Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner "said publicly for
the first time yesterday that his team would help pay the
cost of building a new stadium," but did not say how much,
according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES.
Steinbrenner, in a radio interview with Don Imus on WFAN-AM:
"I'm not looking for a free stadium. We are willing to sit
down and negotiate a deal where the Yankees would be
responsible for some of the stadium." Steinbrenner said
that naming rights, which could bring in $7-$10M a year,
could help pay part of his team's share. Steinbrenner's
spokesperson Howard Rubenstein said that "cash and other
financial techniques" would make up other negotiatable part
of the team's contribution. Rubenstein added that
Steinbrenner has said "privately" that he'd put money into
the stadium, and said that Steinbrenner's share would be
"whatever the Mets' is" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/29). Steinbrenner:
"It's got to be a shared deal. How much? That depends on
what the deal is that you cut" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/29).
NEW POLL: In N.Y., Lombardi & Cyphers report that
Steinbrenner's comments came as a new poll showed that 54%
of voters would oppose building a stadium on Manhattan's
West Side. The Quinnipiac College poll showed 41% in favor
of a West Side facility, with 5% having no opinion. When
asked if the NYC government should spend money to build a
Manhattan Stadium, 71% said no, 24% said yes and 5% had no
opinion (Lombardi & Cyphers, N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/29).
THE NAME GAME: MLB attorney Robert Kheel told a Bronx
Supreme Court Justice yesterday that MLB rules do not
prohibit Steinbrenner from taking his team or its name to
NJ. Eternal Vigilance Society Attorney John Iannuzzi is
suing the team to prevent them from taking the name "New
York" if they move out of the state (DAILY NEWS, 7/29).
