NEW ARENA IN ST. CHARLES: In St. Louis, Tom Wheatley
reports on the new Family Arena, home of the IBL Swarm, and
calls it "a bargain" at $30M. Wheatley: "It's half the size
of Kiel Center at one-fourth the cost. Its only downside is
an anti-union stance. Otherwise, the joint combines the
best of the big time and the small town." Swarm officials
"don't fret" that Kiel Center Owner Bill Laurie "might move"
the Grizzlies to St. Louis, as Swarm coach Bernie
Bickerstaff says that "local talent will keep a hometown
feel" to the team (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 10/20).
MORE NOTES: The BOSTON GLOBE's Meg Vaillancourt reports
in a front-page feature that MA police "are investigating"
whether one of the leading opponents of an access road to a
new Patriots stadium was operating an illegal parking lot
during Sunday's game against the Dolphins and profiting
"from the stream of spectators' cars into the area." The
police investigation "could shake the credibility of the
residents' group fighting the team's stadium plan" (BOSTON
GLOBE, 10/20)....In Miami, Peter Whoriskey reports that
financing plans for a new Marlins ballpark are "already
encountering formidable political opposition." The
resistance comes from a roster of South FL "power players,"
including Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas and former Marlins
Owner Wayne Huizenga. Whoriskey adds Huizenga's opposition
"could prove critical" (MIAMI HERALD, 10/20).
TURF TOES: In Baltimore, Jon Morgan reports that the
Ravens have "adopted the latest in high-tech fields: real
grass, cut into half-ton sections and assembled like a
puzzle." The idea behind the "modular" system is "replacing
worn spots with fresh turf." Turf Diagnostics & Design
President Chuck Dixon: "I think you'll see more and more
modular. You are going to see the industry go in an
entrepreneurial way after natural turf" (Balt. SUN, 10/20).
