PHILLIES, EAGLES AND BLACKOUTS? In Philadelphia,
Christopher Hepp reports that Philadelphia City Controller
Jonathan Saidel and GOP mayoral candidate Sam Katz "took a
shot" at Mayor Ed Rendell's funding plan for new stadiums
for the Eagles and Phillies. Saidel and Katz testified at a
hearing for U.S. Senator Arlen Specter's (R-PA) bill "aimed
at limiting public financing" and said that it would "cost
taxpayers more than the mayor had let on." Specter's bill
will "cap the amount of public funds used" to build new
stadiums (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 9/14). Meanwhile, Specter
said he tried to watch last Sunday's Cardinals-Eagles game
on Sunday, only to find it blacked out. He "suggested
Congress should look into" NFL blackout rules. Rendell, on
NFL's blackout policy: "I think [the blackout] rule is
silly, particularly when, at the time of the blackout, I
think we had sold 60,000 seats. Sixty thousand is not a bad
gate for any sporting event" (PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 9/14).
MORE NOTES: In Rochester, Gary Craig reported that A-
League Rhinos officials are "delaying their push" for public
financing for a new soccer stadium so the proposal "does not
compete head-on with a plan" for a downtown performing arts
center. Rhinos co-Owner Steve Donner, on the team not
giving up "hope of getting" a $40M soccer-specific stadium
and an MLS franchise: "We feel our time will come." Donner
added that owners "have not abandoned their initial hopes"
of having a stadium "well under way" in 2001 (ROCHESTER
DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 9/11)....PA Gov. Tom Ridge delivered
$3M in capital budget redevelopment assistance funds to
construct a new 5,000-seat stadium to expand the Little
League World Series (PA Office of the Governor).
