Expos Exec VP David Samson emerged from a meeting of
the team's ownership group yesterday "to dispute widely
publicized reports of dissent" within the group, but he did
admit that the team is having a "problem with finances,"
according to Jeff Blair of the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL.
Samson, who noted that the owners will continue to meet:
"There will be no fire sales. We will not handle financial
issues by letting our best players go to other teams.
That's one commitment we did make in the meeting." Samson's
comments were "an apparent reference to growing concern that
because of a shortfall in local ownership revenue, the team
will need to stay in Olympic Stadium one year longer than
originally planned." Blair notes that "unless there's a
polar change in the situation," Expos fans "may be two weeks
away from finding out" that the team's proposed C$200M
downtown ballpark won't be ready until 2003, instead of
2002. Samson said that the Expos "need more local revenue
or more capital" from new and existing owners, which could
delay the ballpark opening (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 5/19).
Samson, on yesterday's meeting: "We did not have a
discussion of where this franchise is going. Selling the
team, that is not the issue." But Samson did reveal that
the team has "10 to 12 different options on the stadium
issue," although he didn't reveal whether any involve
remaining at Olympic Stadium. Meanwhile, in Montreal, Jack
Todd writes on the possible ballpark delay: "It's pretty
clear now that the delay has been caused by the need to pay
attention to details like the number of dollars the
ownership is willing to spend" (Montreal GAZETTE, 5/19).
