MA Gov. William Weld and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino
have "called a time out on city-state hostilities over the
proposed new stadium" for the Patriots, according to Meg
Vaillancourt of the BOSTON GLOBE. Weld and Menino will host
a "huge Super Bowl send-off" for the Pats Sunday afternoon
in Boston. Vaillancourt notes Weld's inclusion of Menino
"signals that both sides are willing to work together to
find common ground" on Patriots Owner Robert Kraft's
proposal for a stadium in South Boston. A pep-rally send-
off will "give Menino the chance to make up with Weld, with
team officials, and with rabid football fans miffed by the
mayor's opposition to a proposed South Boston stadium." The
"sharp split" between Menino and Weld came last week, as
during a conversation about the stadium, sources said that
Menino "slammed" Weld for taking "a politically expedient
position" on the stadium (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/15).
IN KRAFT'S HUDDLE: The GLOBE's business columnist Joan
Vennochi examines Kraft's stadium "team," consisting of
"trusted advisors," including his son, Jonathan, BankBoston
CEO Chad Gifford and Jack Connors, CEO/Hill Holliday Connors
Cosmopulos, BankBoston's ad agency. Vennochi notes the
"challenge" for the group is how to sell the stadium issue
"to the Massachusetts public, not just the Massachusetts
media." With the Patriots going to the Super Bowl, the
"probable new game plan" is to "focus on Patriots players,
not the team's owner, playing up a Cinderella storyline
around athletes pulling together in racial harmony for a
Super Bowl win" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/15).
