MA leaders believe that Patriots Owner Robert Kraft
"will take" their latest stadium offer announced Tuesday
night, according to Macero, Battenfeld & Silberman of the
BOSTON HERALD. One high-ranking official: "No one wants to
say this but I'd be very surprised if the team didn't stay
in Foxboro." Meanwhile, sources said that "troubles are
dogging" Kraft's $380M CT deal which "could prompt him to
back out of the pact." Kraft faces a deadline Sunday where
he could walk away from CT's offer (BOSTON HERALD, 4/29).
Kraft is "expected to meet with his consultants today in an
effort to sort through" the status of the CT project, "which
has been dogged by environmental and logistical problems."
In Boston, Meg Vaillancourt writes of MA leaders' "unbridled
optimism" that Kraft will remain in Foxboro (BOSTON GLOBE,
4/29). MA Senate President Thomas Birmingham yesterday
"suggested NFL brass were literally coaching" MA leaders
Tuesday night on "what kind of a stadium plan might win
approval" when league owners meet in May. Also in Boston,
Cosmo Macero writes that the league could "hand Kraft an
easy exit" out of the CT deal by voting against the team's
relocation to Hartford (BOSTON HERALD, 4/29). A BOSTON
GLOBE editorial states that the "last-minute" MA deal gives
Kraft a "second chance to keep the team in the Boston area,
where he lives, and prevent[s] the sense of loss that many
... will feel if the team leaves" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/29).
IS $15M TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR: At a Boston press
conference yesterday, Kirk & Associates' Paul Kirk Jr. said
that the NFL wants to see at least $15M in luxury seat
commitments at a new Foxboro Stadium. In Boston, Gregg
Krupa notes that the leaders said they would "seek written
pledges of support" for luxury seating, but also "oral
pledges" or "gentleman's agreements" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/29).
HARTFORD, WE HARDLY KNEW YA? In Hartford, Swift, Weiss
& Amore write that the "paper agreement binding" the
Patriots to CT "appeared increasingly flimsy Wednesday," as
CT Gov. John Rowland "sounded like an anxious salesman" in
arguing the deal was still a go (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/29).
At a press conference, Rowland said, "Why would someone walk
away from a $374 million publicly financed deal to go build
your own facility on your own dime? ... What's he going back
to? It's not an emotional issue. It's a financial issue.
He's got to be able to afford his team" (BOSTON GLOBE,
4/29). In N.Y., Mike Allen writes that in "some quarters" of
CT, the stadium was already "being discussed in the past
tense." But Rowland was adamant: "I know that people would
like to see this fall apart -- it's not going to fall
apart." Rowland's aides said that he was "blindsided" by
the "clout" of the NFL, and that he feels "betrayed" by the
league and Commissioner Paul Tagliabue (N.Y. TIMES, 4/29).
IS THE TV DMA THE KEY? In Hartford, Goldberg & Garber
look at the impact TV market size has had on the NFL's
desire to keep the team in Boston. Pilson Communications
President Neal Pilson, on the league leaving the larger
markets: "I think the network basically turns to the league
and says, 'Look, you want us to pay huge amounts of money.
These moves are not good for television.' ... It's not a
Hartford issue. ... It has to do with comparing the
populations" (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/29). In Boston, Ron
Borges writes that Tagliabue "finally got tired of presiding
over the downsizing of the NFL." One highly-placed NFL
source: "There have been no formal talks between television
executives and the league on this, but obviously you don't
trade down from Boston to Hartford unless you absolutely
have to. This is a trend that has not been good for the
league or our television partners. We all recognize that."
Meanwhile, Borges outlines NFL Resolution G-2, which would
make Kraft eligible for a low-interest loan from the league
that could account for up to 34% of the building costs for a
new stadium. Borges adds that Kraft "would become the first
owner in sports history to agree to partially pay for
infrastructure improvements to state roads and utilities as
part of a stadium project," something other owners may "not
be terribly pleased" with, as these costs are normally
assumed by cities and states (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/29). Also in
Boston, Dan Shaughnessy writes that the NFL is "flexing its
considerable muscle and reminding Kraft that he's going to
have to play ball with them if he wants to be a member in
good standing. Nashville is bad enough. But Hartford?"
(BOSTON GLOBE, 4/29). But also in Boston, Michael Gee
writes on the roughly $300M difference between the MA and CT
offers and states: "It seems to me that Massachusetts' last-
second, short-dollar offer is a perfect opportunity to bid
the state farewell with a cheery, 'Bleep you and thanks for
the memories'" (BOSTON HERALD, 4/29).
