T-Wolves Owner Glen Taylor "is assembling an ownership
group to attempt to buy the Vikings," according to Zgoda &
Hartman of the Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE. Taylor, whose
group includes Rockets Owner Les Alexander and "some" of the
T-Wolves' 12 limited partners, said Friday there is a
"better than 50-50 chance" his group will make a bid by the
team's July 1 deadline. The Vikings owners want $200M for
the franchise (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/13). In St.
Paul, Charley Walters reported that a group of Taylor's reps
will visit the Vikings' offices today to review the team's
operation. Taylor's group is not expected to meet with
Vikings President Roger Headrick, "who also is expected to
bid for the team" (PIONEER PRESS, 6/14). Taylor said he has
received NBA Commissioner David Stern's permission to
proceed with plans to buy the team: "David encouraged me to
go ahead. He thought it would be good for me to be involved
in Minnesota with an NFL team" (STAR TRIBUNE, 6/14).
TWIN BIlLING? In Minneapolis, Sid Hartman wrote that
Taylor "could eventually own the Twins and the Vikings as
well as" the T-Wolves. Taylor would head a group of local
investors, similar to the group that is his partner in the
T-Wolves, and then go public and sell stock in all three
teams (STAR TRIBUNE, 6/13). But in St. Paul, Charley
Walters wrote, "Forget the notion of Taylor buying the
Twins," adding that Taylor "is not interested ... Reasons:
time, energy and money" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 6/14).
