MLS Commissioner Doug Logan "sounded pessimistic about
the chances" of the Mutiny remaining in Tampa Bay, according
to Rodney Page of the ST. PETERSBURG TIMES. Logan attended
Sunday night's Mutiny-MetroStars game, played in-front of a
"Mutiny-record crowd of 27,957," and said he hopes to work
out a lease agreement with the Tampa Sports Authority for
the team to play at Raymond James Stadium. But Logan said,
"The area has chosen to put its resources behind other
sports." Logan was referring to the Bucs who will receive
most of the stadium revenue from non-Bucs events at Raymond
James. Logan: "The community has chosen to give the Bucs
money from hot dogs and beer in order to make its profits
even bigger. There's a fundamental unfairness about that"
(ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 9/14). In N.Y., Charlie Nobles
reports that Logan is considering moving the team to the
"soccer hotbed of Rochester [NY]." Logan, noting that the
Bucs will receive all parking and concessions revenue from
Mutiny games, even though the Mutiny have lost $6M over the
last three seasons: "We'd like to at least get the benefits
of our own efforts" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/14).
SOMBRERO WILL GET FLATTENED: The Mutiny game and a Goo
Goo Dolls concert were the last events at Houlihan's
Stadium, which in November "will be leveled and turned into
a parking lot" for the new stadium (ORLANDO SENTINEL 9/14).
ON SCHEDULE: In Tampa, Tampa Sports Authority Exec Dir
Henry Saavedra said that Raymond James Stadium is "on
budget" and "pretty much on time." The TAMPA TRIBUNE's Eric
Miller writes that the team's $3M pirate ship and village
are "nearly complete" and the stadium's signs are already
hanging. The Bucs first game in its new stadium is next
Sunday, September 20 (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 9/13).
