ESPN's Bob Ley hosted "Outside The Lines: Stadia Mania"
last night, which examined the quest of pro sports
franchises to gain new facilities. Ley called the building
boom the "hottest trend in sports," with 90 teams, "three-
quarters of all the franchises in MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and
the NHL [building] new homes or ... actively seeking one in
the ['90s]." The one-hour special featured how teams become
more financially competitive with a new venue, the paradox
of building an "intimate" facility while trying to maximize
seating capacity, fan-friendly features and attractions in
the new venues, public financing, the future of Yankee
Stadium, facility safety and naming rights (ESPN, 9/15).
THE SKINNY: Patriots Owner Robert Kraft said a team in
a new venue will earn between $25-35M a year in additional
revenue over a team in an outdated facility: "No team will
be able to compete going into the millennium that doesn't
have a new stadium." ESPN's Greg Garber examined the impact
of Jack Kent Cooke Stadium on the Redskins' bottom-line:
"The $205 million privately financed Jack Kent Cooke Stadium
generated $40 million for John Kent Cooke, double the income
of RFK the year before." ESPN's Rich Eisen reported on
ballpark design and the challenges facing today's architects
to develop an intimate atmosphere. HOK Designer Rick Martin
said their design for the Hawks' new arena will keep it
intimate and bring fans closer to the action, all while
including luxury boxes: "By putting all of the suites on one
side of the building enables us to pull everything forward."
Braves/Hawks President Stan Kasten, on new attractions at
the ballpark: "I used to come to the park early and I'd
watch people an hour before the game and they'd always be on
the concourse milling around with nothing to do ... I don't
like milling, I like buying" ("Outside The Lines," 9/15).
OTHER ISSUES: ESPN's Sal Paolantonio examined the issue
of public funding for the Broncos' proposed stadium and the
upcoming November referendum. Stanford economist Roger
Noll: "If anybody who votes for a sports team because they
think ordinary working people are going to be made better
off ... [it] is a huge mistake and the person who is causing
them to believe that is basically committing a public
fraud." ESPN's Mary Ann Heaven reported on the future of
Yankee Stadium. Owner George Steinbrenner, who is looking
to relocate to Manhattan: "Why don't I pay for the whole
stadium myself? Why doesn't every other team in the
American League that's got a new stadium pay? How do I
compete with a Peter Angelos and a Dick Jacobs when they're
sold out [every game]?" ("Outside The Lines," ESPN, 9/15).
