NHL: The Lightning's sale to Art Williams was closed
Tuesday, and Williams said that his "first order of
business" is to upgrade the Ice Palace, including its
scoreboard and sound system (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 7/15). Williams
will invest "more than" $5M for arena improvements (ST. PETE
TIMES, 7/15)....Mario Lemieux's suit against Penguins co-
Owner Roger Marino over the possible withholding of $33M
left on Lemieux's $42M contract is pending. Lemieux's
agent, Tom Reich, said of Marino, "We won't be happy until
he's (run) out of town." Marino: "I've been surprised at
all the negativism. All I'm trying to do is make this team
a strong club financially. But I'm not going to lay down
and let people walk all over me" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 7/13).
NOTES: In Oakland, the Coliseum Authority has hired MA-
based Game Plan to provide financial advice during
negotiations over the next two weeks with the A's about the
team's future. For now, "Game Plan is compiling information
on the current market and other recent team sales." County
Supervisor Mary King, who chairs the Coliseum Authority,
said that the firm will be paid $18,000 for its background
consulting work "and could stand to gain a hefty commission"
if a sale of the team went through (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 7/14).
...Ken Griffey Jr. purchased four season tickets to the WNBA
Orlando expansion team, becoming the 4,500th season-ticket
holder. Orlando is just 500 tickets shy of the mandatory
5,000, while the Minnesota franchise still needs to sell
more than 2,500 by September 1 (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/14)
