NBA: In Philadelphia, Phil Jasner reports that 76ers
President Pat Croce told NBA Commissioner David Stern that
he will refuse to pay the $50,000 fine levied against the
team for C Matt Geiger's flagrant foul against Pacers G
Reggie Miller on Saturday. Jasner writes that "after heated
conversations" with Stern and league Exec VP Rod Thorn,
Croce told 76ers Chair Ed Snider that if "the league
insisted on the $50,000 fine, he would give up the
presidency of the team." Croce: "I told (Stern) he could
take the fine and shove it. I told him I'm not paying. Not
a dime. He said, 'That's another issue'" (PHILADELPHIA
DAILY NEWS, 5/15)....In Boston, Peter May wondered that
while Celtics Chair Paul Gaston continues to dismiss talk of
a possible sale, "Why, then, are we hearing that he is at
least listening more intently to offers? ... Could Gaston
turn his back on $300 million or more? Would that be in the
best interests of stockholders?" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/14).
MLB: In Toronto, Dave Perkins writes on the Blue Jays'
attendance woes despite the team's 21-18 record. Perkins:
"If these Jays continue to draw poorly from now on, it will
be time for this ownership to find a serious buyer. They
should do it quickly, too, before they run the franchise so
deeply into the ground that only a moving van will be able
to extricate it" (TORONTO STAR, 5/15)....In CA, David
Holbrook reports that while the A's are currently in first
place in the AL West, the team is "having trouble drawing
fans at home ... and analysts say the team's future in the
East Bay is more in doubt as a result." The team is
currently averaging under 15,000 fans per game, the "fifth
worst draw" in MLB. A's Dir of PR Jim Young: "We're
disappointed but not panicking" (CONTRA COSTA TIMES, 5/15).
...In Toronto, La Presse political columnist Lysiane Gagnon
writes on the Expos' future in Montreal: "Let's end this
silly game. It's more than time to say goodbye to the Expos.
Let them move to a city that likes baseball. Montreal will
easily recover from the loss" (GLOBE & MAIL, 5/15).
NHL: The SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Daniel Kaplan reports
that Chase Manhattan Corp. is lending the Blue Jackets $45M,
the "bank's first NHL loan of any kind in roughly three
years." The loan "will partially finance" the team's $80M
expansion fee, pay for leasehold improvements at Nationwide
Arena and fund a "practice rink that will be attached to
that facility" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/15 issue)....Today
is the deadline for season ticket renewals for the Flames,
and in Calgary, Ethan Baron reports that as of Friday, the
team was "still more than" 3,000 short of its 8,450-renewal
goal." Ownership has said it will put the team up for sale
if 14,000 season tickets aren't sold by June 30. As of
Friday, the team had sold 1,801 new season tickets and 5,157
renewals, bringing in a total of 6,957 sales (CALGARY SUN,
5/15)....Outgoing Devils Owner John McMullen said he has no
regrets about selling the team: "I never said 'regrets.' I
said 'remorse.' There's a big difference. I have to send a
dictionary out to these people" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/14).