The Panthers proposed new home in Sunrise, FL is "shaping up
to be a fan-friendly arena unlike any in North America,"
according to Larry Lebowitz in the Ft. Lauderdale SUN SENTINEL.
Among features planned: outdoor food courts with views of the
Everglades; wiring of seats for future technological advances,
such as individual TVs and computers; a "record number" of
restrooms and seats that will put fans closer to the ice. The
"biggest hurdles" remaining are highway access, parking spaces
and budget concerns (Ft. Lauderdale SUN SENTINEL, 8/26).
BANK ONE: When the Diamondbacks begin play in Bank One
Ballpark in '98, they will be attending not only a stadium, but
"part museum and part high-tech showplace," according to Ken
Weston of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. Among the attractions at the
complex "being dubbed Fox Sports Diamondtown," will be baseball
memorabilia, 10 "huge" video walls and as many as 150 TV
monitors. Interactive kiosks will be set up, enabling fans to
tap into nostalgia video and the Internet. D'Back officials are
predicting "as many as 500,000 people will pass through the
stadium just on tours." Ten of the D'Backs largest corporate
sponsors, including America West, Bank One, Checker Auto, Circle
K and Miller Brewing, will sponsor a zone in Diamondtown (ARIZONA
REPUBLIC, 8/27).
