NHL: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, on new Lightning
Owner Art Williams: "His enthusiasm and passion is something
I like very much" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 6/11)....In
Detroit, a Univ. of Detroit Mercy marketing professor says
the gross revenues for each Red Wings' home games during the
Stanley Cup Finals will range from $3.25M to $3.75M. Gross
revenues for each Capitals Finals home game will range from
$2-2.25M (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 6/11). Comerica Inc. Chief
Economist David Littmann said that each playoff home game
for the Red Wings will generate about $2.3M for Metro
Detroit's economy (DETROIT NEWS, 6/11).
WNBA: The WNBA Rockers have sold 3,100 season tickets
as of last week, compared to 2,000 last season (PLAIN
DEALER, 6/10)....T-Wolves CFO Roger Griffeth said that the
team has surpassed 2,000 season-ticket orders for its WNBA
expansion team. The franchise must secure 5,000 orders by
September 1 to meet WNBA requirements (PIONEER PRESS, 6/11).
KINGS THINGS: In Sacramento, while some season-ticket
holders found NBA Kings Owner Jim Thomas' offer of a money-
back guarantee "interesting, many said the offer would
likely have no impact on their decision to renew season
tickets." Longtime season-ticket holder Don McCullough: "If
I do renew, I don't intend to send in any money until I know
there won't be an NBA lockout" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 6/10). In
Sacramento, Ailene Voisin: "Serious repair work remains to
be done within the community and in the locker room if
Thomas, as pledged, intends to reclaim the fans' (and free
agents') affection. The once beloved Kings need to be out
front, and up front. They need to be everywhere.
Hospitals. Schools. Autograph sessions. They need to kiss
babies and hug old ladies" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 6/10).
TEAM NOTES: In Akron, Terry Pluto advocates selling the
Browns to OH entrepreneur Tom Murdough: "Murdough seems to
have an idea of what the average guy is thinking. ... He
certainly has a better understanding of what it means to be
a Browns fan than Bill Cosby" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 6/11).
...In St. Paul, Charley Walters writes that some Vikings
owners "are convinced" that team President Roger Headrick
has acquired the financing to purchase the team. Walters
writes that Houston business exec Bob McNair may be among
Headrick's backers (PIONEER PRESS, 6/11)....MLB has appealed
to the MN Supreme Court a lower-court ruling "that would
force them to provide documents for a preliminary antitrust
investigation" by the MN Attorney General's office. The
Attorney General's office has 20 days to oppose MLB's appeal
(STAR TRIBUNE, 6/11)....In N.Y., after the Mets listed the
Devil Rays as "Tampa" on their scoreboard instead of "Tampa
Bay" on Tuesday, Devil Rays Owner Vince Naimoli said, "If
they can't find enough letters on the board to spell Tampa
Bay, I'm going to file a protest with the league."
Yesterday the board read "Rays" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/11).
