MORE DETAILS ON RAIDERS DEAL: In Oakland, Coliseum
Authority General Counsel Deena McClain said that a
provision in the Raiders' lease at Oakland-Alameda County
Coliseum would allow them "to give a notice of their
intention to leave -- but only after 16 seasons in Oakland,"
which would be after the 2011 Super Bowl. McClain said that
Raiders attorney Joseph Alioto was "wrong" when he said the
team could break its lease within 90 days of the Super Bowl
for $500,000. However, Raiders attorney Kenneth Hausman
added the team "never said that they want to leave Oakland"
(Laura Counts, OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 2/23).
OTHER NOTES: With the Bulls struggling to a 2-9 start,
assistant coach Fran Hamblen said that Michael Jordan has
"called a couple of times in the last week and a half" and
told the coaches to "Hang in there." Hamblen: "He said, 'I
can score 67 points in a game -- c'mon'" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE,
2/24)....The Ravens will ask fans to select a new helmet
logo while they continue to appeal a jury's verdict "that
found they stole the current design." The team said it will
ask fans to pick between three designs via a telephone
voting process in a poll to be conducted by the Baltimore
Sun on Thursday and Friday. The new design will be
announced by the paper on Sunday (AP, 2/24)....In Miami,
Marlins Owner John Henry, when told that other MLB team
owners don't show up for spring training: "They don't? What
the heck are they doing? I can't imagine being anywhere
else on a day like today" (MIAMI HERALD, 2/24)....Hornets
Owner George Shinn denied reports that he was trying to sell
the team. Hornets VP/PR Harold Kaufman: "At this time,
George maintains that he is not interested in selling the
team. He has never been interested in selling the team"
(WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL, 2/24). ESPN.com's Jeffrey Denberg
speculates that Shinn will try "to pull the Hornets out of
Charlotte for the new suite-rich arena in Raleigh"
(ESPN.com, 2/24)....MLS Clash investor-operator Jonathan
Kraft, on the team's financial prospectus: "I'd love to
break even this year. I think we're looking at two more
seasons with a loss" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 2/20).
