Foxboro town officials, "racing to finalize a stadium
proposal" for the Patriots, left the MA State House
"exasperated Monday night, feeling that a meeting with House
Speaker Thomas Finneran's chief of staff was so unproductive
that their plan may be dead," sources tell Tina Cassidy of
the BOSTON GLOBE. But while Foxboro officials "may feel
desperate" to make an offer to Patriots Owner Robert Kraft
by Labor Day, associates of Kraft say the Patriots owner
"still has other options," including the short-term solution
of renovating Foxboro Stadium to include more luxury suites.
The team is also awaiting a proposal from RI officials for a
new facility in Providence. An anonymous NFL official:
"Providence is very real. It provides the least amount of
disruption for our fans." There is also "talk" that a
stadium for the Univ. of CT football team "could also house
the Patriots." Sources added that Kraft's MLS Revolution
"would likely stay behind" in Foxboro (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/20).
PATS TO MAKE PITCH TO RI: In Providence, William
Donovan reports that RI officials expect a stadium proposal
from the Patriots during the next two weeks, "which will
serve as starting point for public discussions on bringing"
the team to the state. John Swen, the newly appointed Dir
of the RI Economic Development Corp., said that Kraft has
been told, "in broad terms, what the state is willing to
contribute to the project" (JOURNAL-BULLETIN, 8/20).
