After "unexpectedly" signing an agreement with the city
to stay in Houston for at least the next seven years, the
Rockets lost their lawsuit seeking release from their Summit
lease for a possible move into a future downtown arena,
according to George Flynn of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. State
District Judge Mark Davidson "upheld the lease binding the
team to play all home games in the city-owned" arena through
November 30, 2003. Rockets VP John Thomas: "The only
purpose of our lawsuit was to enable the Rockets to move out
of The Summit into a new arena in downtown Houston. It
wasn't the result we expected." Flynn adds attorneys said
the ruling "does not doom" plans for a downtown arena, but
it does mean the team must first negotiate an end to The
Summit lease "acceptable" to Chuck Watson's Arena Operating,
managers of The Summit (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 2/28).
OUT OF OPTIONS? The CHRONICLE's Ed Fowler examines the
ruling under the header "Alexander Runs Out Of Stadium
Options." Fowler: "His position, boiled down, was that he
signed a contract and then decided he didn't like it. He
wanted a judge, in effect, to tear it up. ... We wonder if
his honor suppressed a snicker" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 2/28).
