TEAM EXEC PHILL-ED WITH OPINIONS: In Philadelphia, Dave
Davies writes that the city is "halfway to the deadline set"
by Mayor John Street to negotiate deals with the Phillies
and Eagles for new facilities, but sources "familiar with
the talks" say that the city "has yet to exchange
substantive proposals" with either team (PHILADELPHIA DAILY
NEWS, 5/26). Also in Philadelphia, Phillies President David
Montgomery contributes an Op-Ed on the Phillies ballpark
plan: "It is unfortunate that the populist rhetoric
surrounding this issue obscures the sound economic-
development justifications for the city to enter into a
public-private partnership with the commonwealth and the
Phillies to construct a new baseball park in Philadelphia
that will pay for itself several times over and enable the
Phillies to continue to be a major economic engine for this
city. While the rhetoric suggests that the Phillies are
asking the city to build the team a new ballpark, the facts
are that the Phillies would be the largest investor and that
the city would be paying far less than the norm in other
cities. ... All in all, this makes a lot of sense for the
city's taxpayers" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 5/26).
NOTES: Raleigh-based Accident Reconstruction Analysis
President Charles Manning "confirmed" yesterday that "high
levels of calcium chloride triggered the collapse" of a
pedestrian walkway at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte
last Saturday night (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 5/26)....In Green
Bay, Thomas Content writes that Tom Cioni, former Exec Dir
of Team Lambeau, the Packers' "pro-renovation group," has
resigned from the volunteer post (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE,
5/26). Cioni resigned "only a week after he took the job"
(MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 5/26)....Hamilton County (OH)
and Bengals officials reached an agreement yesterday that
"will allow the team to manage the daily operations" at Paul
Brown Stadium. The team's company, Paul Brown Stadium,
Ltd., "has agreed to publicly bid all goods or services
purchased for stadium management" (CINCIN. ENQUIRER, 5/26).
