Saying the Red Sox are "being held to a higher standard
than other sports teams that sought state help for new
stadium," MA Gov. Paul Cellucci "yesterday challenged
lawmakers, including members of his own party, to support
the Red Sox plan for a new Fenway Park," according to Meg
Vaillancourt of the BOSTON GLOBE. Cellucci said the Red Sox
"are offering the state a better deal in terms of payback"
than the Patriots did. Cellucci: "So why would people who
voted for the Foxboro deal last year now turn around and
criticize the Red Sox request? I just don't get it." MA
House Speaker Thomas Finneran dismissed Cellucci's financial
analysis of the two deals: "The governor should take a
remedial math class." After a House caucus yesterday,
Finneran said that while there is still time for a ballpark
bill to be passed this year, he added there is "no appetite"
among his colleagues for the tentative proposal by the Red
Sox to share revenue from two state-built garages with the
city and the team (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/25). After yesterday's
caucus, Finneran told the BOSTON HERALD the ballpark plan is
"in serious trouble." MA State Rep. Jay Kaufman: "I don't
think there's a single vote [among caucus members] for a
stadium right now" (BOSTON HERALD, 5/25).
SOX ON PR OFFENSIVE: Also in Boston, Mark Murphy writes
that Red Sox CEO John Harrington and Exec VP Dan Duquette
met "in a rare meeting with media covering the team"
yesterday at Fenway Park. Duquette said the Red Sox are
currently ninth in MLB in ballpark-related revenue and he
said the team would drop to 17th "if we chose to just
maintain the status quo" (BOSTON HERALD, 5/25). Harrington,
on the team's offer to contribute $352M toward the $627M
project: "That's as far as we can go" (HARTFORD COURANT,
5/25). Harrington contributes an Op-Ed in today's BOSTON
GLOBE and writes, "To put it unequivocally as possible: The
Red Sox are committed to financing the entire new ballpark
privately. We will put more private dollars into the new
ballpark than any other sports team in history has put into
its facility. ... The Red Sox do not have the limitless
pockets that some suggest. ... Like the [Patriots], we need
infrastructure support from the state" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/25).
WE'RE SHOCKED, SHOCKED! Also in Boston, Bob Ryan writes
under the header, "This Shouldn't Be The Thanks The Red Sox
Get." Ryan: "Do not allow disingenuous politicians to delay
this project any longer. The fact is that what the Red Sox
are doing now is simply calling in their marker. Instead of
throwing up obstacles, [Mayor Thomas Menino] and [the]
Finnerans of the world should be on bended knee, thanking
the Red Sox for a century of entertainment and saying, 'Is
there any more we can do for you?'" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/25).
