NO METS DEAL? ESPN's Peter Gammons reported, "A month
[ago Cablevision Chair Charles] Dolan thought he had a deal
to buy the Mets for $400 million, but ... [Mets co-Owner]
Fred Wilpon refused to relinquish any control, and the deal
fell through" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 7/14).
HAZY DAYS: In Detroit, Perry Farrell cites three
sources as saying that "as many as six" Pistons players
"smoked pot last season." However, Pistons President Tom
Wilson said that he "doesn't think his team has a major
problem with marijuana use." Wilson: "Not to our immediate
knowledge, but I guess we'll see [noting the league testing
for marijuana this season]" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/15).
CONFLICT RESOLUTION: Daniel Snyder completed his
purchase of the Redskins yesterday for $800M. Snyder: "Over
the next few days we're going to celebrate, and then we'll
get down to the work at hand" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/15).
NEW PLAYER FOR EXPOS? In Charlotte, Stan Olson notes
that in addition to Stephen Bronfman and Jeffrey Loria, a
new potential investor looking to keep the Expos in Montreal
is Mercedes dealer Sam Eltis (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/15).
NOTES: Titans Ticket Manager Marty Collins said that
PSLs and season tickets at Adelphia Coliseum "will be put on
sale as single game tickets for this season." Current PSL
sales equal "about" 49,000, "roughly 8,000 short of the
sales goal" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 7/15)....In Ft. Worth,
Sean Wood profiles group ticket sales, and the MLB Rangers
claim that group sales "make up about" 15% of their ticket
sales. Rangers Exec VP/Marketing Jeff Cogen said that the
team has a "significant" database of "more than" 5,000
groups and his sales staff "hits them with telephone calls
and direct-mail pieces," sometimes offering "incentives"
such as free tickets to games. Cogen: "I believe in
incentivising group leaders" (STAR-TELEGRAM, 7/15).
