L.A. Kings Owners Philip Anschutz and Edward Roski Jr.
have become "major players" on the L.A. sports scene,
because they have "spearheaded" the movement for a new arena
for the Kings and Lakers for which they will provide the
"bulk" of the financing, and also because of their recent
"acknowledged" interest in building a new Coliseum in
anticipation of the NFL returning to the city, according to
Helene Elliott in the L.A. TIMES. The downtown arena-
entertainment complex "could come closer to reality" May 20,
when the City Council is scheduled to vote on the project.
The owners' interest "in helping revitalize downtown" L.A.
has "helped bring near fruition" a deal that would build a
new football stadium in Exposition Park. The two will spend
more than $200M on the arena complex and would invest "more
than twice that" in a new Coliseum, and are negotiating with
investors who would share the financial obligations on both
projects. However, they will not commit to the Coliseum
project without a commitment from the NFL that a team would
move to the area (L.A. TIMES, 5/12).
STERLING SPEAKS: Clippers Owner Donald Sterling is
interviewed in a Q&A by the L.A. TIMES' Mark Heisler.
Sterling, on potentially moving to The Pond at Anaheim: "Is
it a desirable site to play? Yes, it's one of the most
desirable sites in America. ... But we have other proposals
that are perhaps better for the franchise from other
entities and we're examining those. We don't feel any
pressure" (L.A. TIMES, 5/13).
