Though Labatt may have an option to sell the Blue Jays
to Sportsco when the group assumes control of SkyDome in the
next two weeks, "there are whispers" that Howard Milstein
could be interested in buying the team, according to Bob
Elliott of the TORONTO SUN. Milstein's spokesperson Gary
Lewi: "A number of people have contacted Mr. Milstein since
the NFL decision [on the Redskins], with various investment
ideas. This is only one of them. We're not going to
comment whether we think this has legs" (TORONTO SUN, 4/14).
DOME ISN'T WHERE THE HEART IS: SkyDome's attendance of
23,710 for the Devil Rays-Blue Jays game last night was the
smallest ever at the facility since its opening in '89,
compared to a previous low of 25,446 against the Angels back
in '96. In Toronto, Mike Zeisberger writes that with the
Air Canada Centre about to host Maple Leafs and possibly
Raptors playoff games, the Blue Jays "could find fewer and
fewer [fans] occupying the SkyDome seats in the coming
weeks." Blue Jays Exec VP Bob Nicholson, who "was not
surprised" by last night's turnout: "No doubt there is a lot
of competition in this market. The new building certainly
enhances that." Nicholson said that he "expected"
attendance to be in the mid-20,000s, and noted that the team
is trying to counter a reduced season-ticket base with
single-game sales (TORONTO SUN, 4/14).
FALLING FAST: After drawing an opening day crowd of
43,918 last week, the Expos have seen their attendance
continue to drop, as only 5,589 attended Olympic Stadium
last night for the game against the Brewers. In Montreal,
Stephanie Myles writes the crowd, which "was looking for a
reason to cheer all night," was the smallest since '90, when
only 4,262 showed up for a game against the Cardinals. The
Expos' lowest turnout ever was 2,803 for a game against the
Cardinals in '84 (Montreal GAZETTE, 4/14).
