn, TAMPA TRIBUNE, 12/14). This news will "fuel
further speculation" the Bucs will move to Cleveland. Cleveland
Mayor Michael White says those rumors are a "trial balloon"
designed to test the city's resolve to keep pressure on the NFL
to block the Browns' move (Akron BEACON JOURNAL, 12/13). In
Orlando, Charean Williams writes Tampa is still hopeful, but not
at any price. Mayor Greco: "We're not going to break the bank
for anybody" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 12/14).
FROM THE BUCS: Mckay: "While the Glazers have stated their
commitment to pay for a substantial portion of the stadium, that
commitment was based upon reaching certain goals during the
Charter Seat Deposit program that were not achieved. This
proposal does not address that issue." He went on to note that
while the proposal was not a cooperative effort between the Bucs
and the TSA, the team will continue to be "receptive to future
proposals" (Bucs).
