Orioles 3B Cal Ripken Jr. and the IBL "appear close to
a deal that would make" him the sole owner of the
BayRunners, according to Strauss & Jones of the Baltimore
SUN. Currently, Ripken owns 10% of the team and "has his
representatives working on a package that would allow him to
gain the remaining share." The league owns the Silver
Bandits and the remaining 90% of the BayRunners. Ripken, on
IBL ownership: "It's interesting to me. It's like baseball
with its farm systems. I like the concept, and I'm
exploring that. ... I'm satisfied with the viability of the
league. I think it will do well. I think it's been
successful in its first year. The potential is great."
Strauss & Jones add that "despite the BayRunners' struggles
on the court and in filling the Baltimore Arena," Ripken is
"encouraged by the team and league." IBL owners "paid
between" $500,000 and $1M as a franchise fee and "were
required to have" a $1M line of credit (Balt. SUN, 2/29).
PROMOTING A WHITE ELEPHANT? Also in Baltimore, Ken
Rosenthal writes that Baltimore Arena "is an embarrassment,
and needs to be replaced with or without" an NBA or NHL
franchise because "a city of Baltimore's size should have a
new arena in its long-term plans." Rosenthal: "Who knows if
Baltimore could even support the NBA or NHL? The hunger for
those leagues doesn't match the hunger that existed for the
NFL. And the sports dollar already is stretched thin by the
Orioles and Ravens." Outgoing MD Stadium Authority Exec Dir
Bruce Hoffman: "My own personal opinion is that we're not
ready yet. To make an arena really work, you need a lot of
corporate support. I think we've tapped them hard between
the two stadiums" (Baltimore SUN, 2/29).
