Edward Roski Jr. and Philip Anschutz, owners of the
L.A. Kings, say they will tell NFL owners at formal meetings
beginning Monday in San Diego that they are "committed" to
making a $500M investment to bring an NFL team back to L.A.
in 2000 in a new Coliseum, according to T.J. Simers of the
L.A. TIMES. Roski Jr. and Anschutz, who anticipate final
City Council approval next week of their $240M downtown
arena for the Kings and Lakers, were "recruited" by City
Council member Mark Ridley-Thomas to lead the Coliseum
effort. In an effort to "catch the NFL owners' attention,"
Roski and Anschutz have begun collecting $10,000 deposits
for luxury suites in the new Coliseum, with the intention of
selling 50-75 of the 140 in the next month. In addition,
they said that they "will not be asking for any public money
and do not envision" selling PSLs to finance construction of
a new stadium or the fee to start an expansion team or buy
an existing team. In another move "designed to eliminate
NFL roadblocks," Simers notes the two will not "demand"
Super Bowls, as the Dodgers and Hollywood Park considered
doing, as a means of marketing and financing their project.
Simers adds that Roski Jr. and Anschutz represent themselves
as a 50-50 partnership, but the NFL does not allow that, so
one will have to become majority owner (L.A. TIMES, 5/16).
