Three Dallas City Council members "attacked" the
Mavericks yesterday, "accusing team officials of trying to
hold taxpayers hostage as they negotiate for a new arena,"
according to Ingrassia & Gillman of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS.
Council member Don Hicks called the Mavs owners "vultures"
for seeking $110M in public money for the new arena. Hicks:
"They can take the team and stick it. ... [M]aybe we ought
to take this money and [use] it for some things that are
beneficial to the environment here in the city of Dallas."
Ingrassia & Gillman write that the "barbs caught team
officials off-guard and raised questions about the potential
for the sides to set aside their differences and cut a
deal." Mavs negotiator Tom Luce: "We hope we can work
something out with the city of Dallas, and we're sorry those
frustrations were expressed in that manner" (DALLAS MORNING
NEWS, 8/28). Grand Prairie, TX, a suburb of Dallas,
unveiled a "comprehensive proposal" to bring the Mavs to the
city and "said they would work toward a January election to
help pay for a new arena." Mavericks negotiator Luce called
them "viable contenders" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 8/28).
