VIVA LAS VEGAS? Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, who is
meeting with both NBA Commissioner David Stern and NHL
Commissioner Gary Bettman about possibly bringing a pro
franchise to Las Vegas: "There will be absolutely no problem
in getting clients for the luxury suites. People here are
ready for something like this. And we've received several
overtures from established teams. They're curious about
what we're doing" (O.C. REGISTER, 9/23). In Dallas, Kevin
Blackistone: "I'll bet Oscar Goodman's offer is one that
can't be refused" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/23).
FROM OAKLAND: The A's drew 9,895 fans for the finale of
their three-game series against the Twins yesterday. In CA,
Neil Hayes: "Here it is September, with the A's playing
meaningful games for the first time in seven years, and
their attendance figures are right out of the Cactus League.
A's manager Art Howe: "I don't want it to sound like I'm
bad-mouthing our fans because I'm not. But we just want to
know what we have to do to get them out here because we'll
do it. We just want to know" (CONTRA COSTA TIMES, 9/23).
BUYING SOME PRIME TIME: In Phoenix, Don Henniger
reports that the Coyotes are launching a "prime-time
marketing rush aimed at bolstering their image and selling
more tickets." The team has purchased a two-minute block of
ad time during the late night newscasts on five top local TV
stations. The spots will focus on the team, its players and
fans. It is "not intended to muster support for a new arena
at Los Arcos Mall." Coyotes VP/Business Development Joe
Levy said that the team "spent between $50,000 and $75,000
for the ads" (PHOENIX BUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/20 issue).
NHL NOTES: In Pittsburgh, Chuck Finder reports that
phones in the Penguins' ticket-office "haven't stopped
ringing in the three weeks" since Mario Lemieux has taken
over team ownership. The club has sold season tickets "at
the fastest rate in years, sometimes 70-plus a day and
recently around 8,500" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 9/23).
.....In Nashville, Jeff Legwold criticizes the Predators for
not disclosing how many tickets they've sold, either for
their season opener or for the entire year. Legwold writes
that the team has "decided they really don't have to tell
you, me or anybody else how many tickets they have sold."
Legwold: "It is a shame a franchise that has continually
shown so much guts and heart on the ice doesn't show a
little more off of it" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 9/23).
NOTES: The Mets have entered into an agreement to
purchase the St. Catherines (ONT) franchise of the Class-A
New York-Penn League and plan to relocate the team to
Brooklyn. The Mets "are engaged in discussions with" the
city of N.Y. for a temporary facility in Brooklyn (NEWSDAY,
9/23)....In DC, Michael Wilbon calls DC United "the model
professional soccer franchise in America" (WASHINGTON POST,
9/23)....In St. Paul, Charley Walters writes that principals
of the Twins and the Wild investor group "are cautiously
optimistic" that an offer for the Twins in the $120M range
from the Wild group "will be accepted on or before" the
October 1 deadline (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 9/23).
