The Bulls have raised ticket prices for their best
seats next season. Among the increases, courtside seats at
the United Center go from $400 to $425; main floor tickets,
from $130-140; box seats, $75-80; $60 seats will cost $70
and $40 tickets will rise to $45. Seats on the 300 level
will remain priced from $20-35 (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/26).
...According to sources involved in the sale negotiations
between the Lightning and the Maloofs, the Maloofs "strongly
suggested maintaining the status quo on player salaries for
next season," although the suggestion "was not presented as
a condition of the sale" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 6/26). ...In
Charlotte, the WNBA Sting, which will have a $1.5M first-
year budget, "is expected to lose as much as $750,000 this
season." The Sting has sold about 1,000 season tickets and
team officials "expect to be profitable within three years"
(THE BUSINESS JOURNAL of Charlotte, 6/23 issue)....The Bears
will hold their first fan convention next March 13-15 at the
Chicago Hilton & Towers. The convention will feature past
and present players who will sign autographs, be available
for photographs and special clinics (Bears)....The Reds will
move their spring training site from Plant City, FL, to
Sarasota. The lease in Sarasota runs through 2008 (TAMPA
TRIBUNE, 6/25)....The Chicago MLS franchise named Peter Wilt
its new GM. The team is owned by Philip Anschutz, who also
owns the MLS Rapids. Anschutz's sports assistant, Bob
Sanderman, said the two teams will play in different
divisions, and that any "transactions between them would
receive special scrutiny from the league." Sanderman: "Down
the road, there may be the necessity to sell off one of the
teams" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/25).
